Living in a New Country

The lessons at a glance

1. Researching your new home before you arrive

The more you know about a city before you land, the fewer surprises you face in a tired, jet-lagged first week. A few evenings of focused research now saves days of confusion later.

• Official travel advice and your university's pre-arrival pages come first.
• Know your route, your neighbourhood and your contacts before you land.
• Check time differences, including clock changes abroad.
• Keep a one-page sheet of addresses and numbers, offline and on paper.

2. Your arrival checklist: the first two weeks

The first fortnight in a new country is full of small but important tasks. Doing them in the right order, and keeping the right documents with you, stops you getting stuck.

• Keep passport, visa documents and offer letters in your hand luggage.
• Do not throw away boarding passes before you enrol.
• Get a local number, enrol, then register with a doctor and bank.
• Small daily steps beat one exhausting day.

3. Everyday laws that may differ from home

Some rules abroad are stricter than in the GCC and some are looser. Knowing the everyday ones keeps you out of trouble, and knowing which ones apply to you, not just to others, keeps you calm. The Choices module lesson 'The Law at Home and Abroad' covers drugs and alcohol in depth; this lesson focuses on daily life.

• The law where you live applies to you, whatever your passport.
• In the UK, carrying most knives in public without a good reason is illegal.
• Your visa conditions are legal rules: know them and keep your details up to date.
• When in doubt, ask the international office.

4. Weather, daylight and the seasons

Moving from the GCC to a country with real winters changes more than your wardrobe. Shorter days, cold and grey skies can affect your sleep, mood and health, but simple habits make a big difference.

• Winter days in northern countries can be very short; get outside in daylight.
• NHS advice: consider 10 micrograms of vitamin D daily in autumn and winter.
• Winter low mood is common; daylight, exercise, sleep and people help, and a GP can too.
• Heat rooms to at least 18C where you can and dress in layers.

5. Food, shopping and everyday culture

Daily life abroad runs on different rhythms: when shops open, how people queue, how much to tip and what is in the supermarket. Learning these early saves embarrassment and money.

• Shops may close early and keep short Sunday hours; plan ahead.
• In the UK, queue patiently and use 'please', 'thank you' and 'sorry'.
• Tipping customs differ: in US restaurants 15 to 20 percent is normal.
• Watch, ask and copy politely when you are unsure.

6. Making friends across cultures

Some of the most valuable friendships at university are with people from completely different backgrounds. Building them takes small, repeated steps and an open mind about how other cultures show friendship.

• Repeated, small contact builds friendships.
• Use buddy schemes, clubs and language exchanges.
• Distance may be cultural unfamiliarity, not rejection.
• Balance friends from home with local and international friends.

7. Emergency numbers and getting help abroad

In an emergency you will not have time to search online. Knowing the local numbers, and which service to use for what, is one of the first things to learn in any new country.

• UK 999, EU 112, US 911, Australia 000.
• Use non-emergency lines such as UK 101 and NHS 111 for less urgent needs.
• In the UK, if you cannot speak on 999, press 55 when prompted.
• Give service, location and what happened, and stay on the line.

8. Representing your country and handling stereotypes or discrimination

Abroad, people may meet someone from the Gulf for the first time through you. That is a chance to share your culture with pride. It also means you may sometimes face lazy stereotypes, or worse, and it helps to know how to respond and where to report.

• You can share your culture with pride without speaking for everyone.
• Respond to curiosity calmly, and walk away from disrespect.
• In the UK, the Equality Act 2010 protects you in education.
• Report to police, your university or a third-party service, and keep records.

Talk about it, then try it

The real-life practice tasks from each lesson. Pick one or two a week and agree when you will check in.

1. Researching your new home before you arrive
   • Pick the city where you hope to study and read its country's official travel advice page from start to finish. Note three things that surprised you.
   • Make your one-page 'new home' sheet for that city, even if your plans are not final.
   • Find your target university's international student pre-arrival page and list the tasks it says to complete before you travel.
2. Your arrival checklist: the first two weeks
   • Write your own two-week arrival checklist, split into 'day 1 to 3', 'day 2 to 7' and 'week 1 to 2'.
   • Make a folder (paper and digital) with copies of every document listed in this lesson.
   • Find out from your target university's website exactly what you must bring to enrolment.
3. Everyday laws that may differ from home
   • Read the 'legal differences' or 'local laws and customs' section of official travel advice for the country where you hope to study, and write down five rules that differ from the UAE.
   • Find your target university's accommodation rules or student code of conduct online and note three rules you would need to remember.
   • Plan how you would carry new kitchen knives home safely from a shop.
4. Weather, daylight and the seasons
   • Look up sunrise and sunset times for your target city on 21 December and 21 June and compare them with your home city.
   • Plan a winter 'daylight routine': one outdoor activity you could do in daylight on every weekday.
   • With a parent, read the NHS vitamin D page together and decide whether to ask a pharmacist about a supplement for winter.
5. Food, shopping and everyday culture
   • Look up the opening hours of three supermarkets near your target university, including on Sundays and public holidays.
   • Write a short list of three local customs (queuing, greetings, tipping) for your target country and how they differ from home.
   • Plan a first weekly shop for your first week, with a budget.
6. Making friends across cultures
   • Find out whether your target university runs a buddy scheme or international cafe, and how to sign up.
   • Practise two of the conversation starters with someone in your family or a friend this week.
   • List two clubs or societies you would join in your first term, one linked to home and one completely new.
7. Emergency numbers and getting help abroad
   • Make a contacts group called 'Emergency abroad' with the emergency number, non-emergency police, the health line, campus security and your embassy for your target country.
   • Practise saying your address and a description of your building out loud as if on an emergency call.
   • Teach a family member the UK Silent Solution (999, then 55).
8. Representing your country and handling stereotypes or discrimination
   • Write two calm, friendly answers to stereotypes you think you might hear about the Gulf.
   • Find your target university's 'report and support' or harassment reporting page and note how to use it.
   • Plan one way you could share your culture in your first term, such as cooking a dish for flatmates.

Quiz

Name: ______________________ Date: ____________ Circle one answer for each question.

Answer key

1. B: GOV.UK: foreign travel advice includes entry requirements, safety and security, health risks and legal differences.
2. D: UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2020): Twajudi enables the ministry and missions to communicate with Emirati citizens abroad in emergencies and crises.
3. B: University of Reading: do not dispose of travel documents, as you need proof of your UK entry date.
4. A: GOV.UK: you need a UKVI account to access your eVisa, and it is free to set up.
5. A: GOV.UK: folding pocketknives are an exception if the cutting edge is no longer than 3 inches and they are not lock knives.
6. D: GOV.UK: examples of good reasons include work, religion and national costume, and a court decides whether you had one.
7. B: NHS: children from 1 year and adults need 10 micrograms of vitamin D a day.
8. D: NHS: from about late March or early April to the end of September most people can make the vitamin D they need from sunlight.
9. C: GOV.UK: large shops may open for 6 consecutive hours between 10am and 6pm on Sundays.
10. D: GOV.UK: large shops must close on Easter Sunday and Christmas Day.
11. A: SKEMA: show up where people already gather, make the first move, and come back regularly.
12. D: SKEMA: three short, casual meetups will do more than one ambitious outing.
13. A: European Commission: 112 is free and available across the EU from fixed and mobile phones.
14. A: GOV.UK: call 999 if a crime is in progress or someone is in immediate danger; use 101 for non-emergencies.
15. A: GOV.UK: you are protected from discrimination in education by the Equality Act 2010.
16. B: GOV.UK lists religion or belief, race (including nationality), age, disability, sex and others.

General information only, written from the sources listed in each online lesson. Laws, numbers and services change, so check official sources. Life-Ready Society, https://lifereadysociety.com/new-country/