Studying for MSc in the UK

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"Like the passing of time, day and night," the opportunity to study abroad is a precious experience for everyone. A month has quickly passed since I returned to my former position after completing a year of study in the UK. Thanks to a recommendation from my employer, China Airlines, I was fortunate to receive a one-year scholarship jointly funded by the British government and Rolls-Royce, allowing me to pursue graduate studies at the College of Aeronautics at Cranfield University. Reflecting on the past year of learning aircraft design, I experienced joy, frustration, hope, and disappointment. The ups and downs and mixed feelings were hard for outsiders to understand. I would like to share my experiences of studying and living in the UK, hoping it will be helpful for those who intend to study in the UK.

The UK is a desirable destination for students seeking to study abroad due to its excellent environment for language learning and its strong academic tradition. However, the tuition fees for higher education in the UK are very expensive for non-EU students. For example, at Cranfield University, the annual tuition fee for EU students is about £2,000, while it is £15,000 for non-EU students (approximately NT$700,000). Combined with living expenses of £300,000, the total cost for a year is at least one million NT dollars, an amount not easily affordable for the average person. Therefore, applying for scholarships offered by the British government is worth considering. Information on scholarships can be obtained from the British Trade and Cultural Office (BTCO) located at 7th Floor, 99, Renai Road Section 2, Taipei. The scholarships offered by the BTCO include: 1) tuition and living expenses, 2) tuition only, and 3) research grants (ORS sponsorship, Overseas Research Students). The programs of study include 1) Master's programs, 2) Doctoral programs, and 3) various research courses in different professional fields. Scholarship application forms and application forms for all UK schools can be obtained from the BTCO. In addition to the application form and recommendation letters, scholarship applicants must also attend an interview with the BTCO scholarship review committee. Besides scholarship applications, applying to schools is another crucial process. Generally, schools require transcripts, recommendation letters, a study plan, and TOEFL (or IELTS) scores. Good English test scores are crucial for a successful application and should not be taken lightly.

After deciding on the school and department, applying for accommodation becomes urgent because most schools cannot provide accommodation for all students. Accommodation at Cranfield University includes: 1) Single dormitories (Lanchester Hall and Mitchell Hall), which offer one-meal catering, two-meal catering, and self-catering options for single students; 2) Fedden Flats for married students accompanied by their partners; and 3) Houses for married students with families. Dormitories provide bathrooms, desks, beds, and kitchens equipped with microwaves, ovens, refrigerators, and cooking utensils. The food provided in British school cafeterias is uninspiring, with limited variety and repetitive menus. Taiwanese students accustomed to Chinese cuisine find it difficult to endure a long-term diet of bread, fries, and salad. Therefore, students living in single dormitories need to consider their eating habits when choosing accommodation options.

After completing the school and accommodation applications, it is important to obtain the contact information of the Taiwanese student association at the school. Contacting the student association before going abroad is definitely beneficial. In addition to arranging airport pick-up, they can provide information about academic and daily life challenges.

Following correspondence with the school, the start date of the term approaches. With the school's acceptance letter, UK student visa, scholarship and living expense documents, and some personal belongings, I bid farewell to everything in Taiwan with reluctance, as my family saw me off. Looking through the plane window at the scenery in the dark night, the thought of being alone in a foreign land for the coming year filled me with a sense of sorrow. Carrying my bags, I flew across the vast ocean to an unknown country to face an unknown future. After several transfers, I finally arrived at Heathrow International Airport in London 24 hours later. Stepping out of the cabin with weary feet, I was greeted by the cold air and unfamiliar surroundings. After cautiously answering the customs officer's questions and passing through inspection, my anxious heart finally calmed down. Stepping out of customs, my year of studying abroad officially began. Taiwanese students who are used to American English inevitably experience frustration with the diverse accents of British English, especially the incomprehensible Scottish accent. The thought of facing language challenges, adapting to foreign customs and cultural differences, and dealing with academic and interpersonal pressures in the coming year was daunting.

After navigating my way out of the airport, I finally connected with a student from the Taiwanese student association who came to pick me up. Although we were strangers, we felt a sense of kinship meeting in a foreign country. The car sped onto the M1 motorway towards the suburbs. The gray sky outside the window was typical of the UK's unpredictable weather, and the road was flanked by endless fields. An hour later, we finally arrived at Cranfield University, about 50 kilometers north of London. The campus was a picture of rustic beauty, with students strolling on the lush green lawns. A vast sports field separated the classroom and dormitory areas, and next to the classroom area was a standard airport for small planes. Aeronautical students conducted aerodynamics experiments on a 10-seater Jetstream aircraft. In the late autumn of Cranfield, the campus was covered with colorful fallen leaves. Walking on the crimson leaves and enjoying the foreign scenery was a pleasant distraction from the loneliness of being away from home.

After completing the accommodation registration at the Accommodation Office and finding my room, I settled into a typical British building made of red bricks. The carpeted room was equipped with a bed, desk, lamp, wardrobe, sink, and heater. The kitchen and bathroom were shared by eight students. After arranging my room and freshening up, I was exhausted and fell asleep after taking care of some minor things. I woke up late at night, and in the quiet of the night, my longing for family and friends on the other side of the world became overwhelming.

After a week of adapting to the environment, my study abroad life, filled with both anticipation and apprehension, officially began after completing the registration process. A series of welcome activities added color to my life. While participating in the Taiwanese student association activities, I made sure to seek advice from senior students. Their valuable experiences provided guidance for adapting to the new environment and overcoming challenges. Before classes started, I had to take care of various tasks such as opening a bank account. According to UK immigration law, international students must apply for a temporary residence permit at the local police station with their passport, photos, and a £40 fee.

Once classes began, in addition to experiencing a completely different education system, I was also puzzled by the British way of handling interpersonal relationships. The British classmates seemed polite yet unapproachable. Master's programs in the UK are divided into By Course and By Research. The By Course programs are intensive and fast-paced. Due to the different education system in Taiwan and the language barrier, the academic pressure was often overwhelming. In class, the feeling of not understanding the lectures and the difficulty of expressing myself not only caused learning difficulties but also severely impacted my self-esteem. British graduate schools emphasize students' self-study and research skills. The aim of the education is to train students to think and research independently. To successfully complete the program and obtain a degree, it is essential to adjust one's learning attitude and study methods and make good use of the library's resources.

The formal curriculum began with registration, course selection, thesis subject selection, and supervisor selection. The daily schedule of over six hours of classes kept me busy, and I hurried between classrooms, the library, and the computer center. In the freezing weather, I spent most of my time buried in books, only occasionally going online to check news from Taiwan. I had no time to watch TV or read newspapers in the dormitory lounge.

The Master's program is divided into four terms, with a one-month Christmas break and Easter break between terms. The first two terms consist of intensive coursework, during which students must complete 140 hours of mandatory courses and 100 hours of optional courses. The last two terms are dedicated to individual research in a related field. During the first two terms, in addition to written exams, students are also required to submit flight experiment reports and give presentations. In the Aerospace Vehicle Design program, the basic requirements for obtaining a Master's degree are passing the written exams, submitting two theses, and passing the oral defense (Viva) of both theses. My first thesis topic was: Aircraft Secondary Power Design - design of aircraft cabin pressurization and air conditioning systems, electrical systems, hydraulic systems, and anti-icing systems, and reliability prediction of the systems. The second thesis topic was: Design Aspects of Suction Systems for Aircraft Laminar Flow Systems - studying the use of laminar flow to reduce drag, thereby reducing fuel consumption and saving flight costs.

The flight experiment course is a signature course at Cranfield University. The basic theories from aerodynamics and flight mechanics textbooks are brought to life through actual flights on the Jetstream aircraft, allowing students to experience flight conditions such as stalls, single-engine failures, and high-G maneuvers, and to record relevant flight data. While it was a valuable experience, it also caused students to feel fear and motion sickness. Students often stepped off the plane with pale faces after the experiment. The flight experiment course is divided into eight modules, each lasting about one hour:

(1) Survey of the Atmosphere and Measurement of Air Data

(2) Longitudinal Static and Maneuver Stability

(3) Longitudinal Dynamic Stability Modes of Motion

(4) Lateral-Directional Static Stability and Dynamic Stability Modes of Motion

(5) Measurement of Aircraft Drag and CL- EQ  EMBED Equation.2  
 Characteristic and Stall Protection System

(6) Cruise  Performance Measurement

(7) Climb Performance Measurement and Asymmetric Performance

(8) Aircraft Navigation System Assessment

In addition to completing the flight experiment course and earning 240 credits, the most important task for aircraft design students in the first two terms is to submit the first thesis on aircraft design. The entire aircraft design process simulates the process of designing aircraft in the industry, conducted as a group project with weekly meetings. Each student is responsible for designing a part of the aircraft (such as wings, tail, engine) and acts as a design engineer. The Head of Department serves as the chief engineer, responsible for coordinating conflicts and assisting students in improving their designs. The student's supervisor provides guidance throughout the design process. In addition, senior aircraft design engineers from the industry attend each meeting to review progress and supervise the design.

Aircraft design requires an understanding of design specifications (military aircraft need to refer to military specifications, such as Military Standard or Defense Standard; civil aircraft need to refer to civil aircraft specifications, such as FAR or JAR). Reference books such as "Synthesis of Subsonic Aircraft Design" by E. Torenbeek and "Airplanes Design Series" (Part I - VIII) by J. Roskam are essential resources.

Once the initial design is planned, previous theses from the school library serve as a basis and reference for writing the thesis. This not only saves time in planning the thesis structure but also ensures that the design scope stays focused and avoids major errors that could lead to rejection by external examiners during the oral defense. In addition to the extensive collection of books in the school library, reference books and materials for writing the thesis can also be obtained through the computer center's Inter-library Loan service, which allows students to borrow materials from libraries worldwide. The school's service in this regard is excellent, as the school covers all borrowing fees.

The beginning is always the hardest. As everything got on track, winter arrived, and the green fields turned into a white snowy landscape. The first three months of the term were spent writing reports and studying hard into the night. The study abroad life, which others envied, felt like a pilgrimage. After a period of intense work, the long-awaited Christmas break finally arrived. Although it provided a chance to rest, the upcoming exams meant that the short break was not entirely relaxing.

After returning to school from the Christmas break, the UK was in the depths of winter, with the campus covered in ice and snow. The atmosphere of students preparing for exams added to the cold and quiet. As soon as the exams finished, the quiet campus transformed into a vibrant, all-night celebration. Everyone took advantage of the winter sales to shop. Tesco, J. Sainsbury's, Marks & Spencer, and Clark are popular chain stores in the UK. Except for electronics, general goods are slightly cheaper than in Taiwan, and the quality is undoubtedly better. Additionally, non-European buyers can claim a refund of the Value Added Tax (VAT), about 10% of the purchase price, for goods purchased within three months before departure.

The second term's courses were similar to the first term, with more presentations. As the saying goes, "Spring River warms up as ducks know first." After winter, the snow melted, and the campus near Willen Lake was filled with swans and wild ducks foraging for food. In early spring in the UK, the weather is no longer cold and humid (November to January is the rainy season), and the frozen earth reveals new green shoots. The hard work of the past six months quickly passed. Before the end of the term, in addition to submitting the first thesis, preparations for the second thesis began.

One cannot say they have truly experienced the UK without experiencing its spring. After returning to school from the Easter break, the campus was adorned with colorful flowers in full bloom. The fragrance of spring blossoms filled the air. White apple blossoms and red cherry blossoms were everywhere, and the soft green lawns were dotted with countless dandelions and daisies. The scenery was like a meticulously crafted painting. The UK at this time of year is best described as a land of singing birds and fragrant flowers. During the transition from spring to summer, due to the high latitude, daylight extends to around 9 p.m. Although it is still chilly, under the bright sun and blue sky, skylarks forage, and people exercise and children play. The laughter of children and the chirping of birds echo around, creating a vibrant scene.

The second half of the year focused solely on research and writing the second thesis, with no more classes. Without classes, my room became my whole world, except for weekly meetings with my supervisor to discuss thesis progress. Sometimes, there was no one to talk to. Loneliness and boredom were the defining characteristics of this period. Although there was no pressure from classes, the challenges encountered during research were enough to cause sleepless nights.

Early summer in the UK lacks the vibrancy of spring, but the mild weather and floating catkins offer a unique charm. At this time, the UK does not have the scorching heat and humidity of Taiwan's summer. Instead, there is a gentle breeze and people relaxing on the green lawns under the willow trees. Besides research, this period is ideal for planning self-guided trips. It is also a good opportunity to join school-organized short trips to relieve stress and explore European landmarks before returning home, ensuring that the trip is fulfilling. In June and July, the school hosts the annual graduation ceremony, summer ball, and a week-long air show. Although I was not directly involved, these events added some fun to the monotonous days.

In the final six months, in addition to planning leisure activities, building a good relationship with the supervisor is crucial. In the UK's apprenticeship-style education system, the supervisor is responsible for course selection, thesis guidance, and even daily life advice. Furthermore, the supervisor has significant influence over whether a student graduates. Therefore, it is essential to be punctual for meetings, dress neatly, and ask questions politely, leaving a good impression on the supervisor, which will undoubtedly be beneficial for the thesis defense.

Autumn came again, and the year of studying abroad was nearing its end. The autumn scenery was as beautiful as ever, and despite the hardships of the past year, the thought of leaving the UK filled me with a sense of reluctance. The culmination of the past six months of research and the quality of the thesis depend on the effort invested during this period. The thesis is submitted to the registration office on time. The oral defense usually takes place one to two weeks after submission, with the duration depending on the situation (about one to three hours). As long as one has worked hard on research, the examiners are unlikely to be overly critical. After the oral defense, the year of studying abroad officially concludes. The past year has been a challenging journey, but it is also a precious life experience. "The sea without waves cannot show its magnificence, and life without challenges appears ordinary." Looking back and forward, I am filled with gratitude and determined to face life with optimism and a smile.

Finally, I would like to thank the British education center for providing the full scholarship, China Airlines for granting me a year to study in the UK, and my family and friends for their constant encouragement and support.