I am soon to live my ( mostly comfy) dual existence as professional and PhD overseas distance learner to finish my last year of my PhD resident at my UK institution. I am finding this transition unbelievably hard and sad--perhaps it is because it is around the holidays and I am leaving shortly thereafter.

I knew there would be so many people and things I would miss, but the leave taking is very hard. I am also familiar with the UK having travelled back and forth many times, so its not like I am headed to a complete unknown.

It would be great to hear from anyone else that has moved to the UK from another country to do their studies, and your perspectives on getting settled, dealing with homesickness, and so on.

Thanks!

It's not that hard, you can easily get settled down. just be a man

But I am a woman.

Being a student in many respects is going to be B O R I N G. It will be impossible to study 24/7 but I will not have a lot of funds for typical tourist sight seeing, etc. Maybe a part time job would help? As a "mature" student, my partying days are a decade or so behind me and I have no yen to recapture my lost youth. I just imagine a bleak, dreary existence, staring over the Charles Dickens like cityscape, watching it rain, rain, rain, huddled near the meagre supply of heat, wishing desperately for McDonalds and Starbucks...

it's the UK, not Kazakstan

We do have McDonalds and Starbucks here. Unless you're going to the university of the shetland isles to finish off?

Yes, infact TOO many Starbucks and Mcdonalds.

true........

And Olivia, it really doesn't rain every day (but if you're going to Manchester, Sheffield or Leeds I'd take a brolly)

It's hardly rained in Sheffield recently!

Oh and I wanted to say, most houses/flats have heating.

I'm guessing you are American (which could totally be wrong) but there are parts of the US which are as cold or even colder than the UK (maybe not the Shetlands though).

And we don't have smog anymore, unlike in the Victorian times to which you are referring!

If you're going to London, all the museums are free so you'd hardly be doing expensive tourist stuff every day

The weather in this country is typical for this part of Europe and the fact we are an island with lots of hills just adds to it. Things have moved on from the times of Charles Dickens and we have houses with gas and electricity now so you can be sure of warmth..

Trips abroad are what you make of them, you have to go in with an open mind. Of course you are going to miss home; everyone does when they go out of their comfort zone. My lab has very mixed nationalities and it appears to me that if you come with a negative attitute then you will hate it here. One girl I work with is forever complaining about how bad things are compared to her country and she is forever miserable. Whereas another guy, from the same country, loves it here and is making the most of the experience.

I agree that alot of things are expensive but that is not really a unique feature of the UK. Getting a part time job would be good as it would help prevent boredom and give you chance to meet more people.

"Totally".

By the way, when I first arrived in the UK, I got depressed. This is partly due to the climate. Although it is never really cold in winter, it's also almost never really warm in Summer. In other words, there are no real seasons, which I find very depressing. However, there are worse places to study. Another advice is to watch out for busses when you cross the road. Even if you are standing on the pavement (sidewalk), watch out, as the big side mirrors could easily chop your head off.

Where are you based o.stoll?

I have to say, it's pretty darn cold down here at the moment!

My parents moved here from East Africa. My mum was about 21 when she came over with her older sister in the middle of Winter! She remembers hating it and feeling like she was in jail.

I think it's cold everywhere at the moment, I'm always travelling between Shef and London and I find both equally cold!

Roll on summer (a real one this time please).