– Sigmund Freud
By Arsim Ahmedi
I got hooked on the idea of studying in the UK as an ambitious undergraduate student. I came to the UK to do a MSc in Engineering in a program Power Electronics, Machines and Drives at the University of Manchester. I was really excited by the challenge and, apart from the academic work, I never thought about all of the mundane difficulties that I might find myself in along this journey.
The first one, for a few weeks, was the difficulty to adjust to the new environment. I came to the UK alone and I didn’t know a single person here, so going to social events and trying to make friends was challenging for an introverted engineer coming from a Balkan country. This was so much out of my comfort zone. I joined sports societies and, as the lectures started, I met my course mates. The usual homesickness kicked in a few weeks later, when I really felt the need to meet people who would make me feel that they get me and with whom I can connect more easily. I feel that ALSA was what I really needed at that moment. This is what we, as an international team, want to achieve and make everyone that moves here have people to connect with from day one, support each other and share experiences – good or bad – and not feel alone.
Being a one-year course with 8 exams and a dissertation, my course was quite intense (as I believe most of MSc programmes in the UK are – so prepare for it). Thus, my schedule was quickly filled with lots of studying, assignments and writing reports. Being busy made me forget about how lost I was feeling initially. I was really focused and tackled one assignment and one exam at a time. You will doubt yourself at times, but remind yourself how far you have come from back home and that you have earned to study here among people coming from all over the world - you have earned your place as much as everyone else. Personally for me, 1 year of hard work didn’t look very long, so that kept me going and motivated me to work as hard as possible. One year was the initial plan but, as I was finishing my MSc, I was offered a funded position to continue to work towards a PhD, and now I am in the third year doing that. My hard work paid off and won me an opportunity to do more hard work.
Apart from focusing on one thing at a time (without too much overthinking), I suggest taking regular breaks, a weekend or a few days off. Use that time to connect with like-minded people at ALSA or anywhere else where you feel welcomed, taking care of your mental and physical health. Use that time to get inspiration and new perspectives from trying new experiences, striking conversations with people, or even just reading books and listening to podcasts. Do not be too hard on yourselves, try to enjoy and get a lesson out of anything that you encounter. When it gets too much, talk to someone (ALSA International Team and mentors). Studying abroad is so much more than getting a prestigious degree and a quality education, it’s about all the little challenges (such as the first time you find your way to the student accommodation or you strike a conversation with a stranger at the local coffee shop) that you thought you can’t do but you now have overcome. It’s about learning more about yourself and how resilient you can be.
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