Living in United Kingdom

Telephone Services
Public telephones in the UK can be coin operated or card operated. To use a card-operated phone, you need either a credit card or a special, pre-paid phonecard. Phonecards come in values of £2, £5, £10 and £20 and you can buy them from newsagents, post offices and supermarkets.

Before you dial, pick up the receiver and listen for dialing tone. After you dial, if the number you want is available, you will hear a repeated double ring. If it is busy, you will hear the engaged tone – a repeated single note. If a number is unavailable, you will hear a steady tone. When your money or card is about to run out, you will hear a series of rapid beeps.

Low Cost Calling
Calling from a private phone is significantly cheaper than calling from a public phone. Inland calls (calls within the UK) are cheapest between 06.00 p.m. and 08.00 a.m. International calls are cheapest between 08.00 p.m. and 08.00 a m. There are also reduced rates on weekends.

A number of different companies now offer pre-paid or account-based phone cards, many of which are aimed at people who need to make international calls. Compare cards carefully as rates differ. In some cases, making your international calls using one of these cards could work out cheaper than using the main phone service provider.

Mobile Phones
Mobile phones are widely used in the UK and can be particularly convenient for students. Before you buy one, check all details of the competing packages carefully, including both the monthly charge and the charges for calls. A mobile phone that is cheap to buy could turn out to be expensive to use if it is not the right package for you.

Emails
Mobile phones are widely used in the UK and can be particularly convenient for students. Before you buy one, check all details of the competing packages carefully, including both the monthly charge and the charges for calls. A mobile phone that is cheap to buy could turn out to be expensive to use if it is not the right package for you.

if you have your own computer, you can sign up directly with one of the UK’s internet service providers. Several now offer free access; all you pay is the phone company’s charges for your connection time

sign up with one of the many web-based email services (Hotmail, Yahoo, etc.) and then check your email using online computer terminals at your institution, a public library or a friend’s home. This option should cost you absolutely nothing.

Postal Services
Post Offices are usually open from 09.00 a.m. to 05.30 p.m. Monday to Friday, and from 09.00 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. on Saturday. You can also buy stamps at newsagents, supermarkets and some other shops.

Studying Cost In UK
Studying in the UK is great value for money. Degree courses are generally shorter than in the USA and Australia, making them more affordable. Before you embark on your studies you need to have a clear idea of the total cost of course fees and living expenses. Our guide will help to get you started.

Your costs while living in the UK will depend on the type of course you follow. If you are studying a career-based, degree or postgraduate course, you will need to budget for accommodation and meals in addition to the course fees.

Regardless of their country of origin, international students on full-time UK courses that last more than six months enjoy all the benefits of the country’s National Health Service. This means free consultation with doctors and free hospital care for you and your family. See below for more details:

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES IN UK
The UK Universities have good scholarships. The total worth of these scholarships is over 1 million pounds. With 198 scholarships on offer, it is a great opportunity for Indian students wishing to make the most of their UK education.Students may avail these scholarships for 29 undergraduate and 169 postgraduate courses. These include Engineering, Law, Business, Art & Design, Bio-sciences, IT and more; at 40 UK institutions across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Ranges from 1000GBP to 3000 GBP

Great India Scholarship – 5000 GBP

About United Kingdom
You will find this section a useful guide about United Kingdom. It explains everything from the basics such as United Kingdom Environment, Culture etc.

Banking and Finance
Britain is one of the world’s leading financial centers. Banking, Finance, Insurance, and other business services accounted for about 12 percent of Britain’s output in 1996 and more than a million people were employed in this sector.

The Bank of England, chartered in 1694, was nationalized in 1946 and is the only bank that issues banknotes in England and Wales. Several banks in Scotland and Northern Ireland issue currencies in limited amounts. After the Labour government was elected in 1997 the Bank of England was given operational independence in monetary policy. This means it can set interest rates independent of the government in power, much as the Federal Reserve does in the United States. There are more than a dozen major commercial banks in Britain, including Lloyds TSB, Barclays, National Westminster, and HSBC. The postal system, savings banks, and cooperative and building societies also provide some banking services.

Historically, the financial services industry has been based in the City of London in an area called the Square Mile. The City is a small part of the Greater London metropolitan area that surrounds it. Financial services are still concentrated in the City, although several provincial cities have developed their own financial centers. The greatest concentration of foreign banks in the world is found in the City, and the area accounts for 20 percent of total international bank lending. It also has one of the world’s largest insurance markets and is the world’s main center for trading in stock of overseas companies. One of the world’s largest financial derivatives markets is in the City as well. Financial derivatives are contracts to buy or sell, at a future date, financial documents such as stocks and bonds.

The London Stock Exchange, one of the largest exchanges in the world, has always been a focus of international trade. In 1986 it was substantially deregulated, an event known as the Big Bang in financial circles. This led to the rapid expansion of products, markets, and numbers of employees, a movement that slowed in the early 1990s but has since rebounded.

Currency
The pound sterling (£1), consisting of 100 pence, is the basic unit of currency in Britain (£0.69 equal U.S.$1; 1996 average). Before Britain converted its currency to the decimal system between 1968 and 1971, the pound equaled 20 shillings and each shilling was made up of 12 pence. Bookkeeping had to be done using three columns and the decimal system could not be applied.

The currency in the United Kingdom may change in the next few years to the euro, the new unit of currency being established within the European Union. The British government elected not to participate in the first phase of the transition, in which 11 EU members started to use the euro for accounting purposes and electronic fund transfers beginning in January 1999. After 2002, all EU members who join the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) will use the same currency and their national currencies will cease to be legal tender. For currency exchange rate visit www.xe.com/ucc

Test Requirements For UK
It is important to become proficient in English to make your stay in United Kingdom a good one. You will probably be required to take the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) before you will be admitted to a UK university. The school may also have additional tests for graduate students who are prospective teaching assistants.

This section provides information about IELTS, TOEFL and GMAT exams.

UK Visa
You will need to have a valid passport and a visa in order to enter United Kingdom. Since it can take several months to obtain a passport and all the documentation, start the process as soon as you can. Here you will find information regarding Visa requirements and procedure, Immigration procedure.

You will usually be allowed to bring your spouse and any children under 18 years of age to the UK, if you are holding an offer for a Master’s Degree from a University and as long as you can show that you can financially support and accommodate them. You will also need to show the ECO a marriage certificate, and a birth certificate for each child. It is advisable for them to apply for entry clearance, even if they are not visa nationals. They will normally be given permission to stay in the UK for the same period as you. Your spouse will be allowed to work if your permission to be in the UK lasts for 12 months or more. Make sure your spouse has a copy of your passport with them if they apply after you – the Immigration Officer will need to see the page showing your name, your entry clearance sticker (if you have one) and how long your permission lasts. If your permission to be in the UK lasts for less than 12 months, your spouse will not be allowed to work.

Universities In UK
This section takes you through the profile of Universities in United Kingdom. It starts with tips on finding the course that’s right for you and ends with choosing the right university.

Accounting & Finance

Advertising & Mass Media

Aeronautical Engineering

Architecture

Automotive Engineering

Biomedical Sciences

Biotechnology / Biological Sciences

Chemical Engineering

Civil / Structural Engineering

Computer Science / Information Technology

Construction & Property Management

Education & Teaching

Electrical / Electronics Engineering

Fashion Design

Film / Television / Video

Food Sciences / Food Technology

Forensic Science

General Management / Business Administration

Graphic Design

Hotel / Hospitality Management

Human Resource Management

Interior Design

International Business

Journalism

Law

Manufacturing / Production Engineering

Marketing

Master of Business Adminstration

Mechanical Engineering

Nutrition / Dietetics

Occupational Therapy

Oil & Gas / Offshore Engineering

Pharmacology / Pharmacy

Photography

Physiotherapy

Public Health / Health Administration

Travel / Tourism / Leisure Management

Education System In UK
This section gives you details about your Work Permits and employment Opportunity.

The basic steps for applying are:

Choosing your required programme

Identifying Universities

Health documents, if required

Taking various required tests like IELTS, TOEFL, GMAT, etc.

Arranging and preparing essays and recommendation letters

Completing and sending application forms along with required documents

Applying for VISA after obtaining unconditional offer from the universities

Working in United Kingdom
This section gives you details about your Work Permits and Student Work Regulations in UK.

Q.1. Can I work whilst I am studying in the UK?
Ans: Most students on courses of more than 6 months will be given a passport stamp that allows them to work part-time during the term (up to 20 hours a week) and any number of hours during the vacations. For further information from UKCISA about this topic, download the Guidance Note, ‘Students and employment’.

Q.2. Can my husband/wife/son/daughter work whilst I study in the UK?
Ans: This will depend on the amount of time you are given to study in the UK. If you are given 12 months or more, then your husband / wife / son / daughter joining you in the UK should be given a passport stamp which allows him or her to work. For further information from UKCISA about this topic, download the Guidance Note, ‘Dependants of international students’.

Q.3. Can I stay in the UK to work after I have finished studying?
Ans: Yes. The UK offers a minimum 2 years of post-study work permit option.

It may be possible for students to stay in the UK for practical training or work experience with ‘Graduate Route VISA’. With this VISA, students completing their higher education program in summer 2021 onwards will be eligible for 2 years of stay back. This is applicable to both bachelor’s and master’s, for all areas of study.

This new rule is flexible as it does not need any student to be employed continuously in the same job on this Graduate Route VISA. There is no barrier on the kind of job the students do or the minimum salaries they earn during this time. Hence, the student gets ample time to get into the desired job or change jobs as it won’t count against them during this time.

For PhD students, The Graduate Route offers upto 3 years of stay back after completing the doctoral degree.