The United Kingdom is a diverse and multi-ethnic society, where students of all backgrounds are welcome and their involvement in local communities is valued.

Culture

The United Kingdom is a diverse and multi-ethnic society, where students of all backgrounds are welcome and their involvement in local communities is valued.

The UK is made up of three different countries and a province: England, Scotland, Wales and the province of Northern Ireland. These countries all have very different characters and identities.

The UK has a long tradition of welcoming migrants from around the world, many of whom have settled here permanently.

All major world religions are represented - mosques, Sikh temples, synagogues and Buddhist and Hindu places of worship can be seen alongside a whole range of Christian churches, from Anglican and Roman Catholic through to Nonconformist and Orthodox.

Many languages are represented as well. The most widely spoken South Asian language in the UK is Punjabi, followed by Urdu, Bengali and Gujarati.

All this diversity means that, when you come to the UK, you will find it easy to settle in. You will also develop an enhanced understanding of different cultures by meeting others from an enormous variety of religious and national backgrounds.

Food & Drinks  

Outside of the UK British food is often ridiculed as boring and tasteless. Eating habits in the UK have been steadily changing over the last few years, with the introduction of fast food restaurants and other diets. Vegetarian food, pizzas, burgers, Chinese, Indian and other international foods are all now part of the everyday British diet. This means that it is quite difficult to define what ‘British food’ is like! Restaurants and supermarkets cater to all kinds of foods from across the globe - so have no fear - you will not go hungry in the UK for lack of tasty food!

Clothing and Weather

The weather in Britain is rather changeable and unpredictable, but rarely suffers from extremes of heat or cold. The average daily temperature in winter is about 4C (39F), and in summer 18C (64F). It can get quite cold and windy in winter, but summers can be warm and sunny, although it may rain at any time of the year.

In cold winter weather a warm coat and sweater are needed out of doors, but most places indoors will be warm. The best compromise is to wear several layers of clothes. Waterproof clothing and shoes are essential. It may be cheaper to buy warm clothes for winter after your arrival in Britain.

When you arrive at the end of September it will be the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. Daytime temperatures in September are likely to be in the range of 12C - 16C, but the evenings and nights will be colder.You should ensure you have a sweater or coat with you for your journey, especially if you are arriving in the UK early in the morning.

In general terms, "named" or "designer" style clothing is expensive in London. There are however many alternative types of clothing and the range on offer in London should suit most budgets and tastes.

Health

Health Services for International Students 

• The NHS (National Health Service) provides professional health care for most people living in the UK. 
• International students from the European Economic Area (EEA) countries and those from countries who have reciprocal health care agreements with the UK qualify for NHS treatment.
• Students who are not covered by the NHS provision should take out private health insurance, which can be obtained in the UK or in the student’s home country. Special schemes are designed to meet the needs of International students. Premiums are low, but cover is generous.
• Full-time International students from other countries qualify for treatment under the National Health Service, provided they are on courses of 6 months or longer duration.
• Students’ dependants qualify in the same way as students. 

Registration with a doctor

• To obtain access to NHS treatment, students should register with a local GP (General Practitioner) who provides primary healthcare.
• The GP will refer patients for specialist examination or treatment to a Specialist (Consultant) when this is necessary.
• Many GP’s are working in a Group Practice/Surgery/Health Centre.
• Patients normally have to make an appointment to see a doctor. There are usually male and female doctors in a group practice, and students can choose whom they wish to see.

Accident & Emergency - 999

• Every person in the UK is treated under the NHS in case of an accident or emergency. Dial 999 on any telephone and ask for an ambulance if necessary. The call is free.
• Students who are admitted to hospital after treatment in the Accident and Emergency Department will have to pay for staying in hospital if they are not covered by the NHS. Costs for hospital treatment are very high. You should, therefore, take out private insurance to cover such costs if you do not qualify for NHS treatment.

 Prescriptions

• The GP may prescribe medicines for you to take or apply.
• All students have to pay a charge for each item on a prescription to the Chemist/Pharmacist who dispenses the prescription unless they have a valid exemption certificate.
• The cost is not always the actual cost of the medicine but a contribution to the general costs of the NHS.
• Most medicines cost much more than the standard charge, but if an item costs less and can be bought without a doctor’s prescription, then a Chemist/Pharmacist may sell it to you direct.

Dental treatment

• Charges for treatment by a Dentist (Dental Surgeon) under the NHS depend upon the complexity of treatment required.
• Many dentists no longer treat people under the NHS and charge independent or private fees.
• Before undergoing treatment, check that your Dentist works within the NHS and will accept you as an NHS patient.
• There are now very few NHS dentists in Leeds. The University Health Centers have a list.
• To receive treatment under the NHS you have to be registered with a dentist who accepts NHS patients and make an appointment to be treated.

Optical treatment

• All opticians charge for NHS eye tests.
• The amount you have to pay may vary from one practitioner to another.
• Find out how much a test will cost and make an appointment.
• You are not obliged to buy lenses and/or frames from the optician who tested your sight. The optician has to give you his assessment of your eye sight in writing and you can take this to another optician and buy the lenses and/or frames.
• Students may apply for exemption from NHS charges if their income is very low.
• Application forms (HC1) are available in Doctor’s Surgeries, Post Offices, the University Health Centers, and the Student Services Office.

Free treatment for ALL

• Treatment in Accident and Emergency departments - up to the point of admission to Hospital
• Compulsory psychiatric Treatment - when a patient is detained under a compulsory order or ‘section’
• Emergency Ambulance Service (999)
• Treatment for ‘notifiable infectious diseases’
• Treatment at a special clinic for sexually transmitted disease.

Travel

Immigration Control

When you arrive in Britain the first thing you have to do is to go through passport control. You will find that there are two different queues of people going through passport control:

European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) nationals.

All other passport holders

Please go to the queue for all other passport holders unless you hold a British or European Passport. When you reach immigration control you should have all your documents ready and be prepared to answer questions about and what you intend to do during your stay in the UK.

The documents you should carry in your hand luggage include

Your passport

Your letter of offer from the UK University

Accommodation Details (If Available)

X ray from medical test (if required by the High Commission/Embassy in your own country).

The Immigration Officer will then stamp your passport, which will advise you on how long you are allowed to stay in the UK.

You can then collect your baggage and clear customs.

Remember to telephone home on arrival! It is important to telephone your family as soon as you arrive in the UK. Public telephones are available throughout the UK and will accept coins or British Telecom Phone cards. BT Phone cards are available in values from £2 - £20 at Post Offices, or shops displaying the green Phone card sign. You would need approximately £5 to phone India for 2 - 3 minutes depending on the time of the call.

Travelling in the UK  

Destinations Outside London

By Plane - British Airways fly to most cities in the UK from London. These tickets can be purchased from a travel agent in your own country or directly at the airport. The cost could be anywhere ranging from £60 - £200

There is another Airline called "EasyJet" that flies from London Luton airport to major UK cities. These tickets can only be purchased by phoning the airline direct once you are in the UK or through the internet- they do not work through travel agents. The cost of one way ticket will be around £39, £49, or £59 - the price will depend on how busy the flight is and when you book your ticket. To get to London - Luton Airport there is a direct bus service from Heathrow airport, for times, tickets and directions to the bus terminal at Heathrow please go to the Airport Information Desks, which are around the airport.

If you fly with another European airline from your own country you may be able to fly direct to your final UK destination via another European city such as Amsterdam, Paris or Frankfurt and thus avoid London. This may work out cheaper than going via London Heathrow.

Trains

The rail network provides a fairly fast way of travelling around the country. You can find out information about train times and ticket prices from National Rail Enquiries (Tel: 08457 484950, Web: www.nationalrail.co.uk) or from a train station or travel agent. You can buy train tickets from any train station/telephone/on-line.

Tips for cheap train travel

Young Persons Railcard: If you are 26 years old or younger or a full time student, you can buy a Young Persons Rail card. This will gives you a 1/3 discount every time you buy a train ticket, so it is worth getting one if you intend to travel a lot in the UK. You can buy one at most stations in the UK.

Buy a return ticket: Return tickets are usually cheaper than two single tickets. If you are travelling to and from your destination in one day, you might be able to buy a ‘cheap day return’, which is even cheaper.

Buy your ticket in advance: If you plan to make a long journey, it is often worth buying your ticket a few days, or even weeks before your journey – this will save you money and should ensure you get a seat on the train. The tickets you can buy in advance include Saver, Super Saver and Apex tickets. For some of these tickets, you will need to book the time of train you will travel on – your ticket will not be valid if you travel on a different train. In the South East of England, a ‘Network Card’ works out cheaper (at the time of writing) than other discount cards, such as the Young Person’s Railcard.

Travel cards/season tickets: If you are intending to travel around in London or any of the major cities, it will probably be cheaper to purchase a travel card. A one-day travel card allows you unlimited travel for one day, and normally works out to be the price of three journeys! In London, you can buy an offpeak travel card for Mondays-Fridays after 9.30am, or weekends. You can also buy a travel card for weekdays before 9.30am, but these are much more expensive. You can also buy travel cards/season tickets for longer periods, e.g. a week, a month, a year for travel in lots of towns/cities in the UK.

Check at the train station which would be the best ticket or you – do compare the costs of the different types of tickets available.

Train stations in London

Many cities around the UK have one main railway station. However there are eight main stations in London – you can catch trains to/from a different part of the UK from each station: Charing Cross serves south east England; Euston serves the Midlands, and north west England; Kings Cross serves north east England and Scotland. Normally it is quicker to travel to Scotland from Kings Cross as trains are faster than on the west coast route (from Euston); Liverpool Street serves East Anglia (you can catch a train to Stansted Airport from Liverpool Street); Paddington serves west and south west England and Wales (you can catch a train to Heathrow Airport from Paddington); St Pancras serves the Midlands; Victoria serves the south coast (you can catch a train to Gatwick Airport from Victoria); Waterloo serves south and south west England. 

You can catch a train to destinations in continental Europe (eg Paris) from Waterloo. On-line booking and to know more about train schedule you can click here www.nationalrail.co.uk. 

Local buses

You can get information on the routes and times of buses in your area from Travel-line (Tel: 0870 608 2 608, Web: www.traveline.org.uk). You can often find a leaflet with local bus routes and times from a public library.

Many buses in large towns and cities operate an ‘exact fare’ policy – which means that the driver will not give you change if you do not have the right amount of money in coins. Make sure that you have a selection of coins ready before you board the bus. You may be able to buy a travel card or season ticket to save money if you use the local buses regularly.

To catch a bus, find a bus stop for the right bus route. When your bus approaches, show the bus driver that you want to use the bus by stepping to the edge of the pavement and stretching your arm towards the road. You usually need to pay the driver, or show any travel card/season ticket as you get on the bus. When you want to get off the bus, you usually need to press a button that tells the driver to stop at the next bus stop. 

Ask the driver for help if you don’t know where you need to get off the bus – the bus driver will then tell you when you reach your destination. 

Long-distance coaches

National Express, a chain of national coach operators operates a comprehensive network of coach services across the UK and this can often work out much cheaper than other forms of travel. However, travel by coach takes longer, may not be as comfortable, and often has fewer services. If you are 26 years old or younger or a full time student, you can buy a Discount Coach card. This will save you 30% on many National Express journeys. It is wise to book your ticket in advance, as seating is limited. For more details, visit your local coach station or contact National Express (Tel: 08705 808080, Web: www.nationalexpress.com).

You can also travel by coach to many destinations in continental Europe – these services are run by Eurolines. These coaches always start and finish at London Victoria coach station. Contact National Express (details above) for details of the Eurolines services.

The Underground

Several cities in the UK have an underground or metro system (in London, this is called the ‘tube’). The underground has the advantage that trains are not held up by traffic. However, be prepared for a squeeze, especially at peak travelling times! It is easy to plan your journey if you are not familiar with where you are going. Stations are clearly marked on maps and by signs in the street. You need to buy your underground ticket before you get on the train – either from a machine or a ticket seller. You can find out more about the London underground here http://tube.tfl.gov.uk.

 Taxis

Sometimes you need to travel in areas where there are no buses or trains. In this case, taxis are useful. Look for names of taxi companies in local telephone directories. All taxi firms have to be registered by the local council so for short journeys, different taxi companies will charge you similar fares. However, always get a quote before taking a journey of more than 8 miles: prices can vary a lot between different firms. Taxis are often thought to be expensive, but if a group of people use a taxi together, and divide the cost, the price will work out quite favorably. It is usual to give a tip to taxi drivers of 10% of the fare for short journeys. 

Cars

If you plan to be in the UK for some time, you may consider buying a car. Remember that you can purchase a second hand or used car more cheaply than a new one! It is a good idea to take a British friend along with you to help you check it out. You could also arrange for someone from the AA (the Automobile Association, a British organization that provides services for car drivers) to check a second hand, for a fee.

Having a car can work out quite expensive, as you will need petrol, insurance, motor tax as well as paying for repairs. You will also need to obtain a UK license although if you have a car in your own country it is worth asking the Driving Vehicle License Center at Swansea whether you are covered to drive in this country on your own license. 

Money & Banking

The unit of currency in the UK is the pound sterling (£). One pound is divided into 100 pence (p).

Coins and notes

There are coins for 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p, 20p, 50p, £1 & £2, and paper notes for £5, £10, £20 & £50. In Scotland, you might receive notes issued by a Scottish Bank – you can use these notes in all parts of the UK.

Changing money

You may change your own currency into pounds sterling at a bank, building society, some post offices and at some travel agencies. Ports, airports and larger railway stations often have places for changing money.

You will pay a charge for changing money. When you are arriving in the UK, if you can, bring a small amount of sterling with you to allow for taxi fares, food and so on.

A bank account

Even if you are only going to be in the UK for a few months, it is worth opening a bank account. You may need proof of your home address from your home bank. Some banks do not let you open an account unless you are going to stay for at least 9 months. Banks and building societies offer many types of account. You are most likely to need a ‘current’ or ‘student’ account.

Most current accounts remain free of charge provided you do not go ‘overdrawn’, that is, take out more money than you have in the bank. Quite large charges may then be incurred so keep careful note of the money you put in and take out of your current account.

It normally does not matter which bank you open an account with: conditions and rates are about the same. If you are keeping a lot of money in the UK you should think about opening another account, which will give you interest on your money. In this case ask student welfare at your college for advice.