Students who are unfamiliar with the UK may find some traditions very strange! Here are some of our customs to familiarise yourself with:
- Politeness – ‘please’, ‘thank you’ and ‘sorry’ are some of our most commonly used words. It's helpful to use these, especially when in the company people you don't yet know.
- Punctuality – It is very important to be on time. Being late is generally considered to be rude. If you are going to be late, you should inform the person you have arranged to meet beforehand.
- If you are invited to someone’s house for a meal it is polite to bring a small gift (flowers or chocolates).
- Our sense of humour is based on sarcasm and irony. Therefore, you may not realise when someone is joking, and it may take some time to get used to this.
- Queuing or standing in line is of great importance, for example, waiting for the bus or waiting to pay for a product in a shop. Cutting into a queue is considered rude.