{"id":24988,"date":"2026-05-09T11:36:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-09T06:06:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.universityliving.com\/blog\/?p=24988"},"modified":"2026-05-09T12:50:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T07:20:12","slug":"from-india-to-leeds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.universityliving.com\/blog\/student-ambassadors\/from-india-to-leeds\/","title":{"rendered":"From India to Leeds: The Unexpected Lessons I Learned Moving Countries"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.universityliving.com\/blog\/student-ambassadors\/from-india-to-leeds\/#About_me\" >About me&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.universityliving.com\/blog\/student-ambassadors\/from-india-to-leeds\/#My_experience\" >My experience&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.universityliving.com\/blog\/student-ambassadors\/from-india-to-leeds\/#My_home_away_from_home\" >My home away from home&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.universityliving.com\/blog\/student-ambassadors\/from-india-to-leeds\/#Getting_settled_at_iQ_Leeds\" >Getting settled at\u00a0iQ\u00a0Leeds\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.universityliving.com\/blog\/student-ambassadors\/from-india-to-leeds\/#My_tips_for_Students_coming_to_UK\" >My tips for Students coming to UK&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p><strong>Beginning of my Journey<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After completing my MBBS, I knew I wanted to&nbsp;specialise&nbsp;further, and Leeds Beckett stood out for its strong clinical focus and reputation in sports science. However, moving to a new country is not about academics and planning; it is a deeply personal decision that requires courage,&nbsp;trust-and&nbsp;a willingness to embrace the unknown. For me, it felt like a huge leap into a completely new life. The months leading up to my departure were honestly stressful. There was always something to sort out: my CAS letter, visa, bank statements, and health surcharge payment. Despite the excitement, I was also anxious about the sheer amount of work I knew was needed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"About_me\"><\/span><strong>About me<\/strong>&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>My name is&nbsp;<strong>Dr Siddhesh Kapadia<\/strong>, and I moved from India to Leeds, UK, to study my&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk\/courses\/sport-exercise-medicine-msc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">MSc in Sports Medicine at&nbsp;Leeds Beckett University<\/a><\/strong>. I had an experience of living in hostel life in my MBBS but wait&nbsp;lemme&nbsp;tell&nbsp;you when I reached UK, it&nbsp;was one&nbsp;another ball game.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"My_experience\"><\/span><strong>My experience<\/strong>&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Landing at Manchester Airport felt surreal. I was too tired to fully process it. I was carrying a strange mix of jet lag, excitement, nervousness, and the constant thought&nbsp;ie-this is it now. Then I took the train to Leeds, and I remember simply staring out of the window the whole time. The countryside looked calm and beautiful, almost unreal, and for a moment everything felt still. However, stepping outside and feeling the cold hit me properly was a different story. What I had not expected was how emotionally draining the move would be. While people often talk about the planning of moving abroad, they do not mention the loneliness of the first few days. It is not because&nbsp;anything&nbsp;is wrong but because everything is unfamiliar. Even trivial things feel bigger when you are alone in a new place. Buying essentials, figuring out directions, sorting out your&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.universityliving.com\/united-kingdom\/city\/leeds\">student&nbsp;accommodation&nbsp;Leeds<\/a><\/strong>, understanding accents, and adjusting to the weather none of&nbsp;it&nbsp;is inherently difficult, but all of&nbsp;it&nbsp;at once feels overwhelming.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>About Leeds<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Accommodation tends to be the biggest chunk of your budget, and costs can vary dramatically depending on your city. Places like London, Oxford, and Brighton are notoriously&nbsp;pricier&nbsp;than cities such as Cardiff, Belfast, or Leicester. To stay on top of your finances, it helps to plan your budget before you even arrive, lean into verified websites like&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.universityliving.com\/\">University&nbsp;Living<\/a>.<\/strong>&nbsp;Wherever possible, cook at home to cut down on food costs, and opt for public transport over taxis. If&nbsp;you\u2019re&nbsp;settling into Leeds, the city has plenty to offer just around the corner: from green open spaces like Woodhouse Moor and Woodhouse Ridge, to live events at the First Direct Arena and shopping at Trinity Leeds. When it comes to food and drink, the local scene&nbsp;doesn\u2019t&nbsp;disappoint either whether&nbsp;you\u2019re&nbsp;grabbing a coffee at Coffee on the Crescent, exploring the eclectic&nbsp;Belgrave Music Hall and Canteen, or tucking into something hearty at Nizam\u2019s Kitchen, there is always something worth stepping out for.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"My_home_away_from_home\"><\/span><strong>My home away from home<\/strong>&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.universityliving.com\/files\/1778306195797siddheshkapadiaroom2blogbanner.webp\" alt=\"leeds\" class=\"wp-image-24989\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>What\u2019s&nbsp;included at&nbsp;iQ&nbsp;Leeds&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2981 Bills&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2981 Free, super-fast&nbsp;wifi&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2981 24\/7 security and CCTV&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2981 Laundry facilities&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2981 Social spaces&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u2981 Games room&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Getting_settled_at_iQ_Leeds\"><\/span><strong>Getting settled at\u00a0iQ\u00a0Leeds\u00a0<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.universityliving.com\/files\/1778306273596siddheshkapadiaroomblogbanner.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-24990\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>I booked&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.universityliving.com\/united-kingdom\/leeds\/property\/iq-leeds\">iQ&nbsp;Leeds&nbsp;<\/a><\/strong>as my student accommodation, and that was&nbsp;hands down&nbsp;the best decision ever.&nbsp;It\u2019s&nbsp;a 25-minute bus from Leeds Railway Station. If&nbsp;you\u2019re&nbsp;coming via the&nbsp;uni,&nbsp;it\u2019s&nbsp;a 10-minute bus from&nbsp;<strong>Leeds Beckett University<\/strong>, a 12-minute walk from&nbsp;<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.leeds.ac.uk\/\" rel=\"noopener\">University&nbsp;of Leeds<\/a><\/strong>&nbsp;or a 15-minute walk from&nbsp;<strong>Leeds Arts<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"My_tips_for_Students_coming_to_UK\"><\/span><strong>My tips for Students coming to UK<\/strong>&nbsp;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>One thing I would recommend is sorting out the important basics before arriving. Setting up a bank account with a provider like&nbsp;Monzo or Revolut&nbsp;and using apps or services like&nbsp;<strong>University Living<\/strong>&nbsp;can make your first few days much smoother.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another mistake I would recommend against is overpacking clothes you are unlikely to wear. In the&nbsp;UK&nbsp;especially in the north, warm practical layers are far more important than you might think.&nbsp;All the best!&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Beginning of my Journey&nbsp; After completing my MBBS, I knew I wanted to&nbsp;specialise&nbsp;further, and Leeds Beckett stood out for its strong clinical focus and reputation in sports science. However, moving to a new country is not about academics and planning; it is a deeply personal decision that requires courage,&nbsp;trust-and&nbsp;a willingness to embrace the unknown. For [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":24991,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1106],"tags":[229],"class_list":{"0":"post-24988","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-student-ambassadors","8":"tag-united-kingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.universityliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24988","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.universityliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.universityliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.universityliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.universityliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24988"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.universityliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24988\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24993,"href":"https:\/\/www.universityliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24988\/revisions\/24993"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.universityliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24991"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.universityliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24988"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.universityliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24988"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.universityliving.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24988"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}