By Maria Victoria Hernandez Jurado, MSc Human Resource Management with CIPD accreditation
As an international student, moving to a new place with a different language always comes with feelings of fear – understandably, I think! My home is Perú, and I chose to come to the Sheffield for postgraduate study last year. Travelling to a new country and adapting to a new culture is always a shock – and in the middle of the pandemic it was a little crazy! Here’s my experience of travelling during the times of Covid, and a few tips on how to make it easier!
Visa, document process and travel
First, let’s talk about the visa. In the middle of the pandemic, it can be stressful to get a visa due to lockdowns or restrictions. Some embassies or VFS (Visa Facilitation Services) can be closed, or difficult to get to within your country. But, in my opinion, it’s worth it. In my case, receiving my visa took me around a month, and I was lucky because when I started the application the VFS office in my country had opened recently. My first tip for any international students hoping to come to study in the UK is to make sure all the documents you will need for your visa appointment are correct and ordered.
About the travel. My itinerary was Perú -> Amsterdam -> London, and something interesting was the strict rules in all the airports. The rules are not only in the airports but also in the planes. Something that I did was
check all the documents I needed to travel not only in Perú, but in all the airports I landed in. My second tip is that you to print all the documents that you might need, such as your accommodation contract, CAS Statement, Locator Form and Covid test result. These can be really useful when you will pass migrations.
Adaptation
I have to admit that for me, adapting to life in the UK was not bad. Days here fly by, especially when you’re in classes and tackling assignments.
There is something that I like about Sheffield, and it is that you will find good people who can help you with everything. This helped to make my adaptation easy. Moreover, The University of Sheffield has implemented a lot of mechanisms to support its students. For example, the wellbeing department called me several times to talk about how I was feeling, if I needed something or if I knew someone here already. So don’t be afraid, even within a context where you don’t have contact with people, it’s possible! My last tip for potential students would be to check all the activities, clubs and more stuff that the University has to offer.