Coming to the University of Lincoln was one of my very few daring, but most wonderful, experiences. I came here alone flying hundreds of miles far from my home country – India. I was overwhelmed when my flight was about to take off as well as when I landed over here in the UK. It was a beautiful morning I landed in the UK and before sunset, I was able to reach Lincoln with the help of the cab sent on behalf of the university. I am thankful to them as due to COVID restrictions, it would have been very difficult for me to come to Lincoln from London. Help from the uni doesn’t stop there!
Due to quarantine and none of my classes running on campus, I was studying fully online at that time. The next morning, I found my phone battery low and the charger did not fit in the socket (UK sockets are different from Indian and other Asian ones). I immediately emailed student support and they responded within a few hours saying they will send me an adapter! I had my lectures online that day and it was very relaxing as I felt like I was much closer to the university and other students with the hope of meeting them in person eventually. The university informed me that a voucher for online marketing had already been sent to me by email which I can use to buy necessities. Student Support told me to let them know whether I needed a food box, which was nice of them.
I found the English weather difficult for drying clothes so I dried them on the radiator. I met my housemates in the evening, where we had a movie night which was fun. One more thing I realised apart from the drying experience was that the sun sets by 4 or 5pm which was a bit strange to me as in India even during winter, the sun sets at around 6pm. Anyway, I was learning naturally to fit in while enjoying it all the same.
As I joined in late, the next few days went quickly trying to catch up with assessment materials and pre-recorded classes. My lecturers and the MASH team helped me a lot and I caught up quickly. So if you are joining in late and have missed some lessons do not worry, work on it and you will catch up. I realised in the first few days that the weather here is comfortable, as I like being cosy and prefer the cooler temperature. I was really enjoying the atmosphere!
In short, the first 2 or 3 days passed quickly with the excitement of experiencing something new. A few more days flew by just trying to understand and comprehend the course materials and assignments. I also started an evening routine of trying different recipes. The last few days of my first week were spent planning to meet coursemates and lecturers face-to-face. From my experience, I say, when you land here as an international student, there are lots of awesome and new things waiting for you, so be ready to learn in a friendly, safe and diverse environment!
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