Planning to study in the UK?

So you have decided to continue your education in the UK. You probably are now wondering what you can do to prepare well for when you arrive in a new environment. Maybe, this is your first time away from home living independently.  

Managing transitions

Whenever we decide to do something new, it is because we want to expand our knowledge, develop our skills, and grow through our experiences. When we choose to study or work abroad, it is often because we want to learn about other cultures as well as practice the language. We look for different experiences so that we can broaden our perspective.

Moving away from family and friends can be difficult as we miss being nearby and spending time together. In this time of coronavirus it is even more noticeable as everything has changed around the world. However, we pursue with our decision as the priority is to expand our horizons and obtain a degree that will enable us to access job opportunities in the future. 

New experiences are interesting, and the more we explore, the more we want to learn. However, sometimes we may have moments of uncertainty or frustration and even disappointment. Most people going through a period of change are likely to experience some of these feelings when they have invested a lot of resources.  More so if they have made great efforts hoping for greater opportunities for the future.

Whenever we try something new we are stretching ourselves and going out of our comfort zone. This can make us feel uncomfortable, but we do this because we want to meet people and have good experiences. After a while the sense of unease decreases and a you will develop a sense of familiarity and confidence.

Often in new situations there are some things that we might not like, or that we were not expecting. In these situations it is best that we consider them as part of the experience. These can be useful experiences that may make a difference later on, and they might turn into interesting stories we can tell later, about what we learned from them.

Strategies to your new environment

When you first arrive, it is normal to feel a bit apprehensive as you are not familiar with the place or the people. It is understandable that you may feel unsure, so give yourself time to learn how things are done in the new place. Keep in mind that these feelings are very common, and the best way to manage them is to take every opportunity to speak in English so that you can develop your skills.

Practice speaking in English every day, even if you feel a bit self-conscious. Let others know that you are learning the language, and they will understand.

Communicate with others
If you do not understand something, ask others to repeat what they said so that you can understand. People will be understanding as they want to communicate with you.

After a few days, as you get to find out more, you will begin to find your way around in your new environment. You will notice that things begin to feel more familiar, and you will also get to know other students who you can relate to.

In addition, there will be some changes in how you communicate with your family and friends back home now that you will have a different timetable.
Fortunately, technology enables us to maintain communication across the globe, so you can keep in contact with them to share what is happening, and how things are developing for you.