Life in the UK and overcoming change
This article explains what to expect in the UK, what differences in the way of life from your home country may cause some culture shock and how you can prepare yourself to make the move less stressful.
The UK is one of the most popular countries in the world for international students to come and study. In 2020/2021, 605,130 students from across the globe studied at UK universities.
International students flock to the UK for many reasons, including our world-class education system, high employability rates and our open and diverse culture.
Your time in the UK will be some of the best years of your life, exploring new places, meeting new people from all over the world and discovering your passions.
While our international student community tends to thrive in the UK, experiencing a bit of ‘culture shock’ is to be expected. Culture shock happens when you are thrust into an unfamiliar environment in a new country with different customs. It can be overwhelming for international students to leave home and family for the first time.
This period of adjustment could last a few days or a few weeks. If you can prepare yourself for the changes you will experience, the transition should be easier with guidance and support.
What can contribute to culture shock?
Food
British food may be very different from what you are used to. However, if you're eating out at a restaurant or ordering a takeaway, you will find a wide range of global cuisine available.
| You can use food delivery services like Just Eat, Deliveroo and Uber Eats to browse the takeaways available. |
For your weekly food shop, you may want to visit the ‘big’ supermarkets rather than the local shops. Supermarkets like Morrisons, Asda, Tesco and Sainsburys will have everything you need, including international food sections for home comforts.
Did you know that Nottingham has Halal, Asian and European supermarkets to cater to different tastes and cultures? |
Read our article for more information on where to shop in Nottingham.
Language
If English isn’t your first language and you aren’t quite fluent yet, speaking it every day can be a bit of an adjustment. Even if you are fluent, adjusting to the many regional accents of each country in the UK can be tricky!
On the other hand, immersing yourself in the language is the best way to perfect your skills. It's a great opportunity to improve and even understand local dialects.
Top Tip If you're struggling to understand someone, don’t be afraid or embarrassed to ask them to repeat themselves or to slow down a little (some of us talk very fast!). As long as you ask politely, people will be happy to help. You'll find that the locals often have to do the same with people from certain parts of the UK! |
Undergraduate students outside The Secret Garden restaurant, Nottingham City Centre - November 2021. Lily Pearce (braids) and Dominic Beale (red shirt).
Climate
One of the things that international students tend to struggle with is the British weather, particularly during the winter. It can be grey and damp during these months and the summer can be unpredictable.
Despite this, the different seasons can also be very beautiful, with the changing leaves of autumn, winter sunshine and beautiful green countryside during the spring and summer.
If you come from a country with a warm climate, you may find that there will be a period of acclimatisation – make sure to pack warm clothing!
Values and social behaviours
The UK is a very liberal and open country, respectful of different cultures and ways of life. This means that your particular culture and beliefs will be warmly welcomed but you may still find the many different world views and values that may be in conflict with your own or your home country, difficult to come to terms with.
There might be social behaviours that make you uncomfortable as they may be more or less formal than you are used to. For example, people holding hands and kissing in public, possibly in same-sex relationships.
Whatever values and behaviours you may find very different from your home country, try to keep an open mind. Once you get to know the people from all over the world that come to study in the UK and they get to know you, you will probably find you have more things in common than differences.
Tips to help you transition to UK life
To help you make your way through this transitionary period and get settled in your home away from home, we have created this list of our top tips to help guide and support you:
- Remember that you're not alone in this experience. At the University of Nottingham, we have thousands of international students that go through the same process each year, and hundreds of thousands in the UK – if they can do it, so can you!
- Keep in touch with your family and friends at home – your support network will be important to get you through any tough times.
- Join the university clubs and societies and get to know people and make friends. We currently have over 200 societies to choose from.
- Arrange to meet with international students from your country. If you're feeling homesick having someone from home can be comforting.
- If you find yourself struggling and you need some guidance, make use of the support services at the university. We're here to help and we'll do what we can to help you feel at home.
- Staying healthy, getting outside and exercising in whatever way you enjoy will help you feel good and give you some headspace.
Undergraduate students socialising outside the Broadway Cinema in Hockley, Nottingham City Centre - November 2021.Sophie Kucharska Gibson (pink jumper); Luca Ion (black jacket) and Daniel Kasasa (green jacket) .
Resources
We have some great resources to help you feel prepared for life in the UK, so you can shake off that culture shock as quickly as possible.
Study UK course – this free course will help you to prepare to study and live in the UK. The University of Nottingham YouTube Channel – watch videos from our international students giving tips and advice. The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) - UKCISA provides extensive information and advice for international students coming to the UK. Watch the Study UK YouTube video. |
