5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting University As An International Student

As you prepare to begin this new journey, there must be a million things going through your mind. From how to excel in your studies, to having the best time at university.

If you’re an international student, haven’t been in academia for a few years, or this is your first time living on your own, I see you completely, because that was exactly me.

To help make the adjustment into university life a little bit easier, here are five things I wish I knew before starting university as an international student.

My Five Tips For Getting The Most Out Of Your Uni Experience:

1. Treat school like a job

As someone that took a break from university after completing undergrad, to work and gain experience for a few years, it took me a couple of months to realise that I should treat my studies as a job.

Treating school as a job means that you should dedicate at least 6-8 hours a day, 4/5 days a week to university work. Whether that is researching for your assessments, reading the lecture and seminar slides, visiting your tutors during their office hours, or spending some time in the library reviewing the core textbooks. Treating school like a job really makes a difference.

Too many times, I found myself beginning my research a month before assessments were due or not having any questions to ask during seminars because I had not started actively reading. This led to spending many weekends at home working, because I had spent the week procrastinating. If you find yourself experiencing any difficulties with managing your time, check out the best time management apps for uni students to keep yourself on track and avoid burnout.

A key takeaway is to always remember to work on your assignments as soon as you can; even if it is a little each week, because the weeks go by so quickly. Steadily working on your assignments allows you the freedom to create a work-life balance and still explore the amazing city of Manchester, especially on those rare sunny days.

2. Get a bank account and phone number ASAP

This was my biggest challenge during my transition to living in England. It took me a little over two months to get these two important things sorted.

When I purchased my iPhone in the US, I had no idea that because it only had e-sim capability this would make it so hard for me to get settled in the UK. E-sim capability means that there are no openings for a physical sim card to be inserted. After visiting numerous phone companies, they advised that I would have to purchase a phone contract in order to receive an e-sim phone number. However, my dilemma was that I was also told that I needed a phone number to open a UK bank account and a UK bank account to get a phone number. As you can probably imagine, this was quite frustrating.

Eventually, I was able to speak with a customer service representative at Lloyds Bank that was able to help me open and activate a bank account by verifying my physical address, email contact information and mobile banking app access. Once my UK bank account was set up, I was then able to purchase a 1-year contract with Three  phone company. I can clearly remember that November day when things finally felt as though I was settling into living in the UK.

3. Groceries can be ordered online

I’m from The Bahamas and while we do have a food delivery app, ordering groceries online to be delivered at your home is not an option. I’m used to going to the grocery store, having someone pack the groceries for me, and then place them in my car.

I knew that whilst living in the UK for my postgraduate year I would not be driving, so I didn’t know how I was going to get groceries. Obviously, I could go into the stores and get some items but it would be a challenge for me to carry the bags. I knew that there was an option for me to use a taxi service to my accommodation or I could make frequent visits to the store, but those options aren’t very cost effective on a student budget.

One of my friends recommended that I order groceries from ASDA and I am so grateful for that suggestion. Ordering groceries online has been so convenient and easy for me. I usually order groceries the day before I need them, they last about 2 weeks, and I’m able to choose a time and delivery cost that suits me. The delivery costs usually range from £1.50 to £5.00 which is a lot less than I would pay to get a ride from the grocery store back home.

I have to give a shout out to my friends who have helped me carry bags of groceries from the gate of our accommodation up to my flat, especially during those times when the lift wasn’t working. I truly appreciate it!

4. Utilise more of the services provided by Manchester Met

Manchester Metropolitan University provides so many resources to its students to set them up for success. These resources include the StudentHub, JobsHub, Career Centre, Study Skills, Rise and more.

Whilst I did participate in a few of the study skills sessions, as well as a CV workshop with the Career Centre, I wished I had taken more advantage of these services during the term time.

Thankfully, the university does allow its recent graduates and alumni access to these services too, so I still have time to utilise them after I graduate.

5. Bring photos and letters from home

Before I left home, I had a going away party with some of my closest friends and took polaroid photos with them. I also asked each one of them to write me a letter in a notebook that I brought with me to university.

I knew that at some point, despite how excited I was, I would become homesick and wish that I was back home. For the majority of the first semester I was doing great, until one Saturday night in December. I realised that the friends I had made were going home for the holidays and I would be all alone.

This was the first time that I had spent Christmas away from my family and friends and the homesickness really kicked in. I am so grateful to have had those special messages from those closest to me, because they really helped me to remember why I moved abroad, that I had people cheering for me on this journey and that the loneliness I was experiencing was only temporary. If you find yourself becoming homesick, here are some tips on what to do when you feel homesick at university.

Final thoughts

There are so many things I could share with you as you start this new chapter. However, I do believe that takes away some of the fun of learning things on your own. You’ve already made it this far and while there will definitely be some challenges, things will be okay.

Make sure to utilise all the resources available to you, attend your lectures and seminars and take some time to relax and enjoy the city because before you know it, you’ll be done!