An ocean of possibilities: My life in Huddersfield as a French student (so far)

How I discovered the University of Huddersfield 

As an international student wanting to study abroad, I struggled to find the perfect university and course for me. Therefore I am going to walk you through my journey of how I found the University of Huddersfield and how it has been going so far.

I am lucky because my school in France has a partnership with the University of Huddersfield therefore I received a lot of help with the administrative procedures and the enrolling process. Before I enrolled I spent a lot of time going through the university website, and if you did too you must have seen that there is a lot of useful information about any course and the Uni. I highly recommend getting familiar with this website because you will learn so much! Another tip to find out more about your future life in Huddersfield is to search the University on TikTok or follow the International TikTok page. 

Why I chose the University of Huddersfield 

To be honest, the choice to study in Huddersfield for me was easy. I always wanted to study in the UK but I didn’t want to live in a big city like London or Manchester. Huddersfield is the perfect mix because it is rather small but there are plenty of things to do and big cities are just a train ride away (Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool).

Student Life in Huddersfield 

I have been living here for two months and I couldn’t be happier. It is a lot different from France but I also see similarities which is great because I don’t get homesick. The student life here is amazing even though it is a small town. The university has a lot of events which is great for making friends (small tip, I highly recommend going to any student event because you get a lot of freebies). Also, the bars and restaurants often have student nights. There are discounts on drinks or food and there are sometimes fun games.

Being a student in Huddersfield comes with a lot of perks, you can a discount on pretty much anything by showing your student ID. I've grown to love many things here, for example, the fact that McDonalds is much cheaper here than in France, or the fact that supermarkets are open longer and of course the fact that my teachers are real professionals that I can trust.

When not doing university work there are lots of things to do in Huddersfield, the University has lots of clubs and societies. Huddersfield also has lots of parks and green and relaxing spaces.

Before I came here I was a little worried. Indeed, I am an introvert and very shy. I soon discovered that everyone is really nice here and it is easy to make friends. My first few weeks in England were complicated because I missed home, but then I managed to enjoy it by focusing on the positive, engaging in student activities and making friends.

Ever since I moved here I had to adapt to the country and had a few surprises. For example, for food, I was pleasantly surprised to find salted butter, baguette, and saucisson which are my French staples and couldn’t live without.

As for the classes, it is quite different from what I've experienced in France. We are treated as adults and are very autonomous. Also, our exams aren’t a two-hour test that you do in class but assignments you have to submit. You also get all the support you need from your tutors. They always respond to emails, and questions and are available in their offices. If you need a more support there is a wellbeing centre in the University where you can talk to a professional about anything for free. Another pleasant surprise I got was to see how much cheaper it was to travel from Huddersfield. You can get a train to London for £25, or to Manchester for £8.

I have visited London, Manchester, and Leeds so far. And I would say that my favourite place has to be Manchester. There are many things to visit, many great places to eat, some cheap accommodations, and some great places to party.

Living in Huddersfield isn’t just living in a small town, it is living in an ocean of possibilities.