It’s the time of year where new students brimming with enthusiasm have joined The University of Manchester to begin a new journey in their lives. I remember when I started this journey two years ago to pursue my Master’s degree here, I arrived around this time, just like all of you, anticipating new adventures along the way. As I got off the plane, I was quite sceptic about the weather so I packed a jumper and a raincoat in my hand luggage just in case but to my surprise the weather was quite pleasant when I arrived.

We were greeted by happy ambassadors at the airport who directed all the bewildered new students towards the coaches to take us to our respective University accommodations.  I remember the tag that I received to put on my bag to identify us at the airport.

The journey from Goa to Manchester took a gruelling 12 hours including three flights and a stop and I was quite exhausted when I arrived at the Fallowfield campus. At that point, I just wanted to sleep. After dealing with the administrative procedures at the Fallowfield reception which was quick, they handed me the keys to a little cottage with three bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and a hall. For anyone who enjoys quiet evenings after a busy day at the University, you will definitely enjoy living here. Also, a little tip, during the spring you can find black berries growing outside!

My first day at University was filled with anticipation, I had so much to deal with such as student registration, purchasing a new sim card, opening a bank account and more. The University provided the students with all the necessary steps to accomplish this with the least hassle as possible.

I felt the welcome week helped me really understand how to deal with all these tasks as well as giving me a flavour of what the University has to offer. So I hope everyone was able to attend the Welcome Fair.  To help students prepare for the week, a trip to ASDA was organised by the University which was quite useful as I was able to purchase essential supplies for accommodation and classes.  Apart from that, the trip to John Ryland’s library was a head turner for me as I was in awe of the architecture and its amazing collections. To top it off we received free tickets from the school of computer science to visit the Manchester United stadium and its museum.

So yes, the first week was amazing and you should make most of it. After that, reality sets in and you will be consumed in learning new things, assignments, projects and before you know it, you will be attending your graduation ceremony and remembering these moments

PS: or you could be like me who decided to stick around a little longer and write a blog about it.  😉