100 Things I Wish I Had Known... Before Arrival
Accommodation
When I was accepted at the University of Sheffield I received a booklet about university accommodation. It claimed to be the best value for money, even though I thought it sounded quite expensive. I didn't know that there was such a thing as private student accommodation in the UK, which is much cheaper, before I got to Sheffield and by then I had already signed a contract for expensive university accommodation for the whole semester that I can't get out of.
Lotte, Denmark
I wish I had known about private accommodation and the House Finder on the University website earlier, that would have saved me a lot of money.
Anonymous, Romania
General Information
Courtesy is the best policy.
Julian, Malaysia
I wish I had known that 'You alright?' is a standard greeting that means 'How's it going?'. In the US it is not a greeting. When someone asks you if you're alright, it's because you look troubled and they're asking if you'll be okay. I spent my first two weeks in Sheffield wondering why everybody thought something looked wrong with me.
Anonymous, USA
I wish I had known that they drive on the left hand side of the road! Nearly got hit by a car couple of times in my opening weeks. Thankfully I learnt.
Anonymous, USA
I wish I had known about the Orientation Programme earlier.
Anonymous, Cyprus
There is more sun in Sheffield than they say!
Anonymous, Mauritius
I wish I had known Sheffield is built on 7 hills...
Anonymous, Tanzania
People will call you 'love', 'duck' and 'flower'.
Anonymous, Mauritius
'Ta' means 'Thank you'.
Anonymous, Cyprus
I wish I had known that Sheffield accent is not like what you hear on TV!
Anonymous, Cyprus
Have a look at other International students' own views of Sheffield life on: http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/swirl/index.html
Elena, Cyprus
I wish I'd known that getting/applying for a Schengen visa (to travel in Europe) in the UK was more difficult than back home!
Renate, Sri Lanka
I wish I knew which bank to choose when I arrived. You have to be careful as some of them will give you really bad deals as a foreigner. As a rule, you should avoid those asking for any minimum amount to open your bank account. And make sure to bring a paper issued by the SSiD proving your student status and your address, along with your passport when opening the bank account.
Jo, France
Making Friends
Don't stick around with only people from your own country. You'll miss out horribly on a lot of things. Instead, try to show up to as many events as possible!
Anonymous, Malaysia
Leave your bedroom door open in your room in Halls while you un-pack on your first day, and maybe bring something you can share with your flatmates like beers or cakes - it breaks the ice with other students you'll be living with and helps you to settle in more quickly with people you won't necessarily have met at your international orientation.
Alex, UK
Also, try to resist the temptation to spend all your time with people you met at orientation and other international students - give your UK housemates and coursemates a chance to get to know you. Your experience as an international will be so much more enriched if you spend time with people from the country you're living in. And you'll add to the experiences of your UK friends! Some of the best friends I've made at University were foreign students, and I'm so glad I got to experience their cultures and lives from their perspectives.
Food & Shopping
I am a pure vegetarian, if you are one of them, then be sure to know there are only a few pure vegetarian restaurants in Sheffield, and if you are very cautious about what you eat, it is better to read through all the ingredients to be sure. However, there are plenty of restaurants which sell fast foods like burgers, pizza, pasta, sandwiches etc.
Karishma, Kenya
Health
I wish I had known condoms are free as I brought a lot with me from home which added extra weight I could have used for some extra warm clothing!
Anonymous, Zambia
