Written by Murtaza Husainy, Global Ambassador and current Undergraduate student at Hult London.
More than just a tourist
London, a world in itself. It didn’t take long for this city to transform itself from being a vacation spot to my permanent home. I had been to London a couple of times before I moved here to study with Hult but, from the moment I landed at Heathrow International Airport, I could tell that this time would be different. There was no return ticket, there was no lighter suitcase, and I couldn’t enter the country without having my fingerprints scanned. I was here as more than just a tourist, I was here to live.
“Those brand-new classmates from around the world have now turned into great friends.”
Things have changed a lot since I moved to London as a student, and it has been an enriching experience. Those brand-new classmates from around the world have now turned into great friends. The tough adjustments during the first weeks, especially when it came to eating foreign food, all circumscribed. Who knew these moments would only last a few days?
A new home
I moved into the student accommodation like any other student that day. I arrived with my parents and my huge suitcase, and we were guided to my room. Being on the top floor, the view was beautiful but the room was rather plain. Within an hour’s time and as the bag was carefully unpacked, everything found its place and the room began to feel more like a home. I could see from my window that other people were moving in. I could see people from different cultures setting down new roots, and I could see the people who were potentially going to be my new friends.
“Once I started interacting and talking to people it was easy to keep going.”
The first day passed quickly, and soon enough my parents left and I went downstairs to introduce myself to the other students. I could see happy but yet slightly awkward faces all expressed that fear of meeting each other for the first time, but once I started interacting and talking to people it was easy to keep going. I noticed many people knew each other from before but I decided to just disregard that with a smile and do my best to fit in. Things got easier over the next couple of days. My first week at Hult was spent going to introduction classes, wandering around the campus, figuring out where the basic things were and mostly trying to make new friends.
People sometimes talk about the varying degrees of difficulty they experienced when they had to adapt to a new location, new classes, and new friends. For me, it was relatively easy to integrate into new classes and soon enough I started enjoying my schedule. With Hult having such a diversified environment, you’ll always be introduced to something new as you’re surrounded by 120+ nationalities.
A changed outlook
The thing to remember is that everyone struggles at some point and everyone’s experience will be different. On the first day of the semester, I woke up counting the days until Christmas and looked forward to going back home. Now, as I have reached the end of the first semester, I have a hard time deciding which place to call home.
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Murtaza Husainy is a current Undergraduate student from India. He is planning to Major in Entrepreneurship and is an active member of Model United Nations, International Law Society, and the Society of Banking. Murtaza hopes to be a successful entrepreneur and investor someday.
Kickstart your career in Europe’s biggest startup cluster by studying at Hult’s London business school. To find out more, take a look at our blog Finding your home in London: Tips for Hult students. Download a brochure or get in touch today to find out how Hult can help you to learn about the business world, the future, and yourself.