We are blessed with a truly global student community at Wolverhamptom, with students joining the University from all over the world. Starting a new chapter of your life in a new country is undoubtedly exciting - but we appreciate it could be quite overwhelming! Questions like “What am I supposed to pack?”, “Is my English good enough?”, “How am I going to make friends?” and “How will I make the most out of my time abroad?” are surely on your mind. Worry no more! We are here to help answer all of your questions and make sure that your time at the University of Wolverhampton will be as amazing as possible.
Preparing for your journey
We can imagine preparing for your trip to Wolverhampton could be a little bit daunting. Considering you may be arriving by plane means you have a lot less space to bring all of your stuff, so it’s important to only pack the essentials. Luckily for you, Wolverhampton has loads of shops that are perfect for buying all of your essentials at a cheap price! Poundland, Wilko’s and B&M are only a few examples, not to forget about the 24hr ASDA of course (this will be your life saver at some point, guaranteed). Just make sure your clothes are prepared for the unpredictable British weather!
English language support
Living in a foreign country for the first time and speaking a language that isn’t your first language can be difficult to adjust to! If you’re worried that your English might need a little bit of extra work, the University offers English Language Support completely free of charge. Don’t forget, the University of Wolverhampton is home to many international students who have all experienced the same struggles, so you are definitely not on your own!
During Welcome Week, the University ask all international students to take English Language Support and Access (ELSA). It is made up of a few interesting exercises and will take less than an hour to complete. Taking the ELSA will help you and us understand which areas of English language use you should focus on, in order to improve your academic writing and your grades. You will be sent an email explaining more about the ELSA and an invitation to take it at the start of Welcome Week, and we encourage you to complete it as soon as possible.
How to make friends
Living somewhere and not knowing anyone is definitely daunting, you must be wondering how on earth you’re going to make friends. With the help of your Students’ Union making friends won’t be an issue at all! The SU regularly organises events available to everyone – check them out, there will definitely be something that appeals to you, make sure to join us!
Another great way to meet people and make friends is by joining a society. Societies are one of the best ways to meet new people! With dozens of societies there is no doubt you will find one with people who share the same interests as you. There are societies about religion, culture, academics, sports and many more!
If societies aren’t really your thing and your real passion is playing sports, WLV Sport is here for you! Just because you’re abroad, doesn’t mean you have to stop playing sports. From Basketball to Football to Volleyball, there are lots of sports teams for you to join!
We hope these tips are a good start for you to begin your journey in Wolverhampton and we look forward to meeting all of you when the semester begins!