British Scholarship

Accommodation – what will it cost?

This will probably soak up half your income, or more if you live full board in university accommodation. Finding the right place to live is important, especially in your first year.

Most institutions give first-year students first claim on halls of residence. But for some students, living with a hundred or so other people, sharing bathrooms meal times, TV programmes, problems, passions – even bedrooms – can be an unbearable strain. Others thrive on the camaraderie. Costs vary significantly between different types of accommodation and different universities, roughly averaging £60 – £80 per week with no meals. Be aware that the number of meals and the number of weeks in the academic year can vary between institutions.

The alternatives to halls of residence are renting and living at home. On average students throughout the country are paying £53.78 per week on rent, with London the most expensive (£116.75) and Northern Ireland the cheapest (£38.06). On top of this you are likely to have utilities (gas, electricity, water) which will cost on average around £200 per year. Living at home is very much cheaper although the amount of loan you can borrow is smaller.

Read more 

• The British Museum – www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk   (free entry)
• Buckingham Palace – http://www.royal.gov.uk/
• Hampton Court – www.hrp.org.uk
• Hyde Park / Kensington Gardens / Regent’s Park   (free entry)
• The National Gallery – www.nationalgallery.org.uk
• St Paul’s Cathedral – www.stpauls.co.uk    (free entry)
• Tate Gallery – www.tate.org.uk
• The Tower of London – www.hrp.org.uk
• Victoria and Albert Museum – www.vam.ac.uk    (free entry)
• Westminster Abbey – www.westminster-abbey.org  (free entry)
• A Night at the Theatre in London’s West End – www.londontheatre.co.uk
• Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre -  www.shakespeares-globe.org
• The Royal Albert Hall – www.royalalberthall.com
• Kew Gardens – www.rbgkew.org.uk
• National Portrait Gallery – www.npg.org.uk   (free entry)
• Portobello Road Market – www.portobelloroad.co.uk  (free entry)
• The London Eye – www.londoneye.com
• Watch a Premier League British football game at one of the popular stadiums in London - Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham (the Marketing team’s preference), West Ham, Charlton Athletic, or Fulham – www.premierleague.com
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English customs

The major difference between living in the UK and your home country is in social customs and behaviour. Some of these customs may seem strange when you first arrive. To assist you, listed below is a list of what would normally be seen as acceptable in the UK:

• Equality for all citizens. Men, women and people from all levels of wealth, authority and occupation are seen as equal in English society
• Punctuality - always be on time for appointments or let people know if you will be late. You should also expect other people to be on time for you!
• Tidiness in the community – all rubbish should be disposed of in a bin, or carried with you until you find a bin. Anybody dropping litter may be prosecuted and fined in the UK
• Waiting your turn in a queue – it is considered impolite to push ahead of someone who is in the queue before you
• Informality when addressing others – first names are used early in a relationship. A general rule to follow if you are meeting a person for the first time who is considerably older than you is to use a title such as Mr, Ms, Mrs, Dr or Professor until you are invited to use the person’s given name. Many academics/lecturers will encourage you to use their given name, It is acceptable to ask a person what they would like you to call them
• Knocking on someone’s door before opening it. Always wait for the person to answer ‘come in’
• Saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ where appropriate is highly regarded
• It is common to see people using a handkerchief or tissue to blow their nose. It is not acceptable to sniff or spit. If you need to clear your throat use a handkerchief or tissue
• One can not normally get ahead by raising one’s voice. If you disagree strongly with anything that has been said, or done, you should definitely express your point of view strongly and calmly, but try not to shout as this is generally frowned upon. Hopefully you will see that this is reciprocated
• It is not acceptable to interrupt while someone else is talking, but once they have finished their point, it is perfectly OK to say that you do not agree and to explain why – even if you are disagreeing with one of your professors. As long as you can back up your point of view seriously, this will be seen as a positive contribution to the discussion
• All of the above come under what the British refer to as ‘manners’ – Manners are held in high regard in the UK. If you are polite, on-time and generally follow the other rules of what is acceptable: this is likely to get you a long way in the UK
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