February 7, 2022
This week I attended the AMBS (Alliance Manchester Business School) Welcome Week. When I first received notice of this, all of my introverted instincts were telling me that I shouldn't go. After all, it didn't seem that the sessions would be all that informative, it was mostly filled with activities to occupy our time. And the idea of having to sit around for a week engaging in small talk and surface level conversations with a bunch of people I'd never met made my skin crawl. After much deliberation, I forced myself to attend (because we're here to get comfortable with being uncomfortable!!) and it was the best decision I ever could have made.
The week started out with an informative briefing about the university, our classes, key deadlines, and other crucial information regarding our time in Manchester. We then engaged in some ice breakers and got a chance to interact with other members of the international group. For the rest of the week we had excursions and activities planned for us. One day we went on a campus tour, the next a Manchester city tour, and finally a hike in t
he Peak District. While conversation did not always flow super smoothly and I did have to endure some painfully awkward moments at the beginning, the Welcome Week allowed me to bond and get to know a bunch of other students that I never would have met otherwise. All of the activities that the school sponsored for us allowed me to engage in lots of conversation and spend a crucial amount of time with people that I now study with, grab coffee and beers with, go out with, even travel with. Fortunately for me, we had 2 students in the group that were studying abroad for the entire year. Therefore, they had already spent one semester in Manchester and had more of a grasp of what life abroad was like. The two of them were super outgoing and friendly and would always ask the group out for beers or a game of pool after our daily activities. This allowed us to bond even more outside of the more "formal" environment.
One of the more bonding activities was the Peak District hike, as it was quite strenuous. The hike itself wasn't particularly difficult, so much as the weather conditions were not exactly favorable for hiking. We had to go up and down wet, slippery slopes and even battled a bit of hail while on the hike. At the end of the hike we went to a pub in the Peak District where we enjoyed a hearty meal and drinks around a warm, much needed fire. While the weather was not ideal, we did have a ton of fun and I'm glad that I went.
If you are hesitant about attending the Welcome Week like I was, definitely go. It was so interesting getting to know such a diverse group of people. I loved getting to share my perspective about life in the US and hearing other students' experiences in their respective countries. Everyone is very friendly and also looking to make friends so that they are not completely alone in a foreign country. Even if you're not looking to make new friends, a lot of the students you'll meet will be in the classes you're taking, so you'll have automatic study buddies and group partners for projects. We were also able to meet some full-time Manchester students throughout the week and I actually met 2 students that are studying abroad at USC next year! All in all, while you may initially think it's a waste of time or be deterred by the idea of small talk and awkward silences, I highly suggest attending the AMBS Welcome Week!
Hope this helps!
Cheers xx