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Sankirtana Kumar Tharamel

August 10th, 2022

Relocating to a New Country – Part II

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Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Sankirtana Kumar Tharamel

August 10th, 2022

Relocating to a New Country – Part II

0 comments

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Welcome to the second part of this series! Through Part I, we explored the actions taken during the days leading up to the departure from the home country/city to the new one, and what can be done upon landing in London. Through this article, I detail my actions and experiences on the days and week after landing.

As detailed in the previous article, it should be noted that my experience of shifting occurred in the pandemic world of September 2021. Due to the ever-changing nature of the pandemic, it must be noted that a lot of these points will have to be understood in the context of the time. To give you some context, this is my first time in the UK and so naturally, London as well. And this was just after the second wave of COVID in India. Restrictions were still in place and India had just come off the “Red” list and gone into the “Amber list” of countries as classified by the UK with respect to travel restrictions. This implied that I had to quarantine non-institutionally at a place of my choice.

So though some of my thoughts might relate specifically to this pandemic world, the underlying concepts are ubiquitously applicable.

Getting accustomed to the transport

Well, this is truly one of the most crucial aspects of moving to any new city. Not only is it logistically important, but it also shed such profound light on the ways of the city. Permitting myself a bit of poetic musing, local transportation helps us understand a part of the “soul” of the city. One learns so much about the ways of the people, and the underlying cocktail of sentiments and values the city espouses.

From a more practical angle, some of the best ways to figure out how to get around from Point A to Point B would be using apps like Google Maps and Citymapper. As a Google enthusiast myself, I have found the “Maps” app to be extremely helpful and user-friendly. “Citymapper” provides detailed insights into aspects like which part of the tube will be crowded, the direction of the platforms (Eastbound, Westbound, etc.) which might be helpful based on what kind of information one prefers.

Although my preferred mode of transport is still “walking”, the bus transport and tube services make London quite a well-connected city, in my opinion. Consider getting a Student Oyster Card if you believe you will be doing a lot of traveling. More on this in the section that follows.

Getting documents ready

The week(s) after arriving in London is a great time to sort out the logistical and important aspects of being a resident in London. This includes collecting the BRP, opening a local bank, getting an Oyster Card, and registering with a GP. Huge props to the alumni guides, the community back in India and my friend with whom I quarantined for this information. Let me walk you through my thought process here:

  1. Local Bank: It is worth spending some time to find a bank that caters to your specific needs. In my case, I primarily wanted a local bank as the conversion rate from Indian Rupees to the Great Britain Pound was ever-changing and honestly very mentally frustrating. Plus, once we start earning in GBP via part-time jobs or other employment, they usually prefer to transfer the money to a local account. I opened mine the first month after getting here.
  2. Oyster Card: You have a bunch of different types of Oyster Cards. Since I didn’t have to use public transportation every day, I got a normal pay-as-you-go Oyster instead of a Student Oyster Card. You have certain deposits to be made, the price of which varies based on the kind of card you take, and the fares vary accordingly too. You can even use your touch card instead of the Oyster, but the Oyster gives you the benefit of tracking routes and expenses related to your travel.
  3. Register with a GP: This is an important step and one that is best done as soon as you arrive. This can be done online and will require you to enter some personal details, following which you will receive your NHS number by mail. Remember to have your choice of GP ready! The St Philips Medical Center is the one closest to LSE but you might want to explore ones near your accommodation too. It is important to be prepared for emergencies and this is a great start to it. Also, you can only receive your NHS number once you register with one.

 

This brings us to the end of Part II of this series. In Part III, we will explore additional resources I used while preparing for my move, and will also touch upon my experience of exploring the city. See you soon!

About the author

Sankirtana Kumar Tharamel

Hi! I am Sanku. You will mostly find me dancing my legs off, pouring over a book, or just deeply engaged in conversation. An engineering graduate and STEM girl at heart, I have been exploring the development sector for greater than half a decade now, and hope to continue this line of work after my MSc in Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Posted In: Student life

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