'Studying in the UK helped me feel at home in a completely different part of the world.'

Liyuan Liu moved from southern China to the UK to study an MA in Luxury Fashion Brand Management at Nottingham Trent University.

Today, she is back in China developing her own business after working in management roles for several international companies.

Here, she describes how studying in the UK helped her become more confident and independent, and why the friendships and sense of welcome she experienced still stay with her years later.

‘I still miss my experience of living in the UK’

Even now, after being back in China for several years, I still miss my experience of living in the UK. When I think about that time now, I don’t only think about studying or university life. I think about the people I met, the atmosphere and the feeling of living somewhere completely different from home for the first time.

Before arriving in the UK, I had never experienced living in another country. Everything felt unfamiliar at first – the buildings, the culture, the weather and even the language itself.

I’d learned English before arriving, but hearing people speak naturally every day still took some getting used to. I remember being confused by little expressions people used all the time.

But very quickly, I started feeling more comfortable. The people were what stayed with me most.

Everyone was very friendly and supportive from the beginning. Whenever I needed help, people were always willing to help me.

When you move abroad for the first time, especially somewhere so different from home, those things matter a lot. They make you feel less nervous and much less alone.

‘Living in the UK helped me become more open-minded’

One of the biggest things studying in the UK gave me was a much broader understanding of people and cultures.

In China, life can sometimes feel quite focused on your own environment and experiences. But in the UK, I was suddenly meeting people from completely different countries and backgrounds every day. That changed the way I thought about the world.

I think studying abroad helped me become much more open-minded and much more confident communicating with different kinds of people.

My family noticed the difference too when I returned home afterwards. They told me I seemed much more mature and independent than before.

I think that came partly from learning how to adapt to another culture and build a life for myself somewhere unfamiliar. It also came from all the small everyday experiences that slowly become normal when you live abroad.

I learned how to manage problems independently, communicate with people from different backgrounds and become more comfortable stepping outside my comfort zone. Those are things that still help me now professionally and personally.

‘The friendships became one of the best parts of the experience’

One of the things I remember most clearly is the friendships I built while I was in the UK.

I worked part-time alongside my studies, and I became very close to some of my colleagues there. Even now, years later, we still stay in touch through social media.

At university, I was also surrounded by international students from many different countries. That was completely new for me at the time.

I really enjoyed learning about different cultures, different ways of thinking and different lifestyles through the people around me.

I think one of the most valuable things about studying in the UK is that you become part of a truly international environment. You learn how to understand people who are different from you and how to communicate across cultures naturally.

For me, that became one of the most important parts of the whole experience.

‘Even small memories still stay with me now’

Before I left China, my parents worried about whether I would struggle living so far away from home. They especially worried about food.

So before travelling to the UK, I packed Chinese ingredients and even brought a cooking pot with me because we weren’t sure what I would be able to find there.

At the time, those things felt extremely important. Looking back now, they’ve actually become some of my favourite memories because they remind me how new everything felt at the beginning.

I still remember trying to adapt to British food, exploring local supermarkets and gradually getting used to everyday life in the UK.

Those small experiences might sound simple now, but at the time they were all part of learning how to feel at home in another country.

‘The experience changed how I saw myself’

Academically, studying in the UK was also a very important experience for me. After graduating, I was selected as a graduation representative and gave a speech during the graduation ceremony, which is still one of the proudest moments of my life.

Professionally, studying in the UK also opened many opportunities afterwards. When I returned to China and started applying for jobs, employers were very interested in my international experience and my UK education.

But honestly, I think the biggest change was personal rather than professional.

Before studying abroad, I don’t think I fully realised how much confidence living in another country could give you. The experience made me believe I could adapt to unfamiliar situations, meet new people and succeed somewhere completely different from home.

Today, after several years working professionally, I’m now beginning to build my own business.

When I look back now, I think studying in the UK became a really important turning point in my life. Not only because of the degree itself, but because it helped me grow in confidence, independence and understanding of the world around me.

Most importantly, it showed me that it’s possible to feel at home even in a completely unfamiliar place.