{"id":1197,"date":"2017-07-27T14:05:05","date_gmt":"2017-07-27T13:05:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.southampton.ac.uk\/blog\/internationalvoices\/?p=1197"},"modified":"2017-07-31T11:19:25","modified_gmt":"2017-07-31T10:19:25","slug":"smiles-sweaters-and-sarcasm-a-ghanaian-students-guide-to-studying-at-southampton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.southampton.ac.uk\/blog\/internationalvoices\/2017\/07\/27\/smiles-sweaters-and-sarcasm-a-ghanaian-students-guide-to-studying-at-southampton\/","title":{"rendered":"Smiles, Sweaters and Sarcasm \u2013 A Ghanaian Student\u2019s Guide to Studying at Southampton"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Our \u2018Insider\u2019s Guide\u2019 webinar series offers a unique perspective on life at Southampton by the people who know best \u2013 our students!<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1221 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.southampton.ac.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/07\/pic3-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"547\" height=\"365\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.southampton.ac.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/07\/pic3-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.southampton.ac.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/07\/pic3-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.southampton.ac.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/07\/pic3.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 547px) 100vw, 547px\" \/><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Church barbeque at Hoglands Park<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Our Ghanaian student host was LLB student Doreen, who described her first year in Southampton and gave her advice on how to survive the cold, the British sense of humour and the challenges of being an international student in the UK:<\/p>\n<p><u>British people are great but beware the sarcasm!<\/u><\/p>\n<p>From the minute you arrive, British people are super helpful and will go out of their way to accommodate you and make you feel at home, whether it\u2019s answering your questions or helping you with directions when you get lost.\u00a0 Just be careful of the British sense of humour \u2013 the sarcasm can take some getting used to but you will understand it eventually (and maybe even find it funny!)<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-1222 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.southampton.ac.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/07\/pic4-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"552\" height=\"414\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.southampton.ac.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/07\/pic4-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.southampton.ac.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/07\/pic4-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.southampton.ac.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/07\/pic4.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 552px) 100vw, 552px\" \/><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Studying for exams while enjoying the sun<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><u>All the flavours of home<\/u><\/p>\n<p>It is important to try British food while you are here, but if you fancy a break from fish and chips, you can get all the essential ingredients from home right here in Southampton.\u00a0 Check out the Global Halal Shop in St Marys Street and the International Food Store in Portswood.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-1200 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.southampton.ac.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/07\/Doreen-5-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"548\" height=\"309\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.southampton.ac.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/07\/Doreen-5-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.southampton.ac.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/07\/Doreen-5-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.southampton.ac.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/07\/Doreen-5.jpg 980w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 548px) 100vw, 548px\" \/><\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Plantain with garden egg stew<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><u>Work, work, work<\/u><\/p>\n<p>We all know that a degree is not enough when you are looking to get a good graduate job.\u00a0 Luckily, the University offers a million different opportunities for you to get professional skills and work experience alongside your studies.\u00a0 From sandwich year programmes and subject specific careers fairs to the University\u2019s award winning Excel Internship Programme, there is something for everyone, whatever you plan to do after graduation.<\/p>\n<p><u>Prepare to be challenged<\/u><\/p>\n<p>Even the smartest students will feel challenged by the UK education system, which is a world away from what you are used to back home or at school.\u00a0 Here, you will need to think for yourself and will be exposed to perspectives and theories from all over the world.\u00a0 Come with an open mind, be adaptable and willing to try new things and hear new ideas.<\/p>\n<p><u>Where to live?<\/u><\/p>\n<p>If this is your first time in the UK, then the University accommodation is a great choice as it\u2019s clean, safe and well-located, with something to suit all budgets and preferences.\u00a0 The only thing you can\u2019t choose is your flatmates but the University will try hard to match you with people from your course and the experience of living with other people will teach you a lot about cooperation, teamwork and diplomacy!<\/p>\n<p><u>Don\u2019t forget your sweater!<\/u><\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s face it, Britain is not known for its hot weather; in fact, it\u2019s usually downright cold, which can be quite a shock when you first arrive. \u00a0\u00a0But fear not \u2013 the University accommodation service is well prepared for dealing with shivering international students and you can borrow a heater or two free of charge to ensure your room is nice and toasty all winter long.<\/p>\n<p><u>Life is an adventure\u2026<\/u><\/p>\n<p>Choosing to study in the UK is both challenging and exciting but really the only way to make the most of it is to dive in head first!\u00a0 Do everything, see everything and don\u2019t sit still for a minute!<\/p>\n<p>If you would like register for our next Insider\u2019s Guide webinar,\u00a0please<a href=\"https:\/\/attendee.gotowebinar.com\/register\/7899870483451237889\"> click here<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-1201 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.southampton.ac.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/07\/Doreen-discover-a-new-world-224x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"276\" height=\"370\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.southampton.ac.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/07\/Doreen-discover-a-new-world-224x300.jpg 224w, https:\/\/www.southampton.ac.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/07\/Doreen-discover-a-new-world.jpg 456w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 276px) 100vw, 276px\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Our \u2018Insider\u2019s Guide\u2019 webinar series offers a unique perspective on life at Southampton by the people who know best \u2013 our students! \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0Church barbeque at Hoglands Park &nbsp; Our Ghanaian student host was LLB student Doreen, who described her first year [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":179,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1197","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southampton.ac.uk\/blog\/internationalvoices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1197","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southampton.ac.uk\/blog\/internationalvoices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southampton.ac.uk\/blog\/internationalvoices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.southampton.ac.uk\/blog\/internationalvoices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/179"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.southampton.ac.uk\/blog\/internationalvoices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1197"}],"version-history":[{"count":35,"href":"https:\/\/www.southampton.ac.uk\/blog\/internationalvoices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1197\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1250,"href":"https:\/\/www.southampton.ac.uk\/blog\/internationalvoices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1197\/revisions\/1250"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.southampton.ac.uk\/blog\/internationalvoices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1197"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.southampton.ac.uk\/blog\/internationalvoices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1197"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.southampton.ac.uk\/blog\/internationalvoices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1197"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}