Being an international student, travelling miles away from home and landing somewhere completely new is an adventure all on its own. It's the start of a new life and comes with highs and lows that not everyone can understand or relate to. One of our students had the opportunity to travel to America and study abroad for one year. Have a read of how she coped with being away from home, along with a few top tips to help in your first week!

Leaving home and everything you know behind, to become an international student abroad is not something done lightly. It takes months of planning, and preparation and comes with a lot of excitement for opportunities, as well as worries about your new life and how you’ll settle in.

One of the main things to remember is that there are people to help and guide you every step of the way, No question is a silly question, and you can ask as many as you want. When I became an international student, I think I sent an email every other day with a new question. The whole process was daunting for someone who’d never moved away from their hometown, but I wasn’t alone, many other international students were in the same situation. Through University services, we found each other in online groups and began to network and share worries and solutions to help ourselves feel more at ease. Getting used to University systems can take a while and be a little confusing. Making yourself familiar with the systems by spending some time looking around and finding services and features will help you feel a lot more confident and less overwhelmed with what is going on. If you’re having trouble with University platforms, you can always head to the Library service desk for some help on navigating them.

I knew that there would be an official orientation for international students, but that didn’t stop me from wandering around the University, booking onto events and trying to meet new people. To calm my nerves and allow myself to feel more excited, I looked through the University and Students’ Union website and social media platforms multiple times, even at the airport after landing. I made note of all the Freshers events and set alarms on my phone so that I wouldn’t miss anything! After the rush of your first week, one day you can go from being ‘on top of the world’ to rock bottom, you can go from feeling all the excitement and newness to feeling alone and overwhelmed with where you are. Going away from campus can help battle this, you can look forward to your next adventure, whether that’s a bus or train ride away or just to visit a local market etc. Our Preston and Burnley campuses’ are both next to busy bus and train stations with connections all over the country! Bringing the excitement and newness back helps with feeling homesick.

There will inevitably be times that you get homesick and feel low, just wanting to be with your loved ones or visiting back home, but there is a way to help combat this a little. Keeping in touch with your family and friends in your home country is so important! Things that would usually seem small, like a text and a call now hold more value. Updating them on your day and experiences and asking about what they are doing is sure to help you still feel connected thousands of miles apart.

Being an international student comes with challenges but overall opens you up to incredible opportunities and experiences. If you are ever feeling like you are struggling talk to your friends and family or the advice team, everyone is here to help and wants to see you succeed. Make sure you come on down to our Freshers events to get the most out of your first few weeks with us and to meet some amazing new people!

- Written by International Student, Jess H,