Improving the International Student Experience

With international students paying upwards of £10,000 for each year of study in the UK, it takes a top class experience to make them feel they have got value for money. New British students can struggle with arranging accommodation, finding a part-time job, making friends and managing their studies, but for international students all this can be ten times harder.

Arriving alone in a new country that speaks a foreign language can be one of the most difficult things to do, and universities have a duty to make it as easy as possible for new students. However, do they currently help enough? For every international student who finds arriving and settling in a painless process, there is a story of struggle. Even if universities are currently helping every step of the way, there is always room for improvement.

Equally, now, more than ever, not only is it the universities' duty, but it is actually essential to their survival that they keep their international students happy. The financial benefit of students from around the world (not to mention the welcome cultural diversity they bring) is now indispensible to the Higher Education sector in the UK.

Therefore, the question of how to improve the experience for international students studying in the UK is one that is vital not only to the students themselves, but also to every British institution that welcomes them.

We Want to Hear from YOU

Tomorrow (Friday 18th November) the Guardian Higher Education Network is bringing together a panel of experts to have a live chat about this very issue, and here at ForeignStudents we have been asked to participate.

Please leave any comments, questions or anecdotes you have below this article or in the comments section here. Also make sure you join the debate online herefrom 12pm to 3pm tomorrow, or follow the discussion on Twitter with the hashtag #HElivechat

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