Top tips for international students for when you first arrive

Travelling to and arriving in Leeds

If you are arriving at Manchester or Leeds Airport between 5-16 September, you can get a free coach or taxi by simply booking your place with the Global Arrival Service. However, if you wish to take your own transportation then you can travel to Leeds by taking the train, coach, or car. If you are coming from Manchester or London, I recommend the train as it is the fastest and cheapest option of all 3. Especially if you have a railcard which you can apply for here.

BRP Collection

As an international student, the first thing you should do is check your emails for information about when and where your BRP will arrive, as you will need it later for your international check-in. Whether the collection point is on campus or not, it is always better to arrive early as it can get pretty crowded! I recommend going to the collection point 5-10 min before opening time so that you can be first in line.

International check-in

It is important to finish the international check-in before you start your course. So, once you have your BRP, head down to campus to finish your check-in. I recommend going there in the morning as it gets busy in the afternoon. It took me 2 hours last year just to reach the front of the line!

Shopping for the essentials

Let's face it, you are in a foreign country, on your own, and you need to go shopping. But where?

Of course, there are the usual supermarkets such as Morrisons, Aldi, Sainsbury’s, and the list goes on. However, as an international student I needed some specific ingredients that I couldn’t find anywhere! That is until I stumbled upon these 3 supermarkets:

Azaban is by far my favourite supermarket! It sells halal Turkish and Middle Eastern goods.

AbuBakr is another great supermarket that sells South Asian and Middle Eastern goods.

Taste The Orient is one of my favourite Asian shops in Leeds. It is also only a 2 min walk from the city campus.

I would also recommend these shops too for your essentials:

Argos is great for buying literally anything from electronics to bedding sets.

Boots is by far the best pharmacy and beauty store in Leeds.

Merrion Centre is only a 2 min walk from city campus and it has these shops that I personally love and visit all the time:

• Morrisons: Supermarket
• Home Bargains: Home essentials (sometimes cheaper than Morrisons).
• Superdrug: Pharmacy + Beauty Store
• Ryman Stationary

PS: always bring your student card with you as you might get extra discounts.

I hope this blog helps you have a better idea of what you should do when you arrive, and where you can find what you need. Stay tuned for my other blog as I will be sharing with you some of my favourite places and spots around Leeds.