The beginning of university is often described as the threshold to adulthood, a passage marked not only by academic aspirations but also by the excitement, anxieties, and uncertainties that come with leaving home.
For many students in Eastern Europe, particularly Romania, this moment is amplified by the fact that higher education increasingly leads them beyond national borders, with the United Kingdom continuing to stand as one of the most desirable destinations. It is not just about the prestige of studying at world-renowned universities; it is about immersing oneself in an entirely new culture, embracing independence, and navigating the challenges of building a life in a different country.
Yet, before the first lecture begins or the first library visit takes place, there is an invisible prelude that parents and children live together: the long preparations, the emotional farewells, the logistics of moving abroad, and the subtle hope that no matter how far they travel, they will manage to carry “home” within them.
Parents often find themselves caught between two contradictory emotions—pride in seeing their children admitted to universities like Oxford, Cambridge, or University College London, and the bittersweet awareness that their daily closeness is about to be replaced with late-night video calls and occasional visits.
Students, on the other hand, oscillate between excitement and apprehension, dreaming about academic debates, international friendships, and the independence of adult life, while fearing loneliness, cultural shock, and the challenges of starting over. This dual perspective—the parental and the youthful one—is what makes the start of university life abroad such a unique experience.
The allure of British universities
There is something magnetic about the British higher education system. It is not only about the historic prestige of Oxford or Cambridge, whose centuries-old traditions continue to inspire generations, but also about the modern campuses of institutions such as King’s College London, the University of Edinburgh, or the University of Manchester.
These universities represent gateways to careers in fields ranging from medicine and law to artificial intelligence and global politics. For Romanian students, the appeal often lies in the combination of rigorous academics and the opportunity to study in English, a language that opens countless professional doors across Europe and beyond.
Parents are aware of the weight of such choices. They see in British universities not only an academic ladder for their children but also a life opportunity, one that may alter their future permanently. The names of these institutions resonate like guarantees of success, but they also symbolize the courage required to adapt to a new world. For many families, this transition is not just an educational step but a deeply personal transformation, involving emotional resilience, financial planning, and cultural adaptation.
Moving abroad is like an emotional rollercoaster
If students eagerly count the days until departure, imagining the independence of their own dorm rooms or apartments, parents live a parallel emotional reality. For them, the idea of children leaving the family home is marked by an aching silence that will soon fill their daily routines. Mothers worry about whether their sons or daughters will eat properly, while fathers quietly wonder if they will be safe in an unfamiliar city.
Students, however, face their own turmoil. Leaving behind high school friends, familiar hangouts, and the comfort of speaking their native language without hesitation can create unexpected emotional gaps. Even the thrill of starting fresh cannot completely erase the fear of loneliness or the thought of being thousands of kilometers away from family support. Homesickness is not a cliché; it is an inevitable reality. Yet, it is also a catalyst that pushes young adults to create new forms of “home”—through friendships, shared meals with international classmates, and small rituals that remind them of their roots.
Building a home away from home
Creating a sense of belonging in a new country is one of the most underestimated yet crucial aspects of studying abroad. Students often learn quickly that decorating their dorm with familiar objects—a family photo, a Romanian flag, a favorite book—helps to transform sterile walls into comforting spaces. Food plays a similar role; jars of zacuscă or homemade cookies smuggled into luggage become treasures shared with new friends, sparking conversations and bridging cultures.
Parents, even from afar, continue to support this process. Care packages sent across borders, filled with traditional foods or handwritten notes, become lifelines of affection. At the same time, they must accept that their children will also embrace new habits, cuisines, and friendships. The balance between maintaining one’s identity and embracing a new culture is delicate, but it is precisely this balance that enriches the university experience abroad.
Organizing the journey
Beyond emotions, there is the pragmatic reality of relocating to the United Kingdom for university. The process begins with securing plane tickets well in advance, often a family affair where parents compare airlines, luggage policies, and costs. The careful selection of what to bring and what to leave behind turns packing into a strategic puzzle—books, laptops, and warm clothes for the British climate, but also sentimental objects that will make the first nights less lonely.
Hotel bookings often come into play during the first days, as families accompany their children to settle them into dormitories or rented apartments. Transportation logistics require attention: how to carry heavy suitcases across London, Manchester, or Edinburgh without stress.
In this regard, many families departing from Romania discover the convenience of leaving their car at the airport for the duration of the trip. Choosing a reliable service such as Otopeni Airport parking ensures that the vehicle is safe while parents focus on their child’s transition. Instead of worrying about the car, they can dedicate their energy to the emotional moments of farewell and to practical needs on arrival.
Parents in the background, strength in the foreground
Although the spotlight often falls on students, the role of parents is just as crucial. They become silent companions on this journey, absorbing the stress of logistics, the costs of tuition and living, and the emotional storm of separation. Many fathers, while pretending to be practical and unemotional, are the ones who carry the heaviest suitcases, negotiate with taxi drivers in London, and check the stability of dorm room furniture. Mothers, on the other hand, leave behind handwritten recipes, stock up their children’s shelves with medicines “just in case,” and remind them repeatedly to eat vegetables.
This parental support is often invisible to outsiders but profoundly felt by students. The knowledge that parents are only a phone call away, even when they are back in Romania, gives students courage to face cultural shocks and academic pressures. The paradox of independence is that it thrives best when it is rooted in the quiet reassurance of family love.
The cultural adjustment
Studying abroad is not only about academics but also about the cultural adventure that follows. Students arriving in the UK are immediately confronted with new accents, food habits, and social codes. The first weeks often bring cultural fatigue—when everything, from ordering a coffee to understanding local humor, feels like a challenge. Yet, over time, these very differences become part of the charm. Students learn to appreciate British politeness, to navigate the intricacies of “pub culture,” and to adopt certain habits, such as endless tea drinking.
Parents, watching from afar, often underestimate how challenging this adaptation can be. They imagine their children living glamorous international lives but do not see the struggles behind the scenes: the difficulty of making friends in the first days, the moments of loneliness in dorm rooms, or the financial stress of living in an expensive city. Still, these very challenges shape resilience, adaptability, and independence—the qualities that parents secretly hoped their children would develop all along.
Despite the stress, expense, and emotional rollercoaster, the transition to studying in the United Kingdom is ultimately a story of growth—for students and parents alike. Students learn to navigate independence, to manage budgets, and to thrive in a multicultural environment that broadens their horizons. Parents, in turn, learn to let go, to trust their children’s judgment, and to take pride in their accomplishments from afar.
The journey begins long before the first lecture, on the day when the family books tickets, packs suitcases, and locks the car safely at an Otopeni Airport parking. It is a journey not only of kilometers but also of emotions, bridging two worlds: the comfort of home and the promise of a global future.
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