Starting university can be exciting, stressful, and even scary time for a student. For an international student, these feelings can be magnified. The experience of starting university in a new country, with possibly a different language can be difficult to adjust to. Below are our top tips for international students on how to settle into your British education lifestyle.
Sort out your finances
Understand the cost of living in your chosen town, as well as any fees you will have to pay. Even if your parents or other sponsor are covering your costs, it is good to know how the money is being spent, and why you have to pay for different services. Try to find out what discounts you get with your university student card such as public transport, travel, shops, sports clubs, subscriptions, and even the Apple store if you’ve got your eyes on that MacBook!
Find out if there are any scholarships you can benefit from
Before you apply for university, or even if you already secured funding, find out what scholarships, bursaries, benefits, monetary awards, or any other opportunities you can get. These are great for extra money, and will look great on your CV.
Enjoy the weather
You might hear all sorts of opinion about the British weather. After all it is the most controversial weather. My opinion is that you can easily experience all 4 seasons in one day, so check the forecast and be prepared. There might be days where you would carry a jacket, boots, umbrella, and sunglasses all at ones. I did this many times. Hence, dress to stay healthy in the winter. There are plenty of shops who do good discounts especially post-Christmas (from the 26th of December all the way to the January sale), and you can order them online. Many shops also offer student discounts.
Take day trips in the UK
Learn about different towns and cities, their history, and what they have to offer. There is plenty of cool facts and thousands of landmarks in the UK, and you can easily fill all your weekends with day trips with your new friends. Why not document what you experience and share them in social media for your family and friends back home to see. Make traveling a habit, this would be one of our top tips for international students who obviously already like exploring new places.
Find who can help you
Besides the admission, tutors, student union and accommodations offices, most universities also have an International Office, dedicated to deal with international students’ inquiries from before you arrive and every day after. There is so much support you can leverage including changing your dorms if you don’t like them, help with understanding available resources, or even visa inquiries. Don’t hesitate to seek help, after all you are paying to be in the university, and most universities who have an International Office receive a healthy fee from international students. International students are often referred to as foreign students or ‘aliens’, so you can use these terms when searching for supporting resources.
There are also independent entities and organisations who are dedicated to assisting international students such as the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA)
Understand the regulations
Understand the laws, regulations, and policies that apply to you or impact you in any way: whether on immigration, police registration, renting, internet or phone contracts, or just the university policies. It is important to be informed of how you are impacted by different regulations and policies and stay out of breaking them.
Keep your documents safe
Another tip for international students would be to take care of important documents and identification. This includes your passport, identity, university card, travel passes, or your contract with any entity. Whether digital or paper, keep these safe to avoid having to go through re-issuing them as this can be both time and money consuming. If you intend to stay in the UK after studying and apply for residence (indefinite leave to remain visa), then you need to keep track of both how many days you are out of the UK during your stay, and which countries you visit.
Keep communicating with home
Keep in touch with your loved ones in your home country, it is easy to get carried in the busy student life and not call or video chat for weeks. Try to keep your loved ones always aware of your wellbeing so they don’t worry about you or you about them. It is also mentally critical that you know you get support from the ones you left behind and that they are there for you and wishing you luck every step of the way.
Learn where to get help on the bad days
On a similar note, homesickness can be devastating, and some days such as exam days can feel lonely or stressful. Find out who you can talk to if you feel homesick or stressed in your university as well whether you’re new friends or professionals in your department or the international office. Mental Health is well understood and supported in the UK, so there is no shame in seeking help, this doesn’t make you week, vulnerable or at a disadvantage for any opportunity, and remember everything you communicate to professional should be confidential.
Understand the culture
This new country can be very different to your in many aspects, the weather, the food, the smell of the air, the law, the standards of living, and so on. However, the change in culture might be the biggest shock for you. Try to read, watch film and social media videos, talk to people who have lived the experience, and learn as much as you can about the culture of your destination. This would explain many things to you such as why people would behave the way they are, what is acceptable or not, what is shocking, favourable, or weird, and so on.
You can integrate and adapt faster if you understand the culture early on joining the university. Once you join, you will have plenty of opportunity to experience the culture first hand by yourself, make friends, visit places, and live like a brit.
Join as many social activities as possible
Connections are important to any stage in life, but the friends that you make as a student are for life, don’t be afraid or shy to join in different social events, join in few societies and sports club, and enjoy being you while you learn about others. You will most likely find a Student Union society for your country, region, or continent, and if you want one and there is none, you can always start one, all you need is few more people to join in with you – who don’t even have to be from your country!
Don’t worry if you can’t fit in
Be proud of who you are, and where you came from. If you feel that you are not adapting or still feel like a fish out of water, that’s ok. Sometimes it takes time to get used to a new environment, so take your time. Just be yourself, and don’t panic. After all, the most famous saying here in the UK is to Keep Calm and Carry On. This is the British way of doing things. The UK is one of the best places to be when it comes to respecting and appreciating diversity and promoting tolerance and equal opportunities. So don’t worry, the law is on your side, and you will be appreciated for who you are and what you personally bring to the table. If you feel any bullying or mocking of your culture, you can inform the university, but know that most UK universities have a large number of international students, sometimes what feels like half of the university population, so you won’t be alone.
Finally, aim for first class honours
After all you left home and travelled miles for your degree, so give it your best, play hard, study hard, learn a lot, and keep a positive attitude. We wish you the best in this unique experience to shine. For further advice and top tips for international students on how to settle into your British education lifestyle, please see our article on How to Choose the Right University for you, and How to Get the Most out of your University Days.
