Yes, studying in the UK offers some of the safest student experiences you can find. However, even with record numbers of Hong Kong students applying to universities in the UK, we understand that you still want to know how safe the UK is.
Here's how you can ensure your own safety.
- Student safety tips you can follow
- Look after your money and technology
- Stay safe in social groups
- Stay safe in your city and accommodation
- Get to know your city
Student safety tips you can follow
Most universities have safety procedures in place so that you’re safe while having a great student experience. For example, Newcastle University was given a safety rating of 95% by international students. You can also follow the following tips to keep yourself safe:
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don’t feel pressured to do anything you don’t want to do
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take responsibility for yourself
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save important emergency contact numbers
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keep your identification safe
Why not read up on more tips on how you can stay safe while studying?
Look after your money and technology
This means more than just looking after your wallet (although that is important!). You can also make sure that the ATMs (cash machines) you use to withdraw money from have not been tampered with.
Plus, you should be careful when shopping online. For example, if you’re on a website whose address doesn’t include ‘https’ at the beginning, don’t trust it with your financial details.
All UK universities have secure WiFi networks, but sometimes you’ll use public WiFi when studying. Install security software on your laptop to prevent your data being stolen.
The UK also has lots of useful apps you can download that increase your safety. Some universities even have apps that you can use to directly connect to a security team. For example, Newcastle University has Safezone, which you can use to check in with or connect to local security services.
Stay safe in social groups
Every UK university is a community. They have clubs and societies where you can experience new sports, culture and also make friends with students with similar interests. Newcastle University, for example, has over 160 societies to choose from.
Socialising and having a good group of friends makes it easier to stay safe. UK universities encourage students to participate in these societies to have fun experiences. It also ensures that you have a social group to can rely on.
Each university has a list of societies on their website. Why not read through what societies are common for most UK universities?
Stay safe in your accommodation
The UK has some of the safest student accommodation. All university rooms and flats are secured by locks and CCTV. Each university also has a security team which you can contact at any time throughout the day.
Here are five more tips on how to keep your student accommodation secure.
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remember to shut your windows and doors when you leave
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don’t leave valuables lying around
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always carry your keys with you
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don’t let strangers into your building
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if you own a bike, lock it up
Get to know your city
Getting to know your university’s city is an important part of staying safe. Cities in the UK have good public transport links, maps and information centres that you can use to navigate your way around.
Universities will also provide information and sometimes include virtual tours on their website. International students can use virtual tours, such as the virtual tour of Newcastle you can find here, to look around their city from their homes.
So where is safe for Hong Kong students to study? It’s the UK! But it’s good to get some extra information on safety and how it can help you have a successful university career.
Staying safe at university is easy but we can help make it even easier
To help you even more, we’ve created an all-in-one safety guide for international students. It addresses safety concerns for students, safety concerns for parents and covers how safe it is to study abroad.
