GCU Exchange & Study Abroad

Our Global Buddies Programme connects home students with new, international students to help them settle in to their new city 🏙️🌎

We're looking for current students to be Senior Buddies for the 2024/25 academic year.

Current Buddy Dylan told us a a bit about his experience as a Senior Buddy:

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬?
🗣️"Partially why I started was that I wanted to become involved in the GCU community but I also liked meeting and speaking with people from our international community and learning about other people and other cultures."

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐮𝐩?
🗣️"I wanted to help people because I know in a situation of being an international student coming to a foreign country is quite scary and unnerving so I just wanted to be a friendly face and provide help and support if they needed it to help them settle in."

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭?
🗣️"You benefit so much being a support guide for international students who do really need the help and being a home buddy myself I can share my knowledge of Glasgow and Scotland so I’d recommend it to anyone, it’s definitely a great experience. It also provides you with a great social environment!"

Sign up to be a Senior Buddy 👉https://bit.ly/4aCIFFF

GCU Virtual Information Sessions: Intro to GCU

Join us for "Intro to GCU," a virtual information session for UG home/RUK students!

Taking place on Wednesday, 12th June at 5:30 pm – 6.30 pm, this event is your opportunity to discover what makes Glasgow Caledonian University unique.

Learn about our diverse academic programs, vibrant campus life, and the extensive support services available to help you thrive. Whether you're considering GCU or looking to gain more insight as a current applicant, this session will provide valuable information to help you make an informed decision.

Register now:
https://app.geckoform.com/public/ #/modern/21FO00ges830i7006mzd1m6sdz

A future of possibilities! 👩‍🎓

Start your journey to college or university on the right path.
Submit your SAAS application by 30 June to ensure your funding is in place for your course starting.

Visit www.saas.gov.uk to apply today.

Being a student can sometimes be difficult financially, so our Student Funding Team have come up with a few free activities you can do around Glasgow: ▶️ Glasgow City Chambers free daily tours ▶️ Gallery of Modern Art ▶️ Glasgow Mural Trail ▶️ Botanic Gardens ▶️ Huntarian Art Gallery ▶️ Kelvingrove Park ▶️Kelvingrove Art Gallery You can also travel between each of these destinations via the Subway, which does an all-day travel ticket for only £4.30!

A great opportunity, especially for our recently returned exchange students and those thinking of taking part in an exchange in the future!

We're looking for current students who know their way around Glasgow to sign up to Global Buddies to help new international students settle in to their new hometown and university 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

If you know your way around Glasgow and GCU, signing up to Global Buddies to help new students is an excellent way to make friends from around the world. You'll even be paired up with someone who has similar interests as you!☀️💙

Being a Global Buddy also counts towards a Common Good Award, so if you are working towards the award, signing up is a great way to enhance your application while making new friends!

Some of our previous buddies have even made lifelong friends on the programme 👯

Find out more and sign up👉https://bit.ly/47MPTEt

📣 On-campus registration open for new international students 📣

New international and EU students starting at GCU in January will need to attend on-campus registration in order to complete their registration and collect their student card. This will take place at the Campus Life Desk , level 1, George Moore Building and opens from Monday 15 January.

You must bring the required ID and documents detailed below or we will be unable to issue your card. Please bring your passport with an entry clearance vignette (with entry date stamp) and BRP if applicable, or your UK Immigration ID share code (normally EU/EEU).

If your BRP is delayed until after the start of teaching or you did not get an entry date stamp, you must bring evidence to on-campus registration and we will advise the next steps. For BRP delay, please bring your notice of delay from the Home Office. For no entry stamp on entering the UK, bring evidence of your flight into the UK, e.g. your boarding pass.

📍 Campus Life Lounge, level 1, George Moore Building
📅 Monday - Friday
⏰ 9:30am - 4:30pm

Please note; If you are a new full time UK student, your student card will be sent out in the post – providing you have completed online registration and uploaded a photograph.

More information about on-campus registration ➡️ https://www.gcu.ac.uk/.../registration/oncampusregistration

If you're this January, we've got a series of webinars taking place to help you find out everything you need to know before classes begin💻

If you cannot make the times listed, recordings of these webinars will be published on the GCU Welcome App.

To download the app, search 'GCU Welcome App' on the Apple or Google Play stores 📲

Find out what webinars we've got taking place 👇

▶️Cost of Living
❓ Understand the cost of living and studying in the UK.
📅 Tues 9 Jan, 11am-12pm
🔗https://bit.ly/45kzu9O

▶️International Student Support and Arrival
❓ Meet our VISA team and find out more about our International Welcome Programme.
📅Wed 10 Jan, 12noon
🔗https://bit.ly/3Ec9UIg

▶️Student Funding
❓ Information on student funding options at GCU.
📅Thurs 11 Jan, 12-1pm
🔗https://bit.ly/3Tqt4AT

▶️Timetabling
❓Learn how to access, read and understand your timetable.
📅Tues 16 Jan, 10-11am
🔗https://bit.ly/3Cv0yI6

▶️GCULearn
❓ Learn how to navigate GCULearn before classes begin to get the most from your learning at GCU.
📅 Tues 16 Jan, 2-3pm
🔗https://bit.ly/3Ki1HEI

▶️Accommodation
❓ Join this webinar with our Accommodation Support Team who can give advice to help with your private accommodation search in Glasgow.
📅Wednesday 17 Jan, 10-11am (this webinar will recur every Wednesday for six weeks)
🔗https://bit.ly/3qIOpM6

Two students have been reflecting on spending two weeks in Washington last year 🇺🇸

Karleigh Fraser and Scott Reid got the chance to experience one of the world's largest research centres when they got involved in a new pilot project between GCU's Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) 🧪

The trip in September allowed both Karleigh and Scott an insight into clinical trials and the work being done to help tackle some of the world's rarest and deadliest diseases 👩‍🔬👨‍🔬

Scott said: "The whole focus is on rare diseases that there is currently no cure for. The patients at the hospital weren’t charged for their treatment, but if someone was to have access to the same drug it would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

"The person getting the specific drug are the first in the world and no-one really knows what’s going to happen to them - but it’s basically that drug or nothing so the individuals are prepared to take the risk."

Karleigh also added: "We needed to get a background check to even get onto the premises because it’s federal grounds.

"It does hit you more because you’re actually seeing the people and you’re not just working away in a lab, so you do feel more attached. All the researchers knew every detail about the patients, even down to their family tree and the possibility of these diseases being hereditary."

Congratulations to Scott and Karleigh for taking full advantage of a fantastic opportunity 💙

Find out more about their experience on the GCU Student Newsroom ➡ https://shorturl.at/aFIK9

It's the and we're using the day to showcase a new opportunity for students 💙

We're on the look-out for Global Buddies 🗣 🌎

What is a Global Buddy? 🤔

Our Global Buddies programme helps new international students settle into life in Scotland by setting them up with a Global Buddy, who will help them familiarise themselves with their new environment 🤗

We're looking for friendly students who enjoy helping others to sign-up!

Starting university in a new country can be daunting, so why not sign-up and help new international students feel at ease 💙

Fill out the application form here - https://www.gcu.ac.uk/currentstudents/getinvolved/globalbuddies

‼️ Student Ambassador Applications have been extended to July 28th ‼️

Looking for a fun, flexible job which is easy to fit around your studies? Apply to be a Student Ambassador!

As a Student Ambassador you'll support fun events such as Freshers' Week and our International Welcome Programme, which includes trips all over Scotland😎

This is a paid post (£10.90 per hour), is flexible around your studies and allows you to make friends from across the University.

If you're an undergraduate student and you think you'd be keen to help students settle in at GCU, are proud to represent the University and have a lot of energy to bring the student experience to life; apply now!

Apply here ➡ https://shorturl.at/IPY49

Last chance to apply to be a Student Ambassador for 2023/24! Applications close this Friday, 14 July⚠️

As a Student Ambassador you'll support fun events such as Freshers' Week and our International Welcome Programme, which includes trips all over Scotland😎

This is a paid post (£10.90 per hour), is flexible around your studies and allows you to make friends from across the University.

If you're an undergraduate student and you think you'd be keen to help students settle in at GCU, are proud to represent the University and have a lot of energy to bring the student experience to life then apply now!

Apply👉https://bit.ly/3NUT8DE