»Ê¼Ò»ªÈË

Arrival

As my plane landed at Heathrow Airport, excitement and anxiety warred in my chest. As an international student from Hong Kong, I had never studied abroad before. Now, I was in the UK for the first time, about to embark on my undergraduate studies.  What if I couldn’t adjust to living in this new environment? What if I couldn’t make friends due to the barrier of cultural differences?  I was particularly nervous about moving into student accommodation: setting aside the horror stories about inconsiderate flatmates, this would be my first time living alone. As eager as I was to begin this new chapter of my life, I couldn’t help but worry that I wouldn’t be able to rise to the challenge.

Getting to know London

Thankfully, my arrival a week before term began gave me a head start in adjusting to this new country. I had chosen to live in a UCL student accommodation for my first year, but I hadn’t requested an early arrival date, opting to first stay in a hotel with my family. Taking advantage of this spare time to get to know my future neighbourhood, I quickly discovered Waitrose had the best quality goods while Lidl had the most student-friendly prices. I also scouted out Asian supermarkets in case I missed a taste of home—imagine my delight when I discovered two right next to the Bloomsbury campus!

Walking around, I was careful to trace a route from my accommodation to the main campus, where most of my lectures would be taking place. I also joined a campus tour led by the Student Ambassadors, who shared much about »Ê¼Ò»ªÈË’s historic campus. Gaining a basic idea for getting to and around campus did much to sooth my concerns about getting lost. By the end of that week, I had mostly adjusted to life in London. I was ready to move into student accommodation and begin my university life.

Moving in

I moved into UCL accommodation the Saturday before the start of term, along with thousands of other UCL students.  To my great relief, my room was airy and comfortable. My flatmates, all of whom were home students, were considerate and friendly. Despite being the only international student in the flat, I didn’t feel like the odd one out.

By Sunday afternoon, sounds of a party drew me out of my somewhat-unpacked boxes. The Student Resident Advisers had organised a welcome party in the courtyard, as part of a series of Flourish activities held during welcome week. I debated momentarily whether to join—parties weren’t my cup of tea, but my desire to meet the people with whom I would be sharing living space won out.

The party was in full swing by the time I made my way downstairs. Everyone was very friendly; I found myself drawn into conversations almost immediately, joking confessions about feeling awkward going a long way to help break the ice. To my surprise, I soon met two other girls studying the same course as me. Both were international students, albeit from different countries than me. Cultural barriers proved to be a non-issue: despite being from three different cultures, we bonded rapidly over studying the same course and living in the same accommodation. As the party began to dwindle, we made plans to go to our induction session together on Monday. I returned to my room thrilled to have made my first friends at »Ê¼Ò»ªÈË.

Looking back

The two girls I met at the welcome party eventually became some of my best friends at »Ê¼Ò»ªÈË, and after a year of living in the same accommodation, we will be renting a flat together in September. The concerns I had about being an international student were ultimately mitigated through the following recommendations: firstly, arrive early if circumstances allow it. This allows you to adjust to living in London before term begins, hopefully promoting a smooth transition to university life. For those living in UCL accommodation, early arrival dates can be requested through the UCL Accommodation Portal. Secondly, try to participate in social events organised by UCL. These activities are the best opportunity to meet your fellow students, building friendships between local and international students alike. Even if you aren’t the type of person to go to events like these, I have found it is better to decide something is not to your liking and leave, than to regret not going at all.

Graduating from a local secondary school to study university abroad was a huge step in my life. It can be as nerve-wracking as it is exciting, but by proactively managing your concerns, I’m sure you can make the best of the start of your undergraduate studies too!