Studying abroad can be the adventure of a lifetime, but it can also be very stressful to prepare for, both in terms of studying, and fitting in with your peers. Below are the top 5 tips I have for students preparing for their first term in the UK that I wish someone had told me when I started my own adventure
 

Don’t bring your own paper or binders
This may seem like a silly example, but it is something that surprised me when I first arrived on campus in England. British standard is to use A4 paper, which is slightly narrower and taller than the 8 ½ x 11 letter-sized paper Canadians will be used to, and they use 2- or 4-ring binders, so the holes will be punched differently. This means that British paper won’t fit quite right inside Canadian binders, and vice versa. Not a huge deal, perhaps, but it’s best to buy your stationary in the UK. 

Join the International (or specifically Canadian) Student Society
All of our partner universities in the UK have International Student Societies, which is a great place to meet people from all over the world, who will be experiencing life in the UK for the first time as well. This can be an invaluable tool for building a support network of peers in the same boat as you, and can help with your inevitable feelings of homesickness. Some universities have student societies specifically for Canadians, such as a Canadian Law Society.
 

Join other student interest societies
Universities have an almost endless number of student interest groups, including everything from academic programs (like the Law Society, Engineering Society, etc), political and campaigning, cultural, enterprising, faith, and recreational (like Harry Potter clubs, board and video game clubs, and wine tasting clubs). These are a great way to meet students that have the same interests as you, and can expand your university experience away from the purely academic.  
 

Find a quiet place to study
Obviously, while studying abroad, the academic parts of your adventure are very important. Studying in the UK is very different from studying in Canada, as the programs are more heavily weighted on independent study and research. This means finding a distraction free place to study is paramount. You could stay in your dorm room, or hole up in the library, but don’t discount local coffee shops with free wifi, especially if you’re meeting up with classmates to compare notes or work on projects.

Take the time to sightsee and travel
Studying in the UK can be a once in a lifetime adventure, don’t spend it cooped up in the library! Exploring your neighbourhood, city or the whole UK is not only an exciting experience, it can help with your feelings of homesickness, by making you more familiar and at home with your surroundings. You’ll find hundreds of interesting things to see and do in the UK, and may even find a few hidden gems off the beaten path!

I hope those tips helped you get ready to study in the UK! If you have any other questions or concerns about studying in the UK please contact one of our Advisors.

Updated 18 July 2024 by Advisor Brittany. 

The fall is a busy time in the UK. Although Thanksgiving celebrations have not made their way across the pond, there are many other celebratory occasions taking place from October to January. As most universities start the school year at the end of September, it is normal for these weeks to be filled with beginning of the year events referred to as ‘Freshers’, which is the UK equivalent to ‘Frosh’ events. Once these events subside, it will still be a few weeks before Halloween season commences.
 

Halloween Decorations 

While in Canada October is often filled with visits to pumpkin patches, apple orchards, or haunted houses it is quite different in London. The Halloween season is celebrated here in a much more commercial sense. Many restaurants and businesses will tune into the spooky season by offering Halloween themed events or products in tune with the season, but what’s  missing is the scary movie marathons and the sense of the Halloween season you get from seeing decorated houses scattered around. You will without a doubt see people dressed in costume headed for a night out, but trick or treaters were much fewer and more far between than I expected. While in Canada you are guaranteed to see costumed children out in droves on October 31^st, I saw only a few groups throughout the night. A vast difference from my Halloween experiences in Canada, I also noticed a significant lack of decorations in houses and around the neighborhood. Similar to Canada, they operate on the Jack-O-Lantern rule, where if a house is participating by handing out candy, they will have a carved pumpkin outside the house to communicate this to families, however I noticed a significant lack of festive houses around South London.
 

Dressing Up

But Halloween lovers, don’t fear! There are definitely still opportunities to dress up and celebrate! As I mentioned, the biggest Halloween events here are centered around nightlife and this year I observed people celebrating Halloween by dressing up in costume for almost a full week. As London is such a vibrant city, people will tend to go on a night out any day of the week. This year Halloween fell on a Thursday allowing people to celebrate ‘hallo-weekend’ on the weekend before as well as the weekend following October 31^st. As opposed to the popup Halloween shops commonly found in temporary spaces in Canada, Fancy-dress shops sell a variety of costumes all year round. It is common for society events, sports teams and parties to be themed, requiring ‘fancy dress’ which refers to costumes.
 

Northern Ireland and Scotland

Ireland and Scotland have bigger Halloween festivities. The city of Derry in Northern Ireland holds a four-day-long Halloween event called The Banks of the Foyle Carnival which include a parade and haunted houses! It is common in Northern Ireland and Scotland to carve turnips as opposed to Pumpkins! As the origins of Halloween are rooted in Pagan celebrations from Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the tradition of carving pumpkins stems from people’s difficulty in finding turnips after migrating to the Americas.
 

Guy Fawkes Day

Interestingly, the UK has another holiday that is more widely celebrated than Halloween. Guy Fawkes Day (or ‘Bonfire Night’) is quite widely celebrated on November 5^th and often the weekend before. This holiday commemorates a failed attempt to blow up Parliament buildings in 1605 and it is now celebrated at the beginning of the winter season with massive amounts of fireworks, bonfires and in some areas, parades. Often Guy Fawkes Day lands around one of the first times it starts to get significantly cold, so families and friends bundle up in their winter accessories and bring hot drinks out to watch the firework shows or attend a bonfire outside. This year celebrations shared the first weekend of November with Halloween and resumed on Tuesday the 5^th with fireworks through the night.
 

If you would like to find out more about studying in the UK, please contact one of our advisors

Bound for Belfast

My journey to the United Kingdom didn’t start off as smoothly as I had imagined. Before I had booked my flight, I experienced some technical difficulties with my visa application, causing me to miss my orientation week, and as a result miss out on some vital information, which I will discuss later. However, for some reason I was not stressed. Maybe it was due to the excitement of living in the UK, or maybe that fact I was finally able to start law school, I was not worried. It was also reassuring to know, that if I had any questions, I could turn to my advisor at Across the Pond, and she would be able to assist my or direct me to someone who could.
 

Once my visa had arrived, I booked my flight right away. Before I knew it I was on a plane, and had embarked on my journey to the UK, specifically Belfast. After one connecting flight and waiting in several lines, or queues as they are referred to in the UK, I had arrived in Belfast. The border officer was nothing but kind and extremely helpful. She thoroughly went over the aspects of my student visa, which I had already known but appreciated nonetheless, and informed me what would happen if I did not pick up my biometric residence permit (BRP). Once I had promised her I would pick it up within the time period, she gave me the stamp of approval, literally, and I was on my way to start this new chapter of my life.
 

Where do I go?

As I mentioned earlier, I had missed the international orientation at Queen’s University Belfast; but since I had emailed international admissions before my arrival, they were able to guide me through what I needed to complete.

After I had recovered from jet lag, which took me an entire day and night, I set out to explore my new home, but most importantly complete the immigration check for the school. The first step was finding the building. I decided to stop by the international students office to ask for help, and see if there was anything else I needed to complete. They two individuals at the reception were very helpful and informative. The most important piece of information I took away was the Queen’s University App that showed me all the events that Queen’s was hosting, as well as a map of where all the buildings were. An extra benefit; I got a free tote bag!

Once I casually made my way to the building where the immigration check was happening, I found signs everywhere directing me where to go. The process was simple and efficient. At each step, student volunteers were eager to help and guide me through the process to ensure everything was completed correctly. Further, I was able to pick up my BRP here, and receive my student card for which my picture was taken right then and there. All in all, I was very impressed with the system that the University had in place to complete the immigration check, and on top of that, the patience that the staff members and student volunteers had to help international students.
 

Endless Possibilities

Overall my first few days were quite eventful. I was able to complete the important and required immigration paperwork, but also walk around the campus and familiarise myself with all the different areas of it. I must say I am quite comfortable exploring and wandering on my own, which allowed the first few days to be enjoyable, even though I was alone. If you are not comfortable being alone, I would highly recommend the orientation weeks, in order for you to meet new people, and have someone to explore with. One of my favourite things is discovering something new a daily basis. Whether it is a new fun bar, or a new quaint street, the discoveries are endless. You too, could be on this journey. The first step is to reach out to Across the Pond, and contact an advisor today.

Arrival

Arriving in the UK to study is a very exciting time. The first few weeks will be a very busy time and even while your classes haven’t started yet, It is important to take advantage of all the free time and use it to get settled in.

Arriving for the first time using a visa is a different experience than arriving for a visit and it is necessary to follow the instructions for entrance from the visa office. In my case, I was instructed to enter through the normal customs gate rather than the E-booths.* Following these instructions will save you from having further complications involving your visa when entering and exiting the country in the future.
 

Don’t be scared to get involved!

It is likely your school will hold a welcome week on campus at the beginning of the semester. This is where you can find out information about your program, the administrative staff you can come to later for help, and about the various societies offered. For me this week was a busy one and I tried to make it to as many on campus and social events as possible. The society and sports fair is one of the biggest events during welcome week at my university, as societies are a very big thing here in the UK. There are societies to join for every interest from the Feminist Society to the Business and Finance society to cultural societies. Most societies will have their own meetings and socials which is not only a great way to get involved, but also a great way to meet people outside of your program that have similar interests to yours. Especially in these first few weeks, everyone is in the same boat as you trying to find their way around and looking to meet new people and make friends! Personally, I met most of my friends at the Law BBQ during welcome week

I found the senior status society to be a great help for me as a law student as it connected me with students in my program in their second year who have provided me with guidance with everything from classes and lecturers to applying for jobs after graduation. I was also able to buy some of my textbooks off of them second hand!

Additionally, keep an eye out for International Welcome events where they provide help directed to students coming from abroad. They can be helpful with settling in such as registering with a doctor through the National Health Services and getting transportation cards.

The best part of my experience so far has been living in London. With my school campus being in the city, I am able to go into the city each week to find a new café or spot to study. Soaking in the inspiration of the city really motivates me to work and also provides me with the opportunity to be among many potential employers at firm open days and events.
 

Advice

The biggest thing I would stress to students arriving next fall is to get in a good routine early. Even if you have already been to university, it is easy to underestimate the number of tasks you have to do when making an international move in terms of getting settled in.

It can easily get very overwhelming when school picks up and having a routine will allow you to manage your time better. A good tip is to treat your studies like a job. Finding a good school/ life balance may not seem like a top priority but it is essential to do so to avoid burning out. It is important to work hard at your degree, but it is equally important to turn off your computer or put the books away and rest. Hanging out with friends, being active, eating good and healthy food are all self-care tools that will help you not only stay engaged in school, but will allow you to make the most of your time abroad.

If you would like to find out more about studying in the UK, please contact one of our advisors

*Following Home Office policy in place at the time of this student's student experience. Always check for the latest Home Office policy regarding visas and immigration. 

My first week in Glasgow was filled with new places, jetlag, unique and delicious foods, jetlag, breathtaking sights, and more jetlag.

Things didn’t get off to the best start though. Due to a mixture of excitement and nerves, I was unable to sleep on my overnight flight over from Canada. Excitement soon turned into bleary-eyed exhaustion, but when the plane began its descent to Glasgow, I started to see the rolling mountains, and the butterflies in my stomach were fluttering like it was the mating season. I kept thinking, "I'm here! I made it!" and that feeling made the sleep deprivation worth it… just. 

I was sad to leave my friends and family, but I was looking forward to studying Information and Library Studies at the University of Strathclyde, a long-term goal for my career development. On top of that, I’d be living with my partner, who had moved up from the North West of England, so at least I’d have someone who can half understand the accent.

I’ve never lived in a foreign country before, so it was only natural to feel a little apprehensive, but with the journey out of the way, I could embrace being an international student in a new country. On the car ride to my new home, I was in awe at the rolling hills that encompassed Scotland, it almost took my breath away. I felt so lucky that I could call this place home for the next year and also proud of myself for taking this on.

I had arrived a month before classes started, so welcome week orientation hadn't begun yet. But there was plenty to check out in Glasgow before my course started. I decided to use this time before classes started to take in local sights and familiarize myself with Glasgow, including the University Campus and a few museums. The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum was pretty spectacular, and as a future librarian, it was great to check out The Mitchell Library, one of the largest libraries in Europe.

Although I was sleep-deprived the first week, I was still able to spend some time in the great outdoors. We visited Loch Lomond and hiked up Conic Hill - a manageable two- to three-hour hike that’s perfect if you’re suffering from jetlag and not ready for a full day excursion. Unfortunately, I wore what I believed to be a waterproof jacket for the hike, and it turns out what’s waterproof in Canada isn’t cut out for Scottish rain. My so-called rain jacket began absorbing the water instead of repelling it and I was distressed to realize that I had become a sponge. Still, I was determined to make it to the top, and I don't know if that was the delirium from the lack of sleep or my sheer will, but somehow I did.  As I continued taking on water, I was nevertheless blown away by the sights along the route. The lochs (Scottish term for lake) and mountains were a sight to see, and I couldn’t believe how fortunate I was to have all this so close to home. After the hike, we headed straight into a warm, cozy pub-restaurant where I tried Haggis for the first time, and I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious it was! I look forward to having it again, just so long as no one tells me how it’s made.

Staying fit is important to me, and by far my favourite way to do so is through boxing, so it was important that I found a great gym for the year. Thankfully, Glasgow is well served for aspiring pugilists, with a number of great boxing and kickboxing gyms around the city, as well as the extremely convenient 9ROUND which offers a lung-busting 30-minute workout that’s perfect when you’re short on time.

Over the course of the week, we also managed to take in a football game, go to the cinema, and eat out probably more than we should. I look back at my first week in Scotland with the fondest, albeit somewhat foggy memories. Throughout this time, I just kept thinking of how lucky I was to be living here.

I recommend students to look at Scotland when they are thinking about studying in the UK. Scotland has so much to offer international students, from its rich culture to majestic scenery.  If you're thinking about studying in the UK, maybe even Scotland, please contact an Across the Pond student advisor for more information.