The UK is a popular country for studying abroad. For those who want to study in the UK, food, accommodation and transportation are also very important. The following is the "Introduction to Food, Accommodation and Travel in Studying in the UK" compiled by me for your reference only. You are welcome to read this article.

Introduction to food, accommodation and transportation

About food

Since graduate student dormitories are mostly self-catered, if you want to eat well, you need to be good at cooking. Supermarkets in the UK have a wide range of goods. Since schools are not necessarily located in the city center, you usually buy food and daily necessities once or twice a week. British lunch is usually relatively simple. A sandwich or hamburger and a cup of coffee or milk tea is a typical British lunch. When you first arrive in the UK, you may feel uncomfortable as the eating styles and habits between China and the UK are very different, but remember: scientific diet is the way to stay healthy in a foreign country. It is recommended that you arrange your daily meals reasonably: eat more fruits and vegetables and less fried food; eat some staple foods, such as bread, potatoes, rice, noodles or macaroni; eat some high-protein foods, such as soy products, eggs, fish or Meat; eat some fresh dairy products, cheese or yogurt. If you miss the food of your hometown, you can visit restaurants or supermarkets in Chinatown, where you can find most Chinese food.

Clothes

The UK has a maritime climate, and most temperatures throughout the year are between 10 and 22 degrees, so you should bring more spring and autumn clothes. In the UK What you wear more often is a windbreaker or a woolen coat; in addition, because the UK is very mountainous, it is recommended to bring more sports shoes and less leather shoes. The British summer is very short. Generally, the temperature will be above 25 degrees for only 2-3 weeks. For short-sleeved shirts or shorts/skirts, it is recommended to bring two or three sets. Winter temperatures in the UK generally reach minus 5 to 10 degrees Celsius in the north, while the south generally does not drop below minus 5 degrees Celsius, but is relatively humid, somewhat similar to the winter climate in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai in China. Therefore, it is recommended to bring a down jacket and warm pants. British people dress more casually, but they should prepare one or two formal dresses to attend some important occasions. In the UK, you can buy clothes of different grades and tastes from international brands to supermarkets and hypermarkets. Most of them are reasonably priced and of high quality. Especially during the big holiday sales, it is much cheaper than in China. You can also buy formal wear in the UK, and big brands are cheaper than in China. British women's clothing starts from size 6, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, etc. Most Chinese girls wear size 6 or 8, which is equivalent to domestic XS-M. Especially petite girls can buy British children's clothing, large Most children's clothing will have a size of 160cm, and a few will have a size of 170cm. If possible, try to bring your own cotton fabrics such as sheets and sheets, but you must consider the maximum limit on checked luggage. If you apply for on-campus dormitories, the school will generally provide bedding.

Rent / live in a house

Homestay (Homestay)

A. Time: minimum 1 month.

B. Cost: About 50-150 pounds per week (including board and lodging) - the cost will change depending on time and region.

C. The benefits of choosing a homestay family: It provides you with an opportunity to learn British culture. This is an experience that tourists staying in big hotels cannot experience. It is a life journey of "self-discovery". When you get acquainted with the British, you will discover the different lifestyles of the British, and your understanding of yourself and the cultural values ????to which you belong will be deeper and clearer. It reduces a lot of the hassle and expense of renting out an apartment, especially when you have to devote more time and energy to your studies. In a homestay, you will have your own private space and furniture.

Rent also includes most living expenses:

Food, housing, water and electricity, etc. If you rent a house or share it with others, you have to spend a lot of money to buy furniture, apply for a phone, pay rent for water, electricity, etc. These costs are quite expensive compared with the cost of a homestay. It allows you to continuously practice real English, which also makes up for the lack of formal English training in the classroom. It provides an opportunity to build lasting friendships, and many students remain in contact with their host families after returning to their home countries.

Note: First of all, you must adapt to the culture of the host family and abide by their family rules. Some host families are quite strict and have very strict rules on when to lock the door, when to turn off the lights, etc. Some families may even be vegetarians. Although they will prepare additional food for their students, many Chinese students will not be full or accustomed to eating.

Warm reminder: Homestay is suitable for middle school students with weak self-control. For college students with independent ability and self-control, especially students studying for a one-year master's degree, there is no need to live in a homestay. However, it is recommended that students take some time off, preferably during festivals such as Christmas and Easter, to participate in the residential family stay program to feel the festive atmosphere of local families and appreciate the real foreign culture.

In addition, Homestay is mainly aimed at students with undergraduate degrees or below, and the parents of the Homestay family supervise the students on their behalf.

Students and parents can write down their special requirements for Homestay on the Homestay application form.

On-campus accommodation

Usually, schools give priority to international students for their first year of accommodation, so this is the easiest way to solve accommodation.

British dormitories are generally divided into Studio, Ensuite and Stardard:

·Student dormitories usually have their own bedrooms, kitchens and bathrooms;

· Ensuite means that the dormitory will include a bathroom, but not a kitchen;

·Standard dormitory will include a wash basin, and the kitchen and bathroom will be shared with other people.

(Then the next paragraph is the continuation of the original text: Generally, you have to take care of your own food...)

Generally, you have to take care of your own food. Single rooms, each room has a bed, desk and wardrobe, with its own or private bathroom; an apartment has 3 to 6 people, and has a private kitchen with complete facilities, usually equipped with a microwave and a toaster and oven. Water, electricity and internet charges are free. On-campus accommodation is divided into self-catering and self-catering, and graduate student apartments are mostly self-catering. For Chinese students who are not accustomed to Western food culture, self-catering is the cheapest, most nutritious, most suitable for them, and the easiest way to open up social situations. The meal plan is more time-saving, but the variety is limited, such as hash browns for breakfast, French fries for lunch, and potato puree for dinner, which is very off-putting to Chinese students.

Advantages of on-campus accommodation:

A. It is close to the class location, saving transportation time.

B. Having more opportunities to contact foreign students will be of great benefit to practicing foreign languages ??and learning foreign cultures.

C. In-room equipment, such as beds, tables, chairs, cabinets, etc., are all available, so there is no need to purchase them separately.

D. The dormitory lease period is the same as the semester. If you leave school during the winter and summer vacations, you do not have to pay rent, and the room will still be reserved for you.

Disadvantages of on-campus accommodation:

A. The rent of university dormitories is slightly higher than that of rented houses.

B. Foreign students like to be noisy. They often get together to drink and play. Every weekend or holiday, there will be a dance. Even if you don't attend, you will be so noisy that you can't rest.

C. Some university dormitories do not distinguish between male and female dormitories. Different rooms on the same floor are arranged in the order of application, which may be slightly inconvenient for some Chinese students.

D. Students must sign an accommodation contract with the school when staying on campus. Students should pay attention to the content of the contract and whether to give one month's notice of departure; because the time for refunding the deposit usually takes a long time, and some students have even I still can’t get the deposit back when I return home. Accommodation fees can be paid in installments. You only need to pay a deposit or part of the accommodation fee first. During their stay, Chinese students should try to avoid fumes when cooking to avoid causing fire alarm reports. Students must also actively cooperate with fire drills in dormitories.

Warm reminder: If the school provides accommodation, it is recommended that you accept it first and be sure to apply within the specified date. Finding a place on your own is not an easy task, especially in September, when tens of thousands of new students are looking for accommodation, and it is even more difficult to find a satisfactory place in a short period of time! Living in a school dormitory is not everyone's cup of tea. But at least you have a base, you can have time to familiarize yourself with the surrounding environment, and it is not too late to slowly find a suitable place to live. What's more, living on campus has its own benefits. It's generally closer to the campus, you can easily use the library, computers and other equipment, and you can live with classmates of different nationalities. This is a great way to practice speaking, make friends and learn about other countries' cultures. A good opportunity!

Off-campus accommodation

That is, renting private housing, which can be renting a room in a family (Host family), or renting an apartment or an independent house (Rented ats & houses). You can find rental lists or advertisements from the school’s accommodation office, bulletin boards and local newspapers. You can also use the student union or relatives and friends in the UK to help you find suitable housing. If the on-campus dormitories are full, students can contact off-campus accommodation through the accommodation office. Off-campus accommodation is cheaper to rent, averaging over ￡30 per week. However, some water, electricity, Internet fees, etc. are not included in the rent, so students are more worried. In addition, you need to be extra careful as your co-renting partners vary from good to bad. The exact cost depends on the size of the home, its location and the services provided. Usually you have to sign an agreement with the landlord and pay a deposit. When reading advertisements and contracts, you will encounter some code words, so be sure to pay more attention.

Temporary accommodation

If you plan to arrive at school early or find long-term accommodation after arriving in the UK, you must contact a temporary accommodation first anyway , you can ask the school’s accommodation office to help you make a reservation, or you can contact a local youth hostel. Youthhostels provide short-term accommodation with cheaper rent. If you plan to travel, a youth hostel is a good choice.

If you need more information, you can check with the Youth Hostel Association (Youth Hostel Association), website: http://www.yha.org.uk

Some youth hostels provide online booking of "beds". Through the Internet, you can also find the contact information, quotations and surrounding maps of youth hostels in various places. It is recommended that students who are new to language studies live in on-campus dormitories to familiarize themselves with the local environment; after two or three months of language studies, if you have friends who want to live with you and are familiar with the local area, you can consider renting a house.

Transportation

Underground

London’s Underground network is the most dense and complex in the world. ***There are 273 stations, 12 lines, and dozens of intersections. In the center of London, you can walk a few steps and you'll see a Tube station. Don't evade fares. The UK is a very conscious country and you can pass without a ticket. But if you are unlucky and are caught, you will be fined very severely. If you rent an apartment off campus, you often take the subway, and you can apply for a package ticket.

Bus

There are single tickets and return tickets. The return ticket will be cheaper than the one-way ticket. It is recommended that all international students buy a bus pass to save trouble and money. British buses do not have conductors announcing stops. If you want to get off at the next stop, press the button on the bus to notify the driver. Wherever the button is, see where other passengers press it, and just press it accordingly.

Train

Young Persons Rail card, young people between 16 and 25 years old (overage students are also suitable) can enjoy a discount of 1/3 of the original price. Trains are connected to various cities in the UK by a fast and efficient railway network and multiple long-distance buses. Various travel special tickets allow you to travel without restrictions within a certain period and distance, thus providing convenience for you to travel everywhere. It is recommended to get a Young Person Rail Card as it is more cost-effective to take more trains. There are many train companies in the UK. Which company's ticket you buy depends on which company's train you take; otherwise, the fine you will receive during ticket inspection will be very severe, which will be worth the price of ten train tickets. Trains usually arrive at the station 5 minutes in advance. Watch your train's platform and wait there. Don't be late. British trains are just like Chinese buses. It will be much cheaper to buy round-trip tickets online in advance to avoid peak periods.

Airplane

For the same route, the price of air tickets can vary by thousands of miles. Flights can sometimes even be found for ￡5 on routes between the UK and Europe. Try to book your flight as early as possible, preferably at least 3 weeks in advance. The more last minute you book, the more expensive it is and it limits your flexibility. Overseas flights are rarely delayed, and if you are delayed more than 45 minutes (approximately), you will have to pay compulsory compensation, so be sure to arrive early!!!

Mobile phone

There are two ways to use mobile phones in the UK There are two different ways to recharge and use: Top-up (recharge card) and Pay monthly (monthly card). Most Chinese mobile phones can continue to be used in the UK and can be used with Top-up. However, billed on a per-minute basis, this option actually pays more than a monthly subscription. If you don't use your mobile phone often or just for answering calls, this method is generally suitable; if you choose Pay monthly, you need to sign an agreement with the mobile phone network company for at least one year and pay a monthly fee, usually 12 For ￡75, the mobile phone network provider provides several free text messages and free minutes per month according to the agreement, and you can also choose a free fashionable mobile phone with the agreement. There are many well-known wireless communication providers in the UK, such as China Mobile (CMLink). When choosing a mobile phone and its service, you should comprehensively consider your calling habits, such as the length of the call and the type of call (international, domestic, calling card), and choose a package that suits you. British international students in Kai Tak can contact your consultant to get a free British mobile phone card before leaving the country, so that you can contact your family and school as soon as you land.

Please note: Many students have just entered the UK. It is easy for some criminals to target freshmen who are confused about studying abroad and set up various traps to defraud the freshmen's trust and induce students to transfer money to them. There are many cross-border telecom fraud schemes, and it is even more difficult to recover the amount defrauded. Therefore, we must strengthen our prevention awareness and be vigilant at all times to not give criminals any chance!

Anyone who receives a message claiming to be from China Embassies and consulates abroad, domestic public security organs, courier companies, telecommunications companies, etc. claim to have important letters, documents or packages that need to be collected, and require personal information to verify identity, and then use the contents of the letters, documents or packages to indicate that the parties are involved in the case. , actively "assisting" the victim to transfer calls to the domestic "police station" and "procuratorate" (actually virtual fake calls) to explain the situation, which are all fraudulent calls. Don’t panic if you receive a similar call. You can hang up and contact the British Embassy or Consulate in the UK or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Global Consular Protection and Services Emergency Call Center 12308 hotline for verification.

Never disclose your name, address, family situation, bank account, BRP and other personal information to strangers on the phone. If you encounter a call from a stranger asking "not to contact family and friends to ensure their safety" or making other unreasonable requests, you should be vigilant and do not be deceived.

If you are unable to identify whether it is a scam call, please promptly check with the Chinese Embassy in the UK or the Global Consular Protection and Service Emergency Call Center (12308) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. If you are unfortunately deceived, you should promptly report the case to the British police and also report the matter to the domestic public security organs. If the victim is unable to report the crime directly to the domestic public security organs, he or she can promptly report the crime through a close relative in the country and request help from the Anti-Telecommunications Network Fraud Center at the place where the crime was reported (just dial 110).

Medical Services

None of us want to have any health problems while studying abroad, and we have to mention the British National Health Service. (National Health Service, NHS for short)

UK National Health Service

A. The IHS medical surcharge applies to people from countries and regions outside the European Economic Area who go to the UK to work and study for more than 6 months for students, staff and family reunifiers. It also includes non-EEA citizens who are already in the UK but need to extend their stay. If you plan to stay in the UK for more than 6 months, you will pay the IHS Medical Surcharge when you apply for your visa. The IHS medical surcharge for students has a student discount and is ￡300 per year; if you are not a student (going to the UK to work or reunite with family), the annual IHS medical surcharge is ￡400. If the stay exceeds 1 year, the stay of 6 months or less will be counted as half a year, and the stay of 6 months or more will be counted as 1 year. This fee is automatically calculated by the system during the process of filling out the visa application form. The visa application fee and IHS fee are paid online before submitting the online application form. In other words, if these two fees are not paid online, the online form will not be completed. Appointments for submitting and submitting visa materials.

After paying the IHS medical surcharge, you can enjoy the same medical services as the British permanent residents of the NHS, including: general practitioner diagnosis and treatment, admission diagnosis and treatment, clinic minor injury treatment, contraception and Gender health services, maternity services, excluding dental and optical services.

B. After students arrive in the UK, they need to register with a GP (General Practitioner, GP for short) in order to receive free medical treatment when they are sick.

Find the GP to which your address belongs

The principle of medical treatment in the UK is "seeking a doctor at the nearest location". Each GP has its own scope of responsibility. Log on to the NHS official website and first check the location where your coordinates belong. Which GP's management scope. You can choose your favorite GP based on whether the clinic has convenient transportation and whether it provides Chinese services. Some GPs may no longer accept new registrants because they are full of registrants, so be careful when choosing a GP. If you live in a school dormitory, your GP is likely to be affiliated with the school's Health Center. Of course, the situation of each school is different. Students can send emails to ask the relevant departments of the school. British universities are very attentive to international students' study and life support. The schools will provide detailed guidance to international students on how to complete registration and seek medical treatment.

Door-to-door registration with a GP

Once you find the GP you like, you can make an appointment by phone for door-to-door registration (if the school has a health and medical service center, you can register directly at the school). You need to bring your passport, BRP, and proof of address (bills, bank statements, housing contracts, or police registration letters are all acceptable). Clinic staff will ask you to fill in a GMS1 form, including some personal information and disease history. If you are under 25 years old, the staff may give you a urine test tube to do a chlamydia test. It is called "Chlamydia" in English and is a type of SexualTransmitted Disease (STD). Of course, if you don't need or don't want to, you don't have to do it. This is not a requirement.

Registration successful

About a week after the on-site registration is completed, you will receive a medical card (NHS medical card), and the GP will give you an NHS number. You will need to hold this medical card every time you see a doctor in the future.

Physical examination

Within six months of successfully registering as a GP, you may be asked to have a comprehensive physical examination to verify disease history and personal cases. Different GPs have separate postal code areas. If you move or change your city, remember to re-register with your local GP. If you don’t like your existing GP after the experience, you can also apply for a new GP.

Medical treatment procedures

After registering as a GP, there are generally three ways to make an appointment: telephone appointment, door-to-door appointment and online appointment.

After registering, everyone must record the clinic’s appointment phone number. If you need to see a doctor, you can make an appointment by phone. If some students find it inconvenient to make an appointment over the phone, they can go directly to the GP front desk to make an appointment. In addition, online reservation is also another convenient way. Many GP websites support online reservations, and students can log in to the website to make reservations by themselves. Some GPs will provide walk-in hour emergency clinics (you can go to see a doctor at any time without making an appointment). There are also walk-in centers in every city. This kind of clinic allows you to go to see a doctor directly without making an appointment or registration, but the number is relatively small. few. It is recommended that students remember to go to a walk-in center that is nearby or more convenient. If you feel unwell and have to wait a long time for a GP appointment, you can go to the walk-in center.