When Hassan first stepped off the plane at Heathrow in October 2020, he carried with him 15 years of teaching experience, a research degree acceptance letter, and exactly one week's notice from his previous life.
What he didn't carry? Any expectation that he'd fall in love with British weather. But strange things do happen and now Hassan may be now the first person ever to list near constant drizzle as a moving highlight. “It was a bit cold,” he admits. “But I like that. The weather felt extremely clean, really fresh to breathe."
The physics teacher's journey to the UK started like so many pandemic stories—with an unexpected pause. "Covid came and then we got struck. In 15 years of my teaching career, I never thought I could take a break," Hassan explains.
His wife presented the two choices at hand: head home from Oman to Pakistan for a year of rest, or upgrade his qualifications in a Western country. And so the move to the UK was locked in.
Going from teacher to student
Thanks to a well-connected brother-in-law, Hassan had just two weeks between acceptance at a UK university and starting classes. The switch from teacher to student hit him immediately.
"I'd been teaching for 15 years, then suddenly I was a student again walking 30 minutes with my bag and water bottle. It felt great."
The change showed. Big time. "For the first time in my life, I lost 10kgs and was so fit I couldn't imagine. Everyone asked, 'What happened to you?' Friends even told my wife, 'He looks much younger, you'll be amazed when you see him’."
The Great British housing hunt
If Hassan thought switching to student life would be his biggest challenge, the UK housing market had other plans.
"Renting a house was never in our heads as a challenge," he admits. "Wherever I went, they said, give us proof of residence or history. I said, ‘I've been here two months, how can I?’".
It’s a common issue for newcomers to the UK, you need to prove a history of living in the UK. But to have rental history, you need to rent. The logic, which some describe as ‘a nightmare’, Hassan calls “a grey area”.
With the family arriving soon and no home secured, Hassan spent late November in a frantic daily routine of property viewings, knowing that hotel costs would quickly drain his savings.
Finally, one agency offered a solution: six months' rent upfront. A painful outlay, but for Hassan, it was the save he needed. "I agreed immediately," he says, “I had savings from working overseas, so luckily I could do it.”
He got the keys on 2nd December with seven days to spare. Phew.
Getting on the road
Having previously lived in countries where driving is necessary, Hassan knew he’d need a car in the UK. Car selected, dealership located, everything was going to plan. Or was it?
Picture this. It’s 7pm and Hassan has been dropped off by a friend at the dealership. They’re about to close. The paperwork is done. The keys are in hand. Then the question. “Do you have insurance?”.
Oops. Hassan hadn’t realised that you need car insurance for the same day you drive away. Thankfully, due to the magic of his YouTube algorithm, Hassan had heard of Marshmallow.
"I went to the website, I put my details, and I was amazed. The process was very quick. It gave me around £1400 annual payment. And I said, "I'd better grab this before it's gone."
"The best thing from Marshmallow was, they counted my overseas driving experience, and they gave me the best price. And it was a saving, when you're new in the country, every pound will count. Every £50 or £100 is big money."
Thirty minutes later: "I took my picture, validated my documents and in 30 minutes you're done. I got the message: your insurance is here, you can drive."
Learning the hard way
Sadly, not every driving mistake was so easily rectified. Hassan’s first few months in the UK were an expensive education in how things work, including the stress of parking near a bus stop, and discovering that even ‘free’ parking needs a displayed ticket.
"In the UK, you can't stop everywhere,” he warns. ”You must be very careful. In my first six months, I got three or four fines."
Healthcare was another thing to get used to. Back home, a fever would mean rushing to the doctor for antibiotics. But here? "When I called the GP for my daughter, they asked, how long is the fever? Two days? Okay, stay at home, take Panadol, call us if it's not better after a week. So that was something new and strange."
But with these challenges also came pleasant surprises about British culture. "The biggest culture shock for me was that people really stick to their culture. They may have open ideas and different views, but they respect others and stay within the limits of what's permitted. It wasn't like what we see in movies."
Differences and similarities in culture also revealed themselves in Hassan’s classroom. “Here, I find students slightly more passionate about their studies,” Hassan reveals. “I teach GCSE and A-level physics, it's not an easy subject.”
But he also found some strong connections between British and Pakistani values. "The word I'd say is respect. As a teacher, I've learned it's our responsibility to remind children of this value. And I can see it in British culture too. People respect older people here, it's very common."
Finding your people
Hassan's kids quickly adjusted to life in the UK. "They enjoy school, they have friends, they're happy. The only thing they miss is relatives visiting, uncles and aunts dropping by every few weeks."
Adult homesickness hits differently. "Always family and friends,” is Hassan’s answer to what he misses the most. “Some are still there, some abroad, but whenever I return it feels present again. I really miss my colleagues."
But living in London helps. a lot. "Homesickness does come, but I'm lucky I have friends and relatives here. And in the UK, you can always find communities, restaurants, and people from your country. London is like Dubai or New York, it's a hub of the world."
And after a little searching, Hassan found his community. "I found Pakistani restaurants. I found our food. I find people from our country. So it's just something you have to find. It may take a bit of time."
Hassan’s top hacks
Hassan’s biggest tip for other newcomers? Get the basics sorted fast.
"When you land in the UK, set up your bank account immediately and apply for your National Insurance number,” he advises. “Those two things are essential. People say it takes two months, but I managed both in about three weeks."
But more importantly: he recommends patience. "In the beginning, things may feel harsh, or you may feel the system is putting pressure only on you, but that's just how it is."
"You will find loads of people here to help. When I went to uni, if I had to ask anything, there were always people around. Even on the streets or in the place where you're living, go to any supermarket, ask, and people are very polite."
Hassan particularly loves Britain's digital setup. "The best thing is the UK government websites - gov.uk has loads of information. They've built many online and digital platforms. The online material is amazing."
When asked to sum up his British journey in three words? "Challenging, exciting, transformative."
Hassan's journey shows that with preparation, persistence, and maybe some decent insurance, you can do more than just survive moving to Britain. You can find it genuinely life-changing.
And sometimes, just sometimes, you discover that British weather really can be refreshing. Who knew?
If you’re new to the UK and facing high car insurance costs, Marshmallow could help. We count your overseas driving experience and make the process quick and simple, just like for Hassan.
Get a quote today and start your journey with Marshmallow.
