Life of An International Student in The UK – Part 1

It is always ‘easier said than done.’ This applies to the transition of an international student’s life while migrating to one of the most diversified countries in the world, the United Kingdom. You will be adapting culturally, financially, academically, and more which can be difficult. But, on the other hand, you will find a lot of freedom, space, and many beautiful towns and cities to explore around the country.

Initially, you might be excited but later struggle to balance various issues while separated from your family. For example, you might be trying to find a part-time job, manage finances, and take care of study, work, and your personal life. All that matters, in the end, is how hard a student gets up and sets themselves to achieving a better-quality life.

LABM is here with a few tips that any international student should know.

CULTURE

It might feel very strange for any student to arrive in an entirely different culture. You may not cope as fast as you think, but ultimately you will. As a mountain in the distance appears plain, it is normal to believe that you knew a lot about somewhere before experiencing it. Everything may change, from the way you dress to the way you speak and the way you act. Nevertheless, this is a good start for any student thriving for a better life.

Things you might like to know:

• Often universities host many student-friendly activities to help students socialise themselves.
• Most universities have good local facilities such as sports centres, social societies, and clubs.
• The UK has many cultural and historic things to experience, such as the theatre, opera and art galleries.
• There are many museums such as Madame Tussauds, The Natural History Museum, The Science Museum, and many more outside of London.
• There are many large music venues across the country, such as the O2 arena in London and the Manchester Arena, to name just two.
• There are many large sports stadiums with live football and cricket streams.
• Cinemas in different cities will often show movies in your own language.

LANGUAGE

English is not the only language spoken here. You might be wondering to hear your own language somewhere in the crowd. This is because the UK attracts millions of people from across the world, whether students, tourists, or business people.

Typically, people in Wales speak English, but also, more traditionally, Welsh. People in Scotland speak English, but sometimes Gaelic and Scots, and Northern Irelanders generally speak English, but occasionally Irish and Ulster Scots.

You will also hear more European languages, Asian languages, Chinese languages, and other eastern countries’ languages. But, remember, despite all these, English is the most spoken language, and it is the only language in which you are supposed to show your talent at the university. This is why the universities ask you to achieve a language qualification for English.

SOCIAL RULES

Different countries have different social rules. So, you must be conscious of a few social rules to keep yourself safe, particularly when migrating. Here in the UK, people like to follow a systematic process for everything they do, and most people are friendly.

Here are just a few helpful social rules to remember. British people consider it rude to be late, whether it be for work, a university class or a social arrangement. It is important to be polite to say please and thank you. You must be cautious about ‘queuing’ – waiting in a queue for your turn, for example, waiting to get on a bus, waiting to be served in a shop or bank, or any other situation involving standing in line for something. It is the British way, and people will get angry if you ‘push in’!

Another point to be stressed here is that men and women have equal rights in the UK, where discriminating against anyone for their race, gender, age, or disability is considered a crime.

WEATHER

While it often rains, the weather can be unpredictable, and weather apps can be very useful! For example, you can often experience a ray of warm sunshine and experience a cool breeze and drizzly rain all in one day. The irony is that even Oscar Wilde says, “I don’t desire to change anything in England except the weather”. Remember, British people commonly love to talk about the weather as it changes often. So, some excellent advice would be to buy an umbrella, check how the weather outside is on each day and dress accordingly, unless you like surprises!

FOOD

There’s no doubt that you will miss your home food when you stay away. But the good thing is that the UK has vast numbers of regional food markets and specialist supermarkets where you can find your nearly home food. You can also find a plethora of vegetables, spices, meat, and seafood in all the supermarkets and shops, for those you love to cook. As necessity teaches everything, you will eventually learn to cook if you have not previously done so. The beauty of living in a mixed culture is that you can experience food from many different cultures.

Most major supermarkets offer home delivery that you can prebook for large grocery orders. Many apps, such as Getir and Gorillas, deliver your groceries right to your doorstep within a couple of hours. The UK is sophisticated with top delivery agents like Deliveroo, Just Eat, and Uber Eats, where you can order takeaway food with just a click.

Please keep visiting our website; LABM will provide more information in our next blog.

MORE INFO

For information on LABM Online Courses, including Online Free Courses, Online Short Courses, and Online University Progression Courses, please get in touch with a member of our team through the following lines of enquiry.

Email – info@labm.co.uk
Phone – +44 203 1707379