Last week we blogged a couple of times about how international students who are coming to the UK to study here from September–are you guys excited about coming over yet, by the way?–can best prepare themselves for the academic side of life here. We trust that all you international students since then have been avidly watching English-language documentaries on YouTube and swotting up on your English for Academic Purposes and study skills books….

Today we have a couple more tips to round off your preparations for what will no doubt turn out to be a great year or period of years studying and living in the UK. But today’s tips are very much more about the living part than they are the studying. Because although one of the key reasons international students come to the UK is because its universities can provide them with a world-class education, it’s also true that they come because doing so will offer them a unique cultural and social experience.

That said, from time to time some international students find life in the UK a little lonely or alienating. Nine times out of ten this is because they either miss life back home–whether in the form of their country’s food, their friends, or a any number of other things that haven’t made the journey to the UK with them–or they don’t feel comfortable in or familiar with their new surroundings.

Making sure these things don’t happen and cause your time as an international student to be spoiled is a simple matter of putting in a bit of groundwork before you head off to the UK, and then following up on it when you arrive.

Tip: Use social media to your advantage

Just a couple of years ago, starting a new life at university was, even for domestic students, a step into the unknown when it came to who you’d be living and spending your time with. Universities could send you brochures with pictures of your new accommodation, but they couldn’t give you direct contact with your new house and course mates.

But now things are completely different, thanks for the most part to the growth of social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. In addition to the groups set up by the universities themselves for their courses, accommodation and student unions, on which you can exchange messages with other new students at your university, there are also many other unofficial groups as well, often catering to your particular nationality. So if you think that once in a while you’ll want the chance to hang out with people who share your native tongue and will be able to share your take on the more unusual aspects of UK student life, there’ll almost certainly be a Facebook group bringing you and like-minded people together.

Tip: Do your research on the town or city where you’ll be living

Almost as important as getting to know your future fellow students is getting to know the city you’ll be living in. Again, the internet allows you to go way beyond what the university’s brochures can tell you, and it’d be crazy not to make use of it. So get on Google Maps and have a look for restaurants that serve food from back home, and take a stroll around your future neighbourhood using street view. And also get googling to find out what opportunities there are for you to continue with your hobbies and favourite activities (or even pick up new ones) in your new home town. Knowing exactly what things there’ll be to do before you arrive will help make your transition into your new life a whole lot easier and less nerve wracking!