There are several beautiful experiences that international students enjoy in the UK. Studying in one of the world’s most significant countries allows them to access high-quality education with state-of-the-art facilities. It also offers the opportunity to meet with and network with people from different parts of the world. However, there are several other challenges and difficulties that international students in the UK face.
Life in the UK will not always be comfortable and easy for international students. There are several struggles that they will face and have to overcome, especially at the early stages of their academic sojourn in the UK. Some of these are discussed below.
Homesickness
Feeling homesick is one of the biggest problems that international students in the UK face. Many of these students struggle to cope with this. For many of these students that they had to leave their family and friends back in their country for a long time, and visiting home isn’t a feasible option. So they need a new support system around them in the UK, and the university needs to help with that.
Thankfully, almost all UK universities offer professional counseling services for students to overcome many of the difficulties they will face during their time in the school. International students struggling with homesickness or other problems may have difficulties with complicated writing assignments like dissertations. It’s okay to turn to a professional dissertation help service in such a case. However, they must summon the courage to seek help and speak up about how they’re feeling. The university staff is always available and willing to help, and these students must understand that.
Culture shock
International students in the UK tend to suffer from culture shock, which may be emotional and physical. This culture shock relates to the discomfort that they experience due to their move away from their home to a different country. Some of the symptoms are:
- Loneliness and sadness
- Depression and mood changes
- Pains and aches
- Feeling of paranoia
- Loss of identity
It may help if you already have a friend or family in the UK. You should also try to gather as much information about the UK before traveling down, especially if you have no one in the country. It’s almost impossible for UK international students to avoid culture shocks, especially those from outside Europe. Talking to your family and friends constantly over the phone may help you feel like yourself, but you should seek professional help if you’re experiencing any of the symptoms above.
Language barrier
The language barrier is another thing that international students in the UK will struggle with, and it doesn’t matter that they have high scores in IELTS. The fact that English is your second language and you’re communicating with natural speakers makes it slightly more difficult, especially with the difference in accents, local slang, and cultural differences.
You’re likely to come across sentences or words that you don’t understand and can’t relate to. Just ask your friend to explain them to you, and they will help you with it. It’s not embarrassing. This may translate into difficulties in writing good essays and you may need to contact the best essay writing service UK for help.
Some universities also provide language support services that you can leverage to improve your understanding of the language.
Integration problem
If you’re coming from a different academic and cultural background, you’re likely to struggle to integrate, at least at the early stages. Getting used to an entirely new culture may be more difficult for some than others. If you find one, it helps to live within your culture group, so you don’t have to struggle with integrating straight into a different culture. However, we advise that you start making an effort to integrate as soon as possible. Make friends with people, join student clubs. You can play an active part in the university’s student union and make friends with people who share similar interests in several clubs.
Finance
It is pretty expensive to study in the UK, which may lead to financial difficulties for students. You should consider taking up a part-time job to help you. The law allows international students to work for about 20h per week while studying in the UK. Check out your university’s job shop, if any, or use social media to find some exciting jobs around your university.
You can also research some of the available student discounts you can leverage, such as NUS Card, Young Person Card, student Oyster Card, etc., to help you save funds on things like online shopping, Megabus rides, train tickets, etc. So, you’ll be able to save on accommodation, food, and travel that takes a chunk of your money.
Conclusion
These are some of the difficulties that international students face in the UK daily, especially at the early stages of their move to the UK. Accommodation, racial discrimination, getting a job are some other issues that they may struggle with.
