Ten pieces of advice I would like to give as a fellow Indian Student in Media and Communication Courses (more or less also applicable to other courses and pathways): 

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10. Research your journey. Before even leaving your home take a good look at your journey plan and try to find some interesting avenues. If a chance arrives that you can break the travel route and look at different areas before you come to BU then don’t lose the opportunity. This will help broaden your views and get a feel for the region. 

9. Day trips in Bournemouth. Once in Bournemouth, make short day trips as soon as possible. Get mobile data and take a look around where you are living. Click photographs and see what suits you. A lot of ideas and creativity can spark from a new place. Possibilities are limitless but you have to make sure you have that mindset to do that beforehand.

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8. Check Lidl, Asda, Tesco and Poundland websites and compare what you should get from India and what you can get cheaply here. Sometimes it’s cheaper to buy accessories like memory cards, hard drives, computer peripherals when you get here instead of carrying all of it from home. Some items like your personal tripod or day to day goods can be cheaper back home so go through the catalog and choose the best option.

7. Business Cards are cheaper in India, so as a communication student if you wish to network and exchange them in festivals like BFX, make sure you have stock before you come here. Printing is a tiny bit expensive here. 

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6. Networking is key. Speaking of networking, take a stroll through LinkedIn and look up who your fellow students, alumni, and even your tutors. You can get a lot of ideas about your upcoming social groups even before you come here. This helps in having a basic knowledge and you might find some really cool people. 
   

5. Travel light. Send luggage or other stuff if you can. It will be way easy to travel and even less demanding if you can send your stuff separately. Depending on your location, cost prices can vary but if you send your cheap but heavy stuff before you will be able to carry your computer and gadgets with you when you come. This will save a lot of costs in the long run if you don’t need to upgrade your machine and have a workstation set up with you.  

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4. Know the system. I would also highly recommend going over how the UK Education System works and getting ahead of how coursework and lessons are tied together. Especially for Masters, the education model for Media and Communication courses can be very practical and it is good to be prepared in advance.
   

3. Do your homework before its prescribed. As with any other master-level course, it is a good idea to brush up on your fundamentals before any teaching starts. This helps you get a better response from lectures and it becomes especially easy to follow along. Even going through some basic walkthroughs and tutorials online of the software will be highly beneficial. 

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2. Tech-awareness. I would also recommend as a Media and Communication student to look at the technology resources you will be using. Getting to know what kind of cameras, microphones, etc. are available and how they suit your style. It is a very good thing to be aware of before you step in BU. This makes it easy for you to navigate the equipment that will be available during your studies. 

1. Try Everything. BU has a number of resources for students that are readily available if you know about them. These include – bookable coworking spaces, library portals, career advice, and how to contact them, how to book a laptop for work, open-access labs, etc. Checking the BU website and being aware of all these things is a must and will make your student life even better. Make sure to look for Student Ambassador roles as well while you are at it. It is a great opportunity and some before-hand preparation always comes in handy.