Living outside your country is always a good way of learning. Be it for education or career, I believe experiencing a piece of the international world and their way of life help you understand people, their culture along with the similarities and differences you share with them. It was with this expectation that I decided to pursue a part of my education in UK. I went to Dundee, a small ‘student’ town in Scotland, to pursue my post graduate degree from the University of Dundee.
Although I knew Scotland was a beautiful place with abundant natural scenic beauty, Dundee was a town I had not heard of before. As soon as I landed at the airport of Edinburgh in January, the first big difference I could feel was the freezing, cold weather. Whenever I stepped out, it felt like I was inside a fridge. Living in Kathmandu, where weather is heavenly, it took me a while to enjoy going out of my apartment in Dundee,especially during January. But it was my first time in Scotland, an ancient kingdom rich in heritage and architecture. Like tourists in Kathmandu adore the old temples and palaces, I was awed by the Victorian and Georgian style houses and buildings.
Another obvious experience you encounter in a foreign land is the difference in language. I could speak and understand English pretty well, but I didn’t know that many people in Scotland spoke Scottish, which is English but with a thick accent and highly influenced by Gaelic language. For the first few months I was a tourist and I enjoyed visiting different places in Dundee. It took me quite some time to understand the local language especially when I went shopping, to the bank or any service offices. It’s amazing how you gradually get acclimatized to a new place, its weather, language and people when you start living there. It’s not always fun but it is an experienceof lifetime once you step out of your comfort zone.
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I made a lot of good friends in Dundee. Friends became my family when I shared my moments of joy and sorrow with them. And may be because I did not have my family around, I became very close and attached with my friends. I had a group of people I knew I could count on at any point of time.
I was living away from home and parents for the first time, but Scotland assured me of my personal safety and security. I realized that it’s not only parents who give you freedom; it’s the country’s security that gives your freedom. In Nepal, I find it difficult to travel due to various reasons such as security, road conditions and hygiene issues. While in Scotland I travelled a lot; inside Scotland, outside Scotland and to different other places in Europe. I enjoyed travelling without having to worry about my safety. However, in addition to security, I had access to reliable services such as transportation, communication, payment system and mobile data.
I was fascinated by the quality of University’s infrastructure and facilities. Unlike colleges in Kathmandu, which are usually big building with classrooms to accommodate 30-50 students in a class with playground and parking space. Dundee University was spread across a large area and we had to walk 10-15 minutes just to reach from one class to another. There were different types of classrooms, and most of them were like mini-auditoriums. The university also offered a lot of other facilities ranging from well-equipped libraries and computer labs, fitness resources as well as socializing and personality building clubs with various events. At the end of the day, you have to work hard to graduate with flying colors and the assistance and extra resources I got from the university definitely made my journey easier and interesting.
Living away from home, in a country very different from ours, teaches you a lot of life skills. It is not always as easy or as glorified as you see in your friend’s Facebook posts. But these exposures help you grow and bring the better out of you. It is a valuable experience that stays with you throughout your life and directs you in different times.
Bajracharya is currently handling operations at laibrary.com.
