Learning to Love Cov!

From a personal point of view as well as a that of a lot of people I have come into contact with, one thing stands out; being an international student is definitely an entirely different ball game. For most people, factors including the difference in lifestyle, cuisine, lack of friends (initially) and the predictable unpredictability of the British weather combine to produce a culture spasm. You will find it normally takes quite a while to getting used to how things work and for some others quite a while longer but fear not, hope is here. I’ll share a few tips about Coventry and how to be rid of this stigma.

The Add+Vantage Scheme

The Add+Vantage Scheme. As a fresher you will hear a lot about it, how it is the star of the Coventry University syllabus, how it can improve your diploma in ways other universities can’t, how it can help you enhance your employability and so on. Very true, the scheme is important and it just adds more skills to what you gain through your degree. The scheme has been regarded as one of the biggest initiatives in the UK and lets students choose from over 60 courses (wow!!) and involves the University, the city and the various companies around Coventry. I know it is hard to choose your Add+Vantage when you have so many options. What is it that you are looking for? What would be best for you? Well, you don’t have to choose something related to your course, that is the beauty of it. You can go for something that can help you on your career path, something that you find interesting or something that you want to explore. For example, I’m studying Spanish and English and I have taken as an Add+Vantage module Project Management. It has nothing to do with my course, but I think that together with my language skills it will help me gain a job as a project manager.

Packing for University

Thinking of what to pack for university is hard for all students, especially when you are travelling internationally and you have limited suitcase room and luggage allowance AND you don’t want to forget any essential items!

The important thing to take note of here is that you want to bring as little as possible. You can always purchase items in the UK, so you must remember to bring only what you need.

Do you fancy a cuppa? – Sorry, what did you say?

When I arrived in the UK I knew English, but honestly it felt like I didn’t! British English is slightly different than the American English we learn at school and by adding the accent it can be difficult to understand at first. Nevertheless, this shouldn’t scare you because you will be surprised how fast you will adjust.

Just to give you a heads up, here is a cheat sheet that you might want to learn before coming to the UK.