What is it like to move to a whole different country? Well, I’ll let you know all about it! Four years ago I left my small town in Greece to pursue my dreams in England. I always knew I wanted to move to London and do something – anything really! So my solution was to finish high school in Greece and then go to uni in London. University gave me the perfect reason to live my life somewhere else, somewhere different. We all feel that way once we hit 18, right? We want to grow, explore and most importantly achieve our dreams. This is everything you need to know about studying abroad in London to persuade you that yes, you are making the right decisions.
I never realised how big London really is until I got here! In the beginning, I thought I could walk everywhere but I realised that walking caused me to be late because the distance looked small on the map but it was even further away when I was actually walking it! Also, if you want to go from one place to the other, you have to plan! Always plan, because there might be traffic or you might not be able to find the place. The Citymapper app seriously saved my time! It tells you when to leave and which route to go for, and you’ll never be late again! Also, London is big in the aspect that there are loads of places to see and loads of places to sit at. You will never say ‘I have nothing to do’ again. There is always something. So take advantage of this blessing of you living in an amazing city and go have fun!
You’ll be SO surprised to find out when studying abroad in London that people don’t eat lunch but dinner as a main meal. What?! Yes girl, a sad sandwich from Sainsbury’s is considered lunch here, and then in the evening they have a huge dinner. When I was staying in halls, we were only given breakfast and dinner, no lunch because it’s not in their culture. In Greece, we finish school or work at 14.00, go home, have lunch and a little siesta time, and then at 17.00 everything opens again and it’s up and running. But here in London, they work till 17.00 and go home straight for dinner. It’s so strange! And when you tell your friends that in Greece you don’t have dinner but a light meal, they look at you like you’re crazy and malnourished. Yes, be prepared for those stares too.
‘Oh, I love Greece! I went to this island in the summer and the food was amazing!’, ‘Tzatziki!’, ‘Kalimera!’. These are some of the most common reactions people have when you tell them that you’re from Greece. Everyone is so excited about Greece and also excited about meeting a Greek person. The best part is that everyone wants to know more about your culture. You take great pride in talking about your home and your ethics and you actually bond quicker with others who are so interested about your country.
When studying abroad in London be prepared for the weather to be crap for the whole of winter. It’s not raining all the time like they make you believe. It’s just cloudy, grey skies and cold weather. When the first sun comes out, we’re all so excited that spring is here but noooo! Rain the next day. However, summer in the city is something that you should experience. It’s so nice and warm. There’s no scorching heat that you need to go to the sea to cool yourself. You go to the parks, the flowers are blooming, the birds are chirping more excitedly and generally the people are happier! It’s true that the sun affects your mood.
If you’re studying abroad in London, one thing you need to know is that politeness is a must. Saying ‘thank you’ and ‘please’ in every sentence will take you a long way. I’ve learned well after a serious scolding from my English grandmother – I’m half Greek, half English – for not saying please after literally saying yes to some extra peas. In Greece, if you want to be polite, you don’t use ‘please’ after every sentence but it’s your tone of voice and the polite ‘you’ we use that indicates respect and politeness. But you’ll see that unconsciously you will take on this trait and you’ll use ‘thank you’ ‘sorry’ and ‘please’ for the most meaningless things. The people here really value politeness as it is a sign of good upbringing and ‘Britishness’.
In the beginning, we’ve all felt intimidated about speaking. What if I make a mistake? What if they don’t understand me? Well, speak the best you can and everyone will understand you. In the beginning you’ll be mostly translating in your head. You’ll be thinking in Greek and then translating it to English. But I promise you that you won’t even realise the time that you’ll be talking and thinking in English. No more translation and self doubt! Allow yourself to listen to others, practice and don’t be afraid to speak even if it’s grammatically wrong. As long as they understand what you’re saying, no one will notice the mistakes.
This is a piece of advice I give to anyone who decides studying abroad in London is something they want to do. When I left my home for London, I was leaving behind everything I knew all my life. Coming to London, I realised I was alone and that I had to meet people. Even if you don’t feel like talking, or are an introvert, or hate small talk, you have to make an effort with people if you want to make new friends. If you are quite social then that’s great! Generally, you have to be open to speaking to anyone, asking questions and making conversation. If people are making plans, try to be a part of the plans. Don’t expect everyone to invite you, because sometimes when plans are in the making, people get carried away and forget who’s coming or not. That’s why you have to kind of self-invite yourself and be one of the organisers. Also, at uni or work, if a few are going for lunch then ask if you can tag along. There’s nothing to be ashamed by asking and they will not say no! I did this on my first day of uni; on my first lecture, I sat next to two girls, we chatted for a bit and then when it was time for a break I just asked because I knew they wouldn’t invite me – as they were already a group. I didn’t want to be a loner on my first day, and I did the bravest thing ever: ‘Can I come for lunch with you guys?’. That’s how I met some great friends after that.
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