A prestigious London university, University College London, commonly known as UCL, is ranked 8th best university in the world in 2022 (QS World University Rankings).
Among its many programs of study, the Bachelor of Arts and Sciences offers students the opportunity to obtain an interdisciplinary education combining the humanities, social sciences and sciences.
Carla-Marie is a first-year BASc student and tells us about her experience.
Profile
FIRST NAME : Carla-MarieNATIONALITY Frenchçaise
COURSE NAME : Bachelor of Arts and Sciences (BASc)
UNIVERSITY NAME : University College London (UCL)
TYPE OF BACCALAUREATE AND RESULT OBTAINED Baccalauréat, summa cum laude, specializing in History-Geography-Geopolitics, Mathematics and English Literature
Study abroad
Why did you decide to study abroad?
I started thinking about studying abroad as early as secondary school.
At the start of my final year of high school, I discovered Your Dream School, which helped me with my application process.
I was hesitating between universities in Canada, the UK or the USA.
Why did you choose UCL?
The Arts and Sciences course offered by UCL is an interdisciplinary course in which I can choose my modules.
As I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do later on, this Bachelor’s degree fitted my profile perfectly.
The university’s ranking was also a determining factor in my choice.
Finally, the fact that UCL is located in London suited my desire to live in a big city.
What were your other options?
I had also applied to the London School of Economics (LSE) and King’s College, but the Arts and Sciences course at UCL was my first choice.
What was the admissions and selection process like?
The help I got from Your Dream School was very useful, as the admission process for universities abroad differs from that in France.
To anticipate the admissions process, I started preparing for the IELTS early on.
I also prepared my UCAS personal statement and an additional questionnaire for the Arts and Sciences program at UCL.
This took me some time, as I read several books to prepare my personal statement.
The deadline was January 15 to send in the whole dossier on the UCAS.
What administrative steps have you taken to prepare for your return to UCL?
There are a lot of time-consuming things to think about.
In particular, I had to look for accommodation.
UCL offers accommodation in student residences⸱e⸱s but I preferred to look for accommodation in a private student residence.
I also had to take steps to obtain my student visa.
Cela se fait principalement sur une application mobile mais cela ne fonctionnait pas pour moi.
J’ai donc dû aller le faire à Paris.
Cela a pris du temps car c’était la première année où les visas étaient requis pour le Royaume-Uni (suite au Brexit).
1st year courses
Did you have to choose your courses in the first year? The Arts and Science curriculum is interdisciplinary.
J’ai donc choisi, en première année, les matières d’Économie, de Science Politique et de Mathématiques.
J’ai également dû suivre des compulsory modules such as “Interdisciplinary Reasearch Method”, “Approaches to Knowledge” and “Quantitative Methods”.
I really liked the fact that some modules were research-oriented.
You don’t necessarily find this in other Bachelors in the first year of study.
The multi-disciplinary nature of this course is also a real asset, as I don’t yet know what professional field I want to go into.
I’ve already made my module choices for next year, and in particular chosen a course in entrepreneurship and international law.
Did you find it difficult to adapt to the education system?
It went relatively well.
You need to be able to work independently at English universities, which was the case for me.
I’ve always worked very independently and managed my time well.
It’s true that having all my courses in English was difficult at the beginning of the year, especially when it came to writing essays of around 2,000 words.
In high school, even though I had taken the English literature speciality, my written reports didn’t exceed 800 words.
However, you adapt relatively quickly!
Do you have a lot of work to do?
It depends on the module.
This year, I had a lot of work to do in Economics.
It’s a 30-credit module that runs over both semesters.
There’s a textbook called the Economics Core Book.
There were about fifty pages to read each week, from which I took notes.
I hadn’t taken the Economics and Social Sciences (SES) specialization in high school, so the concepts and notions were new to me.
So it was this subject that took up the most time in my personal work.
In Political Science, I also had a lot of reading to do every week.
In Mathematics, I had between four and five thirty-minute videos to watch each week, and complementary exercises to do.
How many hours of lessons per week do you have?
I have between 12 and 14 hours of lessons a week and 30 hours of personal work, but it depends on the week.
For example, I’ve had weeks with several essays to hand in, so the personal work is even more important.
How are the exams organized?
I passed all my online exams this year (one exam per module).
Student life at UCL
What’s student life like at UCL?
I really like the student atmosphere at UCL.
I had already spoken with students ⸱e⸱s before starting university, especially about math exercises to do before the start of the academic year.
I’ve become close to these people.
I think at UCL there’s a good balance between student life and work.
I’ve been able to visit London and go out during the week while still concentrating on my studies.
What do you think of London as a student city?
It took me a little while to adapt to London because I came from a small town in France.
Living in a big city can be confusing.
However, you soon get used to it and now I love it here.
I’m taking advantage of the end of my exams to do some sightseeing and discover even more of the city.
What are your favorite things about UCL and what would you like to see improved?
I think what could be improved is the fact that the courses and exams were online.
This can sometimes be complicated.
Nevertheless, it looks like the courses will be 100% face-to-face next year.
As for the courses, you need to have a good capacity for personal work, and that doesn’t necessarily suit everyone.
On the positive side, I’d say there’s a good balance between courses and student life at UCL.
You chose to live in a private student residence in London.
Why is that?
I had asked to have my own bathroom and a shared kitchen when I signed up for the UCL student residences but I don’t have either.
That’s why I chose to live in a private residence.
The apartment I have is spacious.
I have my own kitchen and I’m completely autonomous.
However, it’s better to be in a residence offered by UCL to make friends. ⸱e⸱s.
In my private residence, since we all have our own personal space, we don’t spend much time together.
I’ve made about ten friends ⸱e⸱s but this is much less than students⸱e⸱s who are in UCL residences.
For next year, I’m thinking of sharing with my friends. ⸱e⸱s but it’s complicated to find an apartment for several people at the moment!
Into the future
What are your plans for the future?
I’d like to spend my third year of my Bachelor’s degree abroad in France, the United States or the United Kingdom.
During this year, I’d like to do a six-month internship and six months at a partner university.
After my degree, I’d like to do a Master’s in Economics.
What advice and recommendations would you give to a French student interested in studying at UCL?
I loved my experience.
Going abroad really opens your mind and allows you to grow.
I advise you to do it.
Even if the beginning is complicated because the environment changes, you have to stay positive and put things into perspective.
After a year at UCL and in London, I have absolutely no regrets about my choice!
If, like Carla-Marie, you would like to study at UCL or a university in Englanddon’t hesitate to contact us. to discuss your project!
