Artwork by Musiq
International students coming from various kinds of marginalised backgrounds in India often have a tough time adjusting to life in the UK. From figuring out transportation and housing to adapting to an unfamiliar academic system, new students face a range of issues that can leave them feeling isolated and uncertain. Apart from these basic everyday tasks, students also struggle to find a sense of community and navigate their social life. There is hardly any advice available on practical questions like how to go about dating as a student in a new country or where to find an affordable, gender-affirming haircut in the city. This transition can often feel overwhelming, particularly without any real guidance or support—whether from home, in India before travel or once the student is here.
In our conversations with peers and friends, it became clear that a lot of our experiences with a general lack of guidance and support were not isolated issues but shared experiences faced by many international students from India. For instance, many of us recall the struggle of navigating public transport on a tight budget. Taking the wrong train or forgetting to tap out your card at some stations can lead you to end up miles away from home, struggling to figure out the route back while dealing with the extra charges that come with it. These seemingly “simple” issues can feel extremely confusing to many who may be using public transport in the UK for the first time. Similarly, the cost of living in the UK is very high, and this disproportionately affects international students coming from countries in the Global South. At the workshop, one of the contributors shared how anxious they felt when they first did a grocery run in London, because even essentials like milk or bread seemed alarmingly expensive, especially when they converted it into Indian currency and compared it with Indian prices.
Keeping this in mind, in June 2024, a group of students/ex-students from India based in London got together to create a guidance document based on our personal experiences and learning since coming to the UK. Many of us are Dalit, queer, first-generation learners, or come from underprivileged communities, and we’ve each faced challenges that often felt isolating. What made these experiences bearable was the community we found along the way, that offered not just practical advice but also a sense of belonging. This project represents our collective effort to consolidate that knowledge into a single, accessible, and open resource for all—one that not only provides practical tools but also offers solidarity and support.
You can find the document here.
The poster for the event we did, inviting marginalised students around the UK to join us in writing the document.
What do existing guidance documents lack?
While there are several generic support documents available online in different university and UK government websites, there is a lack of a comprehensive guide that talks about how differently specific issues affect students with various identities shaped by caste, class, gender, and sexuality. While some of these existing documents address issues of financial precarity and mental health to an extent, they fail to acknowledge its specific impact on marginalised students, particularly caste-oppressed and queer students from India. Some documents are also outdated and fail to reflect the evolving realities of visa policies, the housing crisis, and the rising cost of living in the UK. Moreover, international students are often treated as a monolithic group in university guidance, overlooking the varied problems faced by people with intersecting identities. For instance, a Dalit, trans, first-generation learner from India may face significantly different problems, compared to a wealthy, upper-caste, cisgender student from the same country. Students from oppressed caste communities have spoken about how they often encounter casteist attitudes in international academic spaces, which remains present despite being less discussed. A lack of social capital makes it harder to access mentorship, support networks, or opportunities that are often easily available to students from more privileged backgrounds. They may also face systemic barriers in navigating mental health support, as services may not be equipped to understand the intersections of caste, gender identity, and race. Therefore, there is a critical need for a resource that reflects the lived experiences of students from marginalised communities to address their specific challenges.
What does the guide include?
The anxieties of moving to the UK start long before landing, beginning with the process of applying for funding and preparing to fly. As such, the guidance document starts with detailed advice on everything that needs to be sorted before arrival, including finances, accommodation, and packing essentials. Information about different forms of funding is often not common knowledge for many international students. To bridge this gap, we have compiled details on resources and scholarships that specifically support marginalised students, including lesser-known opportunities like state-specific scholarships that we only discovered through word of mouth. There’s also practical advice on budgeting for the initial months, accounting for costs like visa fees, and healthcare surcharges, as well as finding safe and affordable accommodation. Packing is another major source of worry, especially when trying to fit everything into a limited baggage allowance, also given most students do not travel home during their period of study. Many of us recall the confusion of not knowing what to bring and what to buy later. For instance, a pressure cooker—an everyday appliance in India that is especially used for easy, one-pot recipes—is surprisingly hard to find in the UK and can be expensive. Learning from experiences like these, we have included a list of must-haves to make day-to-day life easier.
Next, the document focuses on everyday logistics and life after reaching the UK. This section covers a range of practicalities like setting up a bank account, navigating public transport and accessing healthcare services. We realised the importance of including information on the different types of bank accounts available, especially those that don’t require extensive credit history or hefty fees. Similarly, understanding healthcare services in the UK is quite difficult as a new student. From registering with a General Practitioner (GP) to finding dental services, the system is extremely different from that of India. One contributor learned this the hard way after needing dental treatment, only to be shocked by the high costs. Used to more affordable dental care back home, they were unprepared for the high fees of private dentists and the difficulty in finding NHS dentists who take in new patients. Similarly, disabled students do not know about the free support that is available to them with Wellbeing centres at universities and often go years without any support for their studies in terms of extensions, counselling or peer support. Therefore, the document provides guidance on how to find NHS dental services, what costs to expect, and when to consider private options.
Finally, the document discusses finding community in a new country and life beyond being a student. A common experience for a lot of us is the initial difficulty in navigating social dynamics, including dating and socialising while being mindful of cultural differences and safety. It often took months of trial and error to find groups where we felt comfortable and accepted. The guide provides suggestions on how to build a support network, from joining cultural societies to attending community events. This section also covers aspects of everyday life that are often overlooked, such as personal care tips, recommended restaurants, finding part-time jobs, and more. Small comforts, like discovering an affordable spot for familiar Indian food, can make a world of difference on tough days. By sharing our own experiences in these ways, we hope to make it easier for others to find their place and build meaningful connections in the UK, and hope that student communities elsewhere in the UK make their editions!
This blog was written with the invaluable support of two workshop members, Saranya Paidimukkala and Tanvi Kanchan.
Author Bios
Neha Anvar is an anthropologist and independent researcher.
Dr Jo Krishnakumar is an LSE Fellow in Anthropology.
