Once I’d managed to secure my offer to study for a MA in Art History and Curating at the University of Birmingham, I thought the lectures would be the toughest challenge I’d face. And whilst it’s true that all my skills and experiences up to that point really put me to the test academically, I discovered that living on the other side of the world involves so much more than just learning the language.

Once you get past the first few days of adjusting to the accent and start to understand the cultural differences (I realised that ‘you alright’ isn’t a question inviting you to pour your heart out, but simply a ‘hello’), you begin to realise that, somehow, you fit in there: amongst your classmates, the people you live with, and the new friends you’re making.

Other challenges I face may seem minor from the outside, but they are not. I learnt that British politeness has its own codes and that sometimes you have to learn to read between the lines; that football is a sport experienced with a spirit very similar to that of Mexico; that the sea off Wales is freezing, but still enjoyable; that eating fish and chips in a pub is quite a ritual; and that day and night cannot be gauged simply by looking out of the window.

I didn’t just learn about UK culture. Some of my friends come from places as diverse as India, China, Kazakhstan, Korea, Thailand and Japan. I’ve had the chance to celebrate important occasions with them, try their traditional recipes and ask them every question imaginable about their lives and their countries. Comparing their experiences with mine has been one of the most enriching experiences of this year. I’ve learnt a great deal from them, but also about myself, and I’ve learnt to appreciate my own heritage in new ways.

There are many things I wish I’d known before arriving in Birmingham: that the rain isn’t torrential like it is in Aguascalientes, but falls almost imperceptibly, so that it feels as though you’re breathing it in whilst walking through the mist; that even though it gets dark at 3 o’clock in the afternoon, life doesn’t come to a standstill; and that in summer, an eye mask saves you from waking up at 4 in the morning; or that the secret to surviving the winter isn’t to wear the thickest jumper in the world, but to learn to dress in (multiple) layers and have a good waterproof jacket.

However, I realised that there are some things nobody can fully prepare you for. You have to discover them for yourself. I’ve struggled, I’m still learning and I’m still picking up new things, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I packed rather poorly for the British weather; I had no waterproof clothing, nor any shoes that wouldn’t get soaked, and to my surprise, I discovered that the British heat is so humid that 26 degrees can feel as intense as 36 degrees in Mexico (to the point where all the trains stop running!), but, fortunately, I came much better prepared for everything else than I’d imagined.

I arrived thinking mainly about everything I wanted to learn about art and museums; almost a year on, I realise that I’ve also learnt to live on my own in another country, to get by in cultures different from my own, and to trust much more in the education I’d brought with me from Mexico.

- Fernanda Lorena
 

When I was 19, I visited London with my favourite aunt. I’ve always loved history and art, but touring the city’s museums made me realise, for the first time, that one day I wanted to be a historian. When I finally finished my degree, I decided it was time to return to the place where it all began.

I chose to study for a MA in Art History and Curatorship at the University of Birmingham, a programme that is quite rare even within the UK. One of the main reasons was the opportunity to work directly with such an important cultural institution as the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, which forms part of the university, and to learn through collections of international significance. (They have works by artists such as Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun, Édouard Manet, Edgar Degas, Thomas Gainsborough and Bartolomé Esteban Murillo!)

At first, I was daunted by the thought of studying at a university ranked amongst the top 100 in the world. Just securing a place felt like a huge achievement, and I arrived wondering whether I would be up to the challenge. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was indeed prepared. My education in Mexico gave me solid tools to tackle the demands of the master’s programme, and I soon realised that I wasn’t just there to learn from an internationally renowned institution, but that I also had my own knowledge, experiences and perspectives to contribute.

Almost a year after my arrival, I look back and think of that visit when I was 19. I remember spending the whole day wandering through the galleries of museums such as the British Museum, Tate Britain and the National Gallery, and weeping with emotion at the magnificence of what I saw. Years later, I returned to the UK and had the opportunity to conduct research directly from the collections of the V&A and the Barber Institute, to talk to specialists and to get up close to objects I’d never imagined existed behind the scenes, waiting to be researched and to uncover new narratives of which they might form part.

At the age of 19, I gazed at those collections, wondering what it would be like to devote my life to art and history. Returning years later allowed me to discover not only that I could learn from them, but also that I had something of my own to contribute.

- Fernanda Lorena
 

Studying in the UK was not an easy decision. In fact, it was a dream that took me more than a decade to turn into a real plan.

At the time, I was living and working in Canada on a temporary permit. When I started rethinking what I wanted for my future, I realised that leaving Mexico had brought me closer to something I had wanted for many years: studying for a master’s degree in Europe.

But having a dream and actually deciding to pursue it are two very different things.
 

CHOOSING A COUNTRY WAS ONLY THE FIRST STEP

I had to consider the language, the culture, job opportunities, universities, tuition fees, the cost of living, available scholarships and something that was also very important to me: the possibility of building a life in that country after graduation.

My permit in Canada also had an expiry date. I had to decide whether to extend my stay there or use that moment in my life to finally pursue the dream I had postponed for so many years.

The problem was that I had no idea where to start.

I began by messaging friends who had studied somewhere in Europe, and one of them recommended Across the Pond. That recommendation completely changed my application process. Little by little, I realised that the UK met almost everything I was looking for.

Then came the next question: which university should I apply to and, most importantly, how was I going to finance it?
 

GETTING ACCEPTED WAS ONLY PART OF THE CHALLENGE

With the support of Across the Pond, I worked through the application process step by step and eventually received offers from all three universities I applied to.

However, there were still many challenges to overcome.

Because of the timing of my application, I was no longer able to apply for some of the scholarships I had considered, and my master’s programme was not covered by SECIHTI, formerly CONAHCYT. My university offers were also still conditional because I needed to meet the English language requirement.

That was when FUNED and FIDERH became a fundamental part of my financial plan.

At first, I was nervous about taking out a loan to study. Like many people, I associated debt with starting a new chapter of life under immediate financial pressure.

But I gradually learned to see it differently.

I was not simply borrowing money to pay for a university degree. I was looking for a financial tool that would allow me to invest in my education without having to base every decision during my MBA solely on how much money I had available that month.
 

MANAGING THE APPLICATIONS WHILE EVERYTHING ELSE WAS HAPPENING

My friends had warned me that funding applications required documents, time, patience and a lot of organisation.

They were right.

What made my experience even more challenging was the personal situation I was dealing with at the same time.

I was living in Canada, working two jobs, studying for my English exam and, at the same time, my father was hospitalised in Mexico with a serious health condition.

Even my choice of university changed during that period. I had originally decided to study at the University of Edinburgh, but my family circumstances made me reconsider what was best for me, and I eventually chose the University of Sheffield.

There were moments when everything felt overwhelming: university applications, paperwork, the English exam, financial decisions and a difficult family situation were all happening at once.

Having guidance throughout the process made an enormous difference.

My experience taught me that you do not need to have absolutely everything figured out from day one. You just need to start, organise each stage and move forward one document and one decision at a time.
 

THE FUNDING GAVE ME SOMETHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN MONEY

With the support of FUNED and FIDERH, I was able to complement the scholarship I received from the University of Sheffield and have access to funding that helped cover not only my academic commitments, but also the expenses involved in moving to and living in another country.

That was when I realised something I had not fully considered while preparing my budgets in Canada:

Having access to funding also gives you the peace of mind to make better decisions.

Before moving abroad, we calculate almost everything: accommodation, food, transport, university costs and personal expenses. But living in another country always brings unexpected situations.

Knowing that I had financial support allowed me to focus much more on my MBA and experience this stage without the same level of financial pressure that I saw some students around me facing.

Of course, I am very aware that this is money I will need to repay. However, the repayment terms and conditions of these financing options meant that, for me, they became a way of spreading the cost of an important investment over time rather than having to carry the entire financial burden while I was still studying.

Receiving the funds in instalments also helped me manage my money more carefully throughout my postgraduate studies.
 

MY POSTGRADUATE EXPERIENCE BECAME ABOUT MUCH MORE THAN STUDYING

One of the best pieces of advice someone gave me before I started was:

“Enjoy your year as a student, because time does not come back, and eventually we all return to working life.”

I tried to remember that throughout my MBA.

Having greater financial peace of mind allowed me to enjoy the experience outside the classroom as well.

I travelled to different cities across the UK, met people from many nationalities, joined language exchange groups, tried food from cultures I knew very little about, discovered new hobbies and, for the first time in a long while, gave myself the space to stop and think clearly about what I wanted for my future.

After many years of working, that time also gave me the opportunity to focus on myself again.

That is something I could never have fully appreciated while I was completing applications and calculating budgets from Canada.
 

AN INVESTMENT THAT MADE MY NEXT CHAPTER POSSIBLE

Living and studying abroad is a significant investment, and applying for financing can be intimidating.

It was for me too.

But today, I see FUNED and FIDERH as tools that helped turn something that had been only a dream for many years into a real experience.

They did more than simply help me pay for a postgraduate degree. They gave me the financial breathing room to focus on learning, adapt to another country, take advantage of the opportunities that appeared along the way and enjoy a stage of my life that I knew would not happen again in quite the same way.

And if I could say something to the version of myself who was in Canada, working, studying English, worried about her family and wondering whether she could really manage all of this, it would be very simple:

Start. You do not need to know how to solve everything from day one.

Thank you to FUNED and FIDERH for helping make this chapter possible, and to Across the Pond for supporting me through a process that, at the beginning, felt far more complicated than I thought I could manage.

In the end, completing my MBA in the UK was not only about fulfilling my dream of studying for a master’s degree in Europe.

It was about proving to myself that the dream I had postponed for so many years could still become a reality.

- Carolina
 

Moving to the UK from Santiago, Chile, to pursue my Master of Laws in International Business Law at King's College London was an incredible experience. Having worked as an in-house corporate lawyer back home, I wanted to immerse myself in a global legal hub to deepen my knowledge of international investment law and WTO regulations. King's College provided exactly that, with professors who genuinely care about the students and bring a wealth of practical experience to the classroom.

Life in London is undoubtedly different from Santiago. The most immediate shift was the weather; the UK winters can feel quite dark and chilly compared to the bright, warm climate I am used to in central Chile. As I was biking, my advice is to always check the weather app! It can stop at any point. However, you quickly learn to appreciate the cozy pub culture and the fact that London is so vibrant, it completely makes up for the gray skies. Finding student housing in London can be pricey, but the investment is entirely worth the money for the sheer convenience of living in such a historic, well-connected city.

Outside of my studies, the UK offered an amazing playground for my personal interests. I am a huge fan of underground electronic music and minimal techno, so being able to regularly attend events at legendary venues like fabric, ministry of sound or koko was a dream. I also dove headfirst into English football culture, exploring the history and attending matches of clubs like AFC Wimbledon, Queens Park Rangers, and Charlton Athletic. When I needed a break from the city, I even traveled up to Liverpool to run a half-marathon!

Studying in the UK was one of the best decisions I have ever made. It not only advanced my career but gave me lifelong memories of music, sports, and a truly global community. Moving to a new country was totally worth it.

 - Juan de Dios
 

When I started looking for student accommodation in Sheffield, I thought the most important things were simple: price and distance from the university.

I was wrong.

Moving to another country makes you realise that the place you choose to live can influence almost every part of your student experience: how much time you have, how easily you meet people, how comfortable you feel, how much you spend outside your rent, and even how well you cope with stressful university weeks.

For me, finding Vita Student Accommodation in Sheffield turned out to be one of the best decisions I made during my MBA.
 

THE SHEFFIELD HILLS TAUGHT ME A LESSON

Unlike many international students, I was fortunate enough to stay with friends when I first arrived in Sheffield. This gave me time to explore the city before choosing somewhere to live.

And I quickly discovered something I had definitely not considered while looking at maps from abroad: Sheffield has hills. Lots of them.

A place that looked conveniently close to the university on Google Maps could feel very different when you actually walked there.

That experience changed the way I looked at accommodation. Location was no longer simply about distance. I started thinking about transportation, convenience, safety, facilities and what my everyday routine would actually look like.

That is how I found Vita.
 

WHAT WAS ACTUALLY INCLUDED?

At first glance, Vita was not the cheapest accommodation option I considered. But I quickly realised that comparing rent alone did not tell the whole story.

During my stay, my accommodation included things that I would otherwise have had to organise and pay for separately: breakfast on weekdays, coffee, a gym, university transportation, room cleaning, social activities and several communal spaces.

There were areas to study and socialise, games, laundry facilities, a cinema room and even a large kitchen that residents could use for gatherings with friends.

My studio was also completely private, with my own bathroom and kitchen.

As an international student adjusting to a new country while doing an intensive postgraduate degree, having everything in one place made my life much easier.
 

PAYING LESS RENT DOESN'T ALWAYS MEAN SPENDING LESS

This was probably the biggest lesson I learned about choosing student accommodation.

Some of my friends paid less rent than I did, but their everyday experience was very different.

Some regularly paid for public transport or taxis. Others had gym memberships. Some shared kitchens with several flatmates and eventually preferred eating outside because keeping a communal kitchen clean was difficult.

I began to realise that accommodation should not be evaluated only by the number you see on the booking page.

Once I considered transportation, food, the gym, facilities, convenience and—perhaps most importantly—my time, Vita made much more sense financially and practically for me.

Sometimes the cheapest room is not necessarily the option that gives you the best value.
 

THE EVENTS I NEVER EXPECTED TO NEED

The part of Vita that surprised me most was not my room or the facilities.

It was the events.

There were cooking classes with chefs, fitness sessions with instructors, creative workshops, cocktail-making activities and many other opportunities to try something different.

People attended for different reasons. Some wanted to meet new friends. Some came for the food. Others wanted to exercise or simply have fun.

For me, they became something else.

MBA life can be intense. There were days when I would return home after classes or hours of working on assignments and discover that there was a painting or pottery activity happening downstairs.

Being able to walk into a room, put my laptop away and spend some time making something with my hands gave me a mental break that I did not realise I needed.

That is one of those things that is difficult to put a price on.
 

FROM A STUDENT BUILDING TO MY HOME

When you move abroad, you leave behind more than your house. You leave your routines, familiar places, family, friends and all those little things that normally make you feel at home.

That is why I believe choosing accommodation as an international student is about much more than finding somewhere to sleep.

You are choosing the place you will return to after a difficult exam, where you will make dinner after a long day, where you may meet some of your first friends and where a significant part of your experience abroad will happen.

Vita started as simply the building where I was going to live while completing my MBA.

Eventually, it became the place where I exercised, studied, relaxed, met people, tried new things and created memories completely unrelated to university.

Somewhere along the way, it stopped feeling like student accommodation.

It became my home in Sheffield.

My advice to anyone choosing accommodation from another country is simple: don't look only at the rent and the distance on a map. Think about the life you want to have once you arrive.

Sometimes where you live becomes one of the most important parts of studying abroad.

- Carolina