The First Steps: Settling into your Overseas University

You have packed your bags, taken the long haul flight and the bus ride to your university campus. You are excited and afraid at the same time. The huge campus of your foreign institution seems daunting, as do the unfamiliar faces and the languages you hear spoken but do not understand.

Take heart. There are simple things you can do to transition safely into settling down.

·    1. The first step that every student should do on arrival at  the campus is to meet with the student ambassadors, unless they are waiting on the gate to welcome the freshmen students. They are generally the senior students who have experienced their first years at college and can give you tips and insights for a safe and comfortable stay.

·    2. A priority should be to register at the university international office if that is where all students are expected to report on arrival. You may have met the recruitment managers when they visited your country during the university fairs, and seeing them will make you comfortable and at ease.

·     3. Asking to meet with other students from your own country can be comforting from the point of view of the language, food finding, and asking for advise.

·     4. Starting the social security and the medical registrations plus registering with the local police if that is mandated as per the country’s law should be your priority. This will help you reach out for help if needed in future.

·    5. Logging the emergency numbers for ambulances, doctors, fire fighting offices, first responders for serious situations and the student volunteers on campus will help you settle in knowing you are protected and taken care of.

·    6. Taking a guided tour of the university and the surrounding neighbourhoods with student guides is a good way to getting to know your way around the lanes and by lanes, looking up food, stationary and student supply joints, and enjoying some touristy places to feel connected with the city.

·    7. Learning simple greetings and everyday words in the local language in the first few weeks helps you get by your daily routines easily.

·    8. Participating in the welcome week lets you meet with your professors, understand the university rules, meet your multicultural classmates, enjoy some fun time before you start classes, and do ice breaking activities to start friendships.

If followed, these simple tips will make your journey into a new pedagogical setting and a new land seamless and easy.