Ranked among the top 10 English universities (8th according to The Guardian), theUniversity of Warwick has almost 25,000 students, 37% of whom come from abroad. Located in the heart of England, near the city of Coventry, the university offers an ideal learning environment on a modern, dynamic campus. Matthias, a French student in his third year of the Bachelor of Science (BSc) Management program, explains his academic career and student life at Warwick.
Profile
FIRST NAME : Matthias NATIONALITY : FrenchNAME OF COURSE FOLLOWED : BSc in ManagementNAME OF UNIVERSITY : Universityof Warwick
TYPE OF BACCALAUREATE AND RESULT OBTAINED : General Baccalaureate with honours, Economic and Social (ES) stream
Study abroad
Why did you decide to study abroad after the Baccalaureate?
My parents always encouraged me to go. I didn’t have a good level of English when I was in secondary school, but I worked on it regularly, learning irregular verbs and vocabulary. In high school, I had teachers who only spoke English, so I had no choice but to work on the language. Then, at the start of the Terminale school year in September 2018, my mother told me about the UCAS to apply to British universities. I thought it would be a great opportunity to study abroad and become bilingual. I applied but had a lot of trouble putting my application together, so I turned to Your Dream School for help.
Why did you choose the University of Warwick?
I had applied for the Business and/or Management stream at several universities in the UK: the University of Glasgow, the University of Aberdeen, the University of Bath, the University of Edinburgh and theUniversity of Warwick. Of these five choices, I was admitted to Warwick, Bath and Glasgow. The University of Warwick was the highest ranked. To be sure of my choice, I visited the different campuses and chose Warwick. The infrastructure is modern and the university offers a large “closed” campus, which you don’t necessarily find in France.
The admission process and administrative procedures
What was the admissions and selection process like?
Each university has different admission requirements on the UCAS platform. For example, the University of Bath required a 14/20 Baccalaureate average with 15/20 in my two specialties, while the University of Glasgow required an overall Baccalaureate average of 17/20 and three 18/20 in social science subjects. For At the University of Warwick, I had to obtain at least a 15/20 A-level average and at least 14/20 in English (Warwick now requires a 16/20 A-level average for this program). Some universities in the UK require an English test such as IELTS or TOEFL, but among my choices, getting a minimum grade in English LV1 at Bac was sufficient.
How did you prepare for your first year at the University of Warwick?
Unlike other students, I didn’t really prepare for my new school year. I preferred to take care of all the administrative formalities once I was settled in England, which went very smoothly. I opened a bank account and got an English telephone number once I arrived in England, before the start of the school year. Apart from the prerequisites, such as submitting a passport photo via the Internet and filling in student records. Since the Brexit, you now have to apply for a student visa once you’ve received your offer of admission in July.
1st year courses
Which Bachelor’s degree did you enter and what are its special features? I’m doing a Bachelor of Sciences (BSc) Management.
It’s a non-essay Bachelor like most Business Bachelors.
The first year does not count towards the diploma. Only the second and third years each count for 50% of the diploma..
We have a certain number of coefficients to validate each year.
We either have modules (courses) with a coefficient of 2, called 30-4, or modules with a coefficient of 1, called 15-4. I’ve always had 15-4 modules, because at the Business School we mainly have semester-long modules. So I’ve always had eight modules a year, with four modules in the first semester and four modules in the second semester. However, this can change. For example, in the third year I have seven modules with a year-round module with a higher coefficient. In the first year, we have eight modules including seven modules that we don’t choose. We have, for example, a Finance course, an Accounting course, a course in “Principles of Marketingcourse “Foundations of Data Analysis for Managementcourse “Economics of Business and a “Management, Organisations and Society” course.
We also have to take Core modules, which are common courses that all Business School students have to choose from.
In the third year, out of the eight modules we choose six modules.
The further we progress in the Bachelor program, the more we can specialize and choose our career path.
Which courses did you enjoy the most? Did you choose a specialization?
I decided not to choose a particular specialization so as to have a global career path. I chose modules in Marketing, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. For example, this year I chose a module in “Customer Experiencecourse, a marketing planning course, a Spanish course and a joint “Designing Business” course. Designing Business.
I didn’t take any finance or accounting courses because I’m not really interested.
Did you find it difficult to adapt to the educational system in the first year of your Bachelor’s program?
I had no trouble integrating and adapting to the educational system. I’m outgoing and it’s been easy for me to meet people. I’ve also had a good level of English since high school. Many of us are international students and English is not our native language. One of the criticisms I could level at the Warwick education system is that, as the first year of the Bachelor’s degree is not counted towards the diploma, we don’t know our level at the start of the second year. This is because the final grade was based on exams that were cancelled due to Covid-19.
Do you have a lot of personal work?
I don’t have a final essay to write in the last year of my Bachelor’s degree. However, the workload intensifies in the third year. It’s essential to work efficiently in order to have free time. For example, it’s interesting to be able to work in groups. Argumentation is often more important than quantity. I think it’s important to understand what’s expected of each module and to work accordingly. Compared with my first year of Bachelor’s, I’m now much more efficient in my personal work in my final year. What’s more, the teachers’ expectations are more specific in the second and third years.
Do you have a lot of free time?
I’ve enjoyed a variety of extracurricular activities since finishing high school. I have a part-time student job, I play music and I’d like to start a business. I try to make time for these activities. It’s a question of balance. I have about twelve hours of lessons a week and the personal workload is the same. The English system is different. It’s essential to work on your own and to go deeper into the course, because you don’t always grasp the concepts during the lesson.
Student life in Warwick
What’s student life like on the Warwick campus? I like the fact that it’s a campus.
There are lots of activities, student groups and associations. There is a gym and an e-game room..
For exemple, virtual reality games “These are organized in this room. There are over 250 student associations, and it’s possible to create your own. There is a wide range of themes, including a sailing association, a Harry Potter association, a French association, a salsa association etc. Everyone can find their place and do the activity they want. The associations organize evenings and get-togethers, and anyone can join in. There’s a good mix of associations. It’s also a festive student life. In particular, there’s a nightclub on campus, reserved for association events.
Do you belong to an association?
I’m part of the sailing and windsurfing association. Every Saturday, sailing and windsurfing sessions are organized on a lake near the university. The association also organizes events. For example, this summer I’m going to Croatia for a week’s sailing with the association.
Do you live on campus or did you have to find your own accommodation? All first-year Bachelor’s and Master’s students are provided with accommodation in a student residence on the university campus.
You can specify your preferences by choosing a single or double room, access to a private bathroom or the number of roommates.
For students in their second or third year, it is possible to find accommodation in towns near the university.
There are Coventry, Leamington Spa, Kenilworth. Kenilworth a small village 30 minutes’ walk from the campus, while Leamington Spa is a town with a good student life where there are many Warwick students. Student accommodation is in houses, while in CoventryAs the largest of the three cities, and with its own university, accommodation is in apartments. Outgoing students generally offer their accommodation to incoming students. There are platforms for finding flatmates and accommodation. The university helps, and students organize themselves.
Into the future
What are your plans for the future? I’m applying for positions (“placements“) of two years in a company after the Bachelor’s degree. It’s a good apprenticeship for defining your professional career or finding a job. There are often several selection stages, including a CV, a memory and logic test, and interviews. The university helps students to find internships and to be selected. After my first professional experience, I’d like to continue my university studies with an MBA or Master’s degree.
Do you have any recommendations or advice for students who want to go to Warwick University?
In my opinion, you should try to practice your English every day and not hesitate to practice more in class and with your parents. I’ve personally made progress this way, and by learning new words. Warwick is an international university and you shouldn’t hesitate to approach students of different nationalities!
If, like Matthias, you would like to attend the University of Warwick ora university in Englanddon’t hesitate to >contact us to discuss your project!
Author
With a Bachelor's (LLB) from UCL and Assas, and the Grande Ecole program at HEC Paris, Adam has over 10 years of experience in education and student mentoring. Passionate about helping students achieve their academic dreams, he co-founded Your Dream School to guide students through university admissions and interview preparation for top global institutions.
