What helped you the most?

One thing that has helped me the most is staying connected with family and friends back home. All because I'm not with them physically doesn't mean I still can’t enjoy their company virtually- I speak with my family on a daily basis and that helps me a lot because it makes me feel right at home.

Another thing that has helped me the most is continuing or starting hobbies- for me this has been more of an individual journey but you could always join any society or club that the school has to offer- its where you can meet and make new friends while enjoying that hobby that makes you feel relaxed and at home.

What was the best way to make friends?

For me the best way to make friends was through my course as since your in the same course you already have something in common, so starting a conversation from that was easy. Or like I mentioned earlier, through the society’s and clubs at the school is another great way and even your flatmates as well, since you live together, having a friend in the flat can be really comforting because they are only one door away.

What was the best advice you were given?

The best advice for me was to learn more about where you are. Learning more about the university, what it offers, campus life (if your staying on campus), the best study spots, where you can pick up your parcel from. Also since the university is in Colchester, finding out where the town is, where certain shops are, how the transport works- the buses etc was really helpful because it helped me prepare for my move to the university. What is the best thing about Essex? Its diversity. There are so many different cultures and I have learned so much about them since I’ve come here which has been really fun, and it's one of the best things about Essex because it's one of the things that only this university offers compared to others.

What is the hardest thing?

For me it was finding my rhythm with my new schedule and creating a routine which works for me.This really took me awhile and I am still trying to figure it out but one tip I can give is to plan your routine around your uni work as this comes first as its what you came here to do.

What took you the longest time to get the hang of etc?

One thing that did take me a bit of time is making wiser money choices, knowing the difference between what I actually NEED to spend on and what I actually WANT to spend on is crucial because if there is an opportunity to save then I should take it, but I’m glad to say that I have gotten the hang of this. One tip I got is that if you can’t afford to buy two of the item that you want to buy, then you shouldn’t buy it at all