Making Loughborough feel like home!

It is possible to experience challenges when things are different to what you are used to and the University is here to support you when you need it.

The University has a dedicated International Student Experience (ISE) team who run a range of events, activities and drop ins throughout the year. During the first few weeks of term the team will organise lots of orientation activities to help you settle in. These include your International Induction, tours of the Town Centre and orientation workshops to help you adjust to life in Loughborough.

There are a range of exciting activities and events throughout the year including:

• A weekly Speaking Club to help increase confidence in speaking, participate in small talk with native speakers and meet people from across the world.
• The Brighter Winter programme which provides a lot of activities and social events throughout the darker winter months.
• Our Create and Connect programme with dedicated arts sessions and workshops for international students.
• Celebration events like Thanksgiving, Diwali and Lunar New Year to help you feel at home and discover new cultures.
• A full programme of events during the University’s Christmas and Easter vacation periods to support you if you are returning home during the holidays.
• A programme with activities during the summer months.

You can find information on all upcoming International Student Experience events here or find them in our regular International Students’ Newsletter.

The ISE team can also answer all those small questions you might have about life in the UK, such as where can I get the food I love? How do I access my bank letter? Or how do I get the cheapest train tickets. Look out for information on their next drop-in session or get in touch with the team. You can contact the ISE team at ISE@lboro.ac.uk or by calling 01509 222 765.

Students’ unions in the UK are quite different to similar organisations you may have experienced at home. They are independent from the University and are student-led charities focused on representing, supporting and developing you during your studies. They coordinate most of the social and student-led activity on campus.

Your students’ union is called Loughborough Students’ Union or LSU. They offer a range of opportunities to meet new people including:

• Over 90 societies covering a whole range of interests and lots of cultural societies to help you create a home away from home.
• Action, their volunteering offer where you can learn new skills and make a positive contribution to the local community.
• Rag which helps you to raise money for the charities that you care about.
• Welfare and Diversity which champions students of all backgrounds, supporting student wellbeing and empowering underrepresented groups.

The best place to find out about the activities run by LSU is at the Activities Bazaar run by the Students’ Union during Freshers (a UK term for the welcome period at the start of the University year). To find out more information and dates look on the Students Union website or, if living in halls, speak to your hall committee.

The International Students’ Network is your dedicated representative body within LSU. They provide a range of events and activities through the year. 

• Make sure you go to the International Induction session at the start of the year to find out about all the services available to you.
• Attend the Students’ Unions Bazaars during Freshers. This is a great way to meet all the different student groups on campus and find out what is available.
• Don’t worry if you miss induction events; colleagues in the International Student Experience Team and the Students’ Union will be happy to help.
• Look out for events across the year, don’t try to do everything but don’t be frightened to try something new.
• Remember it is normal to feel homesick. You can find guidance on homesickness here.

If you feel that you are not settling in then please do seek support. You can contact the International Student Experience team to see what events are happening or if you feel you need to talk to someone, the Student Wellbeing Team are also here to help.

Last Updated: 14th December 2023