Given the ample amount of time (approximately a year) since I decided to study in the UK, the idea of moving kicked in just before I boarded the flight. However, everything went smoothly. For me, doing things independently changed from an option of "don't want" to "must do" for which I am glad.
When it comes to cultural shocks I found it quite alien, the politeness of most bystanders especially the senior citizens (some of whom looked fitter than me!). But an important adjustment that I knowingly adapted to was to have an expanded pool of commonality among my peers who were not all Indians and thus would not immediately relate to or find many things funny. But, because of this, I am glad that I continually learn new things and am not afraid to acknowledge if I don’t know something.
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Moving to the UK
I love history. I love architectural attractions and the stories attached to the UK cities. All these helped me decide to move to the UK.
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Due to inflation, the UK was losing its spot as an ideal post-graduation destination. Yet, many renowned advertising agencies are still in business, which were my targets. Additionally, a legal proposal to reduce the PSW (Post Studies Work Visa) from two years to six months in the following year further encouraged me to take the chance. Furthermore, I didn’t face any difficulty in the admission process, however, I recommend future students to start as early as possible (at least a year).
The only thing that I will highly stress would be that students aspiring to study in the UK accustom themselves to their way of assessment. Don’t rely on rote learning, as it will not help you clear even the IELTS test. Understand the different rubrics beforehand through your university website and practice academic writing (for research students) because that's when you learn the importance of criticality.
I struggled at the start to understand the grading system and academic writing, however, I was glad to have been assisted by my professors through practice sessions throughout the week to cope with the pace. When it comes to classmates, I was shocked to find out that my batch strength was 330 students of which only two were Indians, while the rest were Chinese and Taiwanese. Initially, there were a few hurdles in striking up conversations due to the language barrier, however by the end of the year I was glad to have befriended a handful of them. They gave me a fruitful insight on how different we think and that was key during brainstorming sessions for assignments.
Easing the stress of living abroad
Talking to the family as per comfort and schedule can greatly ease the stress of living abroad. There is no perfect solution for homesickness but that serves a higher purpose in building deeper connections with loved ones.
There's no need to stress about learning every cuisine or meal prep to survive, especially when it comes to Indian curries.
Managing finances while studying abroad
Budgeting has never been my strong suit but it has been a slow process of tweaking expenses. Simply setting aside £250 for groceries can get through the month with nutritious meals every week (these are based on my calculations). One needs to keep in mind preliminary expenses like travel, snacks for lectures, stationery and some money to explore the country!
The author is pursuing an MA in Global Advertising and Branding from the University of Southampton — Winchester School of Art campus, Highfield, the UK.
