Warm country -> Manchester: What to Pack

Hi everyone!

I was talking to a friend who is planning to do her postgraduate in the UK and was giveing her advice on what to pack. So I thought back on my experience in Manchester and how I wished someone had written on essential stuff to bring. It would have helped make the first week less gloomy, as it was puoring every single day.

Have in handy in your waterproof handbag:

Umbrella

Folded raincoat

Extra cotton socks

Light cardigan

Wear:

Comfortable shoes (which can dry quickly after getting wet)

Warm jacket (can keep you warm when it snows. If you cannot find one, you can always buy one from Manchester. Also, it will not take up space in your luggage)

All the T-shirts you want to bring (again saving up space in the luggage)

Pack in your luggage:

Wooly jumpers

Wooly pjs (and normal ones)

Wooly socks

Wooly hat

Rainboots

Tights

Leggings

Scarf

Gloves

Socks, socks and socks!

Warm underwear (along with the regular ones)

A combination of light jumpers and heavy cardigans

Trousers as you can wear something warmer underneath them

jeans

a big, medium and small towel

travel size hairdryer (not only can you use it to dry your hair, but also to keep warm)

Tight, fitted tops (it will keep your body heat)

Travel size toiletries (once you finish these, you can buy the regular sizes there. You will be saving on luggage weight with the small ones rather than the big ones)

Extras

Sleeping bag (at least you've got a place to sleep in case your bed is a bit icky)

A string of elastics (you never know when they come in handy for an emergency belt to hold your trousers up

Plushie (they are very warm and nice to snuggle with when you feel down)

Photos of family and friends (it's nice to return after a crappy day to smiling and loving faces, even if they are 2D)

a light-weight, warm blanket ( sometimes the duvet is a bit cumbersome)

Final Points

1. Anything else I've missed you can always buy in Manchester, but my motto is: Why waste money if I already have it?
2. Layer, layer and layer! The weather in Manchester is very volatile: one minute it's warm and the next minute it's cold again! (Blame the wind!)
3. Also, bring clothes which you can mix and match.

I hope it will help any future student planning in battling the rainy and windy weather of Manchester!

P.S. Sometimes the sun does come out

Ciao!

Living with a family: Good or bad?

Hi everyone! Here is my post with the advantages and disadvantages of living with a family. First of all let me explain why I wanted to stay with a family instead of living in the halls or a shared apartment. Before leaving home, I decided that for the one year I will be away, I wanted to stay with a family. My main reason was that it would be cheaper, I did not have to prepare my meals and it would help me cope with homesickness. Was I right? Yup, my expectations were achieved! I paid £150/month (including room, food, bills, internet, etc); I ate breakfast, lunch and dinner with the family, and there were two kids whom I got along with really well, which helped lessen the homesickness. The most important thing was that we got along and thus I have a second family :) Now the disadvantages. I did not have as much privacy as I was used to ( I am a single child, so most of the time I do not have kids sticking their noses in my business). The kids were nice (one was 14 and the other 9) but they wanted to know what I did, especially the little one. Mostly, I was the one who brought a little bit of fun ( I guess having a bubbly, nutty personality helps :P ), so they wanted to watch movies, cartoons, play games, but most importantly I was someone wthey could talk to openly about their problems. The second disadvantage was that I could not come home after dinner, not only because I lived far from the uni (so not a lot of soicalization in those areas), but also because it would be rude and I would have to miss dinner :( (I love food! Check out my other blog: http://bdgcooking.blogspot.it/ ) The third disadvanatge is I had to be a role model for the younger ones, which means I could not be the lazy, sloppy person I usually am at home. On the one hand this could be a good thing, but on the other, having a day where you get to your 'bad' self relieves your accumulated stress. In the end, it really depends on what kind of family you end up with. Everyone will have different experiences depending on their personalities and the host family. I was lucky to have a good one with whom I got along :) Ciao!