It's harder in volume than in raw difficulty - most people find the course load itself, not any single exam, is what actually catches them off guard. We get far more questions about getting in than about what happens once you actually do. Here's an honest look at the first semester, from someone who's been through it.

The course load hits differently at first

Even candidates who prepared extensively for the IMAT often find the actual pace of first-semester coursework different from what they expected, less about raw memorization pressure and more about volume and the discipline of keeping up consistently, week after week, without the singular focus of one exam to prepare for.

You're adjusting to a new country at the same time

Housing, banking, a residency permit if you're non-EU, and simply learning your way around a new city are all happening in parallel with your first real coursework. It's genuinely more logistically demanding than most candidates expect in the first few months, on top of the academics.

The social side matters more than people plan for

Building a group of people around you, whether other international students, classmates, or people outside university entirely, makes a real difference to how the first semester feels. We've written separately about why studying entirely alone tends to work against people, and that applies just as much to the broader adjustment, not just the studying itself.

What actually helps in those first months

Give yourself real permission to have an adjustment period rather than expecting to feel fully settled immediately. Build routine early, since routine does a lot of the work of making a new place feel manageable. And don't isolate yourself while you're finding your feet, even though the instinct to put your head down and just focus on coursework is a natural one.

The honest reassurance

Almost everyone who's been through it describes some version of a rocky first few months followed by it clicking. That pattern is close to universal, not a sign you're behind or struggling more than anyone else did.

Still working out whether you'd realistically clear the score for your target universities? The Lounge is a free IMAT score predictor - answer a few questions and see exactly where you'd realistically land, and which universities that score would clear.

Try the free Score Predictor

Getting in is a genuine milestone. What comes after is its own adjustment, and it's a manageable one, even when it doesn't feel that way in week two.