When I arrived in Exeter, I was nervous about being overseas for the first time, but since that first day, I have settled into life in the UK. At first numerous things, like how to catch a taxi, shop for groceries, order in restaurants and figure out my class schedule, were difficult even though they seem like they should be simple. However, over the past few weeks, those tasks have become more mundane and intuitive.
The first thing I did in Exeter was catch a taxi to my accommodation. I had no clue how to call a taxi, but I followed numerous other students with their luggage and was able to figure it out. I had to reserve the taxi inside a taxi store, wait for the driver to arrive and call for me and then pay in cash upon arriving to my destination. Since this was only my third time in a taxi, and the first time riding in one by myself, finally arriving to my accommodation felt like a big accomplishment.
Upon arriving at my accommodation, volunteers helped explain UK dorm policies along with how to do tasks like receiving and sending mail. Since I live in an international dorm, they also took the time to instruct me on how to use all of the kitchen appliances and other equipment in our dorm. This was nice because I had never used items like electric kettles which are common in the UK.
