Settling in to Study Abroad: Six Tips

Once you are done with organizing a place to live, the next step is to set up a bank account. Apply for a debit/credit card so as to avoid the hassle of carrying cash everywhere.

You’ll probably be able to choose from a range of transport options – tubes, trains, trams, buses or your own private vehicle – but before that you must get well acquainted with the routes. I started by taking a couple of initial visits around the city with a colleague, and then dared to make an individual trip the next time.

Was I successful? No! I got lost and wandered about the streets, but that had its own charm as I kept on exploring new places and eventually reached my destination after asking for directions from commuters and shopkeepers. Try this if you are adventurous, and if you are not adventurous: try it anyway!

I would strongly suggest you try to find a student job while studying. This will not only help you earn some money, but also increase your confidence. If earning some casual cash is not your immediate concern, try to look for opportunities to volunteer. This will make you meet a lot of new people, test your abilities and expose you to different environments, which helps a lot in the settling down phase. It will also garnish your résumé.

Well, if you are arranging accommodation, setting up your bank accounts, travelling all alone without any fear, and working too, you might not need to look at this section. You will probably already have made a lot of friends along the way, and if not you will make them soon. You have the potential and the personality to be with and among the people.

The other side of the grass is always green. There will come times when you will feel low on remembering your loved ones, disheartened at not attaining any of your goals, extremely nervy on being unable to adjust to the new environment – but do not lose hope and curse yourself. Be determined and persistent. Failures and adversity are part (read ‘the spice’) of life. In some cases they are actually better than success because failures are more valuable teachers. Remember, the darkest hour is just before the dawn. Happy adjusting!

Read more from Zain:

• Leaving home to study abroad: An emotional guide >
• Why I decided to study in Australia >