9 Things You Won’t Expect About Masters Study in the UK

If you’re planning your Masters in the UK you’ve made a great choice. Offering everything from the vibrant cities of London and Edinburgh to the wonderful vistas of the Lake District or the Scottish lochs (and the hospitality of the locals), you will find plenty to enjoy.

However, living in the UK can sometimes be as bemusing (and amusing!) as it is exciting and engaging. Here are nine things to look forward to (and be prepared for) ahead of a British Masters degree.

A constant source of befuddlement for foreigners coming to the UK is the frequency with which you’ll be asked if you’re OK, as if the entire nation is aware of some tragedy that has befallen you, but that you have yet to discover.

The first time this happens, you may endeavour to answer honestly, perhaps believing there is a genuine concern for your wellbeing, only to find yourself faced with a sea of rather bemused faces.

A hundred awkward encounters and one nervous tick later, someone might finally let you in on the secret.

Believe it or not there is only way to deal with ‘those crazy Brits’ and that’s with the response “not bad thanks”. Utter those three words and you’ll be met with a cheerful smile, the crowd will part, and you’ll be permitted to get on with your seminar preparation.

There are a few things that are better known about the UK than the average Brit’s love of tea. But you may not appreciate quite how insatiable this appetite is.

The good news is that no two Brits can actually agree about how tea should actually look (or taste). This means you can offer to ‘make a cuppa’ without worrying too much about the results.

Whether it’s just taking a break from another hard day’s study or sheltering from the fallout of a disastrous practical class, you’ll find that offering everyone a good cup of tea will raise everyone’s spirits.

Brits love their sports, be it football, rugby, cricket or tennis: this is one of the subjects you’ll hear Brits talking passionately about (probably more so than their actual university subject).

From the fierce rivalries between teams in the same city to the unbridled hysteria that ensues during the World Cup, sports unite the country as much they divide it.

Whatever sport you happen to follow, you’re bound to find fellow fans in the UK, even if they give you a hard time for supporting a different team. And your team will probably beat England, anyway.

Interactions in the UK are often fairly informal, and with this informality comes a bewildering array of names a UK student may use to greet you.

In the course of your time here you’ll find yourself on the receiving end of a ‘Mate’ or a ‘pal’, or even a ‘duck’ (Yes, you read that right!).

So, when your cashier calls you ‘love’, it’s ok. Believe it or not, your ability to fit all your shopping into one bag has not accidentally seduced anyone, it’s just another British colloquialism.

British humour can be a bit of a shock to a newcomer. From the pervasive self-deprecation to the nearly undetectable sarcasm, it can be hard know what the joke is (or whether anyone is actually joking at all).

Something to prepare yourself for is how apparent abuse is often only good-natured ribbing. It can certainly be a shock when someone hurls an insult across the room only for the intended target to crack a smile before cheerfully responding in kind.

This is certainly an acquired taste but, once you get used to it, you’ll feel like you understand a hidden language. Plus, it opens you up to the wonderful world of British films and TV shows!

Ever fearful of displaying a strong opinion, we in the UK often try to bury what we mean under a lot of non-committal twaddle, but will secretly be very upset if our meandering is misunderstood.

For example, when a Brit says something is “not bad” it can mean it’s good, or it can mean it’s terrible or, very occasionally, just ‘not bad’.

On the other hand, “when you have a minute” usually means “please do this immediately” and “I might join you later” means hell will freeze over before you see them tonight.

If there’s any advice, it’s that tone is quite important. A hesitant “yes”, especially if it shares a sentence with words like “maybe” or “perhaps”, is more than likely a “no”.

For a relatively small country, the UK is home to a lot of accents. Some are so strong that even people from other parts of the British Isles struggle to understand them.

Combine the accents with the regional slang above and you might be forgiven for thinking that you took a wrong turn somewhere and have ended up on another planet.

All is not lost though, as you’ll find that everyone is more than willing to help you understand, and your friends will find it very amusing when you begin to pick up their regional accent.

So don’t worry: spend a year studying a Masters in the UK and you’ll return home with a more authentic British accent and a vocabulary that a textbook could never teach.

The UK must have the most indecisive weather in the world.

It is a regular occurrence to wake up to glorious sunshine, endure a downpour while waiting for the bus and get off to be faced with a raging gale

All this means that at the first hint that the sun might stick around with temperatures above ten degrees, everyone will be turning up in shorts and a t-shirt and talking about having a barbeque.

The best way to be prepared is to prepare for everything. Pack an umbrella, buy some sun cream and don’t believe what anyone tells you about the forecast.

When someone says British cuisine, you might be tempted to think of a homogenous mass of beige. But this isn’t the whole story.

While classic British dishes like Sunday roast or fish and chips definitely fall under that less-than-inspiring header, they still taste great. More importantly, the UK has made up for its lack of culinary ambition by borrowing from other countries (including yours, probably).

Wherever you find yourself, and whatever you’re used to, you’ll always have a great choice of food from around the world, with restaurants from every culture filling the cites of the UK.

Plus, cooking something interesting from back home is a great way to get to know your fellow postgraduates.

Well there you have it, a brief look at what to expect when living in the UK.

If you’re warming to the idea of continuing your study in the UK, why not have a look at Masters courses in the UK? Just don’t expect it to be that warm, OK love?

Editor's note: This blog was first published on 28/09/19. We've checked and updated it for current readers.

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