In this blog post, I shall be touching on a few challenges that I faced as an international student in London. You may not necessarily face these same challenges, however this was my own personal experience of adjusting to life in the UK.

1. The winter weather is harsh: coming from a country that lies on the equator, I am not used to experiencing any sort of extreme temperatures. It is therefore no surprise that my first winter in London was pretty much unbearable. I had never taken the weather discussion that seriously until I came here and realised just how much the weather can impact your mood.
2. Culture shock: I feel like this is something one can only truly understand after experiencing it. African culture tends to be more collectivist; there is generally more unity and the sense of community is ever present, whereas in the UK it can tend to be quite individualistic. You may notice differences a lot when you first arrive, but before long this feeling will settle.
3. The rush: I remember I had lived in my student accommodation for just one week when I received numerous flyers and emails containing information and reminders regarding the need to find a new place to move into the next year. I soon came to learn the importance of planning everything well in advance, because many things work like this here.
4. Self-reliance: Living away at university and in the UK, you are basically responsible for doing everything for yourself. This may be different to what you were used to living in your home country. A year into my life in the UK and there are still some small things I seem to never get used to, like packing my own groceries after checking out at the supermarket.
5. Living abroad can be lonely: not many people will mention that in the diaspora, sometimes when you’re surrounded by a group of people is when you’ll feel most alone. At the end of the day you’re in a foreign country and if it it’s not similar to what you’ve always known, then it might take a longer time wrapping your head around it.

and last but not least…

6. Avocados are small and expensive!

I hope mentioning my own challenges doesn’t discourage you from studying abroad in the UK, but instead allows you to better prepare for your life-changing move.

How to prepare for exams? This is a hard one! I do not feel like I have mastered this part of university yet, especially because I’ve just finished my first year and therefore have limited experience of end-of-year exams. However, I do have some “don’ts” that I believe, if I had followed, may have lessened my frustration and could help others get it right the first time:

1. Don’t assume that what worked for you in high school/A-Levels/IB/etc. will work in university: it’s a different ball game, thus a different game plan is required! The sooner you realise this, the sooner you will begin to work on a different approach of studying and learning techniques that suit your degree, and the easier the exam period will be.
2. Don’t procrastinate: just don’t do it! Although you might get away with it during term time, during exam period just don’t do it. I, for one, always think that I have more time than I actually do. Don’t convince yourself that you can do it tomorrow because it reaches a point where your “tomorrows” have ended and it’s the night before your exam and you’re trying to learn your entire module and the effects are detrimental; not only to your exam results but to your mental health and general well-being.
3. Don’t let an exam you’ve already done affect your next exams negatively: granted, not all your exams will go the way that you want them to, be it your fault or life’s fault. Nonetheless, giving up on your following exams will be a very big mistake that you can easily avoid. Don’t cry over spilt milk, just forget it and study for the others.

There are also some “do’s” that I believed worked for me:

1. Do study when you’re most effective: I cannot stress just how important it is to work only when you know you’re constructive. When you are genuinely fatigued, go to sleep and try again tomorrow (but refer to point number 2 above, it is sometimes hard to balance these two).
2. Do socialise and take breaks: maybe it’s just because I had many exams that seemed to last forever, but it was a very draining time. I found that sometimes just forgetting that I’m still doing exams and taking part in social plans that on the face of it may have seemed reckless actually replenished my energy. Studying alone for long periods will drive you to insanity, take care of yourself.
3. Do stay healthy: maintain your normal diet and sleep routine, try not to miss meals in the name of staying on track (especially international students who have to shop and cook for themselves, which takes quite a bit of time and energy). Physical strength leads to mental strength and it is very easy to choose to ignore this.

At the end of the day, remember that exams are not the end of the world so do not let them kill you. But also remember that exams are (unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you view it) a necessary way of testing your progress. Therefore, your mind-set and strategy should be based on awareness of these truths and should be tailored towards your course and the kind of person that you are.