Ciao a tutti! 😊

My name’s Giacomo, but everyone here calls me Jack. If you’re reading this post now, you’re probably from Italy. Well, I’m Italian too! I live in a tiny village near Milan. However, since September 2021, I’ve been living in the charming town of Guildford. 

Here I am pursuing an MSc in Air Transport Management at the University of Surrey, which happens to be the pumping heart of the town! Guildford wouldn’t be the town it is without its international student community.

Before leaving for the UK, I had heaps of questions about moving to another country, so I was thinking that in my very first blog, I could tell you guys a little bit about my experience. 

After graduating in Milan in October 2020, I started to work on my IELTS examination, which was an entry requirement for being accepted into the master’s course (if you don’t have a bachelor’s degree in an English speaking country, you most likely need to present an IELTS certificate to be accepted into your course. You can find useful information on the entry requirements for the specific course you’re interested in on the course website page. Here is an example for my course: https://www.surrey.ac.uk/postgraduate/air-transport-management-msc#entry (Entry requirements – English language requirements). 

After completing a six-month internship in a multinational company in Italy, it was finally time to move to Guildford. However, the UK is no longer part of the European Union. Therefore, there are some documents you need to have ready before your departure. I’ll make sure I will cover this significant topic in a dedicated blog post 😊 

Finally, the much-awaited date arrived. I remember being so excited while boarding the plane bound for London. I had waited for that moment for so long that I couldn’t wait anymore to start my new life in the UK. Once arrived, I immediately felt part of the fantastic Surrey community.

What helped me feel at home from the very first day was connecting to people before leaving Italy. This was possible thanks to Facebook groups managed by the University itself, whose aim is to get people from the same courses/accommodation to know each other virtually. I highly recommend you guys subscribe to those groups; they can really make a difference during the first couple of weeks! Indeed, it was thanks to a FB post that I met a girl living in the apartment above mine, who’s now become one of my closest friends here! 

The first weeks at the University are simply amazing, you will never forget them! The campus is a dream: here, you’ll find many cafés to chill out, restaurants, a lake (amazing, isn’t it?) and our fantastic nightclub, Rubix. During fresher’s week, you’ll have the chance to party here with your new friends to celebrate the start of your new adventure. 

Surrey has so much to offer that a single post will never be enough to cover everything! Therefore, I promise you guys I will tell you about fresher’s week and all the amenities the campus offers in one of my next posts. 

In the meantime, just have a look at the uni-website; there is plenty of helpful information regarding every answer you might have! 

Stay safe and all the best to you 😊 

Jack