Freshers advice for international students from your international sabbatical officers:
- Get on the coach the uni has going to pick up international students from Birmingham! It’s a great way to meet people, and you’re all a bit nervous about getting there so that’s a shared experience. Most of you have never stepped foot in Aberystwyth before so you’re all in a similar mood. As international officers, we got on the coach when we got to Aber four years ago and it was reassuring to see familiar faces around campus for a while 😊
- Socialising in a language that isn’t your mother tongue is tiring. Don’t beat yourself up if you ask people to repeat themselves, this is just part of the process before becoming completely fluent. You’ve got this, and no, your English doesn’t suck!
- Don’t hesitate to make it known to your lecturers that you’re international, they will be able to support you and better explain what’s expected of you and how higher education works in Wales.
- Embrace how rich immersing yourself in a second culture is and share your own culture with other people!
- Attend the Undeb’s Big Sale to get things like pots, pans, plates, … for free!
- Go to the international meet and greet, everyone there will be in the same boat as you and will also be very keen to make friends.
- Join a club or a society, whether you are here for 3 years or just a semester, a student group is an amazing way to make friends and continue or start a new hobby despite being away from home.
- Go on the town tour! It's a great way to do the first shop with fellow students, and there will be people making sure you don't get lost while the town still feels unfamiliar to you.