IF you're an international student who's about to start an adventure abroad to study medicine, you'll know your adventure in a new culture is going to be hugely influenced by the challenge of studying one of the most demanding subjects at university.
We put together our top three tips for international students studying medicine below, to help you make the most of both your academic life and experience of a new culture...
Among other university students, medicine students and the library hours they keep are often the subject of hushed conversations marvelling at their dedication.
There's no coubt that medicine subjects are some of the most demanding courses at university, but those who manage their time well and make sure to make free time will thrive most.
If you manage your time well, there's no reason why you can't balance getting work done with taking time to experience a new culture, which is a crucial part of your whole experience studying abroad.
By making time for yourself to explore your new home country and culture, plus some time for relaxation, you're more likely to see your academic life improved.
Take a look at this link to find out how to become a master of your time, meaning you can aim for great grades and also have the experience abroad you want.
There's also a great list of apps and life hacks here.
One of the major factors which discourages students from asking questions is a creeping feeling that their peers will see their curiosity as a waste of their time, that the question has an 'obvious' answer.
This approach by students of any subject can lead to a backlog of missed points and a lack of understanding of their subject, or for those who go to find their own answers you could be simply wasting your own time when you have an expert to ask during seminars or lectures.
Medicine students should be careful not to allow the high calibre and academic credentials of their peers intimidate them - everyone who has made it through the competition to arrive at medical school is worthy in their own right.
As we alluded to above in relation to the crucial importance of time management for medicine students, there's really very little time to waste because you have so much else to manage.
So don't leave questions unasked: your curiosity is as valid as any of your fellow students, you'll build confidence the more you ask and you simply have no time to waste.
Making a concerted effort to become a valuable team player among your fellow medical students could pay dividends in more ways than one.
You're perhaps aiming to become a fully-qualified doctor, and if so you'll find out just how much excellent teamwork is required in your future profession. So why not start working out right now how you can always make a valuable contribution?
Medicine is also a tough degree path to take, and medical students are notoriously close-knit groups of students. These two general observations are related, because medical students help eachother through teamwork whether they're studying or attending class more than any other students.
But you should also try to make sure you have relationships with peers from outside of your subject across your university more generally, because this means you have the option of not getting too caught up in chatter about your academic life.
