How do you get into the UK?

An important part of planning to study in the UK is to make sure that you meet immigration rules for international students. Before you pay the course fees or make arrangements to travel, ensure that you will be able to enter and stay in the UK as a student.

Unless you are a national of a European Economic Area (EEA) country (the member states of the European Union, plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) or a national of Switzerland you will have to meet the following conditions to enter the UK as a student:

• You have been unconditionally accepted for a course at a genuine educational institution. The course must be provided by an organisation which is included on the Department for Education and Skills Register of Education and Training Providers. The Register includes all publicly funded institutions of further and higher education. It also includes private education institutions which are accredited by the British Council, The British Accreditation Council for Independent Further and Higher Education, or by the Association of British Language Schools, as well as other private education institutions that have applied to be on the Register. You can check whether the institution you want to attend is on the Register by contacting your nearest British diplomatic post or British Council office.

• The course must be full time and be run from a publicly-funded institution of higher education, or a weekday course involving attendance at one institution for a minimum of 15 hours’ organised daytime study a week. If you are taking more than one subject to make up the 15 hours, then you have to show that the subjects are directly related to each other. The study of English language is always considered to be directly related to any other subject, if English is not your first language.

• You must have the ability to follow the course.

• You must intend to follow the course.

• You must intend to leave the UK at the end of your studies (unless you are a degree student hoping to stay on to work when you     finish your studies, and are not sponsored by your own government or an international scholarship agency).

• You must not intend to take up employment or engage in business, unless the immigration authorities allow you to.

• You must have enough money without needing to work (or engage in business or claim ‘public funds’) to pay for your course fees, and the accommodation and maintenance of yourself and your husband, wife, and children, if they come with you.

Why study in the UK?

UK universities provide internationally - recognised qualifications of the highest standard. They also offer more opportunities than ever before: there are currently over 50,000 postgraduate taught courses and research opportunities to choose from.

The UK higher education system combines the best elements of tradition and modernity. Some UK universities are among the oldest in the world; others are among the newest. Many provide degrees with a strong vocational foundation and enjoy good links with businesses and professional organisations.

Academic excellence

The quality and standard of UK higher education are guaranteed through the work of various official bodies. The quality of a university's teaching and its general facilities are assessed by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA). Research standards are examined by the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), which publishes its findings every five years. The results of all these assessments are freely available on the internet. Information on quality assurance and assessments is also available from the Higher Education Funding Councils.

Value for money

The quality of UK degrees is one reason why so many people come to the UK to study. Another is value for money. Unlike the equivalent programmes in the United States or Australia, most UK Masters programmes can be completed in one year.

An international tradition

The UK has always welcomed students from all over the world. In 2003/2004, there were 96,845 students from the European Union (EU) and 203,210 students from outside of it in the UK at undergraduate and postgraduate level. UK universities are used to looking after the welfare of non-UK students and have well-developed support services and social networks on campus. At postgraduate level, students from outside the UK form over 30% of the entire student body.

The language of business

A major advantage of studying in the UK is the opportunity to perfect your knowledge of the English language – one of the most important skills in the international business world. If you are from outside the EU, especially if you are studying a commercial subject, you may well appreciate the opportunity to observe at first hand the operation of the European market. The UK is a member of the EU, and living and studying here can provide a useful insight into how this major trading bloc functions.

Further information

The British Council office in your home country should be your first stop for information on studying and living in the UK.

How to Apply for a Student Visa 

For more information CLICK HERE

Getting Around London

You can get around London using the Tube or Underground (Subway), taxis (Black Cabs), buses and private limousine services. By far the easiest and least expensive way is the Tube. If you are interested in walking or bus tours of the city, click to our Tours of London page.

The Underground

If you don’t mind walking, the Underground or Tube is the fastest and cheapest way to get about the London. It’s also a great way to learn about the city and it’s neighborhoods.

Zones

The map of the Underground/Tube takes considerable liberties with proportions and scale and it’s a graphic arts icon for precisely that reason. Use it to navigate underground only. Each Underground line is represented by a different name and colour. At each station, you can use the color-coded signs to find the line you want.

The Underground has been subdivided into 6 fare zones. The price of your ticket depends on how many zones you travel through. You can buy tickets from a ticket machine if you know what you are doing. This is an acquired skill, but once you know how the machines work it’s easy. You need the right coinage and we recommend that you avoid learning the machine during rush hours (8- 9.30AM and 5-6.30PM, M-F). At first, we recommend that you use the ticket offices. You can buy a ticket for a one-way or (single) ticket or a round trip (return) journey ticket. You can also buy day passes good for travel in as many zones as you like for a day or more. The city centre with Buckingham Palace and Tragalgar Square and many of London’s major icons and attractions is in Zone 1.

Once you have a ticket, you’re ready to go. Most stations in Central London, have ticket gates with automatic ticket readers. You insert your ticket into the reader slot (face up) and it passes through the reader and pops up for you to retrieve and walk through the turnstile gate which opens automatically. It’s easy. If your ticket has expired, it will not be returned to you.

We suggest that you wear comfortable shoes and “Mind the Gap” when entering and exiting the cars at the station. Also, watch yourself on the escalators, they move fairly quickly and are often crowded. Stand to the right and hold the handrail.

SOME ADVICE

• NO smoking on the Underground.
• NO flash photography is allowed.
• DON’T litter the stations or trains.
• KEEP your bags with you at all times.
• WATCH OUT for pickpockets as you would in any crowded public place.
• PAY ATTENTION and mind the Underground staff in case of emergency.

The Underground runs until approximately 12.30AM. After that you can use a Black Cab or buses to get about. Nearly all night Buses pass through Trafalgar Square and serve theatres, cinemas and entertainment areas.

Helpful Sites

Underground Homepage: www.TheTube.com

Taxis

Black Cabs All of London’s Black Cabs are licensed by The Public Carriage Office and all drivers must apply to do “The Knowledge”. This means they must have an in depth knowledge of the topography of London, (no small task). For All London “Green Badge” holders, they must have detailed knowledge within a six mile radius of Charing Cross, the ancient center of London, based on 400 routes as defined by the Public Carriage Office “Guide to Learning the Knowledge of London” (the ‘Blue Book’). They also need to know the places of interest and important landmarks on the route and within a quarter mile radius of both start and finish points. Candidates are tested on the knowledge during one to one interviews (called appearances) where they are given start and finish points and required to detail the shortest routes between them. All this goes to the point that Black Cabs are safe to take anywhere in London and the drivers, if you can understand their accent, can answer most of your questions.

The cost of any journey is by the meter, which counts time and mileage and are tested regularly. Black cabs can be hired for tours and day trips out of London to Canterbury and Dover Castle, Hampton Court, The Cotswolds, Stonehenge and the like. Click here for more information on Tours and Day Trips by Taxi

Mini Cabs & Taxi Touts

Unlicensed mini-cabs are cheaper than black cabs, as you would imagine, because anyone can be a mini cab driver; no test, no knowledge, no meters. For these reasons, mini-cabs are not allowed to stop and pick you up on on the street. You have to phone (ring) them and tell them where to pick you up, or “collect you”. Minicab touts abound in Soho, Theatreland and other busy tourist areas. They will try to get you into a cab that’s waiting round the corner. We recommend you avoid them at all costs.

Taxi touts hand about at railway stations and airports. They’ll offer to call you a cab or carry your bags. Just say NO. Taxi touts are totally illegal. Remember, unlicensed mini-cabs cannot pick you up on the street. In most cases, these touts will try to get you into a private car. Again, absolutely refuse. Just take your bags and walk away.

Buses

London Transport buses, the famous red doubledeckers, are everywhere in London. They stop at 17,000 bus stops and offer great views of London and its attractions, monuments and landmarks.

The Bus network has one fare zone for all of London. You can pay the bus driver (conductor) or buy a weekly pass and children under 12 are free.

Buses are safe, many have video cameras on board, and all of them have two-way radios. Be careful getting on and off. Wait for the bus to come to a complete stop. To get off, ring the bell once and give the driver some warning. Also watch yourself when crossing the road since buses sometimes drive in special road lanes against the traffic flow.

Night Buses pass through Trafalgar Square and serve theatres, cinemas and entertainment areas. Night buses only stop if you ring the bell, othewise they just keep driving. You can pick up a credit card sized timetable and a Night Bus booklet at travel information centres, some newsagents and major Underground stations. Night Bus fares are slightly higher than on day buses and they don’t accept one day tickets or Family Travelcard. Children pay adult fares after 10PM too.

Private Car

We defintely don’t recommend that you rent a car and drive in London unless you know the lay of the land and are used to driving on the left. London drivers are unforgiving and that’s putting it mildly. If you choose to get about the city by car, we recommend that you hire a driver for the day. It’s expensive, but you will avoid a lot of problems that could absolutely ruin your day.

• Adult returners
• 16-19 year olds who would benefit from an alternative curriculum
• Learners who have been failed by their formal educational experience