Events give students a taste of UK life

From June 17 to 24, four cities in China will host a series of British Council pre-departure events for those about to study in the United Kingdom.

The British Council, the UK's international organization for cultural relations and educational opportunities, has run the annual events for the past 10 years. This year, it will tour four cities -- Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province.

According to a British Council survey carried out earlier this year, Chinese students list a sense of involvement, the language barrier and study pressure as their top three concerns about studying and living in the UK.

Tailored to the problems of Chinese students, the pre-departure events will this year include immersive experiences, where attendees will be faced with challenges they might come across in life and on campus in the UK. English will be the only language used during the whole process.

There is also a section about pub quizzes, which are popular in the UK, and other four experience areas covering the essential information students need to start settling in. These include accepting an offer, visa applications, arranging accommodation, opening a bank account and health and wellbeing.