Before the fun of being a university student and the long hours in the library begin, you need to think about moving from your home country to your new university and settling into UK life. There will be a lot to think about and arrange and it is essential that you start to plan your move to the UK as early as possible. Accommodation Start making arrangements as soon as you have been accepted on your course. This is especially important if you are planning to bring your family with you. Contact the welfare office of the students’ union at your chosen institution. They have lists of local accommodation to rent and may help arrange the accommodation for you. They should have inspected the accommodation and can help you if you have any problems. Some universities guarantee on-campus accommodation. There are different types of accommodation to choose from: - Halls of residence: large, exclusively student-occupied accommodation, normally maintained by the university. Residents live in study bedrooms, either alone or sharing with another student.
- Hostels: the best alternative if you are unable to get a place in a hall of residence or you are coming to the UK for the first time.
- Lodgings: a rented bedroom in a private house. The landlord will also live in the house. You will have to adapt your lifestyle to fit in with theirs and respect the customs of the household.
- Bedsits: a single room in which you will have to live and sleep. You may have to share a bathroom and a kitchen with other residents. You will be independent but you may be lonely.
- Flats and houses: after living in the UK for a while, you can share a furnished flat or house with your friends. You share the rent, heating and lighting bills, the food bills and the cleaning. It can be cheaper than other types of accommodation and you live with people of your choice.
Family issues If you have children between the ages of five and 16, they are entitled to free education, although some schools may not take them if it is just for a short period of time. Making friends British universities offer a wide range of clubs and societies that cater for most interest. Cinema, music, drama, sports and specialist international societies are just some of the types available. Societies give you the chance to meet like-minded people, develop new interests and make new friends. Most student unions also have an active international society that will organise social events for overseas students. Making friends with British students is not always easy at first, particularly if you are joining the course for the second semester or in the second year. Relationships among other students may have been established during the first year and groups may have been formed. You could try to join the social events organised by the university or become a member of a club or society in the town to meet local people. Have confidence and take the first step. You have already been courageous by coming study in another country and you should not be daunted by the prospect of getting to know new people. Making friends is an important part of your cultural adjustment and will help you to cope with living and studying here better. Host UK enables international students studying at universities and colleges across the UK to stay with British residents who welcome students into their homes for a short visit. Host is an excellent way for international students to experience British life first hand, and for hosts to learn about life in other countries. For more information have a look at www.hostuk.org.uk or call 00 44 20 7254 3039. Health If your course lasts for six months or more you can get free treatment from the National Health Service (NHS) from the beginning of your stay. This also applies to your spouse and children under 16 (or under 19 if still at school or college). If you are studying in Scotland, you are eligible for free NHS treatment even if your course is for less than six months. Language Before accepting students for postgraduate study, universities will require evidence of sufficient English language proficiency. The most commonly accepted test in the UK is called IELTS and a minimum average score of between 6 and 7 is usually required, although some departments ask for 7. These average scores can hide weaknesses in certain areas and all students for whom English is not their first language are strongly encouraged to investigate the help and support on offer. Many universities will accept TOEFL as an alternative to IELTS. The IELTS website is www.ielts.org Most universities call this kind of support English for Academic Purposes (EAP). There are two main types of EAP in the UK. Pre-sessional courses are for students who want to improve their English for study purposes before they attend their main course in the UK. Students with an average IELTS score of 6 are encouraged to take intensive pre-sessional courses for at least a month, those with 5.5 for at least two months, and those with 5 for at least three months before they start their postgraduate study. These are only rough estimates of the time required and students with scores lower than 5 will need many months of such courses. The second type of EAP is usually called In-sessional English Support and is for students after they start their postgraduate study. This kind of support can include intensive English lessons as the students have already been accepted for full-time study, but it often offers classes in specific skills as well as tutorials or one-to-one help from an EAP expert. All students whose first language is not English should contact the In-sessional Support programme as soon as possible after arriving. There is a professional organisation called the British Association of Lecturers in English for Academic Purposes (BALEAP) which supplies information on accredited EAP courses. Find out more at www.baleap.org.uk
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