Coming to Study in the U.K.
Hey Dabblers! It's Linda here, and I've got a post with my former studio mate, Betina, who will be talking to us about her experience having come to study in the UK from abroad.
We hope this post is interesting for anyone who can relate to her experiences, or wants to know what it's like for students coming in from outside the UK to study architecture.
Q1: Brief introduction about yourself.
My name is Betina, 21 years old, I am from Brazil but 7 years ago my parents decided to move to Portugal where I studied Arts and my desire to study Architecture started to grow. Consequently, I am now studying BA Architecture at the University of Westminster.
Q2: What made you want to study architecture?
I chose to study Architecture because it is a full course, it’s not only about building or houses; it has architectural design, graphic design, urbanism, photography, a little engineering, construction, drawing, sketching, editing, 3D, modelling, etc. We learn so much more in our briefs than just designing, we learn how to present our thoughts, how to create and deliver a concept, how to sell our idea, how to analyse a site, to make maps, test light, sound, wind, sun. Architecture is not only about the looks of building, it is about the clients and the site and the feelings, it is very personal and creative and we never know what you are going to end up with.
Q3: What made you want to study in the UK?
I attended an event of an organisation that takes Portuguese students to study in the UK, called OK Estudante, they go around all high schools from north to south explaining the great opportunity they are offering, and I really liked their presentation as they were extremely honest about all costs and touched on every difficulty I should expect to encounter moving abroad and how they would always help, especially with the Brexit. I applied quite confidently and next thing I know I was accepted.
Q4: What was the application process like?
My application process was quite easy, as I paid an organisation to take care of it. I didn’t even have to check the requirements; they did everything for me, I only selected the universities I was interested in. I knew I got accepted pretty early as I applied in January, sent my portfolio in February and was interviewed right after.
Q5: What was your experience like with accommodation in the UK?
When I first moved to the UK I had a really bad experience with accommodation, I decided to rent a room closer to university as I personally found the University Accommodation to be rather far from the campus.
I found (and rented for a month and a half before I arrived to make sure I could keep it) a great small, clean room in Little Venice, new building in a great location, everything seemed perfect until the live-in landlord turned out to be crazy. I woke up everyday to her screaming at her mom in her native language or to some poor delivery guy saying she would sue him; she used to get in my room every time I left the house, she moved my fridge magnets, she made me flush the toilet three times because “that's how you should do it”, email me new house rules every now and then, she once even checked my lunchbox inside the microwave (I had my own microwave, fridge, and a camping stove in my room as she locked her fridge and didn’t want me to cook in the house) and threw the food away and left the lunchbox in my bed; and that same day the undid my bed and threw my linens on the floor (I still don’t know why).
I guess my point is sharing a place with someone you don’t know is hard, and I learned that the hard way, I wouldn’t go home until I knew she would be asleep and I was scared to even go to the bathroom. The day I told my parents what was happening and how tired I was of staying until so late at university, I started to look for a new place and gladly found a studio that was perfect for me and I absolutely love it.
Q6: How did you feel knowing you were going to spend the next three years of your life studying in a different country?
I always wanted to study abroad, mainly because of how I was raised, when my dad was eighteen he left Brazil to go backpacking in Europe for almost 10 years and until today I hear many stories about his adventures and I can tell you there was a lot! He ended up working in the film, commercial and marketing business allowing him to travel the rest of the world filming and photographing, which is just the dream! So yes, I was very excited to move abroad and start my own adventures, If I could I would study in a different place every six months.
Q7: Was it financially taxing to make the decision to come to study in the UK?
Financially studying abroad was always a struggle for me, I am very thankful that my parents can afford me living in the UK in good conditions and I can take my degree without having to find a part time job because I probably wouldn’t take the amount of work if I did. I struggle just because asking my parents for so much money weighs on my consciousness, but I know I am making them proud and one day I will be able to pay them back.
Q8: What was the moving process like?
I could say my moving process was harder than a lot of people. At the same time I was moving to the UK, my parents were packing to move to Thailand (which didn’t work out and four days before I moved to the UK, they moved to Italy) so I had to bring everything I owned with me, and everything had to be packed and stored two months prior. It definitely was more clothes and shoes that I could fit where I first lived but everything turned out to be fine (I am also used to moving as I already moved houses 4 times).
Q9: Did you need a lot of paperwork to organise your studies in the UK?
I would need it if I used my Brazilian passport but I have dual nationality and used my Italian passport, which made everything way easier.
Q10: Were there any language barriers during your time so far studying architecture?
No, gladly.
Q11: Did you have to adapt to any cultural differences when you came to the UK?
I have to say no, as I lived in the south of Portugal the last 7 years and we have more British people there than Portuguese. The only struggle I have is with the flavourless fruits they have in England.
Q12: What was your experience like settling into your first year of studying Architecture?
It was definitely hard in the beginning as for the first time in my life I was studying with a group of people who were all talented and had a better study background than me, I felt like everyone was more advanced in many ways, but when I started to like what I was studying it stopped being work and became a challenge so I could get better.
Q13: What’s your experience like going about day-to-day errands? E.g. going to the bank, shopping for groceries, visiting the embassy, healthcare services etc.
The worst part of my day is having to go shop for groceries. I really do not enjoy it, making the journey there is fine, but coming back with 10kg worth of food on the bus when it's freezing outside is not. I never visited the embassy and I still haven’t thought about health services, but when I have to I believe it will be fine.
Q14: Would you say there is sufficient support for you both inside and outside of university?
There is support both outside and inside if you look for it, but no one will come to help you if you don’t ask for it.
Q15: How does London compare to your hometown? As a city, does it enrich your architectural knowledge?
I don’t remember much about my hometown but I lived in a city even bigger than London, São Paulo, full of skyscrapers and great architects; but comparing to the Algarve where I was last living (it’s a beach vacation location), London is a far greater place to study architecture, with history and amazing buildings, churches and museums.
Q16: How does your experience of studying architecture here compare to that in your own country? (e.g. through friends)
The United Kingdom has many of the best universities in the world and educational systems. All my friends that are currently studying in Portugal, including architecture complain about their timetable as they have way more weekly hours than we do (it is impossible to work at a part time job, different from many people in the UK who work and pay for their studies); We also have way better facilities and opportunities to work with laser machines, CNC, 3D, Virtual Reality.
Q17: Was it difficult to broaden your social circle / make friends?
I never had any difficulties with making friends, and most of the people I met at the university were in the same situation as me, living abroad and far away from all and everyone they know.
I could say that looking around the university I see groups of friends and some division between them, but I don’t belong to any group of people and I enjoy talking to everybody and sitting close to anyone.
Q18: Do you engage in extracurricular activities e.g. joining societies, team roles etc.?
I could say I don’t have time to do extracurricular activities, but that would be a lie, I do have time, I am just bad at managing it, so no. Inside the university life I applied to many activities like career mentoring, business workshops, tour guiding, attending course representative meetings and forums, which took way more of my time than I expected.
Q19: Do you plan on continuing your studies and/or working abroad after you complete your degree?
I don’t have any plans for my future, and the only thing I know is that I will take any opportunity to go abroad after or before completing my degree.
Q20: Does the accreditation of the course hold any value to you as a future architect in your home country?
I have no idea and no intention of going back to Brazil, Italy or Portugal to live.
Q21: Overall, are you satisfied with your decision to come and study in the UK?
Overall I am very satisfied coming to study in the UK, it has been a great experience (could have been better if we didn't have to experience it in the difficult times we are leaving in) even the online lectures are being quite pleasant (except some days, but overall).
The UK has a great transport system that takes me anywhere, I have never felt in danger or scared of walking alone in the streets (of course it's always necessary to be careful).
Q22: Do you have any advice for people wishing to study (architecture) abroad?
Do not expect it to be like high school, you are expected to deliver work every week and there is no such thing as leaving it until the last minute. There is no textbook or website that will teach you how to pass, there is no “study, memorize, pass the exam and forget it next morning”, architecture is a fast paced course that expects you to create, experiment, challenge yourself and you will always research and work alone, tutors are not there to teach how to design, they are there to guide in the right direction and show where to find inspiration and the information you need.
Q23: What was it like studying architecture during COVID-19 as a student from abroad?
I did go back to Italy for six months after COVID-19 first wave and finished first year in the comfort of my house, which I can say was my downfall because I get too comfortable when I am in my parents house and I did not work at all, I used to skip most online tutorials and didn’t take the month of April to do any improvements in my portfolio which I regret.
Now that I am the UK, I get to really enjoy the online lectures for history and site diary; specially pre-recorded lectures which i just wish last year was the same because going to university on a Tuesday for one history lecture tired me as it takes me one hour going and one hour coming back home.
Studio days are harder online, and I am already glad that we have one day face to face at least, but on Thursday when it's online it becomes really hard and it's never the day I am looking forward to.
This was definitely an interesting post for us, and I hope you guys enjoyed it too! It was really interesting to see the ups, downs and in-betweens of studying architecture in the UK from Betina's perspective.
If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch with us at dabbleenquiries@gmail.com, and don't forget to follow us on Instagram @archidabble.
Betina's Instagram: @betinagreca
