Hello

I'm interested in hearing from international students (doesn't matter which country you're from or currently based in) about what the challenges of moving country and culture have been for you, how it affected you, and and how you coped. For example, were there challenges with language, socialising and meeting new people, study situations not being what you expected, finding somewhere to live, mental health concerns...

In what ways were you challenged, and what did you have to change about yourself to cope? How tough was it?

The reason I ask is that I'm potentially going to move to another country and am in preparation I'm interested in hearing from others about any challenges or difficulties, and what happened (ie., if you resolved it and got through, how you did it, or did you return home, and what was returning home like...etc).

I would really love to hear from anyone that is willing to share their experiences and insights :)

Hey,

I moved from Germany to England for my PhD.
I was also able to go abroad during my BSc and MSc for 6 months each (Ireland and USA). So I've seen a few places by now.
Every time it was a new surrounding and the culture is always different, but I get very quickly adapted.
Although it is interesting when you notice the differences to your home country (advantages and disadvantages). So sometimes you miss certain things (like a good public transport system etc.).

In general I was always able in any of the places I've lived now to find new friends quite quickly. I guess that depends quite a lot on your personality.
One mistake you shouldn't do though is to stay at home all the time or even fly back home every other weekend etc. You miss out on going out with your workmates or new friends or doing new stuff.

One advice: Don't stick with your own all the time. It is easy and comforting to make friends with your own kind, but it also limits yourself. You end up speaking your own language and not getting to know natives or other foreigners.

Always be open minded (to the new culture with it's strange habbits) and put yourself out there (social clubs, hobbies, gigs, dances etc.) and you'll easily meet new people and learn how life "runs" in the new country.

;-)

Hey Sparkles, I'm from US and in UK, and I've had two particular challenges/disappointments. I applied to PhD programme while in a master's program elsewhere, and was accepted and offered funding, but of course it was conditional on successful completion of master's. Alas, UK immigration does not allow you to apply until you have an unconditional offer (at least that's how it worked then; been changes with new government at Westminster). So, it was very difficult: lots of waiting, then student visa finally approved, mad dash to move to UK, and I arrived and started in December, not September, with local cohort. It's been a problem ever since, really. Program/admin not really geared toward anyone being out of step, and so I'm aiming to finish at the same time as my friends who had a three-month head start, and who didn't have any challenges, such as finding an apartment etc. I mean, I was as proactive and organized as anyone can be, but I got here, got registered 2 days before the funding offer was set to expire (uni probably would have extended the offer, but at the time I was thrilled to not have had to ask and wanted to get out of limbo and get my library privileges activated etc...) But that meant I spent my first six weeks getting settled (finding an apartment, finding out how the electricity and gas work, getting a phone and Internet access etc., finding my way around campus, trying to figure out the nuances of UK academic culture etc.), so, in truth, I started doing the work itself five months after my peers. Have spent most of my time here having my progress compared to people who didn't have those challenges, in terms of chapters completed etc. Of course, I always remind people that I'm off the typical academic schedule, but it's like fighting the ocean waves: I'm a first year, and then a second year student, etc., and the nuance of the lost months and the cultural and purely practical drag at the beginning -- no one remembers but me.

But I've managed to make it through all that I think, and there will be an upside on the other end if I really do manage to submit a little earlier: if I'm lucky, I might be able to defend and submit final copy etc. while still funded. That was my other surprise, which I blame myself for. I was funded for three years for what I understood to be a three-year PhD system, so no problem. But once I got here I found everyone talking about it as a "three and one" system, i.e., three years to submit (funded), and one year to defend finalize and graduate. Not a problem if you are a citizen and have full work rights, but kind of a surprise to me, and I've watched most students use that full year to finish up, and gain extra teaching experience, etc. I won't have that ability: student vise expires after 3 years and 3 months, and expensive to apply for an extension, not that I could afford to stay here without funding anyway. So: logistically, I will have to finish dissertation, defend it, and finalize it in about a year less than most other students in the program, and there is no understanding of this from either the admin or faculty perspective: I'm just another third-year student in their eyes . . .

All that said, I wouldn't change a thing. I've had a good time, my thesis is stronger because I've lived in the location/culture that it studies, it's been a fun challenge to find my way etc, and -- at this point, ask me again in six months -- I think the extra pressure to finish early has been helpful. It's one thing to say "I need to focus," it's another thing to realize that there's a financial and legal point of no return ahead of me if I don't...!

But my main advice, no matter where you are going to or coming from is to build in lots of buffer -- at first, everything just takes you a lot longer, just because you are a foreigner (getting a bank account etc.), and all t

My first few months in the UK was more or less like Bejasus describes it especially regarding all the time lost for practicalities.
On top of that I am a person that adjusts slowly, I love my routine, and I hate when it gets interrupted. Moving in a new unknown environment was the definition of hell!

But I agree, you need to take advantage to hang out with as many different people as you can. On top of everything you will get to try everyone's cooking!