Feeling isolated is a common feeling that international students have and they are often not aware of their rights and how they can defend themselves if a problem with their university arises. From a legal standpoint, an international student has all the same rights as a UK born student, but because they are not always aware of this, problems can snowball and the situation for the international student can become extremely stressful and upsetting.
Despite the increase in tuition fees, there are now more international students in the UK than ever before and the experience that they have can be very varied. Typically, international students will experience problems of being homesick, integrating, language, worries about their family and culture shock.
What compounds the situation is that the education system here in the UK is likely to be very different from the system they are used to and the methods of teaching adopted and expectations on the students to be very self-reliant can be difficult for international students to adapt to. It is because of these cultural misunderstandings that international students can sometimes find themselves confused about the university processes and what’s expected of them. This can sometimes lead to disciplinary issues occurring because of assignments not being completed or accusations of cheating and plagiarism because there has been a misunderstanding about attributing references.
Feeling isolated is a common feeling that international students have and they are often not aware of their rights and how they can defend themselves if a problem with their university arises. From a legal standpoint, an international student has all the same rights as a UK born student, but because they are not always aware of this, problems can snowball and the situation for the international student can become extremely stressful and upsetting.
Problems with language
One of the big problems that international students face is that of language. Although they may have met the minimum entry requirement for their course this doesn’t mean that they will be familiar with the technical terminology that many specialist subject areas cover. The guidance received in this area can often be unsatisfactory and this can lead to misinterpretation and students failing aspects of their course work.
It is common for international students to feel that lectures are often delivered in a very generic way and that explanations of complex subject areas are not adapted enough for a non-English audience. There is also a much stronger focus on independent study in the UK compared to other countries and some international students struggle with the amount of reading required and the necessity to apply critical analysis in a language that they are not completely accustomed to.
In summary
So in summary, international students do face many challenges and often, through no fault of their own, they can find themselves having problems with their university and facing disciplinary hearings. At Match Solicitors we have an in-depth understanding of the problems that international students can face and we have represented numerous students in academic appeal and disciplinary situations. If you’re an international student studying in the UK and you are facing a problem that could potentially lead to your withdrawal from the course then please get in touch to discuss your situation with us. We would be happy to look at the merits of your case and discuss the best way forward.
