Living abroad: how I built a support system at university

The night before moving to Dubai, my room was covered in half-packed suitcases, clothes, chargers and all the random things you only remember you need at the very last minute. I remember feeling two things at once: excitement and uncertainty.

Dubai wasn’t completely new to me. I had lived here with my parents when I was younger before we moved away again. So, I already knew the city, the culture, and many of the places people visit. But moving back on my own to start studying at the University of Birmingham Dubai felt completely different. The funny thing is that at the time, Dubai was just a city to me. The love came later.

What worried me most wasn’t the city itself — it was everything that came with starting university. A new environment, new people, new expectations, and the feeling that I was about to begin a completely different chapter of my life.

I wasn’t the only one feeling nervous. My mom worried about whether I’d feel lonely living away from home and whether I’d have people around me when things got difficult. Looking back now, I completely understand why she felt that way. Moving abroad is a big step not only for students, but for their families too.

Welcome Week wasn’t exactly what I expected

Before classes started, I had already visited the University during an Open Day, so I knew my way around campus well. Still, when Welcome Week arrived, I felt surprisingly lost.

I tried my best to look confident, but there were moments when I sat by myself, wondering where to go next or what I was supposed to be doing. What surprised me most was how quickly everyone seemed to connect. People were talking and laughing like they had known each other for years, even though they had only met that day. I met a few people during Welcome Week too, but if I’m honest, nothing really clicked.

I remember going home and thinking, “Is everyone finding their people except me?” Looking back now, I know I wasn’t the only one feeling that way.

The small mistake that led to some of my closest friendships

My first proper day of classes didn’t exactly go to plan. I had a glitch in the University app and couldn’t figure out which classroom I was supposed to be in. I remember standing there feeling slightly stressed while everyone else seemed to know exactly where they were going. Thankfully, the support available at the University made a huge difference. The team at Student Hub helped me find the right classroom, and although I arrived a little late, I made it.

I ended up sitting next to a group of girls. At the time, they were just classmates. A few months later, they had become some of my closest friends. Looking back, it’s funny how quickly things changed. The people I was nervous to sit next to on my first day became the people I revised with before exams, worked on projects with and spent weekends exploring Dubai alongside. Without realising it, those friendships slowly became one of the biggest parts of my university experience. We spent our Foundation Year together, preparing for exams, working on projects, stressing about deadlines, and trying to figure everything out as we went along. Looking back, that was the start of the support system I didn’t even realise I was building.

One of my favourite memories from that year was visiting the Coffee Museum together for a presentation we were preparing for our History, Culture, Society and Economy in the UAE module.

At the time it felt like just another university project. Now it’s one of those memories I always smile about.

How classmates became my support system

People often talk about making friends at university, but nobody really talks about how those friendships slowly become something much deeper. For me, it happened through the little things. It was someone asking, “Did your assignment upload properly?” It was coffee before lectures. It was studying together before exams.

I still remember preparing for one of my first major exams and feeling completely overwhelmed by one topic that I just couldn’t understand. One of my friends sat down with me and explained it until it finally clicked. That support meant more than she realised.

Another moment I still think about happened completely randomly. During a conversation, I mentioned that I love matcha with coconut milk. Weeks later, one of my friends remembered and took me to a café because she wanted me to try a matcha she thought I’d love. It sounds like such a small thing, but when you’re living away from home, being remembered matters. It wasn’t really about the matcha. It was about knowing that someone had listened, cared, and remembered something that was important to me.

That’s when you realise you’ve found people who genuinely care about you.

The support goes beyond friendships

Of course, university life isn’t always easy. My first exam season was stressful. I spent days revising, worrying, and convincing myself I wasn’t prepared enough. But one thing that always stood out to me was how much support was available when I needed it.

I remember professors staying behind after class to answer questions long after the lecture had finished. There were workshops on academic writing, referencing, study skills, note-taking and time management that helped me feel much more confident academically. And whether it was a technical issue, a question about university processes or simply not knowing where to find something, there was always someone willing to help. That made a huge difference during my first year.

The place that feels like home now

One of my favourite places on campus is the seating area near Atrium Coffee on the second floor. It’s never completely quiet. You can hear the coffee machine in the background, students chatting between lectures, professors working on laptops and people moving through campus. Through the large windows, you can see the University grounds and the green space outside. It’s where I’ve had countless coffees, conversations, revision sessions and breaks between classes.

And sometimes when I’m sitting there, I think about how nervous I was before moving here. Back then, I was worried about being alone. Now, when I think about Dubai, I don’t just think about the city. I think about the people.

What I’d tell someone who is about to move abroad

If you’re reading this before starting university, especially if you’re moving abroad, or beginning student life in Dubai, it’s completely normal to feel nervous. I certainly was.

What I’ve learned is that building a support system doesn’t happen overnight. It happens through everyday moments: sitting next to someone in class, grabbing coffee between lectures, preparing for exams together or sending a quick message to ask if an assignment was uploaded properly.

Looking back now, the things I was worried about before moving to Dubai aren’t the things I remember most. What I remember are the friendships, the conversations, the shared deadlines, the coffee breaks, and the people who helped turn a familiar city into a home.

If I could go back and speak to the version of myself sitting among those half-packed suitcases before moving, I’d tell her not to worry so much about being alone. Because somewhere between lectures, deadlines, coffee runs and spontaneous trips around Dubai, she was about to find her people.