My Adaptation Period in the UK: Getting to Know Strathclyde and Glasgow

Just like we react to changes, most of us tend to adjust ourselves with the rules, culture and norms of the place where we move into. During the early months I spent in the UK, adapting became my main agenda, and as I was there to study, adapting with the education and academic life was one main priority.

I was a student of the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, pursuing a Master degree. Although I did not have any significant problem in following lectures or understanding reading materials, I did find it much harder to get outstanding results.

I once got a chance to discuss it with my professor. I asked her about what the grading system was like and what I could do to improve my works. From this meeting, I learned about the grading system in my university which, according to her, was also commonly used in other UK universities. All I can say is that UK education has strict rules in giving out marks. My professor also said some students who came from outside the UK and were not used to this grading system took this fact in a surprise and got disappointed after seeing their scores, yet the scores were actually not as bad as they seemed.


-Top: In front of Glasgow Catherdral-

I was also required to apply the reference method acceptable in my university (and most probably in other UK universities), the Harvard referencing. Plagiarism is a serious issue that cannot be tolerated. If you fail to put reference of your quotation or do not follow the Harvard referencing accurately, you could severely loose points and be accused of committing plagiarism. This may lead to notification from the university (oral or written) and even termination of your study.

Outside academic life, getting used to the weather was an interesting experience. I arrived in Glasgow in September, which was autumn at the time, but it was already felt like winter. Rain and heavy wind seemed to be daily routine and you could spot broken umbrellas lying on the streets here and there. Faced with this kind of weather and anticipating for the winter to come, I worked out that the best outfit to wear in order to stay dry and comfortable was waterproof jacket with some fur in the inside part and an attached hood. The jacket I bought in sport clothing and equipment store was not exactly a fashionable one, to be honest. Still, it was enough to adjust myself with the cold, wet and windy weather in the following months to come.

I found the people of Glasgow (the Glaswegians or Weegies) as friendly, outgoing and love to party. They are also very proud of being Scottish and certainly do not want to be called English. Some even mind to be called British, which was quite confusing to me, since Scotland is part of Great Britain, isn’t it? Later on when I learned more about their history, I became more aware of it.

Yet, on top of everything, the best part of my cultural adaptation was to understand Glaswegian accent. If you have watched the movie Trainspotting, then you would know what I mean. The accent is so unique that it even sounds differently from other Scottish accents (say, the accent from Edinburgh and the Highlands). Some Glaswegians speak with thick accent that even English native speakers from other regions, like my flatmate from London, could not understand a single word they say.

-Top: With flatmate Lulu, at The Armadillo, Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre-

One time, I was at the university’s accommodation office and I overheard an American student complaining, saying that he had chosen an English speaking country as a place to study yet he could not get what the local staff was saying. I too, was overwhelmed by their accent. I had heard about how difficult it could be before arriving there, but not until I heard it myself that I understood what it was all about.

However, as the old saying, practice makes perfect. So, I tried to make conversation as often as possible with the locals. By doing so, I gradually picked up a wee bit of their accent along with the intonation. At first I felt so funny listening to myself when the accent came out naturally of my mouth, but then again it was a sign of cultural influence, aye?