The United Kingdom (UK) has always been a hot favorite among the Asian especially Indian students. Getting admission to one of the universities/ colleges is like a dream comes true for any student. Anyone moving to the UK needs to take care of a few things, like, a good score in the IELTS test will always keep you at par over the native students. One should always keep oneself apprise with the surrounding markets before moving to a particular locality (of course you don’t want to sound like a dumb when you reach there). Google map will surely help you with that. Must take few Indian eatables (uncooked) like Maggi and MTR idli/ Dhokla mix. You surely get Maggi there but seriously you need some time to develop the taste for that. Do not overload your luggage with winter wears from India as the warmest from here will be used during their summer. Trust me each and everything you like here in India is available in few stores such as TESCO and ASDA. It is just you need to explore the markets, so it is my advice to reach at least a fortnight before your college starts.

Apart from food, there is another aspect you need to work on is linguistic Skills. Once you are there, try to grasp local slangs ASAP. For instance, all right, Cheers, How’z life, Hi Mate… etc. Now comes the pronunciation of the names of the Britishers. Yes, they feel offended if their name is not pronounced properly. For that take the help of Mr. Google. Next is the mannerisms, you will learn their style gradually. Make sure you don’t say YES and NO. Say it as YES PLEASE and NO THANKS.

Do not limit yourself within the boundaries of hostel/ shared accommodation, explore the city during weekends. The bus and metro services are quite pocket friendly. You can have a weekly or monthly bus pass and can have unlimited trips in a day. Saying Thank You to the driver, while boarding and leaving the bus is a common gesture of kindness.

I am sure you will have THE BEST time of your life that you spend in the UK.

All the best

Vani Chopra

Head of Department ( Mathematics )

The Millennium School, Amritsar