Magdalena Przybylska
Origin: Poland
Chosen University
Direction of Study
History with French
Year
Launches
2018
Air travel is convenient, fast, and – despite disaster movies – quite safe. Not surprisingly, when choosing the means of transportation by which to get to the Islands for the first time, I opted for a plane. Flying has the advantage of limiting your ability to take more stuff with you. End-of-year events depleted my wallet, so I did not buy checked baggage.
“After all, it’s summer, I’ll get dresses, and light blouses and hold out until September!”
What a huge mistake I was….
My first experience of English weather was w i l g o ć.
I must admit that cities at night, from a bird’s eye view, look stunning, but this view is rather not quite worth the temperature. And the mists.
However, it is worth noting that this is my first time in the Islands, so it was necessary to be enthusiastic!
Despite many reassuring conversations with people who study in the UK, I was very apprehensive about my English. To my misfortune, these fears turned out to be true. On my first day in England, already having an English telephone number, I called to arrange an interview for a National Insurance number. This appointment is extremely important, because without a NIN, you are not able to work/study in England, and it is worth making an appointment as soon as possible, as there is a wait of about a week. This conversation is one of the most difficult linguistic experiences of my life, all happiness is behind me. In the letter I later received from them, there was at least a funny typo in my name – so much use. It is comforting to know that the interview itself went smoothly, like butter!
Looking at the Islands as a whole, aside from the architecture and the diversity of nationalities on the street, England is not very different from Poland. The streets look a little different, as the pedestrian crossings are strangely winding and instead of the standard zebra, only the outline of the square where you can walk is marked and there is a sign at the curb telling you which way to look. Practical, but freeing to think.
People of all nationalities walk the streets, and cultural exoticism is always interesting to the eye.
Speaking of pedestrians, you will probably increase the number of walks once you arrive – transportation of any kind is unfathomably expensive here.
It’s also worth having patience and, if possible, money, because finding a job is not that easy at all. It took me more or less two weeks, I hope you will get away faster.
To my surprise, I met peculiar people here. Interestingly, my friend’s friend is an Edu4u ambassador and agreed to show me around the city. It’s nice to get to know the city with someone who’s already lived here for a while, telling funny anecdotes related to the place, or simply advising where the good beer is. In addition, back in June, I had the opportunity to see the campus of my university, enter the library, or explore the more age-old buildings. A very informative experience.
The afternoon with the ambassador was not my only meeting with Edu4u people. A casual conversation with the right student who is involved in this project, who works with frightened college applicants daily, and, above all, who has recently gone through this himself, is very informative. It’s nice to feel the care that emanates from this organization, the commitment to people, not statistics. Moving to another country is a huge change, but it can be dealt with. Especially when someone suggests how to find a job or open a bank account. By the way, it’s nice that someone is interested in this.
To summarize and add:
I go everywhere on foot because I regret the pounds for the bus.
In my life, I have not seen so many drove flavors of chips as here (fact: it is difficult to get ordinary salted chips here because the English add vinegar everywhere. So they eat salted chips with vinegar here).
I’m cramming to speak English, but it’s getting easier with each word (Magic Netflix is helping me a lot).
I’m freezing while waiting for a package with sweaters from home.
I am happy to be here.