IELTS<\/a>) requirement if students have strong English scores or an English-medium degree.These early steps, she says, require patience, research and support.<\/p>\nThe cost of moving countries: Details no one tells you<\/p>\n
Like many students, Lakshita assumed that tuition and accommodation would make up most of her expenses. But budgeting revealed more. She highlights a cost that often surprises new arrivals:\u201cNobody ever told me about the transport expenses you are going to have on your day-to-day life.\u201dLiving off-campus meant a 25-minute walk to the university. On days when she preferred a bus or taxi, the costs increased. For students planning their finances, she suggests accounting for tuition fees, rent, groceries, miscellaneous costs and daily transport, not just the large expenses.She also advises preparing thoroughly for the first week in the UK. Even if National Health Service (NHS) registration is completed on arrival, medical access does not begin immediately. \u201cNothing starts from the first day,\u201d she says. Her advice: pre-book airport transfers, organise initial groceries and bring essential medicines.The transition, she learnt, begins before the flight lands.<\/p>\n
From biotech to management: Facing the academic shift<\/p>\n
Her second day in Exeter brought the moment she had not fully prepared for.\u201cBeing from a biotechnology background, I had zero knowledge about management, zero knowledge about business, zero knowledge about analytics.\u201dThe adjustment was sharp. The teaching approach was different, entirely digital and based on self-direction. \u201cNo spoon feeding,\u201d she says simply. Accent differences required some time to get used to, and study sessions demanded active engagement rather than note-taking routines she was accustomed to in India.But support came from unexpected places. \u201cThe professors here are so helpful\u2026 they gave me extra time, extra workshops so that I can get better.\u201d After two months, she felt herself finding her footing.For future students, she frames this as a realistic part of the journey. Academic discomfort is not a sign of failure, but it is the beginning of adaptation.<\/p>\n
Building a community that makes the place feel familiar<\/p>\n
Homesickness arrived early, but so did connection. \u201cEvery country has a major Indian society,\u201d Lakshita says. She found a large Indian community in Exeter, one that meets often and makes students feel less alone. Other cultural groups were equally welcoming.Community, she learnt, does not replace home but creates a stable space abroad. It turns the unfamiliar into something manageable.<\/p>\n
Learning to balance study, survival and income<\/p>\n
Expenses make part-time work appealing, and Lakshita eventually took a weekend role with a student accommodation brand. She also uses university surveys, brand surveys and platforms such as \u201cUNiDAYS\u201d to save money or earn small rewards.But she shares this reminder: \u201cYour main goal should be studying\u2026 once you are caught up with the assignments and the course, then you should start thinking about the part-time.\u201dHer advice is simple: settle into the academic system first. Only then decide how much additional responsibility you can manage.<\/p>\n
Preparing for a change that transforms you<\/p>\n
Looking back, Lakshita sees the journey as challenging but worthwhile. She understands the fear of leaving home, she felt it too. \u201cWe have to leave our families behind. We have to leave our hometown behind,\u201d she says. But her message to future students is firm:\u201cTrust me, it is all worth it.\u201dThe value lies not only in the degree but in the process of learning to navigate a new environment, manage oneself and build a future step by step.Her final reflection echoes the experience of many international students: The difficulty is temporary, but the growth stays.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For many Indian students, choosing a course abroad is a long and often confusing process. For Lakshita Bhagtani,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":305067,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[122233,122236,59,57,58,122238,122234,122231,122237,122239,50,122232,122235,56,54,55,76417],"class_list":["post-305066","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-united-kingdom","tag-choosing-a-university-in-the-uk","tag-cost-of-studying-in-uk-for-indian-students","tag-gb","tag-great-britain","tag-greatbritain","tag-how-to-prepare-for-studying-in-the-uk","tag-ielts","tag-indian-students-studying-in-uk","tag-international-student","tag-life-in-uk-for-international-students","tag-news","tag-preparing-to-study-abroad","tag-study-in-uk-for-indian-students","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom","tag-university-of-exeter"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/305066","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=305066"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/305066\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/305067"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=305066"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=305066"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=305066"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"\u201cNobody](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/nobody-told-me-about-transport-expenses-an-indian-student-on-the-real-preparation-needed-for-studyin.jpeg\")
For many Indian students, choosing a course abroad is a long and often confusing process. For Lakshita Bhagtani, now pursuing a Master of Science in Management at the University of Exeter, United Kingdom, the path began much earlier than her flight date.She completed her Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology, but discovered another interest forming alongside it. \u201cI realised that I have a certain interest in management and business,\u201d she says. Working as a Department Representative for three years, she and her team organised several events, giving her early exposure to leadership, coordination and planning. \u201cWith that I developed the management skills,\u201d she explains, and the idea of studying management solidified.<\/p>\n