Coming to the UK

Coming to the UK as a student was not something I decided overnight. It wasn’t an easy decision to make. Be it financially, emotionally or logistically. It took months of thinking, preparation, anxiety but most importantly, hope.

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The planting of the seed

The first time the idea was planted in my head, I knew that this isn’t going to work out. It was during a lunch break with my colleagues-cum-friends when one of them, Bangali, started talking about getting a master’s degree from the UK. I was working at TCS in Kolkata (India) at that time. Although I knew it was financially next to impossible but the idea did intrigue me. And after a few weeks, I started considering it more seriously.

I spoke to my parents about it, who were very supportive with the idea but were conscious to the fact that it won’t work out financially. But I decided to ahead with the exam preps and applications for an MBA degree anyway. At worst, I thought, I won’t make the cut at a top university. At best, I’ll get through and I’ll know that I am good enough to be accepted by a top university. Irrespective of whether I could make it work financially.

The work towards the goal

To give myself the best chance of dealing with my applications, I did take help from The Chopras Group. And to be honest, they were really helpful, especially when it came to applying for a visa, after I got through my offer. Oh sorry, I skipped through the sequences a bit.

Taking a few steps back, I did manage to get four offers from universities in Liverpool, Cardiff, Leicester and Stafford. To me though, the choice was really between Liverpool and Cardiff – both part of the prestigious Russell Group and historical universities in their own right. But the elephant in the room was still the finances. How can I make this work?

Things get “real”

After I got my offer, and things became “real”, my father really took off to do whatever he could to make sure I can pursue my MBA. But unfortunately, that was not enough. And this is where I was absolutely gobsmacked with the help, I received from a lot of my ex-colleagues at TCS, some of it financial and others tactical. I can never forget all their generosity and am extremely grateful to them. And also my aunty and her husband. Without them, I would not be writing this blog about coming to the UK.

So, with the financials sorted, courtesy my family and friends, the next thing was to apply for the visa. Although the Chopras helped me with the University applications, their biggest help was around sorting the visa application. My father and I had no idea what we were meant to do, and again, extremely grateful to them, to help sort that out.

There was once incident that makes me chuckle. While I was waiting for the outcome of the visa application, my work had started the process to send me onsite to the US. The next step of that was to apply for a US visa and I was constantly being asked to bring my passport in. As my parents lived a different city, Asansol, than where I was working, I came up with the excuse that I’ve left it at my parents. And that I’ll get it next time I visit team. While quietly hoping that the UK visa outcome comes soon.

Those few weeks waiting for the outcome was stressful. And then it came. I had been granted a student visa to study MBA from the University of Liverpool! To be honest, I don’t remember much of that day. There was only a period of about 12-15 days of serving my notice period at work (my work very supportive as I was going for further education rather than join a competitor). And in between start preparing for the journey into the unknown.

Leaving India for the UK

It was exciting but also very scary. It was the first time I was leaving India and was going to be away from my parents for an extremely long period of time. My parents held it together for me, but emotions were running high. And when emotions are high, mistakes happen. My mistake was I booked a flight in the morning, and thought it was for the evening! Eeeek!

Luckily the night before, due to my father’s constant prompts, I checked my ticket and realised my mistake. It could have been so much worse had I woken up the next day and turned up at the airport for an 8pm flight than an 8am flight! Disaster was averted. What it did mean though that I had about 12 hours to kill in New Delhi for my connecting flight. I took this opportunity to see a very good school friend of mine who was studying in Delhi at that time. It turned out to be a great day in the end and helped me calm my nerves somewhat.

Finally, after months of planning, prepping and ultimately actioning the little seed planted in my mind, I was boarding the flight to Manchester, via Brussels, from New Delhi. Again, I don’t remember much about the flight, apart from the almost a strip search in Brussels before my connecting flight. The University had arranged for a coach from Manchester airport, to take us to Liverpool, to our accommodations. And on the bus, I met my first friend in Liverpool.

But that’s a story for another day. And also stories about my travelling in the UK. As for today, thank you for reading my blog. Feel free to share your thoughts and comments. And reach out if you are student who is thinking about studying in the UK and in need of any help or advice.

Till next time.