I loved the variety of cultures

1.    What motivated you to study in the UK?

There were several reasons that motivated me to study in the UK. One of them was the chance to expand and deepen my knowledge in science, as well as to get to know a new culture, improve my English, and live new experiences.
 

2.    How was your academic, personal, and cultural life?

• Academic: It was challenging at the beginning because I had graduated two years earlier, so it was a bit of an adjustment to go back to classes, study, follow a schedule, and take exams. However, the professors were excellent and very well-prepared. I learned so much, and the academic level was demanding. The university also had many facilities; it was huge and felt like a small city, with restaurants, a bar, a nightclub, places to socialize, study… a bit of everything.

• Personal: At first, I struggled to adapt, especially because I didn’t live in student residences and I had never lived away from home before. But I loved learning to do everything on my own: getting around by bus and metro, cooking, solving things by myself… It really pushed me out of my comfort zone, and I did things I never thought I would. It was also easy to make friends because we were all in the same situation. I met a lot of people, although it was much easier for me to connect with other Latinos.

• Cultural: I loved the variety of cultures and being able to learn a little from each one. I was always curious about the different traditions and all the cultural exchange we experienced. My classmates were from all over the world.
   

3.    What lessons are you taking with you?

I learned to appreciate things that I used to take for granted, like the sun. I’m from northern Mexico, where it’s almost always sunny and very hot, but here I realized that the sun is something that truly lifts people’s spirits and brings them outside. I was also surprised to discover that I could build a home and even a kind of family on the other side of the world.
 

4.    What do you wish you had known before arriving?

I underestimated it when people told me to take vitamin D, but in winter it sometimes gets dark as early as 4 p.m., and you really do need vitamins because having so few hours of daylight takes a toll. Another thing is how unpredictable the weather is: one minute it’s sunny and the next it’s raining.

- Claudia