As advantageous as it is to have an international education, life as an international student has its fair share of challenges.
Vu An Khanh, a Vietnamese student studying in Malaysia, knows this well.
At 14, she packed up her life and travelled 1,290 kilometres from home to follow her dad, a Vietnamese diplomat, to his new station in Malaysia.
Now 20 and having graduated from university, Vu recalls her initial apprehensions about studying abroad and how her mind has changed in the last six years.
“I thought being an international student would be a setback,” says Vu. “But I’m surrounded by such inspiring individuals that it has helped push myself further.”
Vu, holding a Vietnamese flag, at a student gathering at the University of Nottingham, Malaysia. Source: Vu An Khanh
How studying in Malaysia gave her a speed boost ahead of her Vietnamese peers
Vu’s journey to studying in Malaysia starts at Sayfol International School, where she began her IGCSE journey in Year 9.
By the time she graduated from Year 11, she had scored 8 A*S and earned a Pearson Excellence Award, placing her among the Top 1,000 IGCSE Scores in the Asia Pacific for 2021.
Her academic achievements aside, undertaking the IGCSEs also meant that Vu was years ahead of her peers back in Vietnam — a common occurrence that happens when you attend an international school.
“When I finished Year 11, peers my age in Vietnam would still be in Year 9,” Vu says. “Right now, I’m in my final year of university, and they’re just getting started.”
That said, when the decision to choose where she’d pursue her university degree came about, Vu chose a
Foundation programme in arts and education at the University of Nottingham Malaysia (UNM), and upon completing that, she followed it with a bachelor’s degree in International Economics at the same university.
“I wanted to join the exchange programme with the UK campus,” says Vu. “UNM is part of a global university. You’ve got the Malaysian campus, the main one in the UK, and even a China campus. I chose to spend a semester at the UK campus in my second year, and it was amazing.”
Vu visiting the Malaysian Parliament with 17 student leaders of the University of Nottingham Malaysia for an educational visit to learn about Malaysia’s legislative process. Source: Vu An Khanh
The advantages and disadvantages of attending a branch campus vs the main campus
Studying at a university with multiple global campuses has its perks. You can experience different cultures and learning styles without switching schools or degrees pretty seamlessly — though some mishaps might happen.
In Vu’s case, however, there were four notable differences between studying at a branch campus and the university’s main campus.
The big difference in tuition fees
At the University of Nottingham’s UK campus, an undergraduate degree would cost between 23,000 to 30,750 pounds (US$29,587 to US$39,556) a year for international students in the 2025-2026 academic year.
However, international students studying in Malaysia only need to pay 50,000 to 70,000 Malaysian ringgit (US$11,889 to US$16,644) a year, less than half the price of the UK campus.
Campus size
Another factor that international students choosing between a branch and main campuses should consider is the size of the university at these different locations.
When Vu first stepped foot onto the UK campus, her first thought was, “The campus is humongous. It’s so big compared to the Malaysian one.”
“I was so surprised because it felt like a mini town,” shares Vu. “It had all the amenities you needed, and it would take 10 to 15 minutes to get from one class to another. The Malaysian campus was big, but it was in the middle of nowhere.”
Vu and her classmates participated in the “Program Temu Anwar Universiti Swasta,” a national-level dialogue session organised by the Ministry of Higher Education with Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Source: Vu An Khanh
Class size
Campus size aside, there’s another thing to pay attention to when choosing which campus to attend, and that’s the size of your classes.
“In Malaysia, the classes are smaller, meaning you have more opportunities to ask the professor questions,” says Vu. “It’s also easier to interact with classmates and participate in group discussions.”
In the UK, however, it was the complete opposite.
“The classes are hosted in big auditoriums where you’ll sit and listen to your professors.” shares Vu. “There are tutorial sessions where you can discuss the topic, but it doesn’t feel as interactive as Malaysian classes.”
Classes in the UK gave Vu the impression that the UK education system encourages independent learning, while in Malaysia, professors encouraged students to study and collaborate with each other.
A different way to navigate social life
Last but not least — and perhaps something all international students can relate to — is the difference in the way you make friends when you’re abroad.
Vu found it easier to befriend other exchange students in the UK through their shared experiences, like adjusting to a new country.
However, in Malaysia, despite the professors encouraging interactions between peers, it’s harder to make friends.
“In Malaysia, if you’re an international student, you have to put yourself out there,” says Vu. “Join societies and go to events. There are a lot of international students on campus, but you still need to make that effort to find your crowd.”
Vu wearing an ao dai, a Vietnamese traditional dress. It’s a long silk tunic worn over fitted pants, and it’s often worn for special occasions like Tet (Vietnamese New Year). Source: Vu An Khanh
The struggle of getting an internship as an international student — and the solution to it
After her semester abroad in the UK, Vu returned to Malaysia to wrap up her final year.
But something didn’t sit right. She felt like something was missing from her academic experience — namely, an internship.
Bagging internship opportunities as an international student studying in Malaysia — or anywhere, really — isn’t a walk in the park.
In Vu’s case, Malaysian companies prefer candidates who speak the local languages of Mandarin and Bahasa Malaysia, which many international students, like Vu, often don’t speak fluently.
She noticed that local students were prioritised for internship opportunities, and doors that seemed open initially would quietly shut when they found out she was an international student.
“To sum it up, being an international student has its drawbacks, especially when you’re looking for jobs or internship opportunities,” she shares. “Companies will prioritise local students, and will most often overlook international students.”
But here’s the thing — even local students like Jasmine Tan struggled to land internships, too.
Still, Vu wasn’t deterred — in fact, it made her work even harder.
“Watching my friends land internships made me want to push myself,” she says. “I started going to the gym and even approached the career office at UNM to ask for help. But at the time, there weren’t any.”
Since nothing was panning out in Malaysia, Vu looked for opportunities back home — and that’s where she finally got her foot in the door.
She landed a role as a Trade Finance Services Intern at a local bank in Hanoi, Vietnam.
After completing her internship, Vu returned to Malaysia — this time, with experience and the motivation to try again.
While she did not find a traditional internship, she stumbled upon something unexpected: a JobStreet Campus Ambassadorship.
It wasn’t exactly what she had in mind, but it turned out to be a perfect fit. She applied and got it.
But it didn’t stop there. She started landing roles within UNM, including as a career influencer with the Career Advisory Service, the head of marketing for the International Student Bureau, secretary for Nottingham Economics Society, and Vietnamese Student Ambassador.
So if you’re an international student who has been trying and failing to get an internship, don’t worry — there are many other options that’ll help you in your career journey — Vu’s story is proof of that.
