After a couple of days of filling out documents online and hoping I didn’t accidentally mess up my chances of coming to the UK, I submitted my visa documents in July 2022, anxious to hear back from the UK Home Office. In August 2022, I received my passport with my visa in the mail, confirming I was going to be studying at UEA in September 2022!

I remember being so anxious and excited for the journey. I had always dreamed of going to the UK since I was around 10, so receiving my passport with a visa felt surreal. As I’m originally from Southern California, people always ask me, “Why did you choose to come here?” and the answer is always a bit more complicated than simply wanting to pick up and move.

It was a long, hard decision to make. I was going to be leaving my friends and family to go roughly 5000 miles abroad. At first, my parents were hesitant, wanting me to stay in California to be closer to them. Even though I wanted to stay, I also wanted a change of scenery and to be a lot more independent. Still, if I got homesick, my home was not a two hour drive or train journey back and I was going to have to find a different coping mechanism. My parents eventually let me go, trusting me to not perish the moment I landed in London (even though they were absolutely terrified). Of course, I still get homesick from time to time. The best coping mechanism for homesickness is forcing yourself to do things outside your comfort zone and meeting new people. It’s easier said than done and believe me, I have spent days in my room crying because I missed my friends and family. But it’s easier to cope when you keep yourself occupied.

Being new to the country, I was aware the UK had a national rail system, but had no idea how to use it, because I was used to being driven everywhere my whole life. If anyone’s like me, don’t worry too much, because UEA is good with supporting international students. They offer a pick-up service from Heathrow to the UEA for roughly £40, and advertise UniKitOut to help international students get settled in, which provided students with essentials such as towels and kitchenware. To explore the city, getting to Norwich centre is quite simple: take the 25, 26, or 26A bus lines from the main bus stop on campus and they will go directly into the city centre. There’s so much to see, from the market to the alleyways with cute coffee shops. 

For any future international students, take it from me: all you need are two suitcases with clothes to last you 2-3 weeks because you will accumulate a lot of stuff when coming to university. Just wait until you arrive in Norwich to buy all the things you need for the kitchen and bedroom. TKMaxx, Argos, and Poundland will be your best friends when buying things for your flat (rest in peace Wilko, you will be missed dearly), and don’t miss out on charity shops as well! They have cute, durable kitchenware for reasonable prices!

Having accessible public transport was a culture shock for sure, but what was more of a shock was the lack of sunlight during the autumn and winter seasons. For anyone who comes from a sunny climate make sure you bring your Vitamin D tablets! Luckily, these are easy to come by at Holland & Barrett, in the city centre or online and make sure to take them every day! I fondly remember the time I thought the sun was going to make an appearance after 3 days of overcast. Very naive. 

Despite this massive culture shock, my time here at UEA has been fulfilling. I have met so many wonderful people and there’s always something to do on campus or in the city. It’s definitely hard being away from home so many miles away, but it gets easier as time goes on, especially with British summer coming soon.

Image: Unsplash