COVID-19’s global proliferation has prompted academic institutions to take additional measures this year to keep students secure. The UK government has procured over 400 million vaccines, permitting international students to get vaccinated and ensuring safety for the incoming terms.
As we float back to normalcy, students have begun preparing for their overseas study. Many UK universities are going hybrid, with online as well as in-person lectures, while some continue online teaching for the first term. Depending on the government’s announcements, these methods are subject to change.
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Prioritizing International Student Vaccination
Overseas and EU undergraduates are eligible to get vaccinated at the earliest, which means you could have the jab sooner in the UK compared to your home country, making you fit to fly back home.
What’s more, several UK institutions recently declared that they will provide financial assistance for the 10-day hotel quarantine and testing expenses, up to a combined worth of £1,750 for overseas students who need to isolate in hotel accommodation upon arrival.
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Introduction of the Traffic Light System for International Travel
The recently established Covid-19 travel standards published by the government ensure safe travels to the UK for all overseas students.
Green-rated countries are not required to quarantine upon arrival in the UK, instead, they will undergo Covid testing before and after their journey. Amber-list nations are required to isolate upon arrival in the UK, while red-list nations are subject to severe restrictions.
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The 2021 September Intake of International Students
The UK government released the Covid-19 roadmap in February 2021, and academic institutions are considering UCAS submissions as the usual route for student enrollment in September 2021 as conventional teaching resumes.
Here’s how universities are ensuring students’ safety on campus.
University of Oxford: Compulsory facemasks at the university and campus, as well as improved sanitation procedures, architectural labelling, and indicators to maintain social distance. Transparent plastic screens and boundaries are placed in all classrooms, and a seat-finder app is used in the laboratories and library.
University of Manchester: On-campus experiments, clinical, and practice-based education for students in authorized programs are carried on wherever it’s safe to proceed. Academic counseling and small group activities are being delivered online.
Libraries and study rooms are accessible, though they may close sooner than expected. Professional, Statutory, and Regulatory Bodies will be on-campus, whenever in-person exams are conducted. The rest of the exams will be done online. QR codes for the COVID-19 NHS app can be seen throughout campus.
King’s College London: There will be a mix of in-person and virtual learning. Students have access to facilities on days when they have scheduled on-campus classes or pre-arranged programs. During classes, there’ll be a 30-minute break to enable the students to securely enter and exit.
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The Commencement of Hybrid Learning at UK Universities
As the UK emerges from its final state of shutdown, face-to-face learning has returned across most of the country’s educational institutions.
Premises with specially identified entrance and departure locations, sanitizer units, compulsory masks, floor markings, and social distancing measures are some of the various precautions taken by UK colleges and universities.
For some students now enrolled at UK universities, education has shifted partially online. University campuses are accessible, however, blended adaptive learning is now in practice, involving face-to-face instruction, and online workshops and seminars facilitating the application of social distancing standards.
The UK has always been a dream destination for many students. These post-pandemic guidelines have been put in place for hopeful students to pursue their goals in one of the prime academic spots in the world.
