Enquire to study in the UK 
If you’re dreaming of studying in London, you’ve probably pictured yourself living through the lens of Harry Potter or James Bond, having an adventure of a lifetime with little to no worries.
In between classes with celebrated professors, you see yourself exploring iconic landmarks like Big Ben and the Tower of London, strolling through Hyde Park, sipping coffee in cosy cafés, mastering the Tube, and immersing yourself in the city’s rich cultural scene — from world-class museums to vibrant street markets.
While this romanticised vision holds some truth, it’s important to manage your expectations because London, the melting pot of Europe, is far from perfect. The awareness of navigating the day-to-day life as a student — budgeting, understanding local customs, finding reliable healthcare and staying safe — will make your time in London more enjoyable and stress-free.
It’s something Sharon Jessy wishes she had known before moving to the UK. Jessy applied for the Chevening Scholarship twice and received it both times. Due to the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, she turned down the offer in 2020 and was offered the scholarship again when she reapplied for the 2023-24 intake.
She recently completed her LLM (International Financial Law) at King’s College London in September 2024 and has just returned home to Malaysia.
“I have personally grown in the one year abroad,” she says. “Professionally, as a lawyer returning to a senior associate position at my law firm in Kuala Lumpur, I see the impact of my Master’s studies in stakeholder management and my deliverables.”
While her experience was transformative, it wasn’t without challenges. Jessy believes she would have been more prepared to live abroad independently had she known certain things in advance.
“There were moments when I struggled, especially in the beginning,” she says.
“London is fast-paced, and adjusting to the cultural and academic environment took time. I had to figure out, on my own, how to manage the monthly stipend Chevening gives us scholars (varies each year and was £1,655 for the 2023/24 cohort) — like how to enjoy meals out while spending less, find affordable groceries or register with a General Practitioner (GP) to access healthcare. Having that knowledge beforehand would have made my transition much smoother.”
Now, with her experiences in hand, she wants to help you step into your own London journey with confidence.
Jessy (second from left) was unprepared for the intense UK weather and only realised it once she was there. Source: Sharon Jessy
Surviving the UK’s unpredictable weather
The UK’s weather was a challenge. Unlike Malaysia’s year-round warmth, London had sudden shifts — from heatwaves to chilly, windy days to heavy downpours.
When Jessy arrived in London in early September, the transition from summer to autumn was in full swing. “The first week I landed, it was cool,” she says. “But the next week, London underwent a massive heatwave — thank God for Amazon’s next-day delivery services, I had to get a fan!”
This was her first surprise — most British homes don’t have fans. Instead, people rely entirely on heaters in winter and, occasionally, air conditioning during heat waves.
Rain in the UK was at a different level of intensity. Like many international students, she arrived prepared with a small umbrella, which she brought from back home — the first time she used it, the wind flipped it inside out and broke it instantly.
“I was mortified — caught in the rain, totally unprepared for how intense UK weather could be,” Jessy says. “That’s when I realised the UK has its own specialised products — umbrellas designed for strong winds, winter coats, and boots made to withstand the elements. Eventually, I gave in and bought proper local gear. The upside to all these is that sturdy winter wear is very accessible, and I managed to sort everything I needed in one week.”
But the worst weather awaited her when winter came.
Before arriving in the UK, Jessy had read about “winter depression” on blogs and online forums, but no one had explained what it would feel like. Nothing prepared her for the short, dark days of winter.
“By 2:30 p.m., it was pitch black,” she says. “The sun barely appeared in the morning, and when it did, it was usually hidden behind thick, gloomy clouds.”
The lack of sunlight affected her energy levels and mood. She developed symptoms linked to vitamin D deficiency, including constant fatigue. “From late November to mid-January, I really suffered,” she says. “I’d go to class at 10 am when the sun was barely out and exit campus after lunch when it felt like night, even though it was only mid-afternoon. I had trouble adjusting my biological clock because to me, by 3-4 pm, it felt like the day had already ended and it was time for bed.”
In the UK, many merchants, restaurants, bakeries, and grocery stores discount food by 50% or give it away for free an hour or two before closing, instead of throwing it out. Source: Sharon Jessy
Getting the best buck for your pound
London can be an impossible financial challenge if you’re not careful about your food choices.
Jessy emphasises that eating out regularly can be costly, with a simple lunch costing around £15. The good thing is, London is extremely student-friendly in the sense that many F&B and nightlife establishments have lucrative student-promos, and one of the apps that collates all these is UniDays.
Apart from that, buying groceries and cooking at home significantly reduces expenses, bringing meal costs down to £3-£4 per serving. Grocery stores like Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer, and ALDI offer various budget-friendly options.
As a religious coffee drinker, Jessy found a clever way to save on her caffeine fix. She paid for Pret-A-Manger’s coffee subscription, which costs £30 monthly. This got her five coffees daily and 20% off large, hearty sandwiches. This is just one example of how students can use subscription services to cut costs.
Another way to save? Using food waste reduction apps — something that fits right in with London’s strong culture of minimising waste. Jessy swears by two:
- Too Good To Go, which allows users to purchase discounted surplus food from restaurants and stores.
- Olio connects people with volunteers who collect surplus food for free from places like Waitrose, Pret A Manger, Sainsbury’s, and Marks & Spencer and distribute it within their communities.
Beyond apps, many grocery stores and bakeries hand out unsold food at the end of the day. “It has happened many times to me before,” Jessy says. “I was just walking past an Amazon Fresh or a Marks & Spencer, and employees were calling people over, offering fresh baked goods, pastas, sushi and pastries. There was once I was even given fresh lilies to take home for free, they made my week (and home).”
With these tricks, she managed to stretch her food supply for four to five days without spending much. “Food was never a problem for me — I was able to share excess food with families in my residence area, reduce food wastage and save so much money,” she says.
Since Jessy didn’t need to travel much, there was no real need for her to live close to the city. By living farther out and managing her schedule, she was able to cut down on both transport and rent costs. Source: Sharon Jessy
Beating the high cost of transportation
Transportation in the UK is generally expensive. Although students enjoy student discounts in some zones, with careful planning, costs can be further reduced.
London’s transport system runs on a zone system, with Zone 1 being the city centre and Zone 2 being inner London. Initially, Jessy lived in Zone 2 but found it too expensive as student discounts on the Oyster Card, a contactless smart card primarily used for paying transportation fees in London and some surrounding areas, did not apply to Zone 1 and Zone 2 stops.
To cut costs, she moved to Kingston upon Thames in Zone 5, a suburb of London. This meant a longer commute — about 45 minutes to class — but with only one or two days of in-person lectures and tutorials per week, she spent most of her time at home or in her local area. This decision significantly reduced her expenses on both rent and transport.
For example, travelling one way on the tube between Zone 1 and Zone 2 would be £2.80 – £3.40 (during peak hour), but students with an 18+ Student Oyster photocard enjoy a 30% discount on regular fares if they travel outside these zones. This discount applies to the national rail services (which take you to districts outside London) as well, and off-peak fares could save you anywhere between £10-30/way. “Oh, and bus journeys have a flat fare of £1.75, no matter how far you go, but if you change buses within an hour, the second journey is free (known as the Hopper fare)”, Jessy says.
One major challenge in the UK is the frequency of tube and train strikes. These can disrupt commutes, so students need to plan alternative routes. “The day before my orientation week, there was already an announcement about a potential tube strike,” Jessy says.
“I was surprised, thinking, “Wow, we might not even have in-person classes.” However, universities usually continue classes as scheduled unless the lecturer is also affected — then they may switch to virtual lessons. Fortunately, during my time there, many announced strikes were eventually called off, so I didn’t experience major disruptions.”
To help students prepare, universities send warnings about upcoming strikes, allowing students to adjust their plans. For those living near their university, buses offer a reliable alternative since they usually stop close to campus. However, students living farther away may face longer commutes due to multiple transfers.
Her advice for students? Consider your travel needs before choosing where to live. If you don’t need to be in central London often, living further out can save money while providing access to the city when needed.
Since pickpocketing is common in London, Jessy advises memorising your travel routes instead of checking them on your phone, making you an easy target. Source: Sharon Jessy
Beware of the pickpockets
London is one of the leading cities in the world, but with that comes a downside, too. Public transport, especially the Tube and bus stops, is a hotspot for pickpockets and thieves. It’s easy to get distracted — most people are glued to their phones, reading or solving Sudoku puzzles since there’s little to no internet underground. Unfortunately, gadget grabbers take full advantage of this.
“Their strategy is simple: just before the doors close, they grab the device and run out,” Jessy says. “I saw this happen right in front of me. A girl sitting diagonally across from me had her phone snatched in the final three seconds before the doors closed. She was shocked and couldn’t react in time — not anyone else either.”
The worst part? There’s no emergency button to reopen the doors; the UK system doesn’t allow it. Once the doors close, that’s it. There’s no cellular signal underground, so calling for help isn’t an option. Victims must wait until the next stop to report the theft to the British Transport Police, who rely on CCTV footage for investigations. Unfortunately, by the time they act, the stolen item is often long gone.
To counter this, many passengers use phone chains or grips to secure their devices. Jessy took it a step further — once she memorised her route, she stopped using her phone in public altogether. She remained vigilant, avoided letting strangers get too close, and moved away if someone did.
In eateries, while people are dining or engrossed in deep conversations, people holding themselves out as beggars or NGO members enter the establishment and place a laminated card about their plight or cause on the diners’ mobile phones. After about 5 minutes, when they return to collect their laminated cards table-by-table, they will sneakily carry your mobile phone with them.
“This happened to me firsthand when I was catching up with a friend in a restaurant — this lady who said she was homeless put an A4-sized card on my handphone and did the same for all the other tables,” Jessy says. “I didn’t think much of it, but my friend immediately lifted the card and hurled it back to the lady and told me to keep my phone away safely in my pockets.”
Another rising scam on the Tube involves contactless payment theft. “’When you’re about to tap out, pickpockets will intentionally bump into you,” Jessy says. “They carry a device to extract money from your contactless card by making physical contact. This usually happens right when your Apple Pay is activated, making it easier for them to steal money without you noticing.”
The biggest downside for Jessy was having to register with a GP before accessing healthcare, and once she did, she could only book appointments at that clinic. Source: Sharon Jessy
A different kind of healthcare
Jessy’s experience with healthcare in the UK was an eye-opener. Coming from Malaysia, where public and private hospitals are easily accessible, she found the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) very different.
The NHS provides free healthcare for everyone, including foreign nationals. It operates through a network of clinics staffed by general practitioners (GPs). NHS clinics generally require appointments for basic care such as vaccinations and check-ups. Walk-ins are usually not an option.
“So, if you have a common cold, need a vaccination, or want a regular checkup, you must book an appointment before going to the clinic,” Jessy says.
When Jessy suspected she had COVID, she called an NHS clinic, hoping to get immediate care. Instead, they told her she needed an appointment, and if she felt seriously unwell, she had to go to the emergency department at a hospital. This strict system made her anxious — “What if something critical happened to me?” she thought.
Another challenge was the registration process. Students must register with a GP before accessing healthcare, and they must register again each time they move to a new accommodation.
“If I didn’t register, and I needed medical care, they would tell me the same thing: I had to register first,” Jessy says. “And registration is a process — they take your vitals, including blood pressure and medical history. Every time you switch clinics, you have to go through it all over again. The process is long, and my experience was not great.”
One time, during a vitals check, the nurse told her she could have fainted because her blood pressure was alarmingly low. When Jessy questioned their machine’s accuracy, they insisted it was correct but only offered a follow-up appointment a week later. It felt dismissive and frustrating.
“Yes, the healthcare system is free, but you’re stuck in the waiting game,” Jessy says. “Alternatively, there are a ton of pharmacies everywhere for you to buy over-the-counter medicines.”
The environment in the UK is highly diverse, bringing together locals and people from Europe, Africa, and Central America in a vibrant cultural melting pot. Source: Sharon Jessy
A different social dynamic
Moving to a new country brings its own set of cultural challenges. For Jessy, one of the biggest shifts was the difference in social dynamics.
“In Malaysia, we’re very communal,” she says. “We like to involve everyone — connecting friends from different phases of our lives, going out in big groups. But because the international students who study in UK-based universities come from all walks of life, some uni mates prefer one-on-one interactions and don’t mix social circles.”
Socialising in the UK often requires advanced planning, as opposed to the spontaneous gatherings common in Malaysia. At first, Jessy found this to be exhausting. “I have limited social energy, so when I go out, I like to see everyone at once,” she says. “But I had to adjust and plan ahead to make time for people I care about and want to spend time with.”
