My First Month Studying in the UK (Pre-Departure Prep)

I figured I had some thoughts worth sharing with everyone

For now it's probably more of a casual ramble

It might be a pretty disorganized post

Apologies in advance if that bugs you (◐‿◑)

📍About applying:

I think I'll write a separate post on applying

I applied through a study-abroad agency, and through a series of mix-ups I went through three different case advisors

Some were good and some were bad. I think it's worth sharing in detail🤔

📍Pre-departure prep:

(1) How much luggage should you bring?

I'm guessing that if you've made it to the pre-departure stage

you probably already have plenty of resources to go on

I also read through a lot of posts online + went to all kinds of pre-departure info sessions

(Side note: going through customs in Taiwan, I didn't notice I had face wash in my carry-on. Liquids over 100ml like that aren't allowed!

Most people probably know this, but just a reminder)

In the end I put together my own list

My mindset was: the less luggage the better

I ended up filling one 28-inch suitcase & one shoulder bag & a backpack

Here are some things I'm glad / regret that I did / didn't bring:

· Glad I brought:

Medicine for a stuffy nose & sore throat, thermal underwear (it starts getting cold around October, especially at night, and people around me have been catching colds one after another)

· Regret bringing:

Plug adapters (I use an iPhone, and the adapter I brought broke⋯ my phone nearly died at Dubai airport ಠ_ಠ. I ended up just buying Apple's universal charging brick and it turned out to be super handy. I can use it in Europe later, and it charges super fast)

· Glad I didn't bring:

A hair dryer (there are tons of secondhand ones and they're a great deal; if you don't want secondhand, check prices on Amazon first before deciding), regular bowls and plates

· Regret not bringing:

A Chinese cleaver, a small rice cooker, Taiwanese rice, T-shirts and shorts (I got to the UK on 9/7, and it hadn't started getting cold yet; it was even a bit hot because a lot of indoor spaces in the UK don't have AC⋯ I really recommend bringing a few), a small electric fan, binder clips

(2) Military service issues for draft-age men

I'm not sure if the staff at every district office in Taiwan are this friendly

But back then I just went and asked at my own district office

They patiently explained the whole process to me

First, remember that we don't need to apply for a "deferment of enlistment" (延緩入營)

(One of my terrible agency advisors told me to apply for it⋯)

Instead, you need to give some documents to the district office and the National Immigration Agency

You'll get a period of time when you can leave and enter the country freely

After that period, if you come back to Taiwan, you'll need proof

Once you're studying here, request a certificate of enrollment & a certification from the representative office in Taiwan + a Chinese translation

Hand them in to the district office when you're back, and you're a free person

After that you can leave and re-enter as many times as you like until you graduate!

(3) Flights:

I bought an Emirates ticket. With the student discount from an international student ID card, I thought it was a really good deal (check the official website for the details)

Also, if you're unlucky enough to have a really long layover in Dubai, you can apply for free accommodation in Dubai (4-star, huge rooms)

So basically you get to spend a day in Dubai before heading to the UK (◐‿◑)

Personally I thought the hotel was pretty great, and some of the food was really good🤤

One more tip: on a connecting flight, even if you leave the airport

you don't need to check in again when you come back for your connection!

(My first layover, I was a bit panicked⋯ and worried I wouldn't be able to get back in once I left)

📷 1: in-flight meal, 2: the hotel buffet

Also, about which airport is more convenient

I saw people say the lines at Heathrow are super long, so I went with Gatwick. Waiting in the immigration line took almost an hour overall

I haven't been through Heathrow yet, so I can't compare for now～

As for the questions they ask at immigration

I prepared a whole stack of documents, and the officer only looked at the first page

Then asked which university I'd be attending and what I'd be studying, and let me through

So don't stress too much～ (I didn't bring a health certificate either)

Also, I saw a fast-track lane available at Gatwick

I looked it up online and it seems Taiwan is eligible

Look into it if you're interested!

(Someone shared info in the Dcard comments)

As for getting into the city, I had originally booked National Express

But I missed it after picking up my luggage, so I thought I'd try the bus & Tube

Turns out it's super convenient! You can ride with Apple Pay or a credit card

Here you can pretty much live on mobile payments alone

I highly recommend setting it up!

📍Daily life & classes:

I'm realizing there's actually a lot I could write about⋯

So I've decided not to cram it all into one post (◐‿◑)

The next post will be about applying, and the one after that about daily life

(If there isn't much to say, I'll add what classes are actually like)

If you're interested, feel free to follow me on Dcard:

精算小黑

https://dcard.me/@moose0223