In the previous episode of Students Speak, we read about Nikhil Walimbe’s academic journey, the course he opted for and the reason behind selecting the UK as his study abroad destination. In this episode, we will read about his research mechanism, the various things to keep in mind before travelling to the UK, his accommodation plans, how he plans to manage his academic expenses and more.

Research Mechanism, an important part of one’s academic journey planning

A thorough research on the university is extremely important. He analyzed information available on the university website along with various ranking platforms and third party views. In addition, students need to analyze the course well before opting for the institution. The course module offered by the college may not be in line with the student’s interest. If a student joins the college and then realizes this interest mismatch, it might be too late. Both the elements play a critical role, so don’t compromise on any one of them.  

Nikhil’s rigorous research led him to choose Central London because of its strategic location. According to him, it is a hotspot filled with multiple opportunities. Last but not least, he researched the faculty members by going through the website and other social media platforms. 

Some of the research platforms used by Nikhil are university websites, QS World University Rankings, Times Higher Education World University Rankings and Shanghai Ranking’s Academic Ranking of World Universities. He also referred to The Complete University Guide, which is an easy-to-understand platform capturing details about all UK universities and colleges. 

Nikhil’s travel and accommodation plans

Nikhil’s course starts in January 2022, and currently, he has received his Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) from the university. Now, as a reader, you may wonder what CAS is? CAS is an electronic document issued by an educational institution in support of your application for a student visa. A student usually gets this after he/she has accepted the offer and paid the required deposit money. Based on this CAS document, Nikhil plans to apply for a UK student visa by the first week of November 2021. Keeping in mind the current travel situation, Nikhil highlighted that he expects a slight delay in the overall visa application process. Hence, students are advised to apply for a visa well in advance so that slow down and interruptions may not impact the travel plan. While discussing student visa, Nikhil also mentioned that the visa acceptance rate is around 95-97% for this country and visa requests, which are rejected, is mostly due to lack of funds. Hence, students should take a holistic view of the overall funds required to complete the course smoothly in their study abroad destination.  

Nikhil is still planning his accommodation as he has some time in hand. He has been referring to websites such as Zoopla.co.uk, Rightmove.co.uk and more. These are some of the UK-based real estate portals and property websites. He plans to finalize his accommodation by the first half of December 2021. Nikhil highlights the fact that students should book their accommodation before they reach their study abroad destination.  

So that’s all about Nikhil’s research mechanism, his travel and accommodation plans. He reiterates that it is imperative to conduct thorough research before embarking on a study abroad journey. In the next episode, we will cover some more interesting elements like things to keep in mind while travelling to the UK, his views on part-time jobs and more. If you have any queries, please connect with us. All the best!