My name is Shreem and this is my first time abroad. I was born and raised in India and as soon as I finished high school, I wanted to come to uni. I finished in May and by September I was at the University of East London.

It was a huge transition for me. Especially since it was a different country, atmosphere and everything was so far away. I didn’t have any relatives or family here. The only people I knew were a few friends from my high school who were already studying here.

It took me a while to adjust. Everything was different, the people, the language, the culture. I felt like I was in a parallel universe. My first day was a disaster. I had a breakdown because I had all my luggage with me. It was my first time in the country, and I came in a day early to be on the safe side. The taxi cost me £100 from the airport and I didn’t have a sim card. I felt like crying. The flight was ten hours and I felt very tired and frustrated.

That was two years ago. Coming back this year I feel a lot more confident. I made a lot of friends. I love my course. I love dealing with clients, learning new software and exploring digital art. I have learnt that you don't have to be good at drawing or art, you just need good concepts and ideas.

Paul Rand is my favourite graphic designer. I love that he never follows the rules and somehow still makes really good designs. He has manipulative art structures and formats that are amazing. He doesn't play by the rules. In the future, I want to make logos. I'd like to make something meaningful yet minimal.

Shreem Khare is a Graphic Design student at the University of East London