Ok, a little about me before proceeding. I'm currently based in Malaysia, and have just been made an offer of the Msc Management programme in Glasgow Uni. As such, I'm in "critical" need of more informal information on the uni and life in glasgow.
I've browsed practically every reading material on the uni's website, and as I was an undergrad before, have come to appreciate the invaluable information one can received from personal opinions of the students. Keeping in mind the financial (RM150,000), time (one year), and distance (another continent) factor should I take up the postgrad studies, I'd really appreciate all feedback from any tom,dick or harry regarding the matters above.
Well it is quite hard to address such a general question...
>should I take up the postgrad studies... in Glasgow... one year... another continent ?
And the answer is... all depends! No one has enough information about you to know what's best other than yourself. As simple as that. Ever been outside your country? Ever been to Britain? Ever lived away from friends and relatives? Why are you choosing Glasgow, because they have a good MSc program or just because they offered you something?
Let me start with the easiest point: time (one year) abroad. What would you do during that year back home? Work or study there? One year goes really really quickly. Before you realise it is already Christmas and the next thing you know is that you'd start writing your final project. I think that short (1 year, opposed to 2 years in other countries) MSc courses in Britain offer a good chance to get a posgrad degree but also get the highly valuable experience of living abroad.
Now, Glasgow. In general, University of Glasgow is quite good and the environment is adequate for posgrad studies. You'd better talk to friends or maybe relatives that have studied abroad, to know whether teaching strategies and way of evaluating in Britain are any way similar to those in your country. For me the last bit was completely new and quite difficult to assimilate. Back home (MEXICO!!!) I used to attend Uni lectures and labs around 40 hours per week. Here in the UK, the system is completely different and you might have just 10 hours per week, although that might sound sweet and easy, you would find yourself having to prepare long and very concise essays and projects which could take long time to do properly... From what I've heard you can get the really high marks only if your work is really valuable and even publishable (I have no idea, because I am doing a PhD and there are no marks...)
As Glasgow as a city goes... it is quite interesting place to live and just going to recommend you to browse the net for more info about the city itself.
Another continent issue... it is your chance to interact with people that might look completely different but it is up to you how far you get to know them and appreciate similarities and differences. I love traveling, so cannot recommend it more! This is NOT a tropical country, so the quality of fruit, vegetables and even meat, from my point of view, is mmm..."less than ideal". Weather wise... yes, it will rain, it will be very windy, cold and miserable, but this is sunny Glasgow and you will get nice sunny days too (and you will learn to appreciate them!).
Finally money... well, we all think it is very expensive for an overseas to study in the UK, YES. See it as an investment on yourself.
Does that help?
-- Edited by Webhamster at 20:54, 2005-03-01
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We are probably living the most exciting decade in Human History
yes, it will rain, it will be very windy, cold and miserable, but this is sunny Glasgow and you will get nice sunny days too (and you will learn to appreciate them!).
