Choosing to go to university is an exhausting process. Once you’ve crossed the hurdles of applications and registration, you’re presented with the daunting task of relocating to a new city and the dreaded back-to-uni shopping. It can take weeks of thought and even then, you never really feel prepared.
As draining as the above situation may be, the international students’ experience takes the cake in the stress department. On top of all the above, international students also have to deal with immigration jargon, leaving behind family and often navigating everyday life in a foreign language.
If you’re an international student reading this, you’ve already run half the marathon. Running the rest of it over the next few years can be terrifying as a fresher, so let these stories and advice of those who’ve come before you settle your nerves.
Lara Parsons, 19, BA Journalism Studies (English Filipino, lived in UAE)
“Even though I’m from England, I haven’t visited that regularly and even when I did, I wouldn’t go far up north. Moving abroad definitely made the start to university a bit tougher since I wasn’t just starting uni life but also starting to live in a country away from the place I lived in for 18 years. It was both exciting and scary, especially with my family so far away.
“I do get homesick a lot but everyone I met so far has been really friendly and supportive and there’s always something going on if I need the distraction.
“I’d just tell international students to really put themselves out there and enjoy uni, it’s more than just education but such a valuable experience, and don’t be afraid to reach out if you need help with anything; the support system you find here is amazing!”
Isabelle Lee, 21, BA Digital Media and Society (Singaporean Chinese)
“Since secondary school, I’ve always wanted to go overseas for university. I had always imagined it to be a big and amazing place to study at and romanticised the overseas uni experience.
“Although I was quite excited to come to Sheffield for university, I felt quite sad and slightly reluctant to part with the environment I grew up in. I was also quite nervous about settling into a new country and living independently. I even doubted if I could live well by myself in a foreign land.
“However, I found some friends whom I could rely on during this transitioning phase in my life and they really helped my university experience feel less lonely! The people I have met are very friendly and some are even curious about life back home. I’m still learning to adapt to the culture here, but the difference in cultures hasn’t made my experience seem terrible.
“It is very easy for me to fall into the comfort of being around people from my home country and I definitely find it easier to make friends with Asians due to similarities in our cultures. However, I do want to befriend more people from other countries and become less awkward around them.”
Harikesh Sudheer, 22, MSc International Management and Marketing (Indian Malayalee)
“I [had] lived in two, quite homophobic countries. Therefore I wanted to move to a more liberal country. I was excited [to move to Sheffield] to be honest. I started packing almost a month before my flight. Flew here the day my visa started. I really wasted NO time.
“I knew all the roads near my apartment, the restaurants nearby, what groceries to shop at and everything, even before moving here. I came prepared! And that definitely helped with the transition.
“Even though I was excited to move away, saying goodbye to my mom was very difficult. I remember sitting on the window seat of my flight and thinking that it was all a dream. I’m pretty happy with how it all worked out.”
It can be sad, lonely and even scary to be an international student. But as your seniors’ experiences reveal, it will also be exciting, rewarding and an unforgettable period in your life.