Cultural No-Nos And Taboos In The UK To Avoid 

With a rich culture and exciting opportunities for personal exploration and career growth, the UK has cemented its reputation as a top choice of study destination for students from all over the world.

If you’ve been thinking of furthering your studies in this vibrant country, it helps to learn a little more about British culture so that you can be respectful of their norms during your stay.

As every country is different, there are specific things you must take note of so that you avoid doing or saying something that could potentially get you in trouble!

Not sure where to begin? We’ve got you covered. Read on to learn more about cultural taboos in the UK to avoid so that you can have a more pleasant stay.

With a reputation of being unnecessarily polite, the British tend to apologize for everything and excessively say “please” and “thank you”.

During your stay, it helps to have simple manners and engage in polite conversation when the opportunity arises. Failing to do so would make you seem rude in the eyes of the British.

Punctuality is something the British value, so ensure that you show up on time for meetings or functions. Being late is considered odd and in some cases, rude.

Having said that, arriving 10 to 15 minutes later than the agreed time for dinner is still acceptable.

In the event you absolutely cannot make it on time, you should contact those involved as soon as you know to inform them.

Even if you’re having a disagreement, do not disrespect your elders in the UK.

It is in British culture to be respectful of the elderly and take care of them. Hence, disrespecting them in any way would be seen as rude and inconsiderate.

The British are big on privacy. Hence, you should be mindful to not pry too much by asking personal or intimate questions while having a conversation.

Questions to avoid include those that involve how much one earns, a person’s weight as well as the reasons why one is still single or not married.

While it may be alright to jump the queue in some countries, this is not the case in the UK.

If you chance upon a queue – be it for the toilet or to enter a venue, it helps to wait in line patiently for your turn as this is a normal part of British culture.

In the event you choose to jump the queue, people would be unhappy and wouldn’t hesitate to confront you and let you know how they feel about the situation.

In the UK, it is common practice for the person who initiated the dinner plan to pay. Thus, it is important to remember this and get the bill if you invited someone for dinner!

Apart from that, in the event someone else is paying because they invited you, do not try to split the bill or argue about whose responsibility it is to pay. Instead, you can make plans to invite them out to dinner on another day and pay for the next one.

Extended eye contact is deemed intimidating by the British. Hence, you should make it a point to limit your eye contact so as to not make anyone feel uncomfortable.

In a team setting, however, brief eye contact is encouraged as this brings about a feeling of inclusion.

Do you have plans to further your studies in the beautiful UK?

At IDP, we have a team of education counsellors that will help you successfully make it there!

From offering tailored guidance to navigating the entire application process with you, you’ll be in good hands when it comes to choosing a course that best suits your goals and being sufficiently prepared for the trip.

Book your free counselling session to get started!