I am currently a second-year student at UBC (University of British Columbia), studying political science and international relations, and am interested in transferring to a university in the UK (Bath, Exeter or Birmingham).
One of my primary reasons why I wish to do so is that my degree in UBC would require me to take courses in the summer and winter term for the next three years being confined on campus. While I am okay without seeing my family or friends I am concerned regarding how much benefit I am receiving from learning about this academic discipline just from lectures. On the other hand, the UK seems to offer 3 or 4-year courses with breaks in the summer that I believe would provide me the opportunity to gain experience in the academic discipline outside lectures (Volunteership, Internships etc,.) (Also Placement year in the third or fourth year in some of my selected programs)
However, my parents and relatives are concerned with this transition especially regarding the extent to which a university well-known?
Essentially here are my following questions…
- To what extent are the universities of Bath/Exeter/Birmingham “well-known”?
- Is it better to stay at a “well-known” (According to my parents) university such as UBC and obtain great grades without any extracurricular or attend a “less well-known” (Again according to my parents) university but excel in grades and extracurricular?
- To what extent are internships or work-experience related to my academic discipline beneficial in my undergraduate experience and would this surpass the “benefit” of having a degree in a “well-known” university?
- Also, many ‘rankings’ consider the Politics and International relations degree at UBC to be of great quality compared to the UK universities, how crucial is this information? (To what extent does this matter)
- I would also be grateful for any advice or things I should also look into
I don’t think that I can answer all of your questions. I can give one opinion and ask a few more questions for you to think about.
First of all, I have several relatives and friends who went to UBC. It is a very good university and has a very strong reputation in Canada, and also is relatively well known in the US. It is significantly better known throughout North America compared to Bath, Exeter, or Birmingham. I will admit that I don’t know much about UK schools other than a small number of well known ones.
Internships and work experience are valuable. However, I am not sure that having a summer off from university will ensure that you will be able to get an internship or work that is related to your major. Flipping burgers or serving ice cream over the summer is significantly less valuable. Getting a degree from a well known and academically challenging university such as UBC is very valuable IMHO.
One question: Why does UBC require you to study over the summer? I don’t recall other students having to do this (although the people that I know who went their had different majors). Is the point that UBC is tough enough academically for you to need to take fewer classes at a time, or is there a course sequencing issue, or is there some other reason?
Also, what would be the financial implications one way or another?
Given the excellent experience that the people that I know have had at UBC my inclination would be to stay there and finish your degree. However, I don’t think that I currently have full information.
Thanks for the advice!
I am aiming to take my courses over summer as I am aiming to complete my degree in a four-year time frame. In addition to that, my parents are restricting me to four courses per semester in the winter session and thus to achieve my previously mentioned timeframe, I have to attend those summer courses. And yes, they wish me to take only four courses out of concern for my grades, I am currently hovering at an “A-”.
The financial implications are of little concern, my parents have stated they would pay anything tuition related to my stay in UBC.
As of internships, I have contacts that have expressed interests to offer me positions at their organizations. Moreover, I am comfortable with spending my entire summer doing a specific internship.
However, I am extremely grateful for your opinion and thankful! I will definitely take this into consideration. On a side note, I do agree that UBC has an excellent experience when it comes to education but as an international student I cannot seem to say the same regarding its community experience (However, it may very well just be a coincidence of incompatibility between my background and UBC’s community)
Are you British? Or American?
Would you be ok starting from scratch at a UK university?
Would you have a chance to transfer to a UK university UBC’s caliber (perhaps St Andrews, Aberdeen, Durham, Manchester… Russell Group unis?)