Necessities for (international) students and things to keep in mind

Different societies to what? Which ones?

Reply 3

OP

Original post by GreenBell

Where are you coming from?

Finland

Reply 4

OP

Original post by 999tigger

Different societies to what? Which ones?

I mostly used it as an example to show how oblivious I am to the student life in the UK
As for the actual societies, (I saw at my university's page) I'm thinking of joining the biology society since I'm going to study biochemistry.

Reply 5

999tigger

Original post by Hnrkhl

I mostly used it as an example to show how oblivious I am to the student life in the UK
As for the actual societies, (I saw at my university's page) I'm thinking of joining the biology society since I'm going to study biochemistry.

You need money and a passport.

Just start making a list of things you will need to do.

Passport, bank account etc.

Think of things that are unique or you cna only buy at home. You should get most things here.

Reply 6

doodle_333

It will depend a little on your city. Some will have good options for bus passes and in others a bike is better and for some no transport is needed. You will want contents insurance on your possessions which you can get at lots of student insurance companies e.g. endsleigh. You can think about which supermarket you want - aldi/lidl are cheapest but if you prefer tesco etc then you can get a loyalty card - these points can be spent in restaurants and stuff which is nice.

Reply 7

OP

Original post by doodle_333

It will depend a little on your city. Some will have good options for bus passes and in others a bike is better and for some no transport is needed. You will want contents insurance on your possessions which you can get at lots of student insurance companies e.g. endsleigh. You can think about which supermarket you want - aldi/lidl are cheapest but if you prefer tesco etc then you can get a loyalty card - these points can be spent in restaurants and stuff which is nice.

Thanks! This is exactly the kind of information I am looking for. Are health insurances something I need to look into? I am a bit confused about the entire system.

Reply 8

I think if you're a student here then you will get free healthcare on the NHS, not including prescriptions or dentist as UK students are not exempt from these but you should check this.
Definitely try shopping aldi/lidl as cheapest however if you prefer to get shopping delivered there are apps for this - I think ASDA is cheapest delivery supermarket.
Wilkos is a good shop for cheap stationery and such required for a university course, alternatively WHSmith.

If I think of anything else I'll edit.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 9

OP

Original post by fxlloutboyy

I think if you're a student here then you will get free healthcare on the NHS, not including prescriptions or dentist as UK students are not exempt from these but you should check this.
Definitely try shopping aldi/lidl as cheapest however if you prefer to get shopping delivered there are apps for this - I think ASDA is cheapest delivery supermarket.
Wilkos is a good shop for cheap stationery and such required for a university course, alternatively WHSmith.

If I think of anything else I'll edit.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Thanks a lot! I do have something called the European Health Insurance Card, I'm not sure if it'll be of any help but I'll look into the NHS system you mentioned.

...also, I didn't know delivery supermarkets were a thing

Reply 10

Original post by Hnrkhl

Thanks a lot! I do have something called the European Health Insurance Card, I'm not sure if it'll be of any help but I'll look into the NHS system you mentioned.

...also, I didn't know delivery supermarkets were a thing

Yeah supermarkets deliver here, we are truly a lazy country very convenient though

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 11

sek510i

16

People often forget plug adapters. Local money (take some in cash, in case there's a problem. Not a huge amount, just enough that you won't starve if you can't find your card or something). ID (passport, European health insurance card and your college will probably give you some ID too). Bring a notepad and something with wifi (phone, laptop etc) and have one or both with you whenever possible.

UK students spend a lot of time studying privately, so earplugs and headphones for busy libraries might help (I don't know if this is UK specific, but some people struggle with the background noise).

Socially, depending on what you're used to, the drinking might seem excessive. Some unis have more alcohol than others, but I heard a lot of international students here commenting on how much students here drink.

The emergency phone number is 999 and puts you through to police, fire, ambulance, coastguard or mountain rescue. All of these services are free to call.

People in the UK drive on the left. If you are not used to this, take extra care when you're crossing the road (especially when you're tired, or if you've been drinking).

Religion isn't a particularly big thing here, so if you are religious then you might find it useful to join the relavant student society. They can help with finding places of worship, and stuff like that.

A lot of this advice isn't specific to international students. Do you have any specific areas that you're worried about or unsure about?

Reply 12

OP

Original post by sek510i

A lot of this advice isn't specific to international students. Do you have any specific areas that you're worried about or unsure about?

I would never have thought about the road crossing thing, thanks.
Here are some more lighter issues I couldn't be bother to create a new thread for (most of them are university related since it's what is making me the most anxious)

As for things that I am stressing about beforehand, dress code has to be one of them. I think of styling my clothes and doing my make up carefully as a hobby. My make up is nothing over the top, but I always overdress on every occasion. I have no idea what people wear to university and since I dislike attention and my clothes seem to always attract some, I am definitely nervous about the first impression people will have of me. I am still going to be myself and wear what I like the best, but I would love to know what to expect beforehand.

How people treat international students and what kind of prejudice the Brits have towards the "Nordics" (I mean Swedes, Norwegians, Finns, Danes, etc.). Should I expect people to be mean or have some expectations...?

How social are people in the UK? Should I expect someone to approach me with small talk etc.? Is it easy to make friends at uni? I am fairly unsocial so I probably wont approach anyone myself, but I am not thrilled about the idea of sulking for 4+ years without any mates.

How should I go about when it comes to dental care? In Finland it's really simple and cheap, so I am used to doing regular checkups just because.

Brexit. I am not really up to date with all of the changes Brexit will bring with it. What should I take into account? For example, I've decided to open a savings account adjacent to my Finnish bank services since I feel like the value of pound might be unstable in the near future.

Is the food expensive? Is it realistic to make do with 20-25 pounds / week spent on food?

I am planning to work alongside with my studies (max. 20h / week). What is the hourly wage I can expect to get paid without any significant work experience? I am mostly thinking of working at a "beauty" store selling cosmetics etc. or at a clothes shop. However, thinking about the amount of money I need in order to cover my living expenses, I would need to get paid 10 pounds per hour; are there any jobs with this kind of pay? I have no idea if this is realistic or not.

What kind of expenses should I expect from university courses? Books? Equipment? The course I am taking is biochemistry. All of the info online seemed so wishy-washy.

I don't drink alcohol. At all. I don't like people who drink excessively and I have no intention of ever accompanying someone for a drink, even if I wouldn't be the one drinking. How likely is it that I'll be instantly left out? This happens constantly with my friends to the point where no one even bothers to ask me anywhere or spend any time with me. Smoking is also a big no, not to mention drugs.

What are the winters like in the UK? Is there much snow? How cold is it? I tried to look it up but I couldn't get a clear overall picture from the statistics. In Finland during winter the temperature usually at some point gets to a solid -30 degrees Celsius. It's so cold it literally hurts. Sometimes it also gets so slippery outside people are told to stay indoors to avoid injuries. What can I expect from the winter in the UK?

Summers?

I can probably ask a million questions because I'm so curious and ignorant. These are just some I came up with late at night. Thanks beforehand!

And how exactly am I supposed to address the professors? In Finland you can just call the teachers by their first names and I have had loads of teachers who are more like a friend than an authority. This means that if I had a teacher called Mickey Mouse, I could easily go up to him and say: Sup Mickey. I feel like in the UK that might be the wrong way to go about things and I would end up coming off rude.

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 13

sek510i

16

Original post by Hnrkhl

I would never have thought about the road crossing thing, thanks.
Here are some more lighter issues I couldn't be bother to create a new thread for (most of them are university related since it's what is making me the most anxious)

As for things that I am stressing about beforehand, dress code has to be one of them. I think of styling my clothes and doing my make up carefully as a hobby. My make up is nothing over the top, but I always overdress on every occasion. I have no idea what people wear to university and since I dislike attention and my clothes seem to always attract some, I am definitely nervous about the first impression people will have of me. I am still going to be myself and wear what I like the best, but I would love to know what to expect beforehand.

How people treat international students and what kind of prejudice the Brits have towards the "Nordics" (I mean Swedes, Norwegians, Finns, Danes, etc.). Should I expect people to be mean or have some expectations...?

How social are people in the UK? Should I expect someone to approach me with small talk etc.? Is it easy to make friends at uni? I am fairly unsocial so I probably wont approach anyone myself, but I am not thrilled about the idea of sulking for 4+ years without any mates.

How should I go about when it comes to dental care? In Finland it's really simple and cheap, so I am used to doing regular checkups just because.

Brexit. I am not really up to date with all of the changes Brexit will bring with it. What should I take into account? For example, I've decided to open a savings account adjacent to my Finnish bank services since I feel like the value of pound might be unstable in the near future.

Is the food expensive? Is it realistic to make do with 20-25 pounds / week spent on food?

I am planning to work alongside with my studies (max. 20h / week). What is the hourly wage I can expect to get paid without any significant work experience? I am mostly thinking of working at a "beauty" store selling cosmetics etc. or at a clothes shop. However, thinking about the amount of money I need in order to cover my living expenses, I would need to get paid 10 pounds per hour; are there any jobs with this kind of pay? I have no idea if this is realistic or not.

What kind of expenses should I expect from university courses? Books? Equipment? The course I am taking is biochemistry. All of the info online seemed so wishy-washy.

I don't drink alcohol. At all. I don't like people who drink excessively and I have no intention of ever accompanying someone for a drink, even if I wouldn't be the one drinking. How likely is it that I'll be instantly left out? This happens constantly with my friends to the point where no one even bothers to ask me anywhere or spend any time with me. Smoking is also a big no, not to mention drugs.

What are the winters like in the UK? Is there much snow? How cold is it? I tried to look it up but I couldn't get a clear overall picture from the statistics. In Finland during winter the temperature usually at some point gets to a solid -30 degrees Celsius. It's so cold it literally hurts. Sometimes it also gets so slippery outside people are told to stay indoors to avoid injuries. What can I expect from the winter in the UK?

Summers?

I can probably ask a million questions because I'm so curious and ignorant. These are just some I came up with late at night. Thanks beforehand!

And how exactly am I supposed to address the professors? In Finland you can just call the teachers by their first names and I have had loads of teachers who are more like a friend than an authority. This means that if I had a teacher called Mickey Mouse, I could easily go up to him and say: Sup Mickey. I feel like in the UK that might be the wrong way to go about things and I would end up coming off rude.

I've got similar problems when it comes to fashion, so I'm probably not the best person to ask about that :/
I wouldn't worry too much about standing out. It'll make you more memorable and that makes making friends easier, especially at the start of term when everybody is struggling to remember each other's names and where they know each other from.

I don't know of many stereotypes about people from those countries. When people talk about Finland it tends to be how good the education system is, so you might get some questions about that.

I spend a lot of my time avoiding socialising, but in the first few weeks I think it would help to push yourself. At the start of university, everybody is trying to make new friends, and it's a time when everybody is similarly nervous

I would take advantage of the fact that most of the other students will also be feeling a bit awkward and try to talk to as many people as you can early on. I really had to push myself when I first went to uni, but it paid off.

People will probably initiate things too, though. Small talk is common before and after most lectures. If you're in London, people may seem a bit more antisocial though. Londoners often seem a bit cold to people from elsewhere, but it's not deliberate.

Dental care is one of the few things that the NHS does not do for free. It might be worth getting a checkup before coming over, because it'll cost quite a lot once you're here. In four years of studying I think I visited a dentist six times, because I don't have much time or money for it. Your university should be able to tell you where the best local dentists are though.

The NHS website has these prices listed;

•

Emergency dental treatment – £20.60
This covers emergency care in a primary care NHS dental practice such as pain relief or a temporary filling.

•

Band 1 course of treatment – £20.60This covers an examination, diagnosis (including X-rays), advice on how to prevent future problems, a scale and polish if clinically needed, and preventative care such as the application of fluoride varnish or fissure sealant if appropriate.

•

Band 2 course of treatment – £56.30This covers everything listed in Band 1 above, plus any further treatment such as fillings, root canal work or removal of teeth but not more complex items covered by Band 3.

•

Band 3 course of treatment – £244.30This covers everything listed in Bands 1 and 2 above, plus crowns, dentures, bridges and other laboratory work.

I think that twenty pounds a week is more than you would need to spend on food, especially given that you aren't buying alcohol. I asked some friends about their weekly food budget, and they were spending between seven and twenty five pounds a week on food, and they were all quite comfortable with that. If you've got twenty five pounds a week to spend on food, you should be fine.

Your pay will vary greatly depending on where you are in the country. I studied in London, and got £8.90 an hour working in a shop. My friend in Nottingham gets £7.70 an hour for doing administrative work (both of us applied without previous work experience). It depends on which company you're working for and where you're based, but ten pounds an hour would be the upper limit in most places, I expect.

Most universities provide any specialist equipment you might need, but not the textbooks. They should have some copies in their library, but it's probably a good idea to set some money aside in case you have to buy your own.

Alcohol is unfortunately a big part of university social life at most places. If you join student societies, they'll probably be okay. Most universities start each term with a Fresher's Week, which is basically just a series of parties, and that may be harder to avoid. I would recommend asking if people drink early on You'll probably get a lot of invitations to pubs and clubs, but it's not the end of the world if you turn them down.

Drugs aren't too hard to avoid. I really hate being around smokers (weed and tobacco) but it was all fine at uni. Drugs and alcohol tend to come together, so if you're avoiding one, you'll probably avoid the other too :smile:

It's been a long time since we had proper snow in the South of the UK. Scotland and the North have it more often, but nothing like Finland. Scotland seems to have a little bit of snow in the winter, and the rest of the UK has so little that it's not really worth worrying about.

This week, the temperature here has been about 30 degrees. During summer, that's likely to be the highest it gets. Scotland is generally colder, though.

I use first names for some of my lecturers, but not all of them. I would wait to see what they introduce themselves as, and perhaps wait to see what other students call them as well. There isn't really a universal convention, it just depends on the individual lecturer.

I am a bit overtired at the moment, so I apologise if there are any mistakes or if anything is unclear here (let me know and I will clarify when I am next fully awake).

Reply 14

Original post by Hnrkhl

I would never have thought about the road crossing thing, thanks.
Here are some more lighter issues I couldn't be bother to create a new thread for (most of them are university related since it's what is making me the most anxious)

As for things that I am stressing about beforehand, dress code has to be one of them. I think of styling my clothes and doing my make up carefully as a hobby. My make up is nothing over the top, but I always overdress on every occasion. I have no idea what people wear to university and since I dislike attention and my clothes seem to always attract some, I am definitely nervous about the first impression people will have of me. I am still going to be myself and wear what I like the best, but I would love to know what to expect beforehand.

How people treat international students and what kind of prejudice the Brits have towards the "Nordics" (I mean Swedes, Norwegians, Finns, Danes, etc.). Should I expect people to be mean or have some expectations...?

How social are people in the UK? Should I expect someone to approach me with small talk etc.? Is it easy to make friends at uni? I am fairly unsocial so I probably wont approach anyone myself, but I am not thrilled about the idea of sulking for 4+ years without any mates.

How should I go about when it comes to dental care? In Finland it's really simple and cheap, so I am used to doing regular checkups just because.

Brexit. I am not really up to date with all of the changes Brexit will bring with it. What should I take into account? For example, I've decided to open a savings account adjacent to my Finnish bank services since I feel like the value of pound might be unstable in the near future.

Is the food expensive? Is it realistic to make do with 20-25 pounds / week spent on food?

I am planning to work alongside with my studies (max. 20h / week). What is the hourly wage I can expect to get paid without any significant work experience? I am mostly thinking of working at a "beauty" store selling cosmetics etc. or at a clothes shop. However, thinking about the amount of money I need in order to cover my living expenses, I would need to get paid 10 pounds per hour; are there any jobs with this kind of pay? I have no idea if this is realistic or not.

What kind of expenses should I expect from university courses? Books? Equipment? The course I am taking is biochemistry. All of the info online seemed so wishy-washy.

I don't drink alcohol. At all. I don't like people who drink excessively and I have no intention of ever accompanying someone for a drink, even if I wouldn't be the one drinking. How likely is it that I'll be instantly left out? This happens constantly with my friends to the point where no one even bothers to ask me anywhere or spend any time with me. Smoking is also a big no, not to mention drugs.

What are the winters like in the UK? Is there much snow? How cold is it? I tried to look it up but I couldn't get a clear overall picture from the statistics. In Finland during winter the temperature usually at some point gets to a solid -30 degrees Celsius. It's so cold it literally hurts. Sometimes it also gets so slippery outside people are told to stay indoors to avoid injuries. What can I expect from the winter in the UK?

Summers?

I can probably ask a million questions because I'm so curious and ignorant. These are just some I came up with late at night. Thanks beforehand!

And how exactly am I supposed to address the professors? In Finland you can just call the teachers by their first names and I have had loads of teachers who are more like a friend than an authority. This means that if I had a teacher called Mickey Mouse, I could easily go up to him and say: Sup Mickey. I feel like in the UK that might be the wrong way to go about things and I would end up coming off rude.

Students will wear whatever they want anyway you'll see a range from looking nice with smart business like dress, to jeans and top, to pyjamas if it's a 9am lecture. No one will care what you wear.

As a culture British people are pretty unsociable however you will find many people that aren't, I'd say trust your instinct on whether you talk to a person.

Food can be cheap if you live off pasta and potatoes, with a few other things obviously. I'd budget to spend £25-30,this is average.

Minimum wage is 4.05 for under 18, 5.65 for over 16 and 7.50 for over 25s. Dependent on what bracket you're in, your pay will differ. You can't expect £10 an hour from a part time sales position it's more likely to be the minimum wage. I'd also suggest 20 Hours a week may be too much but depends how you control your time.

Books are expensive, try ordering online amazon or ebay for example or borrowing from library.

Winter will be warmer than at home, definitely, but still cold. Can get to -5 Celsius easily. Summers are hot for a couple of weeks then average or raining.

Reply 15

doodle_333

Original post by Hnrkhl

Thanks! This is exactly the kind of information I am looking for. Are health insurances something I need to look into? I am a bit confused about the entire system.

If you have an EHIC you'll be entitled to NHS care the same as a British citizen - that means you don't have to do anything as it's paid from taxes so students don't contribute. You'll want to register with a GP as soon as you arrive though as it's simpler to get an appointment and most people get sick in the first few weeks. Only thing which is worth noting - precriptions cost £8-9 (I don't live in the UK anymore so not sure exactly) per script so if you have any long term meds stock up in the holidays!

No one will care what you wear. It's more common to dress very casual for uni but people don't tend to be judgemental about things so best case it might start a few conversations (which is good!) and worst case it will affect nothing.

I don't think people have any huge predjudices against scandinavian countries... my impression would be they're good at English, clever and attractive. TBH that does reflect the Scandinavian people I've met so far!

It's very social in the first few weeks but you will still need to make some effort. For example there are lots of events organised during freshers week (1st week of the year) but you will have to leave your room and go to them. It's a good idea to knock on your flatmates doors and say hi so they know who you are and invite you places. If you're struggling for friends joining a society is a good idea as it's often a smaller group and the leaders tend to try and include new people in order to increase membership.

Not much point taking Brexit into account, we don't know what it will look like yet. I'm in the same boat as I'm British and live in Germany. The savings account is smart but other than that don't worry.

£25 per week for food is definitely reasonable. This is what I did during my studies. This will mean you eat pretty well and can have some treats. Buying fresh produce on the local market is a good money saver. Also I don't know how supermarkets work in your country but in the UK the bigger ones tend to have hundreds of offers on everything - they generally aren't that good and they will inflate the prices for a couple of weeks before they put stuff on offer so don't be enticed by 'too good to be true' offers. E.g. a pizza sells at £3.50 most of the time... they then price it at £5 for a couple of weeks before selling 2 for £6 on offer.

Not realistic. Honestly if you don't have experience you probably won't be able to work in beauty/fashion as they are more competitive (as they usually offer discounts) but you may find a job in a normal shop or cafe/restaurant/bar. It will probably be £6-7 per hour but in a cafe there is a chance for tips. You also can't be sure you'll find something, sometimes jobs are competitive and you just miss out so make sure you're financially stable without it.

Don't buy books for your course. 99% are available in the library, I bought one book during my entire course and that only because I had to write a book review on it and the library only had 1 copy on long loan as it wasn't used every year for the module.

If you're not willing to go to bars/pubs/clubs you're going to be lonely. You can meet people later who don't want to do that and leave that sort of scene but at first everyone just wants to drink. You don't have to drink as well but if you don't show willing and go and have some fun then people won't bother to invite you to sober events. You will have to meet a decent number of people to find non drinkers as it is a smaller group at unis.

Uk weather is generally so mild you just don't need to worry. Getting below 0 is pretty extreme, as is temperatures above 25 in the summer. Most of the time it's around 15 degrees and raining. There's a bit of snow most years but it rarely sticks on the ground, maybe once every couple of years there is snow on the ground for a week or so in the winter.

People call professors by the first name. It's fairly casual although you should be a little respectful e.g. don't swear or talk to your professor about personal stuff. You can watch what your peers do and imitate that. Some professors are very relaxed and some are a little stuffy and uptight.

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 16

OP

Original post by doodle_333

If you have an EHIC you'll be entitled to NHS care the same as a British citizen - that means you don't have to do anything as it's paid from taxes so students don't contribute. You'll want to register with a GP as soon as you arrive though as it's simpler to get an appointment and most people get sick in the first few weeks. Only thing which is worth noting - precriptions cost £8-9 (I don't live in the UK anymore so not sure exactly) per script so if you have any long term meds stock up in the holidays!

No one will care what you wear. It's more common to dress very casual for uni but people don't tend to be judgemental about things so best case it might start a few conversations (which is good!) and worst case it will affect nothing.

I don't think people have any huge predjudices against scandinavian countries... my impression would be they're good at English, clever and attractive. TBH that does reflect the Scandinavian people I've met so far!

It's very social in the first few weeks but you will still need to make some effort. For example there are lots of events organised during freshers week (1st week of the year) but you will have to leave your room and go to them. It's a good idea to knock on your flatmates doors and say hi so they know who you are and invite you places. If you're struggling for friends joining a society is a good idea as it's often a smaller group and the leaders tend to try and include new people in order to increase membership.

Not much point taking Brexit into account, we don't know what it will look like yet. I'm in the same boat as I'm British and live in Germany. The savings account is smart but other than that don't worry.

£25 per week for food is definitely reasonable. This is what I did during my studies. This will mean you eat pretty well and can have some treats. Buying fresh produce on the local market is a good money saver. Also I don't know how supermarkets work in your country but in the UK the bigger ones tend to have hundreds of offers on everything - they generally aren't that good and they will inflate the prices for a couple of weeks before they put stuff on offer so don't be enticed by 'too good to be true' offers. E.g. a pizza sells at £3.50 most of the time... they then price it at £5 for a couple of weeks before selling 2 for £6 on offer.

Not realistic. Honestly if you don't have experience you probably won't be able to work in beauty/fashion as they are more competitive (as they usually offer discounts) but you may find a job in a normal shop or cafe/restaurant/bar. It will probably be £6-7 per hour but in a cafe there is a chance for tips. You also can't be sure you'll find something, sometimes jobs are competitive and you just miss out so make sure you're financially stable without it.

Don't buy books for your course. 99% are available in the library, I bought one book during my entire course and that only because I had to write a book review on it and the library only had 1 copy on long loan as it wasn't used every year for the module.

If you're not willing to go to bars/pubs/clubs you're going to be lonely. You can meet people later who don't want to do that and leave that sort of scene but at first everyone just wants to drink. You don't have to drink as well but if you don't show willing and go and have some fun then people won't bother to invite you to sober events. You will have to meet a decent number of people to find non drinkers as it is a smaller group at unis.

Uk weather is generally so mild you just don't need to worry. Getting below 0 is pretty extreme, as is temperatures above 25 in the summer. Most of the time it's around 15 degrees and raining. There's a bit of snow most years but it rarely sticks on the ground, maybe once every couple of years there is snow on the ground for a week or so in the winter.

People call professors by the first name. It's fairly casual although you should be a little respectful e.g. don't swear or talk to your professor about personal stuff. You can watch what your peers do and imitate that. Some professors are very relaxed and some are a little stuffy and uptight.

Thanks a lot. Do people drink tap water? I mean is the tap water clean enough to drink?
Will I be in trouble since I am not that good at English? Anything that I might be excluded from because of my lack of English skills?

Reply 17

Original post by Hnrkhl

Thanks a lot. Do people drink tap water? I mean is the tap water clean enough to drink?
Will I be in trouble since I am not that good at English? Anything that I might be excluded from because of my lack of English skills?

Tap water is safe to drink, most people do. You should try to improve your English for your course so try language apps and such

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 18

doodle_333

Original post by Hnrkhl

Thanks a lot. Do people drink tap water? I mean is the tap water clean enough to drink?
Will I be in trouble since I am not that good at English? Anything that I might be excluded from because of my lack of English skills?

Drinking tap water is common, it's plenty clean enough.

Your written English is great, I wouldn't have guessed you weren't a native speaker (I know speaking is harder though). I knew people who were international students who really lacked confidence or didn't have great English, people are pretty patient. Just don't let it get in your way - as long as you try people will make the effort to understand you and will happily explain anything you don't quite get. Just remember the English are socially awkward - we probably won't correct you if you make mistakes. I don't know what level you are though, if it's under B2 I'd aim to get to B2 so you're confident in the academic side as I knew a few people who coudln't get good grades, in my opinion due to their poor English - it still didn't hold them back socially though.

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 19

OP