How to prepare for university as an international student

To study abroad can be both daunting as well as exciting, especially when you are moving to a whole new continent. The idea of a culture shock may worry you at first, but since being here I have learnt how to adapt and the essence of acceptance and diversity. I am Asian and to move from the Philippines to the UK took a lot of groundwork. Here are some helpful tips on how to prepare yourself for university. These practical hacks worked well for me, and I hope they will work for you too.

Plan your budget

Before coming to the UK, I prepared a monthly financial budget on Excel sheets. My sheets narrated all possible expenses I would be incurring, covering both the have-to-spend and want-to spend lists. It also included a three month buffer and a 5% miscellaneous element taken from overall expenses just in case there were any unexpected incidents, emergencies or simply just the probability to digress from the set budget (which is pretty normal by the way). Still to this day, these Excel sheets serve as my expenditure tracker keeping me poised and tension-free.

If you’re a food junkie like me, then it is a must to try the mouth-watering eating options of Leeds’ highly reviewed/recommended restaurants. However, I don’t recommend that you make it a habit. Homecooked meals are still the best for your budget. There are a lot of supermarkets which sell veritably affordable product line as Lidl, Aldi, and Poundland. Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrison’s can be an option too, but I find them on the higher price side. There are also Asian/Oriental supermarkets as Nong Fern Thai Supermarket, Regency Oriental Supermarket, Abu Bakr and the like. Hence, if you are from Asia, you won’t really feel like you’re away from home. There is also an app called Uber Eats, and Deliveroo if you fancy some food deliveries.

Research student accommodation options

Before anything else, make sure you do this. While many universities provide campus accommodation, it is always a smart idea to explore more options. There are many student housing options in Leeds. Choose well, read the reviews, do virtual viewings, check out the routes and neighbourhood sitch, curb the locations, accessibility and others. It is also good to ask yourself if you want a flatmate or want to live on your own. I am living on my own and so far, I am loving my chosen flat.

Packing hacks

Prepare a checklist to keep yourself organised. Never forget your warm clothes and waterproof coats for the cold months as the UK is known for its cold and wet weather. You could also bring your favourite trainers, so you can enjoy galivanting around the city more often. Leeds has a lot of great shops/outlet stores so you can buy new items when you arrive instead of bringing everything from home. Primark offers some of the most affordable, good quality wardrobe and other household items. I go to charity stores such as British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research UK. They are great finds and it’s my own way of helping and showing support to the community.

Oh, and if you like bringing with you a flavour of your country, you can include in your bag a sachet of condiments or food flavouring you used to guzzle back home. I brought some Knorr Mix with me in case I’d crave that warm Filipino comfort food.

Arriving in the UK

Since I travelled during the pandemic, I had a 10-day isolation and I had to use additional funds for my PCR test before getting a flight, and more tests on day 2 and day 8 after arrival. So it’s a good idea to check what the current requirements re: COVID safety are for flying and arrival.

It’s such a breeze to go around as transport of all sorts are available. I have downloaded the following applications: First Bus to get me to and from the uni or just to go around Leeds. Don’t forget to use your student ID to get discounts, plus, you will get further discounts if you access that weekly or monthly offer. Arriva is the bus that travels within the West Yorkshire, and again, it comes with a day, weekly, or monthly offer. There are also taxis available – Uber or Amber Cars. There are also trains if you want to hop from city to city. You can download the Trainline app or the OMIO app which shows the affordable tickets of all transports available. 

Get a SIM card

The first thing you should do as soon as you land in the city is to get a new sim card. You can opt for the voucher/top-up/pay-as-you-go (often referred as prepaid in other countries) offer initially, and you can upgrade later as per your needs. There are loads of choices for a mobile network such as EE, Lebara, Lycamobile and the like. I got EE which I bought from the airport on arrival. For the first two months, I was doing a top up plan, then later on I upgraded it to post-paid-on-a-contract. For an unlimited calls and texts with 200GB data, I am only paying £20.00/month.

Register with a GP Doctor (General Practitioner)

Yes, this is so important, and many students tend to forego this one. The UK has one of the most superb healthcare systems in the world, coined as National Healthcare System (NHS). Take all the chances to grab that opportunity for a premium healthcare benefit. Do not wait until you feel poorly before you register! After all, you’ve paid for this health surcharge.

Open a bank account

While there are many cards which are accepted globally, it is practical to open a UK bank account to make things easier and feasible for you. There are a lot of banks you can choose from and in choosing you might want to consider the associated perks of opening an account with that particular bank, the overdraft limits, and even the interest percentage. As for me, I have opened two banks accounts - one is for my have-to-spend budget and the other card is for my want-to-spend budget. Opening is easy as you only need that bank letter from the school and of course your official identity card. 

Map out your international student journey

It has always been my lofty dream to study MBA abroad. Hence, I wanted to come prepared to show what a Cebuana-Filipina can contribute to the global ring. Prior to my journey to Leeds, I took effort to gather all the reading materials, read the course and module description, visit the school website just to get into the momentum of studying in advance. It does really help as it keeps you stimulated and motivated. I have also worked on familiarising the British Lingo as I have noticed that the Brits have this certain accent and jargons which are quiet novelty to my oriental ears. It would also be helpful if you know how to strike the balance on your mental and physical acuities. Find a hobby, or continue the exercise/sport you’ve been doing back home, go on a trail with mates, enrol in a gym, pamper yourself etc. The more you explore, the more you immerse yourself in the British culture. I have been doing yoga and dance classes back home, hence I have enrolled myself in these classes here too. You can check out Leeds Dance Studio. For ladies who want to indulge themselves into a relaxing beauty exploit, you can download the TREATWELL app. It guides you on the best go-to places. 

You can also get as much savings as you can by signing up to Unidays. This will provide you student discounts on multifarious retail stores and outlets. Trust me, just do it!

Say YES to new opportunities

Get outside your comfort zone. Attend university-initiated events, join societies, or be part of a purposeful community. The university organises the best Welcome Week for international students. Try not to miss this as it would be your chance to find great buddies. Since Leeds is a very diverse city, different communities are also within the reach if you want to be part of a certain group or family – communities for Christians, Muslims, Young Adults, Active People, LGBTQ+, and so on. Leeds is a very welcoming city, and there will always be a place or community for you.

The last tip I could probably leave you is to live the adventure of being an International student. Often, we get a lot of pressure to perform at a certain level that we forget to enjoy the little steps we are taking to accomplish our goals. So, live all bits and fragments, and take full advantage of the opportunity the country has to offer. In the end, you will find it rewarding as you look back all those treasured memories.