New student Greta is moving from Lithuania to Aberdeen this September to start her course in Applied Social Sciences. She shares what scares her about the move as well as what she is the most excited about.
Haidh! Ciamar a tha sibh? My name is Greta and in September of this year I am going on an exciting and at the same time frightful journey – travelling all the way from Lithuania to Scotland to begin my studies in Aberdeen, RGU.
The prospect of travelling and starting my life abroad is both thrilling and daunting. There are many things I’m looking forward to in this new journey, yet at the same time my mind is filled with fears and uncertainties. I’ve decided to write down these thoughts and perhaps help other prospective students feel less alone in their anxieties before this new chapter.
What scares me
1. Homesickness
The language that has shaped my voice since I was little, my traditions and customs and perhaps most importantly my cat – a few things that I will have to leave behind for now.
And while I can whisper words in my mother tongue here and then, or fill my stomach with a meal I am familiar with, it won’t be as effortless. It won’t really be like home.
2. Starting university “late”
In my heart, I know there is never a wrong time to start higher education. There are those who get degrees over the age of 60, and I will be getting my degree at the age of 26.
I’m proud of being the first in my family to pursue it, but that doesn’t stop my fears of feeling desolate, surrounded by my peers, most of whom will be a few years younger than me.
I know that sounds daft as despite my age being close to the typical student demographic, I am coming into school with an outside perspective, having gained real-life experiences that have shaped who I am. But this lingering feeling of not finding my place or common ground with my peers persists.
3. Language barriers
This won’t be my first rodeo in Scotland. Before Christmas in 2023, I spent a weekend exploring Edinburgh. But with such a short time immersed in the culture this has naturally left me with far too few interactions and conversations with the Scots (and their strong accents!).
Speaking English comes naturally to me, I think I use it more than my mother tongue as it is, but that doesn’t stop it from feeling quite foreign in some regards, still, so I can only imagine how many awkward interactions I’ll have with people in Aberdeen, knowing that the area has its own specific dialect.
4. Finances
Coming from a low-income household, money has always been a sore and anxiety-inducing topic. Now, the fact that starting my new life far away from home is inevitable my fears have quadrupled.
However, it eases my thoughts knowing that RGU is full of helpful financial advice and a great support system. Receiving an email from the University announcing that I have won the Scholarship that will aid me in paying for my tuition was such an honour. It has been of immense help in making me feel more secure and has allowed me to focus on the things I’m most looking forward to starting my life in Aberdeen.
What excites me
1. Travelling all around Scotland
From the Outer Hebrides to the Cairngorms, merely an hour away from Aberdeen, the possibilities seem to be endless. I am really excited for all the travel, sight-seeing, hiking, landscapes, beaches, island hopping, and everything else in-between.
I’m looking forward to meeting a plethora of different identities, getting to know their culture, language and outlook of life – getting engulfed by the magic that surrounds this country and its people.
2. Creating life-long friendships
I’ve heard so many stories of people finding life-long friends during their university years, despite my worries of not being the same age as many of my peers. I’m excited for the opportunity to do the same and I cannot wait to find a group of likeminded people.
3. Studying a subject I’m interested in
One of the reasons I did not continue with further education after leaving secondary school was because I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my life. Even now, if it is a bit scary to start this journey a few years later, I think that it was the right choice and I have managed to develop my passions and goals to the point where I am sure I will absolutely love my degree.
4. Diversity
One of the many reasons I’ve always wanted to study in the UK was because of the mixture of traditions, languages, and the people that call it home. I think it’s a beautiful and amazing thing to be able to embrace a diverse range of cultures, cuisines and lives right on your doorstep.
Having access and opportunity to an Indian or a Chinese takeaway, or being able to choose if I want to eat something that is vegan, vegetarian, or pescatarian may be people’s regular experience, but it is not for me or my country as a whole to have all of these choices made available. We simply don’t have the same privilege in Lithuania, and especially in the small city that I am from.
5. Free sanitary products
I remember hearing on the news a few years ago that Scotland was the first country to provide free sanitary products. Such a simple thing, yet I thought that was a wonderful and progressive policy to implement, as with the cost of living crisis something so necessary might not be in people’s budgets.
There could be some that might not be aware of this service so I think it is worthy to write about, as it certainly gave a bonus point to Scotland for me when looking at universities.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, life has its moments that are full of both scary and anxiety-inducing events, but that comes naturally with new chapters and doing something that is out of your comfort zone.
Moving out for university is no different. No matter if you’re moving a few hours away or flying overseas to follow your dreams, we are all leaving something behind. And even though at times we may feel lonely and out of place, we will grow, get better, and come out of this experience, if not with a degree, with having experienced something new, and it will be less scary next time to jump to a new page.
Greta Raideryte
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