On Hiking Differences

The biggest difference between hiking in the UK and South/West India is the investment in equipment. 

In Mumbai, and I suppose Pune, Chennai, Bangalore or anywhere in South India, you can afford to be a minimalist when you hike i.e you don't need a lot of stuff. All I used to wear on a day trip from Mumbai was a t-shirt, non-denim trousers, sneakers and a light raincoat. I'd swap the trousers for shorts if it was a shorter hike, involved a beach, flat open ground, or involved wading through water. I'd stick with trousers if it involved forests, shrubbery, thorns and mosquitoes. The fact that most of my hikes took place in the monsoons didn't matter. It was still humid enough to warrant the bare essentials. I did carry a wool pullover on overnight trips just in case it got cold. It was the only time I ever used the pullover normally stashed away in the back of my wardrobe in Mumbai. 

I usually carried a light raincoat. Not among the most durable of apparel, it did its job, which was to keep the bulk of the rain off my body and cotton clothing till the end of my hike. I know guys who hiked shirtless. In a humid monsoon hike, maybe polyester shorts and shoes are all you need. I wore a simple hat to keep the sun out of my eyes and the rain off my glasses. Most people didn't. They found it too hot, irritating or distracting. 

My shoes were initially everyday sneakers. Yeah they weren't the best for rough hiking, but they were great for most of my hikes that involved flat trails. I switched to Woodlands, which helped with longevity. Again, not a priority for casual hikers who stick to flip-flops or sandals. I never considered wearing gaiters. No idea if you can even buy them in India. We just considered water in our shoes a normal unavoidable thing. Gaiters can help keep your shoes dry to an extent, but not when you're shin deep in a flowing river. My socks were normal cotton ones. I never needed insulating ones. There was no cold to protect against. In hindsight I think wearing thick or double pairs of cotton socks would have meant less damage to my toes. 

Contrast this with the UK, where people usually wear professional branded light stretchable hiking trousers that wick rain away. And waterproof overalls over wear over your trousers in heavy rain. And hiking trousers with thick lining on the inside in case it's a winter hike. Or perhaps just thermal on the inside. Or maybe lycra running pants. As long as you have a base layer. The more expensive the better the quality. Depending on your budget, you can buy anything from £5 thermals that are 50% synthetic, to £25 thermals that are 100% synthetic. And professional hiking T-shirts that wick sweat away. Short sleeves in summer and long sleeves in winter. With probably a base layer underneath in winter. With a mid layer and jacket on top. The weather dictates what you wear.

You always carry a rain jacket, preferably one made of weather-proof Gore-Tex for toughness. Or one that's simply weather resistant. Cheaper, but shorter-lasting. You could wear a mid layer like a fleece jumper if it's colder. A medium or heavy fleece in cold weather, or a medium fleece with a jacket if it's snowing/raining. A micro-fleece in autumn, or a jacket on top if it's snowing/raining. Or just a jacket with fleece lining on the inside to combine the best of both worlds, unless it gets warm and you'll have to either keep it on a sweat, or take it off and freeze. This is why layers are useful. Thermal monkey caps or hats that protect your ears against the cold and wind are common. And so are wide brimmed hats that protect against the sun. And hiking sticks to keep your balance and take the pressure off your knees on downhill climbs.

And then there's the shoes. You get weather-resistant hiking shoes (Gore-tex again). And professional thick hiking socks. I usually buy my shoes one or two sizes too large and then wear a couple of thick hiking socks to protect my toes and keep my toenails. The cushioning helps. If you don't hike often, you can always reuse your running or gym equipment. I've seen a lot of people show up for hikes in tights, running/sports jackets and running shoes. I suppose this is OK for day hikes on easy ground. Running/sports clothing tends to be fragile as it's made for quiet straightforward runs along city streets that only involve sweat, cold and light rain. On a challenging hiking trail involving thorns, rocks, stretching, mud, sleet and hours of continuous use, they'd fall apart.

And then there's the brands. In India, we mostly wore what we had lying around. My total annual clothing budget for hikes was zero. In the UK, my hiking trousers are from Craghoppers, my fleece from Pierre Cardin, my jackets from many assorted places, my hat and gaiters from Karrimor, my shoes from Crivit, my socks from Gelert. It will get worse if I do winter hikes. Other common brands are Merrell, Patagonia, Berghaus, Rab, The North Face, Regatta, Marmot, Paramo and Hi-tec. And then there's the walking poles, head torches and energy bars. You could spend hundreds of pounds a year on equipment.

On Hiking Differences

7 ways to study in the UK for cheap (what you won’t read elsewhere)

So you’ve been admitted into a university in the UK. You’re fees are probably 3 times higher than those of all your local classmates. Let’s crunch some numbers. Average Masters programmes in the UK cost at least 12,000 GBP for international students, and rising every year. Living expenses are approximately 6,000 GBP on average. So how do you ensure you spend a year in the UK without burning a 18,000 pound hole in your (or your parents’) pockets? Here are some useful tips.

1.    Find a part time job

If you want to make enough money to offset as much of your living expenses as is humanely possible, you need to find a part time job ASAP (forget about your fees, no job will ever pay you enough to cover that, apart from one where you sell weed). A part time job ensures that you earn steady income on a weekly basis to cover your rent, food, travel and other expenses. 

As a foreign student, you will be allowed to work 20 hours a week, and if you do work at this maximum capacity from day one, at a minimum wage of around 6 pounds per hour, you should earn 6400 pounds over twelve months, enough to cover your living expenses. In reality, it might take you a couple of weeks to find a part time job, when you do find one you might not be get enough to fill your 20 hour capacity, and you will be taking breaks from work during exam season or are busy with other aspects of your course, so you will probably make less than 6400 pounds.

Where do you find a part time job? Look at your university website for vacancies. Do they have a student union? Or a career center? Contact these groups to see if they know of any vacancies. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date on vacancies. Your university will probably have shops, restaurants & cafes on campus. Contact them to see if they need any staff. Do this weeks before you arrive, or there might not be any vacancies left by then. If you do see a job vacancy online, apply immediately. There might be hundreds of applicants, and vacancies are filled on a first come first serve basis.

If you don't find anything, look around for jobs as soon as you arrive. Talk a walk around the town or city you are staying in during your first week. Drop your CV in at all the coffee shops and fast food joints so they know you’re looking for a job. A good thing about the UK is that there are loads of Indian restaurants everywhere. And Indian restaurants in the UK tend to hire Indian students. Make a round of all such restaurants in your area to see if they need any help. They're always on the lookout for waiters and waitresses but don't bother advertising and usually recruit through word of mouth.

Extra work is usually available during the Christmas and Easter breaks. These vacancies are usually temporary in nature, lasting for 2-4 weeks. Additionally, your university itself should have internal vacancies that open up during the course of the academic year. If you're good at something technical, look for part time teaching jobs where you can teach undergrads for a semester. The pay is really good.

Please do note that finding work during your course should not take precedence over your academics. You have spent a lot of money to come to a foreign country to study, and you shouldn’t risk sacrificing this for immediate economic gain, even if this is what your employer wants.

2.    Don’t stay on campus. Find private accommodation.

Campus accommodation in the UK is comparatively more expensive, and can increase your rent by 30%. Private accommodation by contrast is usually around 800-1000 pounds lower. 

Also, staying on campus means you will probably be required to commute to your town or city centre to stock up on groceries every week. This is inconvenient for two reasons. One, you might not always have room in your fridge or freezer for a week’s worth of food, so you might have to make more than one trip. Two, the money spent on the commute is going to add up. Think two pounds every week for a return bus ticket, for the minimum 10 month (45 week) duration of your course. That's 90 pounds just for the shopping commute. With private accommodation you could try to get a place closer to a supermarket, and walk instead. You'd save 90 pounds. And you wouldn't have to worry about making multiple trips or kitchen space.

Find a cheap place to stay preferably before you get to the UK. Post queries on your university Facebook pages and other online forums which students frequent, asking if anyone needs a roommate. Check gumtree.com. Contact former students, particularly Indian ones, to ask if they know of a cheap place to stay, or can recommend a good landlord.

3.    Shop smart

Shops on campus can be expensive. Do your shopping at one of the larger supermarkets, like Co-op, Tesco, Aldi or Lidl. Also, constantly be on the lookout for good deals. Larger supermarket chains tend to mark items down by 25% a day before they expire. Avoid tiny neighbourhood convenience grocery stores. They usually mark items up by 10%.

4.    Track your expenses

Set a weekly spending limit and don't cross this figure, no matter what. If you do, make up the difference by spending less the following week. Make a note of your expenditure so you know if you're nearing the limit. Record what you spend on most and try to reduce this.

5.    Take part in experiments

Universities in the UK have Health and Psychology departments whose students conduct experiments for which they require human volunteers. These experiments can last from 15 minutes to weeks, and usually pay around 5 pounds an hour. Drop by the offices of these departments around dissertation time, or keep an eye out for notices requesting volunteers. Some of the experiments can be fun, and you usually get to know a little bit more about yourself.

6.    Proofread

A lot of students on campus come from countries where English is not a first language, and aren't very comfortable writing long essays in English. If your own English writing skills are good, you can offer your services as a proofreader. Put up notices around campus advertising your services as a proofreader, or get the word around through your friends. Professional proofreading services charge hundreds of pounds to proofread essays, so you should be able to get work by charging less. Even a fee of 50 pounds would be a bargain for students looking to improve their dissertations.

7.    Don’t smoke

Cigarettes are expensive in the UK. A pack can cost around 7 pounds. That’s enough for a meal at a restaurant. Do yourself a favour a try to kick your smoking habit before travelling abroad. Or fill your suitcase with about 200 packs of ‘Goldphlake’. How you’d get that through customs is another problem, though.

7 ways to study in the UK for cheap (what you won’t read elsewhere)

Studying in the UK: What I Really Learnt

"If you could study/specialize in any subject of your choice in the UK, what would it be, where and why?"

How about some context before I answer this question?

As a young professional working in Mumbai, I wasn't doing too badly. I had a decent job with decent pay. I'd been doing more or less the same thing for a few years, with a slight increase in skills over the years. The next logical step would have been to get a MBA degree, which would have enabled a my transition into a management role, with better job prospects and pay.

But before dong so, I took a good look at my life thus far, my current situation, and what I expected of myself in the future. A MBA would get me better pay, but how long till I felt stagnation in my new role too? Would the only thing keeping me motivated at my new job be the promise of a promotion every few years, with even greater responsibilities and pay? Could I really see myself doing this over the next 25 years of my life, inching my way up the corporate ladder in the pursuit of happiness without ever finding it, until I retired? What was happiness? Is it getting what you want even though you know you're going to be bored with it in two years?

I looked at my other options. Was there something I could do that would keep me reasonably motivated about my work without having to resort to daydreaming about the future to satiate my job satisfaction needs? So I looked towards academia and Psychology, a subject I've been dabbling in on and off since college. Getting a Masters would allow me to continue my studies in the field and prepare me for further research or help me return to the corporate word if that's what I chose. So I left for the UK for a year of study.

My experiences? Well, it was my first time in Europe. Everything clicked for me right from the start. The view from the plane as it descended into London on a clear day. Waking around London. Taking a train to Scotland, also on a clear day. Studying at a university with thousands of students from around the World. Making new friends, sharing a house with 40 interesting people, sharing a classroom with bright people, learning so much from your teachers and fellow students. Learning about different cultures, learning about local cultures. Living alone, cooking, cooking for friends, new food, drinks at the pub, playing in the snow, working at three part time jobs over the course of a year, applying for over a dozen jobs just to get one (I even applied to be a room surveyor at one point). Hiking, exploring the countryside, practising photography in a new environment. Learning about history. Volunteering. Late night discussions about ideas. Long lunches discussing ideas. Taking extra classes just because they were fun. Joining different clubs. Trying new things. Exploring new cities, walking around, talking, laughing, learning, taking it all in.

But here's the thing. I expected to have these experiences. As much as I enjoyed them, I knew they were coming. It's what I didn't see coming that really left it's mark on me.

Experiencing absolute quiet everyday. Like nothing back in Mumbai, with its constant drum of ceiling fans & ACs, traffic and other people. A quiet room, a quiet walk to uni, quiet corridors, quiet car parks, quiet surroundings, quiet environments. Learning that nothing is perfect. That academia can be as convoluted, petty and dirty as the corporate world. Learning to see yourself through this new World. That nothing is really exactly as what you thought it would be. That you can't know what you can't know. Discovering that you need to work twice as hard as your classmates just to catch up with them because they've got Bachelors degrees at universities with a higher standard of education than the one you went to and have taken courses you did not (like Evolutionary Psych, Animal Behaviour and Advanced Stats) and so have skills and domain knowledge you don't, along with practical research and writing experience that you don't have either. Attending seminars about things you've never heard of before. Learning more in 2 months than you did in 2 years back home. Thinking of concepts you never thought of before. Questioning your underlying assumptions about everything. Being exposed to new fields of thought, new sciences, new topics, new interests you never knew you had. Exercising new skills you never knew you had an aptitude for. Developing your own research interests. Becoming so good at something that you start helping other people out. Travelling all the way to a foreign country to study Comparative Psychology only to discover you are also interested in machine learning, consciousness, artificial intelligence, economics and advanced probability.

So to get back to the original question, if I could specialise in any one subject, it would be one of the above, a PhD this time, and again, it would be at a university that would truly challenge me with respect to everything I know.

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This post was written in response to the http://knowledgeisgreat.in/ contest on http://www.indiblogger.in

Studying in the UK: What I Really Learnt