A No BS Checklist For International Students In The UK

A Guide to successful migration, transition, and settling in the United Kingdom for study purpose

Oct 12, 2023

Photo credit: Author (A picture I took at Heathrow Airport on my arrival in the UK for the first time four years ago, for study purposes)

Like myself, or other personal reasons known to you alone, you have been lured to the United Kingdom, because of its world-renowned universities, diverse culture, and rich history, which draws thousands of students from around the globe every year. Yet, embarking on such an academic journey isn't just about packing bags and booking flights.

The transition involves understanding nuances, from visa applications and university enrolment to adapting to the British lifestyle and weather. "A Guide to Successful Migration, Transition, and Settling in the United Kingdom for Study Purposes" is curated to smooth out the creases of this transition, offering insights, tips, and a roadmap to ensure that your academic sojourn in the UK is not only educationally enriching but also personally fulfilling.

Whether you need more clarity about the enrolment process and accommodation options or are simply eager to embrace the British culture seamlessly, this guide is your compass to navigating a new chapter of academic exploration.

Or, as I am often motivated before writing something of this nature, I want to offer invaluable suggestions to someone, the type I wished I read four years ago when I arrived in the United Kingdom for the first time for my studies. This, however, can also serve as a letter (in this case, a priceless welcoming gift) to my friend's sister and my brother, who recently arrived in the country for their studies. And to all those who, in one way or another, reached out on any of my social media handles or in person seeking advice from me.

Nevertheless, if you have read to this point, I appreciate your time so far. Please note that you won't find information to convince you why you should study in the UK or how to go about your university search, application processes, and VISA here. This is strictly as the title suggests, 'A no Bull Shit Checklist For International Students In The UK.' Thank you!

Dear Obi and Ada (made up names for my brother and my friend’s sister),

I hope coming to the UK and settling in hasn’t been that bad. (By the way, this is one of the nuances you will get to hear a lot here in the UK; learn its meaning, how to use it and how to answer it). Although both of you have successfully arrived in the country, I will take it that I am writing this letter to you from the point which you happily received your UK study visa and, like myself, excitedly looked up on Google for some No-Nonsense preparatory information about arriving and settling into the country as an international student.

These are what you should know:

Accommodation: most of the advice you may find online is to search for rooms by yourself from one of the tens if not hundreds of properties/rooms listing platforms in the UK for desirable accommodation. However, I have a contrary suggestion resulting from my experience in the property market, which is, if you can afford it, opt for university accommodation, at least, for your first few months or first semester of your studies, or reach out to someone already in the UK to help you look for and sort out an accommodation that will meet your proximity and budget needs with property condition. Even if you have to compensate them monetarily for their service. This way, you will even save yourself the headache of falling into the hands of private landlords or estate agents who will offer you overpriced accommodation with very poor living conditions and seal it up with a very stiff tenancy contract. However, with time, you will understand the city, the location that suits your lifestyle and the type of accommodation or flatmates that meet your interest.

A bonus tip on how to find someone to assist you with this if, by any chance, you don’t know anyone already in the UK in your network. Search for your university’s Facebook and WhatsApp groups and join.

First things first - first-week must-dos: I have encountered a number of people who I would say approach their first weeks a bit wrongly by taking it as a time to cool off, get to explore the city they are in, make friends, and then leave visiting their universities for the upper week. However, unless you made it to the country a week before induction and academic resumption, the right approach is to report to the university first and complete your in-person enrolment. Collect your biometric residence permit (BRP) from the university or the address it was posted to and a letter from the university to enable you to open a bank account in the UK. If you are interested in working (mind you, your visa type supports 20 hours/week only in term times), go on the government website and apply for a National Insurance number (NIN). If you are basing in London, apply for 18+ Student Oyster photocard which will save you 30% on adult-rate Travelcards and Bus & Tram Pass season tickets. I am unsure of transport services elsewhere, but this should give you a clue to look for what is available in your city of study.

Chronologically, all these processes will help you start populating your name and information in the systems and government databases.

First things to master at your university: As a general rule, you should master how to navigate your university's website and student portal to the point that you have the confidence similar to how you navigate your Facebook or Instagram page. Through this, you will learn how to access your modules (how the UK refers to courses or subjects) and your timetable. From this point, try to locate all the rooms you will have your classes in; if possible, map out a day before your classes resume to do this. This will allow you to seek help if you need help locating them from someone before the day of teaching commencement. Attendance to classes no later than 15 minutes after classes is not only a requirement for your studies but also for your immigration history to study in the UK. Not many people do this, but I also locate the offices of all the lecturers which I have their classes for the semester and their office hours.
How to utilise your university spaces: without holding back, a university library is the most important space at the university to master. Not only will you have access to all the books you need to get the most value from your studies, but you will also have access to an unprecedented amount of information regarding your program, the faculty and the university at large. You may need to borrow two books this first week before the more important kinds of stuff and assignments kick in. The two kinds of books to borrow are - a book to teach you your program's referencing style and how to search for information and a guide to postgraduates or undergraduate studies in the UK (my recommendations are the short guides from Palgrave Macmillan). If you have the agility, you can also explore their mini-books on critical thinking and reflective writing - come back later and comment - thank you, Ekene. Go beyond the cafes near your faculty - you may find that food is cheaper elsewhere, and another faculty may have the cuisine you like more.
How to find work and what you need to do: Don't be deceived. Not all jobs are student-friendly. The knowledge of this and those jobs that are student-friendly will help you dive straight in search of them and, as you guessed, be employed sooner. Three skills are primarily needed in job hunting at this stage in the UK, as a new fish in the sea. They are - a, your ability to network with people, especially other students, to find out what they are doing; b, your ability to find information (be proactive and spend more time on online job platforms indeed.com, etc.,) and go beyond that and read informative articles on LinkedIn, your university website, train and bus stations, etc; c, demonstrate that you are teachable and that you are a fast learner. The truth is, no matter how your experience in the country you came from matches the job you are applying for or the level of work ethic and diversity you perceive you bring, working in the UK for a similar job is interestingly different from what you can imagine.
Ad-hoc: The advice one of my mentors gave me on my arrival to the UK is to see myself as a bird with two wings - where one of the wings is my studies and the other is my work and other aspects of my life. Logically, a bird cannot fly with one wing - for if it tries to fly only the academic wing and ignores the other, which is life and work, especially as an international student, it will fall. In the same way, if it tries to fly on the wing of work alone without paying attention to the academic wing, which is the mission, the bird won't even be able to survive in the air in the first place. Do not underestimate the power of friendship and human connection - go ahead and turn yourself into an international/global citizen whom you have become. Be free like a bird. Are you a religious person - find your community and participate actively. By the way, remember to take care of your health (emotional, mental, physical, financial, spiritual) and general well-being. We all have a million dreams, but someone in a sick bed at the hospital only has one – to be healthy!
You have already made history by getting yourself out of your comfort zone (leaving your country, family, friends, and well-wishers) to be educated and adding to the wonderful percentage of the human population that has contributed to this astonishing factor that has kept our civilisation/globalisation for centuries. Thank you, already, for trying and for giving it your best.

There are numerous pieces of advice to help you transition and settle in the United Kingdom for study purposes. But like the foundation of a solid building, I hope this guide, in no fluffy way, helps you set up your strong foundation. And I hope it is as easy and straightforward as I intended.

If anything, you can reach out to me on LinkedIn.

Many thanks for reading my perspective and giving feedback.

My fervent wish is for the personal growth of everyone and the success of all young professionals who put their hearts and souls into finding their purpose in life.

The New Chapter

Discussion about this post