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The following are excerpts from international students on the fun elements of their UK experiences:

Saiful Bahri Idris: Singapore

'I loved staying in halls of residence! One of the earliest rumours I heard about my college was that it had a 70% female population - to a healthy, then 20-year-old young man, those words could not have been sweeter. But that would be missing the point entirely.

The best thing about London is its mix of people. You meet people from almost every corner of the globe. Goldsmiths for example has such a diverse mix of people that you seem to encounter more foreigners than you do the British!'

Eszter Tanacs: Hungary

'Coughing and blowing nose are inevitable part of life in Britain, though not necessarily for the British. I really admire them for their ability to exist half-naked in freezing cold without even having goose bumps.

This may be a fortunate side effect of eating potatoes that are part of almost any kind of English meal. English food helped me become more 'positive' as well.

After two weeks of eating chips I wrote to my Mum for help and got a few recipes strictly without potatoes. Fortunately my housemates have no idea of my reputation as a cook ('bad'), nor about the usual taste of Hungarian food, so I earned quite a lot of compliments with my Hungarian dishes.'

Amos Akintayo Fatokun: Nigeria

'I was impressed by the receptions held when I first arrived, one by the Graduate School, and a series of others later by members of my laboratory and my co-supervisor. Although there were new kinds of delicacies for me to taste, nowadays cheese and wine parties are common.

Also I am fighting my addiction to shopping. I’m a shopoholic and have enjoyed shopping at Tescos. Safeway, Argos, IKEA, LIDL, Primark, the Watts Brothers, the University Bookshop, the KRK (for African food), the Salvation Army and Boots Pharmacy.'

Glossary

halls of residence (n.) : dormitory style accomodation usually on the university campus

goose bumps (n.) : a roughness of the skin especially from cold, fear, or a sudden feeling of excitement

delicacy (n.) : something pleasing to eat that is considered rare or luxurious