By Mehul Shah, MA User Experience and Service Design

Hello! Mehul here. I am an international student from Singapore pursuing my master’s degree in User Experience and Service Design at Loughborough University. I will be sharing my experience living abroad on my own for the first time to that of my time in this quaint city and wonderful campus.

Before starting my master’s, I made a career transition from communications to marketing to UX design in the public sector. I was intrigued by how design was at the forefront of most service development these days, and felt it would be a good way to have a more direct role in improving the community experience. While I was able to learn certain aspects on my own, I felt I would benefit from formal education – ensuring a deep dive into knowledge and skillsets in a dedicated learning space – to take my abilities to the next level.

Studying at Loughborough University was an easy choice. It had the most compelling course structure from all the UK universities, and offered an module options that we could choose based on our area of interest. It is also well ranked in the UK, both overall and in terms of its design school.

In terms of campuses it has one of the largest and lushest of campuses in Europe (as far as I know!) and to me that was a bonus, if I was going to spend much of my time in University.

I was fortunate to have family and friends in the UK and that made a lot of difference in getting advice or acclimatising to how things are over here. I personally did my essential shopping in London where the variety is larger and had the good fortune of driving up to Loughborough. There are coaches available from Heathrow airport for students which would probably be the most convenient way otherwise. I would also encourage checking out the Loughborough website or reaching out to your admin contact for any advice.

Transiting back to studies

Having worked for quite a number of years, I received views on going back to studies from peers.

 “It’s not easy to get back into studies.”
“What inspired you to study now?”
“You can just pick up (skills) on the go, it’s the best way.”

While returning to study was not the easiest decision, factoring multiple considerations, it was one that I was determined to undertake. And I was grateful for the support from bosses, family and friends alike.

Going with a positive mindset is important and I will admit it may not have been enough. After all I was away from books and notes for a really long time. It’s important to be adaptable and pick up what is expected of you early, through experience or seeking assistance.

The experience has been refreshing and gratifying, sans the first assignment anxiety(!),  and the back to school wheels have been smoother since.

Finding work-life balance

Whether in studying or working, it is important to have a balance lest we fizzle out. While I have not always been successful, I have attempted to pace my studies against other aspects of life such as socialising, sports, ad-hoc ambassador work in the University, or just taking the time to relax. Personally I found the use of calendars and sticky notes to be most helpful in planning my time or organising my thoughts. This helped me list upcoming tasks or activities into more attainable or manageable means, without feeling overwhelemed. I would typically make lists on a Sunday and 1-2 times on following weekdays (the satisfaction of striking out tasks is real!).

Migrating to new a country

Moving to a new country is indeed an experience. And while I was fortunate to already know some people in the UK and a cousin who studied at Loughborough University, it is something you will only truly be comfortable with through experience. I recall feeling a little homesick, particularly during winter (Imagine darkness when you go to school and darkness when you get home. Brr!), and that’s something that many of us may experience. I navigated it by meeting up with people, calling folks back home, decorating my room and workstation or listening to music.

Home away from home

While living on or off campus have their merits, I opted to stay off campus in private student accommodation. The main rationale was to have that segmentation between being in university and being at home, as well as being closer to grocery outlets and other facilities. It has generally been a good experience and many of our friends gather in the area to study or to hang out.

Loughborough is not a big town – you could probably walk from your accommodation to your university building within 30 minutes. On that point it is important to choose your accommodation strategically.

Sharing my two cents

Choosing the right course, in my opinion, is slightly more important than choosing the university. You are going to spend a large chunk of the next year on lectures and tutorials and you want to ensure that you’re studying topics that you are interested in or that can give you a boost in your career.

Despite rearing its head only at the end of this article (and hopefully you made it this far!), the single most important thing is finding your people. A solid friend circle and support system is important and something that could completely change your university experience, especially as an international student. I would encourage you to proactively get to know people in your class as these are people who you will probably spend most time with, and gradually you will find the like minded ones. It could be as simple as walking to school or to the park, having meals or tea together, and in our case the occasional game sessions. 

Sports and societies, networking sessions or even common areas in student accomodations could also be great ways to get to bond with people over common interests.

Being in Loughborough has taught and affirmed several things for me, and it has been an enriching experience that I will take with me back to my career and to the “real world”. After all we are not alone, everyone is trying to grow and learn in their time here.