“No one tells you how loud silence feels your first night abroad.”
— Sahana, University of Warwick, Class of 2024
When Sahana packed her bags to move from Chennai to the UK, she thought she was ready.
She’d watched all the YouTube vlogs. Joined 6 Telegram groups. Ordered her winter jackets. She even practiced “Hi, I’m Sahana. I’m from India!” in front of the mirror.
But no one prepared her for what actually hit in week one.
Day 1: Cold Floors & Culture Shock
She landed in London, got to Coventry by train, and stepped into her dorm room. It smelled like...nothing. Just cold, bare air.
“Back home, I shared a room with my sister. It was never quiet. Suddenly, I could hear my own heartbeat.”
She spent that night scrolling through Instagram stories of her friends still in India—Diwali parties, homemade food, and familiar chaos. She cried into her suitcase.
Week 1: Maggi, Microwave Mistakes & Flatmate Fumbles
The next few days were survival mode. Her first attempt at cooking? Burnt rice in a borrowed saucepan.
Her flatmates were nice—but mostly stuck to their own circles.
Everyone seemed to already have “a gang.” She felt like an extra in someone else’s movie.
“I started eating cereal for dinner just so I didn’t have to face anyone in the kitchen.”
She almost called her parents and said, “I want to come back.”
The Turnaround: Finding Her People
Everything changed when she joined a student society on impulse—The Desi Collective.
The first event was “Chai & Chill.” Nothing fancy. Just some samosas, Bollywood music, and people who also missed home.
“That night, I laughed for the first time in weeks. I made two friends who are now practically family.”
From there, life started falling into place:
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She started meal-prepping with her flatmates on Sundays.
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She found a quiet library corner she’d gatekeep till graduation.
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She even started helping new students adjust through campus buddy programs.
Today: Stronger, Softer, and Settled
Sahana now lives in a shared house, makes the best rajma in Coventry (her words, but we believe her), and mentors first-years who feel just as lost as she once did.
“Studying abroad isn’t just about the course. It’s about rebuilding your identity from scratch. You arrive as one version of yourself, and leave as someone braver.”
Her Essentials Kit?
We asked her to list what actually helped:
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Electric rice cooker
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Niyo Forex Card
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A small pressure cooker from home (don’t laugh, it saved her)
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SIM card with data from Day 1
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Spotify premium + noise-cancelling headphones
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Her roommate-turned-best friend
Her Advice to New Students:
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Don’t try to be okay all the time.
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Say hi, even when it feels awkward.
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Maggi is great—but learn to make one proper meal.
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Everything will feel strange until it doesn’t.
