Wanderlust: Expat Life & Style in Thailand Aug / Sept 2017: The Kids & Family Issue | Page 19

Kids & Education
law schools and Warwick for its great
business school, economics and
politics departments and Warwick
Manufacturing Group.
But, as Moseley points out, select-
ing a university isn’t down to aca-
demic prowess alone. Social aspects
play an important role as well, and
these schools offer diverse social ex-
periences for students: “The UK is a
very international country. Our his-
tory in the British Commonwealth
has meant we have spread ourselves
all over the world, and opened the
world to England, Scotland, Wales
and Ireland, too. You’ll find thousands
of other international students and
residents there able to help you settle
wherever you go.”
DECIDING WHAT
TO STUDY
Another tough decision is choos-
ing which subject to study. Parents
wish the best for their children and
may therefore be inclined to encour-
age their university-aged sons and
daughters down particular paths.
But, if your teen would prefer to tack-
le something different from what
you’d like, it is best to support him or
her in this decision.
For example, you may prefer your
son to pursue business or economics,
while he has his heart set on politics.
Using this example, Moseley explains
that parents can relax by knowing
that a subject choice needn’t be lim-
iting to one specific future career:
“A politics degree from a top UK
univer sity can open up opportuni-
ties in many fields. I know a poli-
tics graduate from the University of
Warwick who gained a top position
at Bangkok Bank.” Similarly, a degree
in English can open roads in journal-
ism and media, teaching, publishing,
marketing and much more.
Regardless of subject specialism,
it pays to be realistic about the uni-
versity and subject for which your
child is applying. There is no point
attempting to enter a university
that asks for very high grades when
those predicted are well below the
requirement.
Take into consideration, too,
English language capabilities. While
this may be less of a hurdle for stu-
dents from native English-speaking
families, international students may
be required to complete an IELTS or
TOEFL test to measure proficiency as
part of their applications. Moseley
recommends taking a practice test
in Grade 10 to prepare students for
what is to come and to highlight ar-
eas for improvement.
advance of the final year. This will
give you plenty of time to explore the
various avenues and find the right fit.
If you are thinking of UK studies, for
example, Moseley recommends tak-
ing a family vacation to the UK. Not
only will the prospective student get
TIME TO APPLY
a good feel for the city, perhaps help-
Though the application process to
ing to reduce initial culture shock,
a UK university may start for-
but he or she can also visit
mally with a submission
each campus and ex-
to UCAS — the UK-
plore the university
based organization
in person — some-
that operates
thing Consortium
the application
UK can arrange.
process —
By the time
Consortium UK offers
you and your
the UCAS
child should
free help to students
application
be thinking
deadline
in Thailand looking to
about the
rolls around
next step well
(October the
study abroad.
before their fi-
year prior to
nal year at high
graduation for a
school.
handful of cours-
The subjects
es, and January of
chosen at Year
the same year for the
12 and 13 will have a
rest), your child should
considerable weighting on
be armed with all the infor-
what can and can’t be studied at uni-
mation needed to make a decision
versity — so choose wisely. It should
that is right for him or her, as well as
go without saying that a student will
a personal statement that ticks all the
need to have studied subjects rele-
boxes on the admission teams list.
vant to their chosen major. For exam-
What follows is a waiting game.
ple, if your daughter is considering a
Hopeful students must sit tight and
biosciences degree, you can guaran-
wait for the decision of the universi-
tee that admissions will expect her to ties based on their predicted grades,
have studied biology at A Level or for sometimes taking two to three
the IB Diploma.
months. Students can apply to five
universities/courses. Once they have
Take time to consider where
heard back from each, they are able
further studies will take place in
The University of Warwick
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