Monday 18-09-2023 - 10:00

Studying abroad is one of the most unique experiences you can have. It can be daunting to live so far from home, and stressful to enter into a completely new country; but at the same time it can offer some of the most fun, memorable, and meaningful experiences in your life. In navigating this very new experience, these are my top tips to make the most of your study abroad and your time at Edge Hill University.

Enjoy the events and societies on campus. 

There can be a lot to the settling in process once you land, but one of the best tools for international students are the campus events that are built into your time here and can lead to a great and immersive experience. The international team and the Students’ Union are always putting on events that that are welcoming, fun, and great for building social connections. And especially great for international students, among many others, there are great campus Societies that highlight fun cultural exchange for students. Groups like the Multicultural Society and Global Café are amazing resources for international students to frequently have fun with other students and build their social connections. Even if you’re not too keen on socializing, try to use campus events to stretch your comfort zone. You’ll have access to great cultural experiences, and you might find, similar to my case, that you suddenly have new friends from around the world that will last you a lifetime.

Find your hidden gems in Ormskirk. 

You and nearly everyone else are going to have plenty of great nights out in Wetherspoons, and the varied kebab places that light up the streets until 2am are some of the most consistently enjoyable spots. But there’s a lot of nooks and crannies around Ormskirk, and some beautiful food and coffee spots off the beaten path that can soon be personal treasures. For me, I found that Scott’s, a butcher shop of all places, has, in my opinion, the best, most flavourful salt and pepper chicken barm I’ve had here, and at only £3! And very close to my American heart, Baba Burgerz here in Ormskirk has the best California-style smash burger in North England. <3

Explore Liverpool and Manchester.

As you settle in and explore Ormskirk, don’t forget to also explore the nearby cities and take in all they have to offer. There’s amazing access to museums, shops, art galleries, and all-around great sights between cities just a train ride away. As well for international students, there’s great access to potential comfort food from your home countries. Bold St. in Liverpool for example, right next to Central Station, is almost entirely devoted to international food, with restaurants serving foods from Turkey, India, Mexico, America, Japan, etc. My personal favourites are American Pizza Slice (try their Detroit style), and Bundobust for great Indian street food.

Liverpool and Manchester both have great access to international markets, which can help make homecooked meals taste more like home. And with historic places like cathedrals, libraries, and parks, you can immerse yourself in British culture in these cities while having access to small comforts from home. The bigger cities as well can make for very memorable nights out when you and your friends want to explore new places.

Connect with other international students.

One of the most beautiful aspects of being in an international programme is that you’re in a brand-new country and culture that you’re exploring for the first time. And even better, you’re surrounded by people who are in the exact same situation.

This shared experience makes for an awesome sense of solidarity that can be built and enjoyed between the international students in exploring our chunk of the UK here, and this is only made better by the fact that, being from so many different countries, there’s that much more to learn, share, and celebrate of each other.

To organize and help grow these connections, frequently attend the previously mentioned multicultural societies, but also, get creative with it! One of my favourite things that I did was host international potluck dinners, where international and UK students would all make a dish from their home country, and bring them together to share food and learn about each other’s cultural dishes. 

A very little-known fact is that you can actually rent a key to the big screen tv in the top floor hub, and one of my favourite memories was getting together with the international students to have movie nights, and eventually watch the entire World Cup together on the big screen.
(If you do do this in the future, please send me a picture, and I’ll probably shed a tear of joy. Haha)

Make connections with your lecturers. 

One of my favourite parts about this area of Northern England is that, much like my home in the Midwestern US, people are very polite, approachable, and friendly here. Even professors and senior lecturers here go by their first name, and go out of their way to make themselves available to students. With this, the academic experience here can be the best, most supportive I’ve seen on any campus before, and building rapport with your lecturers can make you that much more successful in your academic experience.

One strategy I do, (this might be a bit cheeky and conniving of me, but I’ll share anyway. Haha) is in the first couple weeks of lectures, think of one really good question based on the material of the lectures. It doesn’t even have to be a question you necessarily need an answer for, but something that shows you’ve listened to the lectures, been thoughtful about the material, and have interest in the broader implications of the subject. Then after class approach and ask your professor this question. More often than not in my experience, your professor’s face will light up at the sight of someone engaging in their subject’s material, they’ll expand your question with valuable information about the course’s material, and you’ll have made a great first impression to build on through the course. This rapport you’ve built with your professors will greatly help your learning experience in your course, help enhance your overall experience, and in my experience, might lead to great networking and letters of recommendation in the future.

Value your mental health. 

Acculturation stress, especially in the first month or so, affects all international students differently. It certainly can be a lot to move to a new country, and in my experience, I would suggest not to be overly stoic and to reach out for things that will help you as you adjust. Social support can be huge. Finding meaningful community with international and UK students here can be a huge help in acculturation and adjustment, and at the same time, staying in touch with your support systems back home can keep you centred and grounded. It’s easy to get lost in the geographical distance, but you’d be surprised in how much a spontaneous call with a family member or trusted friend back home can rejuvenate you. For me, Ruff Woods, just behind the University campus, is a close-by, wonderful nature trail that I go to in moments of high stress. I love using the gym to work out here, which has well-established mental health benefits; and as a psychology student, I’m very happy with the UK’s willingness to talk about mental health issues amongst students, and accessible the University’s well-being team is.

We all have our strengths, but reaching out in areas that you’re struggling is a courageous act, and something that will only make you stronger in the future.

Find creative ways to keep the memories forever. 

It goes without saying that you’ll make amazing memories on your study abroad, and that you should keep in touch with amazing friends you’ve made; but don’t stop yourself from being creative and finding ways to elevate these memories and solidify these memories in the best way that you can.

 

You should for sure brainstorm and try to think of fun ideas that will cater to your experience, but for just a few examples from mine: during my first year studying abroad, I invited all the international students to participate in making a YouTube time capsule video, which we could all see and keep forever; and a friend of mine took all the pictures she’d gathered with everyone at Edge Hill and made a beautiful scrapbook that I got to see when I visited her in Germany.

This time as an international student at Edge Hill is a moment you’ll never forget in your life, and finding ways to nourish and celebrate the connections you make, and solidify the memories you shared with others, will make it all the more easier to cherish in the future. :’)