It's no secret that getting out of your comfort zone is not an easy process and when I moved to England to start my university life, it was more complicated than I thought.

My dream as a child was always to become an actress or a Tae Kwon Do world champion, but for some reasons, my career as an athlete did not bear fruit. So, I decided to follow my other dream, and what I am studying is "Acting and stage combat”. When I read the name of the career I fell in love because it was like putting together my two dreams, Tae Kwon Do and acting. This career is basically acting, but they also teach you the basics concepts of safety to act in a fight without hurting your teammates, you also learn to handle different weapon systems such as swords, knives, shields, firearms or just your own body for unarmed fights.

The selection of the university was relatively simple, since the University of Essex (East 15 Acting School) was the only one in the world that offered the degree I wanted, so we can say that I did not have many options.

I'm not going to lie I would have loved this degree to be here in Mexico or at least in a country with a Spanish-speaking language. I really did not want to leave, I am a person very attached to my roots, to my family, to mexican food, I love the sun, and on top of that, I’m shy and without the best English (literally I got the minimum qualification to enter university).

I am grateful of that day that I took the flight to London and even though there have been times when I felt very alone, what I have gained from this experience has been much more, especially personal-wise. If we talk about academics, my English is still not the best, but it has improved significantly, I can say that two of my teachers have been the best teachers I have ever had and I have learned to manage the money. But personal growth has surpassed academics, I have learned a lot from myself, and it has made me have to overcome challenges, thus giving me the necessary confidence to trust in my problem-solving abilities.

My advice to you is to give yourself the opportunity to be a beginner again, you will have to find new favourite places, new restaurants, new ways of comfort, even new food products when you go to the supermarket! And if you're not fluent in English and you're a shy person like me, it'll probably cost you a bit more, but once we learn in this life to be comfortable with the unknown, we'll be unstoppable in any field.
 

THINGS I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO KNOW BEFORE I LEAVE…

- Meeting Across the Pond before: I arrived a week late for my classes because the university had not given me a document that I needed to apply for my visa, but I met Across the Pond and they speeded the process, so if it wasn’t for them, I would have been a month late. They are very helpful and friendly, also it is always good to have someone who is guiding you in the process and to whom you can ask all the doubts that arise.

- Your English doesn't need to be the best to survive: The truth is that people are very patient and kind and have no problem with helping, so don't be afraid to ask. With my basic English I survived the train, airports, supermarkets, school services, etc.

- Take your favourite seasonings with you: There are certain seasonings that you will not find in the new country, or maybe they are from the same brand, but they will not taste the same. If they are fundamental to you, I really recommend you to bring them, for example, I filled my suitcase with spicy sweets and sauces.

- Accommodation: There are some student residences that offer three-year contracts and give you a discount for that. However, I recommend that you also take the option of living the first year in the student residence, meeting people and then moving out to a house with your same classmates and it will be much cheaper. Or rent an Airbnb for a month and then find a place to live.

- Clothing: Winter clothes are better to buy here, they are better prepared and probably with more quality.

-  Airports: Keep in mind that some airlines if you buy a round trip and you miss the first flight, you also lose the return flight. So you can also evaluate the option of buying the flights separately or talk with the airline to see if they let you to take just the return flight.

- Banks: There are some places that only accept English cards for any deposits or payments. The Revolut bank can help you to get a British card fast and easy to process it, literally all the process is from your phone.

- Internet package: Something that helped me a lot was having internet on my phone to use Google translator, directions on Google Maps, to get ubers or taxis. I use Voxi because I can pay with my Mexican card without any problem and the price is very reasonable.

Good luck guys and enjoy your new experience! ?

- Daniela