What it’s really like being an Asian student in Sheffield

When I stepped into Sheffield, I was literally that small country girl with big dreams. I have always wanted to pursue my dream career as a Criminal Journalist and what better way was it to pursue it in the UK?

However, leaving home to study has its cons so let me bring you through the cons of being an Asian international student in Sheffield.

Sheffield gave us a cold slap to our faces – literally

When I first arrived, it was a cold hard slap in my face.The cold wind was blowing right at my face and I was shivering under my jacket.

I am from Singapore, a small country located in the Southeast Asian region. Yes, it is an actual country.

It is known for its hot and humid weather all way round and we work under 33 degrees, on a usual day. If it rains, it drops to 25 degrees and to me, that was cold.

I look like the Michelin man

The only "cold" I felt was when I was under the air-con for too long and even then, that was too cold for me. So the cold here in Sheffield was such a shock to me and what I hated was the fact that the weather was so unpredictable.

One fine sunny day, it would be raining with extremely strong winds (enough to knock me out) and the very next minute, it would be sunny. I am certain that the weather portrays Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

As you can see, I am always drowning in an over sized thick coat and I obviously had to leave my skirts and shorts behind and start pulling jeans on instead. The first heartbreak I had to experience in Sheffield.

There's a lot of paperwork

Being an international student is very troublesome. The amounts of paperwork we had to go through was horrible. And of course, we pay more than a local student just to study the same degree. It's a norm in every university in all the other countries, but at the end we are left swimming in an ocean filled with debts.

You have to make friends all over again

I can assure you coming to a new country, all alone, is not fun. I left all my friends and family behind and that was hardest thing I had to do.

Saying good-bye at the airport

I was unsure of my environment and I didn't know if people would be nice but I was blessed to have met a group of friends who supported me through everything.

We all have very different personalities but put us all together and we make the sweetest, most hilarious memories.

At our weekly "Takeaway Fridays"

We have our own rendezvous just like any other students but always manage to wake up the very next morning for our 8am shorthand classes.

We really miss our food from home

This was our next biggest heartbreak of all time. Go on, ask any Asian student and they will start moping about how they miss their chicken rice and ramen.

Our very famous hot plate "Mala" bowl

And can I just stress how expensive Asian food is here in Sheffield. A plate of tandoori chicken is nearly a tenner? Heartbreaking.

I had to leave behind my flavoursome food for Fish and Chips and don't get me wrong, I love British cuisine but I just want my good old noodles with soup. I'm really your typical Asian, I know.

After all that though, I have to admit that Sheffield is really amazing.

Amazing friends, okay-ish food (the cheap groceries make up for it though), enthusiastic lecturers and an overall memorable experience is what I live for.

Coming to Sheffield was the best decision I have ever made and I am certainly looking forward to my next two years here.