Xiaohongshu
International student Anisha reflects on the joys and challenges of moving to the UK for university
A little less than 2 years ago, I first flew to London. It was a long flight away from my home in Mumbai, India. My life packed up in just 46 kilograms, I moved into a place I’d call home for that year: my little room in halls. What an incredible journey it has been since.
Stepping into the unknown
From the moment I experienced International Students' Welcome Week, I began to settle into life in London-- and I soon realised that being a UCL student goes beyond what I could have ever imagined. I threw myself into the Discover London programme, took a trip to Camden Market, visited the V&A, and met so many people that I’m still friends with in the process. I watched a student-run fashion show, went out of my comfort zone at a speedfriending session, and even enjoyed my first ever night-out at Scala.
But experiencing new things didn't stop at Welcome. I've loved trying halloumi for the first time ever, building up my friends’ spice tolerances, visiting Chinatown, learning about new cultures, and trying (and failing!) to learn a little Portuguese from my friend. When you’re an international student, you realise friendships go beyond borders and ancestry. They’re about people who love and accept you, all parts, even when they may not understand it.
When you’re an international student, you realise friendships go beyond borders and ancestry. They’re about people who love and accept you, all parts, even when they may not understand it.
Finding my people
Coming to UCL has been one of my best decisions, because I don’t think that I could've met all these incredible people otherwise. Sure, some days you miss your parents and your dogs who are so many miles away, but other days bring new experiences, food, pubs and places. Between working several part-time jobs for the first time in my life, learning how to do household-chores, making myself dinner even though I’ve been at university for 12 whole hours, and dealing with London's gloomy weather, I’m no stranger to how overwhelming life can get here. Yet, when you overcome this, you realise the beauty of independence, finding your own identity, and meeting people from all over the world.
Being an international student is belonging to a diaspora, sometimes feeling out of place or realising how different you are from everyone around you. But if there is one thing that I’ve learnt, it’s that you have to embrace yourself. Embrace your own culture, identity, and roots, because that will allow you to embrace others too. The best thing is that at UCL, there are so many different people from so many different places that you’ll never truly feel alone.
The best thing is that at UCL, there are so many different people from so many different places that you’ll never truly feel alone.
If you’re an international student, I just have two tips for you: be yourself and don’t let language or ethnicity determine who you make friends with. Because you may eat different foods, speak a different tongue, or be raised in a different culture, but you never know -- the person from halfway across the globe sat next to you in that lecture theatre? They may turn out to be one of your closest friends.