Most students moving abroad pack a suitcase full of mithai, family photos, and the heavy emotional baggage of leaving India behind.
Not Rohan.
Don’t get us wrong. He does miss home. Probably. But when we asked him what he missed most, his brain confidently said: Aamras Puri.
(Or was it Amrish Puri, Rohan? Could be. We may never know. Network issues 🙂 )
Four years ago, Rohan moved to the UK to pursue a Master’s in Computer Games at Queen Mary University of London. His motivation? One word: PlayStation. Today, he’s climbed the ranks from a game development teacher to the Head of Curriculum at the London Learning Consortium.
But between landing in the UK and becoming a total boss, a million things happened. Things nobody really prepares you for. So Rohan shared the survival hacks every Indian student wishes they knew before boarding that flight.
In the UK, the lines between vegetarianism and egg-free dining are famously blurry. After a friend of Rohan’s had to skip dinner because “veg” options included egg, he cracked the code. Don’t restrict yourself to vegan menus (unless you want to give up cheese). Simply tell your server you’re vegetarian but have an egg allergy. Crisis averted.
Beyond navigating menus, mastering London is all about navigating your finances. Rohan’s golden rules for protecting your bank account are simple:
- Meal prep like a pro: Ditch the tiffin services. Spend a couple of hours cooking on Sunday, freeze your meals, and microwave as you go. It saves a massive £100 a month.
- Shop smart: Avoid the pricey convenience stores on the corner. Do your heavy lifting at Lidl and ASDA to save up to £50 a month.
- Hack your commute: Combine a Student Oyster card with a UK Railcard for a massive 1/3 off your travel costs.
- Never skip campus events: Free pizza, free snacks, free merch, and sometimes even free day-trips. Go for the networking, stay for the free food.
When the stress of university life gets real, Rohan recommends escaping to the breathtaking Hampstead Pergola & Hill Gardens (absolutely magical between April and June) or catching the gorgeous sunset skyline view from Primrose Hill.
And if you’re a nerd at heart, head to the bottom floor of the Science Museum for Power Up. They have every gaming console in existence, from the classics to the PS5. Grab a yearly pass for just £20 and thank Rohan later!
Looking back, those four years absolutely flew by for Rohan, transforming a kid who just wanted to play video games into someone now shaping how others learn them.
So, if there’s one thing he’d leave you with, it’s this:
“Take the chance. Shoot your shot. The world is smaller than you think; you might as well explore it.”
