Written by Emilio (Spain), MSc Applied Mathematics
Making the decision to move from the countryside of a rural island in Spain to the largest city in Europe was scary. However, the last 18 months since I moved to London have been the most rewarding and entertaining months of my life.
London is a diverse, multicultural, historic and action-packed city with a diverse portfolio of restaurants, events and places to visit – exploring the city is always an adventure! But settling into the routine of living in a new country can be challenging at times. Here’s some lessons I learnt when moving to London as an international student, and some guidance and suggestions on what to do once you’re settled in.
Moving to London as a postgraduate student
The first step of moving into London is finding the right place to make your new home. Using Instagram, TikTok and online forums, I researched various areas across London that might be fun to live in. I learned that Camden Town has a vibrant nightlife, Hackney is an up-and-coming part of east London and Putney is a quiet and green residential area.
I had the privilege of visiting London before I moved to do my Master’s, so I was able to explore these neighbourhoods in person before deciding where I’d like to move to. After settling for Putney, my flatmates (who I met during undergrad) and I used accommodation search websites like SpareRoom and Rightmove to look for affordable house shares, organised online viewings with landlords and ended up finding a nice flat near Putney Heath.
Things to do in London
Now that you have unboxed your belongings and decorated your new place, a whole world of opportunities and events lies ahead – the challenge with living in London is choosing which of the many activities to get involved in and finding time to fit it all in!
Imperial’s South Kensington Campus is based in the Albertopolis area, a large district that celebrates art, manufacturing and science. There’s a collection of wonderful museums close by, including the Natural History Museum, the Science Museum and the V&A Museum. All of these museums are wonderful to explore and some even stay open until late on Fridays. On the last Friday of every month, the V&A even holds a V&A Late which is an open party in which the museum turns into a small rave with drinks and live music!
Apart from visiting museums, I also enjoy exploring East London areas like Canary Wharf, Hackney and Isle of Dogs. The whole area is filled with little pockets of history and artistic projects that make it a wonderful place to walk to see what you might stumble upon. My favourite place is Trinity Buoy Wharf – built on top of an old canning warehouse, it’s now home to a Series B startup that creates temporary structures from shipping containers. The complex is a celebration of creative manufacturing and hosts several art studios in it as well as the original lighthouse lab where English chemist and physicist Michael Faraday worked!
Eating out in London
London is full of bargains if you know where to look, with lots of options for cheap but great food. In my time living in London, I’ve curated a long list of food spots with various deals across the city that make it much more affordable to eat out.
One of these spots is in South Kensington, where there’s a wonderful seafood place called Wright Brothers that offers an Oyster Happy Hour, when you can eat oysters for only £1 each! I think this is a great deal, especially if you’re missing the taste of home seafood and can eat oysters to your heart’s (and wallet’s) content!
Tooting in South London is also renowned for its food culture. Tooting Market and Tooting Broadway Market are large indoor street food markets with a wide variety of cuisines on offer. If you’re looking for food that reminds you of home, I’d highly recommend exploring the Tooting food markets!
Taking a break from the city
While the city rhythm is part of the charm for London, sometimes the Tube gets too loud or the streets are too busy and there’s crowds of people everywhere you go. Luckily, London is at the heart of a great network of trains and coaches that make it incredibly easy to escape the city for a weekend.
My favourite places to visit are Surrey and Kent. Canterbury is a beautiful medieval town in the south of England full of history and student-friendly places. In Surrey, the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has a large botanical garden in Wisley which is a wonderful day out especially in the summer.
Overall, London is a vibrant city full of opportunities and places to explore, so make sure to take your time to discover everything the city has to offer during your time at Imperial!
To find out more about my experiences, read my Imperial story.
