Your First Week in the UK: A Survival Guide for New Students

Confirming your accommodation move-in and checking your eVisa works are typically the first priorities, followed quickly by getting a UK SIM card for connectivity.

As soon as possible — ideally within your first few days. Digital banks like Monzo or Starling can often be set up within days using your passport, eVisa share code and UK address, faster than traditional banks.

Yes — registering with a local GP practice early, before you need medical care, ensures you're already in the system if an urgent health need arises later, avoiding delays during an actual emergency.

Yes, very common — combining a new environment, unfamiliar systems, and homesickness in the same week is genuinely a lot to process. Pacing yourself while still engaging with some social and academic activities helps.

Apply as soon as possible after arrival, ideally in your first week, since processing takes several weeks and you'll want it in place before or shortly after starting any part-time work.

Academic and international student induction sessions typically cover essential practical and course information, so attending these specifically is strongly recommended, even if you skip some purely social events.

Contact your accommodation provider or university housing office immediately — most have contingency arrangements for delayed move-ins, and your university's international student support team can also assist.

Attending Freshers' Fair, joining at least one or two societies (including but not limited to a Nepali Society), and engaging with flatmates or coursemates in these early days meaningfully accelerates building your UK social network.