An Indian in the UK: Nikita’s story

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Studying abroad can be an amazing opportunity – but there is also a lot to consider and plan. We spoke to Nikita Asnani (originally from Mumbai, India) about her experience of swapping Dubai, UAE for Warwick, UK. She must’ve enjoyed it because she came to study her BSc in Economics and stayed for her Masters! And all of her hard work won her our Masters Student of the Year award in our Postgrad Awards 2022.

#1 Why did you decide to study in the UK?

I was considering Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Singapore and the UK. It was my high school Economics teacher who told me that the UK was the best for Economics. I also got the chance to speak to someone from my school who went to Warwick and had done Economics. Being able to talk to them and have my parents chat to their parents helped. My parents were sending their only child to a country we’d never been to before, so being able to hear about other’s experiences was important.

#2 What were you most excited or anxious about before you arrived in the UK?

It was a couple of things for me. The main one was me wondering: how I was going to fit into this completely new place? I thought everyone was going to know so much more than me and that I was going to feel out of place and not know what to say or do. The second big thing was: how am I going to live independently? Back home I was living with my parents and I never really had to do much housework or cooking. And how was I going to do all this alongside seminars and exams?

#3 What advice would you give to your younger self?

It would be don’t worry as much, life isn’t that stressful and it will work out in the end. When you’re younger you take too much onto your plate and stress out about all the little things. As you get older, you realise it wasn’t actually that bad.

#4 What was your first memory of being in the UK?

I was lucky that my parents came with me to drop me off so I had their support which was great. I remember the first thing I ever bought over here was a pink coloured jacket from Primark. I didn’t have any warm jackets because the winter back in Dubai is very different to the winter here. I still have that jacket now.

#5 How different is studying in the UK to studying back home?

We did group work in school so that wasn’t too different, but there was a lot more focus on essays and independent research in the UK. Under the Indian board, we mostly did exams, which I felt comfortable with. But with Economics, it’s very essay heavy so I had to learn how to structure an essay, do referencing and pen down my own thoughts. There was also a lot of reading to do. I had to learn to speed read, prioritise what I was reading and paraphrase within an essay.

One of my first pieces of feedback was that I struggled to put things into my own words. I didn’t plagiarise but I needed to show a higher level of understanding to achieve the better grades. I had to learn to critically analyse research. It was no longer a case of looking in a textbook, finding the answer and then sitting an exam.

#6 Did you feel supported?

I definitely felt supported by my seminar tutor. I used to ask him a lot of questions and he was very helpful. I didn’t do too well on an initial assignment and he was able to give me feedback and advice on how to do better.

Friendship wise, it did take a while to find my group. I spoke to lots of people but it took some time for me to find those I genuinely thought were friends, rather than just making small talk with. I also randomly met someone who was a counsellor in the library and they were great. It helped knowing I had someone I could talk to, and that lots of people were feeling like this.

#7 Was the ‘culture shock’ as shocking as you thought it would be?

I don’t think there was much of a culture shock for me. It was more about me trying to find the ground beneath my feet and working out who I was. That sounds corny but I was more overwhelmed by being in a new place and worrying about whether people will like me. It was those insecurities that were more prominent for me, rather than culture shock. In all honesty, my experience has been positive, and my friends have said the same. People were welcoming and friendly and wanted to chat. They made you feel part of the group rather than an outsider.

#8 What do you love most about the UK?

I love the weather! I’m a winter baby so I like the cooler weather here. I’m not a massive fan of the winters in the UK but the rest of the year feels like the spring in Dubai. I also love how green it is here!

There’s so much to explore outside of your degree and department as well. I’ve had the chance to dip my toes in so many things. It’s helped me find the intersection between my degree and my passions.

#9 What did you struggle most with?

For me it was time management. I had to learn to balance my time between studying and taking care of myself. I found it hard because if you dedicate your time to one thing then you feel guilty about not giving time to something else. You do reach that golden moment where it all fits into place, it just takes time.

#10 What’s it like when you go back home?

For me, it doesn’t feel that different. When I was doing my undergraduate degree, I’d go home every three months or so and it was great to see everyone. They’d all be feeding me lovely homecooked meals which I’d missed, but it felt like I hadn’t been away at all. The food I’d say is the big difference for me, when you realise you haven’t had your mum or grandma’s food in so long. But the bond I have with my family means that we always pick up where we left off, as if I saw them yesterday!

#11 What advice would you give to someone thinking about studying in the UK?

It’s an amazing opportunity to study abroad, and it carries a lot of status back home. But you need to do it for the right reasons. You need to know, in yourself, why you want to do it and exactly what you want to do with it. It’s going to be hard, so don’t make the decision just because people are telling you to. And don't do it because you know having a degree from a particular country or university is good. Do it because it feels right to you. Listen to other’s stories and experiences, but don't let that outweigh what your heart and intuition is telling you.

You can read more about Nikita and what she got up to during her Masters in our Postgrad Awards interview. She was the winner of our Masters Student of the Year category.