Study in UK

The United Kingdom consists of four countries, united under one government. The countries are England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each has a distinct culture and feel of its own. UK contains over 80 percent of the total population.

College Fit

At the higher education level, students have a wide range of options when they choose a college or university. Although there are agencies that attempt to rank colleges and universities, the concept of “fit” is also important. The GPA* of admitted students are important, but majors offered, location, number of students enrolled, and campus culture are all factors influencing a prospective student’s decision. Some colleges and universities are publicly funded, while others are privately supported.

*GPA means grade point average. It is the average of all grades received.

Popular student destinations: The top universities in UK are University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, London School of Economics, Imperial College London, University of Durham etc. (in no particular order). Most of the best colleges in the country are situated in London, followed by Cambridge, Oxford, and Manchester.

Popular courses: Sociology and Social Studies, Law, Business Management, Computer Science, Communications/Media are the popular courses Indian students pursue in UK.

Safety in UK: As a student, you will be as safe in the UK as you are at home. When you get to your college there will be loads of other students who will give you all the information you need about the place. You will find that the country is multicultural and you will soon have friends from all over the world.

Weather

UK has a variable climate changing from day to day. It is difficult to predict the weather. In general, the summers are warm and winters see snowfall. Summers are cooler than those of India.

England – Compared to other places in UK, England is sunnier throughout the year. On some occasions, there can be strong winds. Also, the rains are unpredictable and it could rain at any time during the year. London, Manchester, Birmingham are some of the popular cities. The average temperature in summers is around 25°C to 15°C; in winters it is around 7°C to 0°C.

Scotland – The climate of Scotland is temperate and can be very unpredictable. Rainfall is not uniform across Scotland, with the western parts getting a lot more rains than the eastern parts. Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen are the major cities. The average temperature in summers is around 19°C to 10°C; in winters it is around 6°C to -1°C.

Wales – In Wales, most of the rain tends to fall between October and January. Days in winters are shorter and the region experiences snow. Summers are warmer than other parts of UK. Cardiff, Newport, Swansea are some of the popular cities here. The average temperature in summers is around 23°C to 12°C; in winters it is around 8°C to 1°C.

Northern Ireland – This region has relatively mild winters and cool summers. Northern Ireland is cloudier than England and gets less sunshine comparatively. Belfast, Lisburn, Newry are some of the popular cities here. The average temperature in summers is around 19°C to 10°C; in winters it is around 8°C to 0°C.

Lifestyle tips

All international students to UK will need a letter from the college in order to open a bank account. The college will give you this letter during the induction and registration events. It is essential that all UK international students register with a local doctor. Again, the college will help you arrange this during the induction and registration events. You will have full access to a wide range of clubs and societies at the university. The college also arranges social events throughout your study period. Typically, this would include city tours, ice-skating, ten-pin bowling, and visits to other cities in the UK.

Indians living in UK

Indians are UK’s largest ethnic minority group. There were nearly 1.6 million Indian immigrants living in the United Kingdom in 2008. The majority of all Indian immigrants resided in three cities: London, Manchester, and Birmingham. The rest of the Indian immigrants live in major metropolitan areas like Cardiff, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Belfast.

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