Cristian Meets Coventry.

There's nothing better than a gloomy Sunday to catch up with my dear blog. I'm sitting in my room, sipping warm tea, playing acoustic music and letting my thoughts run through my head. 

I moved to the United Kingdom when it was technically still summer, even though when I arrived here the weather was just cold and... well, terrible. Not a great start for a new beginning, but everything counts. I applied for the University airport pick up service because I thought that it was the easiest way to get to my new home but I arrived in Coventry super late on a Saturday night, so no one was at the reception to check me in. Once I got everything sorted, I walked towards my flat, I entered my room and found out that there was no bedding. Long story short, I slept with two layers of clothes and my bathrobe and I was still cold. Again, not a fabulous day to begin with, but whatever.

Four days into my study abroad experience, I changed room. I moved from the ground floor to the first floor of a new block. My flatmates were just as loud as the people below me right now. So yeah, I'm in desperate need of a change once again, but the University's housing team won't let me break the contract unless I find someone willing to take over my room. The situation has been going on for too long, to the point that I don't sleep well at night, I can't focus when I do homework, and I just don't look forward to going back to the dorm at the end of the day.

Cheers on the luck I'm lacking.

That said, I enjoy the University. The facilities are quite good, my classes are very interesting, and my lecturers well prepared. When something bad occurs I always try to keep in mind that there are good things, and in my case classes are the positive aspect about the experience. I came to the UK with an open mind and the desire to take my skills to the next level, and I feel like I have the opportunity to do so here.

Hong Kong Design Institute.

My class is composed of exactly nine individuals. I know, it is pretty small, at least when you compare it to other classes that count up to a few hundreds of students. What is cool about it though is that my classmates and I got to know each other fairly well, which is what we need because we do have to team up quite often for group projects. It didn't take long to establish a relationship with the lecturers either, which is great because if a problem occurs, the lecturer can help you as he or she actually knows you, not just your name or face.

We may not be numerous in Coventry, but the thing is - my course runs in Hong Kong as well. Why is that cool? Because I get to go there to work on a cool project sometimes in December. I'm sure it's going to be an amazing experience from which I will be able to learn a lot. In addition, I've never been to Asia so I am really looking forward to trying new foods and see more of the world we live in.

Tips for you.

As I mentioned earlier, housing for me has been - and still is - a huge problem that I have to fix. All I can say to you is: read every contract before you sign; think of all the options before making a decision; seek help and support from everybody. To me, the dorm seemed a good place to live at. I've seen it as a good way to make friends, but I also thought that there I wouldn't feel alone and that I wouldn't have to worry about bills and such things. Turns out that I had to pay extra money to change from one room to another and that I didn't meet anyone who I can now call my friend. I am actually quite annoyed by the fact that university accommodation is too expensive for what it actually really is. I share the bathroom and the kitchen with other five people. My room is just right next to the kitchen which means that I can hear loud and clear every conversation that people have in there, it doesn't matter if there are two or ten people in there - anything that I can hear through these paper walls is categorized as noise. I literally went to four different places to seek help to change my room. Sooner or later, someone will realize I am a person and not a walking bag of money.

In conclusion, keep in mind that there is a 50/50 chance that you may have a good or terrible experience in University-managed halls, but if you will want to move out, you will most likely still be liable towards your room or will have to find a replacement. There's never too much thinking when it comes to making decisions that will affect your next few months or years of your life. Think twice, think three times. If you need help don't hesitate to contact me.

- Cris