As an international student in the UK, you are following the path that Gandhiji, Nehru and Ambedkar took for their higher studies. You will be entering a new world of freedom, opportunities and a fair bit of confusion, as their life stories tell us. You may find the country cold and bleak at times, and expensive almost always. Perhaps, it’s these factors that drove a lot of people to sail across stormy seas to live in our tropical countries happily for many years. Let it be a research topic for you.
So it is good to have a survival plan and a firefighting toolkit right when you book your expensive tickets. The mantra is – plan in advance. Always. Right from finding your accommodation to exploring ways to moonlight for some extra cash and then figuring out ways to splash all those ill-gotten gains in pursuits of fun. Jokes apart, you can usually work part-time – please see your visa.
Roti, kapda, aur makkan
Let us take care of the weather part first. The trick to ensure that you have enough roti, kapda and makkan to survive it while not breaking the bank. Starting with the makkan or accommodation part — be very sure about where you are going to stay and what kind of place it is. You cannot couch surf with friends indefinitely or sleep under a tree even for a night. These are some of the tropical luxuries you will miss in this cold, wet place with a lot of safety regulations.
The best bet is university accommodation. Universities (and colleges) usually have their halls of residence on campus. Or they may rent a few flats or houses off campus. First-years get preference. There are usually long waiting lists. It is wise to book your room right when you are offered admission. Most universities have a housing office and they will give you useful advice. There’ll be lots of you living together on campus, so it is mostly fun. You can make those late trips to the library on sleepless nights, sleep late and still attend classes.
There are also exclusive private halls for students. Your university housing office or students’ union may be able to offer advice on some of the popular ones. There may be student Facebook groups, or you can simply do your online search. It is advisable to double-check with (former) students or your campus housing office. Ensure the credibility of the party before making payments.
You can also rent a flat or a room by yourself, but most students share accommodation. That is way cheaper and more fun. Then there are local social network groups that connect you to houses and flat-shares. Most students move into houses with their mates after the first year, so they may need more people to fill a house. Usually, such private renting might need a local guarantor and a month’s rent or more as a deposit. So networking and planning are important.
Most private accommodation includes heating, WiFi, and electricity included in the rent. Or there will be some extra. Avoid nasty surprises anyway, and ensure that the place has decent heating. Otherwise, it will be very uncomfortable during the winter, and you may even fall ill.
When you move in you will need essentials like bed, blankets, utensils and cutlery – check what is provided as part of the deal. Consider visiting the nearest supermarket and look for an inexpensive range. You won’t need bone China and silver. Sometimes student union shops sell or give away used utensils and household items. Keep an eye.
Stay warm
The weather can be unpredictable. When you go out it can be comfortably warm, breezy, chilly and rainy in turns or all at the same time. Carry multiple layers of clothing with a waterproof on top. Generally, the trick is to have a base layer, a mid-layer and a top layer. You can mix, match, add and subtract layers. Everything goes most of the time. Nobody dresses up in sharp formals except when someone is getting married or mourned for. Unless you are a dude in some fancy business school. Ceremonies like graduation might require a suit – that you can borrow, rent or get from an inexpensive supermarket with a “sale” mark. (I took my dad’s.) Even better, spot a good charity shop for used or excess stock. It is often considered fashionable and even woke to wear used clothes.
In the winter, however, you will need good shoes, warm socks, gloves, caps, scarves and a good overcoat to stay warm. Decathlon is a good chain to find inexpensive clothes for all seasons. Sports Direct is another. If you live in a place where it snows or there is sleet on the streets, it may be good to invest in waterproof shoes with a good grip. The same goes if you are into trail running.
Eat well
Then eat well and drink responsibly. In cold weather, you will feel hungry quite often. Keep fruits, nuts and some cookies and chocolates. Have some hot chocolate or herbal tea. It might be good to carry a lunch box, a water bottle and a thermos while going out – it will save you money on snacks and drinks. I had a friend who took her breakfast, lunch and dinner to campus in a shopping bag. She has a good job and a suburban flat now. Anyway, avoid cheap junk food like cheesy burgers that can make you overweight.
It is always cheaper to cook your food. Get a student cookbook – or find tips on the Internet. Caution: fried-chilli smoke can choke and chase away European colleagues, and trigger the fire alarm. Wet mixes reduce smoke. Sandwiches are great – that is a staple with a drink and some crisps (our chips, and chips here are like French fries) thrown in. Get or bake full-grain loaves and fill in healthy stuff, even leftovers. Fresh vegetables and fruits can be mysteriously expensive – have them anyway. Five (portions) a day, as they say.
Be happy
Tea is consumed religiously. When in doubt they all go and make a cup of tea. It builds friendships, relieves tension, and keeps you warm. Beer is yet another religion – especially on weekends. Generally, it helps bonding and loosens tongues. You can see 18-year-olds drinking for the first time sloshed on streets on weekends. Try not to get plastered. Moderation is the other British mantra – one that is routinely broken on weekends.
It is very important to have a healthy social life. And a lot of fun – long walks, biking, hobby groups, birdwatching, swimming, sailing, dancing, body building. Bikes are always stolen, by the way. So invest in a good D-lock and tie it to something solid like an institution. Do carry a helmet and use bike lamps.
There is a student/youth card for train travel in Britain. You can travel and see the beautiful country.
No one would readily take a new friend home. It takes a bit of time. Then if you are a guest, you will be treated with respect. The local food is generally low on spices as you find in roasts, casseroles, English breakfast (sausages, eggs etc.) and the ubiquitous fish and chips. Make sure you don’t insult the host by topping your roast with a lot of sauces and chilli powder. Curry is a proclaimed national food. If you know how to conjure up a decent curry, you might become a local hero. Go easy on spices, though.
(Max has studied in Oxford and taught at Sussex and University College London)
Welcome to our cold and wet island
Margaret Rey
Maybe I could just add a couple of helpful points for newcomers to this cold and now wet island.
Find a cheapish supermarket. Lidl and Aldi are both good. If you have a Tesco or other major supermarket nearby, check to see if there is a club membership (free) to access offers. At the end of the afternoon or early evening, many supermarkets reduce the price of food items rather than waste them so this is a good time to shop.
Nearly all the parks are free and good for exercise and company. There are often walking or running groups that meet regularly that you could investigate if interested.
Take vitamin D both in winter and summer. You can buy it cheaply from a supermarket or Superdrug or Savers. Important especially for non-white skin but many native people like us take it anyway! (Maybe check with your pharmacist first – editor)
Use charity shops (Eg. Oxfam, Red Cross) for household items, clothes etc. There are lots in most towns that you can browse in. If you have time to volunteer, you’ll get support and make friends and discover lots about all sorts of different people.
British people tend to use words like ‘please’, ‘thank you’ and even ‘sorry’ quite a lot. It usually goes down well!
If you have an affiliation to a religion, you could make friends and meet people who might well be on your wavelength. You will usually be made very welcome.
If you meet with any unpleasantness or racism, don’t absorb the hurt. It’s against the law to make racist comments. Seek advice from friends or even the police as to how to act. I advised my daughter to ask the offender to repeat what was said, which usually embarrasses and confuses and helps to make them realise the seriousness of the comment.
Libraries are an amazing place to be. Nowadays, for instance, our main Brighton library is used for groups to meet, children to sing, newspapers to read, and a cafe to sit in amongst other things like an international women’s network that meets each Wednesday.
I forgot to say that we in Brighton have a website called ‘next door’, where people post their needs and sometimes comment on work they have had from skilled people like care in the home or garden. I expect other towns to have something similar.
(Margaret volunteers with charities in Brighton and Hove. She has helped many students, migrants and refugees find a place to stay and blend in.)