Most of our interviews are with current residents, but this one comes with hindsight. A former Beaumont House resident, who came from Malaysia for an MSc in Applied Biosciences and Biotechnology at Imperial College London, looks back on arriving in a city they had never visited, the nerves of the first weeks, and what more than a year in London taught them.
“There’s also a real Malaysian community here which helped me settle in and feel at home.”
At a glance
Home country: Malaysia
Studied: MSc Applied Biosciences and Biotechnology
University: Imperial College London
Status: former Beaumont House resident
The interview
What did you study and where?
I chose to study an MSc in Applied Biosciences and Biotechnology at Imperial College London. London seemed like a great place to come and study, particularly for a postgraduate degree.
Had you been to London before you came here to study?
No, I had never been to London before!
How did you find settling in at the beginning?
I was definitely nervous at first, especially considering I had never been to London before. However, it’s a lot easier with social media. I joined a scholarship group on Facebook and connected with people through that. It was a great way to get to know similar people and make friends.
Finding your people before you even land, exactly as this student did through Facebook groups, is one of the approaches in our guide to building a community as an international student.
Did you have any expectations before coming to London? How has the city lived up to those expectations?
Yes, I had very high expectations actually! It was hard at first and it took me some time to get used to the city so I guess my expectations weren’t met straight away. Having said that, after living here for more than a year, the city really amazes me in lots of ways. Good ways of course!
What’s your favourite thing about London?
I think the busy lifestyle is probably my favourite thing - it’s not like anywhere I’ve been before. There’s always loads of people around and so many different things to do. It feels very unique.
Is there a sense of community among other Malaysian/ South Asian students studying here?
Yes, definitely! It’s easy to find other international students on Facebook and we’ve definitely built a community where we help each other out.
Why did you choose to stay at Beaumont House?
Beaumont House is really close to UCL which is why I decided to stay here. There’s also a real Malaysian community here which helped me settle in and feel at home.
What’s been the best part of your student experience in London?
I’ve loved the opportunity to live in another place and experience the local culture for over a year.
From the team
The value of hindsight is honesty, and this interview has it: expectations were not met straight away, and the city took time. But time is also the point, because after more than a year London amazed them in ways the first weeks could not, which is worth remembering somewhere around week three.
This conversation, like all our student interviews, is with a real former Beaumont House resident, and their answers are published in their own words. We ask the questions, our students say what they think. And if you live at Beaumont House and want to share your story, let us know and we’ll put the kettle on.
