Hi, I’m Parakh, a BSc Accounting and Finance with Industrial Experience student at the University of Exeter Business School, originally from Dubai but Indian by nationality.
When I think back to my first term at Exeter, I don’t remember one defining moment.
It wasn’t Freshers’ Week.
It wasn’t my first lecture.
It wasn’t even the day I arrived.
What I remember instead are conversations. Small ones, almost forgettable at the time, but somehow, they stayed and looking back, they shaped how I settled in far more than anything big ever could.
“So… where are you from?”
It’s probably the most repeated question in your first week.
At first, it felt simple. Just an introduction. But as an international student, it carries more weight than you expect.
Because it’s never just about where you’re from. It’s about explaining your background, adjusting how you speak so people understand you, and figuring out how much of yourself to share in a single sentence.
I must have answered that question countless times in my first few days and every time, it felt slightly different.
Sometimes it led to real conversations. Sometimes it didn’t go anywhere. But over time, I became more comfortable. Not just answering it but owning it.
The Night I Arrived
I hadn’t visited Exeter before coming. So, when I arrived, everything felt unfamiliar. Not just the place, but the feeling of being there.
My first night was strange. Not dramatic, just quiet.
My dad was there, helping me settle in. I remember him meeting my flat mates, all from the UK, and trying to make conversation. It felt like two parts of my life were overlapping for a moment.
And then he left.
That was the first time it really hit me. This wasn’t temporary. This is my life now.
The next day, I went to the Forum to get my student ID. I remember walking in and just pausing for a second. The glass ceiling, the open space, the constant background noise of conversations and coffee machines.
It felt alive.
But I didn’t feel like I was part of it yet.
“It feels weird, doesn’t it?”
I remember sitting in the kitchen one morning with my flat mates, everyone half-awake, just going through the routine of breakfast.
No one really knew each other properly yet. The conversation was slow, a bit awkward at times, like everyone was still figuring out how to act around each other.
At one point, one of them just looked around and said,
“It feels weird, doesn’t it?”
Nothing deep. Just a passing comment. But everyone paused for a second and laughed, because it was true.
Everything felt new. The place, the people, the routine. Even the silence felt different. That moment stuck with me, not because it was important at the time, but because it made everything feel a bit more normal.
It reminded me that I wasn’t the only one trying to adjust. We all were.
And somehow, that made it easier.
Finding Familiarity in Unexpected Places
A few days later, I was back at the Forum, this time near the HSBC counter.
That’s where I met Anhad.
It wasn’t planned. Just one of those casual conversations that start randomly and end up meaning more than you expect. We were both from India. Both figuring things out. Both somewhere between excitement and uncertainty.
And that familiarity made a difference. In the middle of everything new, it felt like something stable.
Over time, that turned into one of my closest friendships. And looking back, that one conversation changed how my first term felt.
When University Started to Feel Real
My first lecture at the Newman Lecture Hall was exciting. Sitting in a room with over 100 people, it finally felt like university. Like something I had been working towards for a long time.
But the real adjustment came after.
The academic system here is different.
Lectures introduce concepts, but seminars expect you to come prepared. You are not just listening, you are contributing.
At first, that shift was noticeable.
But the Accounting module changed things for me. For the first time, I felt like I was doing something genuinely worthwhile. The way it was taught by Peta Myers made everything clear and structured.
It was not overwhelming. It just made sense.
And that is when things started to click.
My Course Induction and future Pathways class.
“This place feels so calm”
One of the biggest differences for me was the environment.
Coming from Dubai, I was used to high-rise buildings, constant movement, and a fast pace of life. Exeter felt completely different.
No crowds. No overwhelming noise. Just open space, greenery, and a slower pace.
At first, it felt unfamiliar. But over time, I started to appreciate it. It felt like a place where you can actually think.
The Small Adjustments You Don’t Expect
Not all transitions are big. Some of the hardest ones are small.
Getting used to British humour took time. So did managing everything independently. Cooking was one of the biggest changes. Back home, it was always just there. I never really thought about it.
Here, it has become part of daily life.
At first, I did not enjoy it.
But over time, it changed.
Now, there is something satisfying about cooking my own food and enjoying it. It sounds simple, but it is part of becoming independent.
The Moments That Felt Hard
There were moments when I felt homesick. Moments when everything felt slightly off. Where I questioned whether I had made the right decision.
That is something people do not always talk about, but it is real.
The Indian community at Exeter, different societies, and most importantly people like Anhad made things feel familiar again.
Sometimes, all you need is one person who understands where you come from. And suddenly, things do not feel as distant.
Conversations You Have With Yourself
Not all conversations are with other people. Some of the most important ones happen internally.
There were moments when I asked myself if I was settling properly. If I was making the most of this. If I were becoming more independent.
And over time, the answers started to change. Not because everything became perfect, but because I adapted.
What Changed in Me
By the end of the term, something had shifted. Not in a dramatic way, but in a quiet and noticeable way.
I became more independent. More comfortable in new environments.
Socially, I found it easier to connect with people, to hold conversations, and to carry myself with more confidence.
That is what the first term really does. It does not transform you overnight.
It just slowly builds you.
Holland Terrace in the mornings
What Actually Shapes Your First Term
Looking back, it was not the big events that defined my first term at Exeter.
It was the conversations in the kitchen before the lectures.
The random meetings in the Forum.
The small reassurances from people around me when everything still felt unfamiliar.
The quiet moments spent reflecting on how much had changed in such a short space of time.
At the time, none of these moments seemed particularly important. They were just part of everyday university life.
But when I look back now, those are the memories that stand out the most.
That is what settling in really looks like.
Not one big turning point, but a series of small ones that gradually make a new place feel familiar.
If you are about to start your journey at Exeter, there is something I wish I had known from the beginning.
You do not need to feel settled immediately.
You do not need to have your friendship group figured out in the first week.
And you definitely do not need to have everything under control.
Everyone arrives with their own worries, uncertainties, and expectations. Even the people who seem completely confident are usually figuring things out as they go.
What matters most is being open.
Open to conversations.
Open to new people.
Open to moments that might not seem important at the time.
Because those are often the moments that stay with you.
My first term was not defined by one big experience.
It was shaped quietly, through conversations I did not realise would matter while they were happening. Through friendships that started unexpectedly, familiar faces that became part of my daily routine, and experiences that slowly turned Exeter from somewhere new into somewhere that felt like home.
You do not have to chase the perfect university experience.
You just have to be present enough to appreciate the small moments as they happen.
Because in the end, those are the moments that build it.