Study in United Kingdom

Why Study in the United Kingdom (UK)?

• Made up of four countries- England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom is a very popular study destination for Indian students.
• The UK has more than 100 universities and around 165 higher education institutions including universities and colleges.
• With ancient and traditional universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, University College London to modern universities, the UK offers something for every students in a variety of subject areas.
• Taught Master courses are only for 1 year. You do not need 16 years of education to pursue a Masters degree in most subjects.
• Most undergraduate (bachelors) degrees are for 3 years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
• Scotland has some excellent universities, a different education system than the rest of the UK and a 4 year undergraduate degree.

Why Apply through Study Avenues Overseas

Undergraduate Applications

Applications for Bachelors degree courses are made through the Universities Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) that is a centralised application system.

Students can apply to a maximum of 5 institutions/courses only.

UCAS Deadlines-

15 October for medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses and all courses at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

15 January for all other courses except certain art and design courses that have a 24 March deadline.

30 June is the final deadline for international students and after this all applications go into Clearing.

Postgraduate Applications

There is no single centralised system for postgraduate applications and students have to make applications individually to each institution.

Deadlines vary from course to course and institution to institution. Our counselling staff can help you with identifying these deadlines.

Cost of Studying in the UK

The costs incurred by a student can be divided into

• Tuition fee of the course and
• Living cost.
  Tuition fee for both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes ranges from GBP 4000 to 18,000. Tuition for laboratory based courses is usually higher than classroom based courses. Medicine, Dentistry courses have much higher tuition fee.
  The living cost in the UK is higher in big cities such as London and lower in smaller towns and cities. The UKBA has defined the living cost for the purpose of obtaining a student visa. This is as follows-
• GBP 1000 per month in Central London
• GBP 800 for outer London and the rest of the UK

SCHOLARSHIPS

Broadly there are three types of scholarships for studying in the UK available to Indian students-

• Scholarships offered by UK institutions
• UK Government sponsored
• Private Trusts and funds

Studying and Living in the UK

Made up of four distinct countries- England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom is a very popular study destination for Indian students.

The UK is a great place to study in. With excellent quality of institutions and a strong tradition of research, it offers an excellent learning experience. How can you ensure that your time in the UK as a student is well spent?

Studying and learning- This is an extremely important aspect that you will need to work on. In the UK the teaching and learning style is very different from that in India. You will be expected to do extensive reading, researching and be able to express your arguments in a logical and convincing way.

Mostly the emphasis is on how to think rather than what to think.

Plagiarism is a serious offence in the UK and students need to ensure that they do not copy answers from their friends, books (without providing proper references).

Settling down to your new life as a student in the UK-

Once you arrive in the UK you will need to take care of many things before you get busy with your classes and study.

Most institutions will organise an orientation days/week for international students where you will be introduced to the institution, class time table, accommodation, health and money matters. We recommend that you arrive at your institution in time to attend this orientation as it will help you settle in faster.

GETTING AROUND – The first few days

ORGANISING YOUR STUDY

You may find the Education System in the UK very different from what you are used to in India. For one you will be expected to do a lot of self study and contribute with active participation in classroom discussions. You will get assignments that you have to submit within the stipulated time neatly typed. Please note that plagiarism is a serious offence in the UK. Students who are caught copying material from friends, internet, books without giving due credit to the author are penalized and are asked to return to their home country. So do make sure your work is original and you give proper references wherever required. You can contact your personal tutor or attend the Orientation Program organised by you institution in order to find out more about this.

ACCOMMODATION

When it comes to finding somewhere to live you will find that most institutions will guarantee accommodation provided you have applied by the deadline date. If you are looking for an alternative, private accommodation available outside the university campus may work out to be much cheaper.

However, remember to factor in costs of transport to and from the university, utility bills for electricity, heating, internet etc. You must travel to the UK 1-2 weeks before your course starts so that you have enough time to look for private accommodation.

MONEY

It is recommended that you carry at least £500 in cash to cover immediate expenses on arrival such as taxi/bus fare, initial deposit for your bank account, food items, stationery etc.

BASIC ESSENTIALS

While packing for your life as a student you might like to include a few basic essentials like a warm coat, pressure cooker, umbrella, good walking shoes, spices, plug adapter etc. Remember, layering your clothing is the way to beat the cold.

HOME COMFORTS

No matter where you live either in the university or in private accommodation try and make your room cosy and homely as much as possible by bringing your own bed linen (unless you know its included in your room, you can always buy them on arrival in the UK), family photographs, bath towels etc.

MOBILE PHONES

In the UK a variety of pre-paid and post paid schemes are available. It might be difficult to get a post paid scheme soon after arrival as you will need to give proof of residence etc., hence a pay-as -you-go plan might be your best option. Some phone companies may have cheaper options to make calls to India so may be worthwhile to explore them.

INTERNET & E-MAIL ACCESS

Most colleges and universities in the UK provide free e-mail accounts for their students and you are recommended to visit your university library to find out more. If you are thinking of buying a laptop, we recommend you buy it in the UK as it might be cheaper. You would also find that it is easier to get second hand desk tops very cheap from students who are leaving the campus. There might be offers on brand new laptops arranged by the university and it is best to check with the IT Support staff or the Library staff to find out more.