More often than not, I get questioned, “Why leave Singapore to come UK to study?” Let alone Bournemouth? What’s it like being an international student in the UK?

I think there’s a lot of factors that ultimately influenced my decision. I grew up in an extremely harsh, STEM environment. From ages 14 to 18, I’d always dreamt of becoming a doctor. I took up nine GCSEs (10 if you count Geography and Social Studies separately), and then went on to take seven A-Levels, four of which were Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Economics. I’d say I had a bit of a turn in terms of career options. Currently, I study BA (Hons) Fashion here at AUB. There are a lot of factors that influenced my final decision to pursue the arts instead of going down the medical route, but why UK and why Bournemouth?

My choices were between the UK, the USA and Paris. The UK was much more affordable, and ever so slightly closer to home (a direct 14 hours compared to a direct 16–18-hour flight depending on which part of USA I wanted to go to). I simply chose not to go to Paris as I didn’t speak French. Even though lessons were taught in English, I think it would’ve been a lot harder for me to assimilate into a country so foreign that I could barely communicate with the locals there, and it just wasn’t an environment I wanted to be in, especially if I had to fly almost 20 hours to get there. Moreover, UK to EU flights were so cheap (£40 round trips comparative to the £500–800 tickets it would’ve cost if I flew from Singapore). I just had to seize the opportunity to be able to tour a bit of the world during my university days!

Why specifically Bournemouth? Course-wise, Bournemouth was the only school in the entire UK to teach digital fashion. Like actually teach it. Other schools would give you access to software like CLO3D and Lectra, but you’d be expected to figure it out by yourself. As someone who already has to pay double the school fees, I wanted to get the most of my education, and that included getting taught techniques from actual experts instead of having to learn everything from scratch by myself. My second reason was because Bournemouth was the most down south comparative to the other universities I was contemplating. As someone from a tropical, summer-year-round climate, I knew I wouldn’t be able to take the cold well and wanted somewhere that would be slightly warmer compared to the rest of the UK.

I never got the chance to visit Bournemouth before coming here, so I was basing Bournemouth off Reddit posts and TikToks I could find. A lot of the comments were on opposite ends of the extremes, either that they loved Bournemouth, or that they viewed it as a “dead town”. While I can’t speak for others, I personally love being in Bournemouth. As a seaside town, it gets quite a bit of sun during the winter (more than other places in the UK, at least in my opinion). For context, Singapore is a hectic, fast-paced society. Being in Bournemouth, I feel like it offers a slower pace of life where I can catch my breath and enjoy. In Singapore, I was always chasing deadlines, and I remember having the worst work-life balance ever. I’d be in college from 08.30–14.30 every day, extracurriculars after, and almost weekly exams (but once again my experience was quite different because I was in STEM). I feel a lot more in control of my life here. Being able to grocery shop for myself, cook, plan my time out, engage in extracurriculars that I enjoy instead of chasing the “ideal portfolio” that I needed to have back home. Coming to Bournemouth was a change in pace of living that helped me find myself in a way. I do admit, being an international student comes with its very own set of struggles, but I don’t regret coming to Bournemouth a single bit.

A group of four hikers walking along a grassy path bordered by stone walls. They are dressed in outdoor clothing, including backpacks, and surrounded by trees and greenery under a clear sky.

A group of seven people stands outdoors in the evening, with some wearing casual clothing. They are arranged closely together in front of a brick building, with a dark background, creating an informal gathering scene.

Three people stand on a grassy cliff overlooking the sea, with a natural stone arch, called Durdle Door, in the background. The calm water reflects the arch, and the sky is partly cloudy.

A group of four individuals stands outdoors on a tree in a park. Three people, including a woman with a backpack and a man wearing a green jacket, are positioned on the tree, while a woman in a white jacket takes a selfie in the foreground.

Four young people stand together at an airport terminal, posing and raising their arms. One woman holds a large blue bag, while the others wear various outfits including skirts and dresses. The background features large windows with sunlight illuminating the space.

A group of eight people gathered on a grassy area surrounded by rocky terrain. They are standing and sitting next to backpacks, with hills and a cloudy sky in the background.

Time to talk about some less pretty parts of being international. In first year, I did feel a little lonely, and I found difficult to assimilate into the culture here. British sayings confused me, and I always felt taken aback when someone greeted me with “Hey, how are you?” Eventually though, I felt a bit more at home here. Even my friends agree that they all felt rather lonely at the start, and everyone was simply trying to find friends that we can truly connected with. Little gatherings with my friends introduced me to bits of British culture. Small traditions like the Sunday Roast or jacket potatoes made the UK seem a bit more cozy.

The drinking culture here also shocked me – I never would have thought that it was a weekly Wednesday tradition. As a person who prefers to stay at home, I felt immense pressure to have to drink to fit in. However, I soon realised that attending socials didn’t mean that you had to drink. Just turn up for a good chat with your friends. We all have a bit of fun, and everything’s lovely! If you’re a non-clubber like me, don’t worry – you’ll definitely find your people who prefer board games night over a night out!

While I’m still getting used to saying, “How are you?” as a greeting, I’d say that I’ve found my place in Bournemouth. Moving to an entirely new country by yourself may seem scary and daunting, but always trust that you’ll be able to find your people. Slowly but surely, trust that things will start to fall in place! I rarely ever feel as lonely as I used to in first year despite being over 6,000 miles away from home. Just be yourself, and the people will surround you.

Explore Categories