To Kill a Mockingbird said: “Courage is not a man with a gun in his hand. It’s knowing you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what.”
“I don’t want to follow the crowd, I want to know what I want, and I think London can give me the answer.” We are all unique, but we share the same courage to challenge the world.
According to HESD (Higher Education Staff Data) statistics, approximately 679,970 students received higher education in the UK between 2021 and 2022. In addition, between 2018 and 2019, the number of international students studying in London increased by 5.8% compared with the previous year, reaching 125,038.
So, why are so many students willing to leave their own country and come to live in a completely unfamiliar city?
Sally Gao, a Chinese student studying environmental science at the University of London said: “I am free here. I am completely free from the control of my parents, and I can try things they wouldn’t let me do before. I work part-time by myself and travel around the world on my own ability. I like photography, but my parents never allowed me to learn photography before, thinking that it would not be helpful to my studies and would be a waste of time. In order to achive the dream that I failed to complete in the past few years, so I bought a camera by myself. When I capture those beautiful moments, I feel that I am truly alive. No one will tell you that you should devote all your time to studying and then work hard to repay your parents. They just say ‘wow that’s so cool!’” Yes, London is a highly tolerant city. No one will stipulate that you must do that. Everyone can be themselves and bravely try what they want to do，because every unique personality and soul will be given full respect in London. What people wear, what they eat, where they go, everything is respected.
“I was almost robbed of my phone on Oxford Street. I was taking pictures of angel lights, and suddenly a motorcycle came out next to me. The person on it wanted to steal my phone. Fortunately, I reacted quickly and took it back. This is really exciting, you know?” also Sally told me, “I didn’t feel scared, but it was the first time that I felt like going back to China and going back to my parents. That was also the first time I realized that I was really out of the protection of my parents, and no one would stand behind me to help me solve the troubles caused by my carelessness.”
“Actually, I don’t really want to live in London. London is indeed very good, but I would rather go further afield. The place I lived before only has the yellow sea, but the book says the sea is blue, as if there is a voice telling me that there is another world on the other side of the sea. I have never seen it, so I want to visit it and visit this world with my own eyes. If London were my starting point, this trip must be very exciting.” Many experiences in the journey of life are countless and never. If you don’t dare to challenge it when you have the opportunity, you may lose the opportunity forever.
Iris, a French exchange student at Queen Mary University: “I like universities in London very much. It is much more relaxed than universities in France. There are not so many exams and I have many opportunities to identify what is best for me, and I don’t have to worry too much about failing the class.”
According to an article published in The Gate by EUChicago Research Team – The Problem with French Universities mentioned: “At France’s open enrollment public universities, the first year dropout and failure rate is close to 50 percent—compared to just 8.4 percent at British institutions.”
There are really many opportunities in London, which is indeed one of the benefits of studying abroad. You can experience and choose different learning modes. Some people like to do research and work in groups, while some people like to write something and enjoy a sense of achievement alone. This can also better match students with future employment models.
“You just need to focus on what you want.” Iris said. “Of course I would like to stay in London, it’s such a great place to work, especially for those who are ambitious, if you have the ability and can seize the opportunity, this is a stage for the world, what you learned there will accompany you wherever you go in the future. However, at the same time, I don’t have to be pushed by time, and I don’t have to follow anyone’s footsteps and care what other people think of me, no one will label me, we are all for fame and wealth, but we are even more for ourselves. What we think is most suitable is the best, isn’t it? ”
Ellen – not his real name, is a Dutch lawyer in London and graduated from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He said: “My mother just hopes that I can live a peaceful and happy life, and graze at home when I am old. But what I believe is that we deserve to see something truly majestic and beyond human scale, like the volcanoes erupting thousands of meters high, sea that have been sailing for days without seeing land, hundreds of burning meteors falling, blue icebergs sliding along the edge of the ship, because I have seen these majestic things, I am full of expectations for the world further away. Even if I have not seen it with my own eyes, a seed has been planted in my heart: ‘Is this really the world?’ So I accepted the invitation from the London School of Economics and Political Science and came to London. My mother had a big argument with me because she didn’t understand why I wanted to give up my stable life and went to study abroad alone. But now I don’t regret my decision at all. I live the life I like, do the job I like, and interact with all kinds of people. I am very satisfied with myself now.”
Ellen added: “I really like life in London so much. I have lived here for twelve years. People come here from all over the world, perhaps for fame, freedom, and money. These are the tacit secrets of every Londoner, no matter what your desires are, as long as you have ideas and abilities, London can provide you with a platform. I am very grateful that I had the courage to step out of my comfort zone. I don’t need to plan for the long term, nor do I need to think about the future, because maybe one day I seize an opportunity, and my status and class will reach a level that I never dared to imagine before.” London welcomes and tolerates all cultures. Some people enjoy the romance and danger of this city, while others cannot find a sense of belonging and are tired of ‘fast food’ and choose to leave.
Therefore the answer is obvious. Some people choose to stay in London in order to meet or have met a more satisfactory version of themselves, while some people are not satisfied with the status quo and want to use London as a springboard to visit further places. However the common point is that they all have the courage to step out of their comfort zones to face new challenges, learn new cultures, and adapt to new lifestyles. We are all born adventurers, brave people always enjoy the world first.