My first few months at ARU

Simran shares how she has found her experience so far studying at our Cambridge campus.

My first few weeks at ARU were rather daunting and overwhelming. I come from a city two hours away and it was my first time ever living on my own. Growing up in a very family-orientated household and always being surrounded by my friends, I was homesick for a while. However, after my first month I soon made ARU Cambridge my second home.

First impressions

My first day consisted of meeting new people, my lecturers and getting used to ARU. We were greeted with plenty of drinks and pastries as we mingled. There was also the Freshers Fair which was great as I was able to see the variety of societies available to me and I signed up for a couple. There were also pop-up restaurants and bars that were in the local area – including plenty of deals and freebies too! The first few weeks were also great for nightlife due to cheaper nights out and discounted drinks.

Lectures and staff

My first week of lectures at ARU consisted of introductions to the course as well as advice to help us stay on track throughout our studies. It is certainly different to school or college and the teaching style requires adjusting to, but the staff have been amazing and have guided me through this change.

The City of Cambridge

My favourite part over the past few months has been exploring the pretty city of Cambridge. Though traditional with cobbled streets and narrow alleyways, it is packed with quirky restaurants, shops and there is plenty to do – from punting to painting!

Settling in and friendships

Although difficult at first, it has been great having to look after myself, like: cooking, cleaning, laundry and managing money as it is a great life skill and will become useful in future years. It has also been amazing to meet so many new people and make lots of new friends through my course, accommodation and societies. By joining the squash society, I have met some lovely people and have played matches against other students, allowing me to get to know new people.

There is a wide range of people from different cultures that have made me feel welcomed and it is great as I get to meet interesting people from diverse backgrounds. It’s also great to see my family and friends from my home city and spend quality time with them, whether I go back home for the weekend, or they come to visit me!