Get Ready Guide for international audiences 2019

Get ready.

For your journey to Manchester

Hear from three of our students about what student life is like at Manchester

WHAT NEXT?

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW AND DO BEFORE YOU ARRIVE

WHY I CHOSE MANCHESTER

BY NANA ANSAH

PLUS

MANCHESTER APPROACH TO WELLBEING * THE WHAT TO PACK IN YOUR HAND LUGGAGE * KEY DATES FOR YOUR DIARY *

Your road to Manchester

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Welcome to the United Kingdom

4

Finance and funding

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Your offer and what next?

We are a University of pioneering minds and global discoveries, in a city with heart and soul. In these pages, we will guide you through all you need to know and do to prepare yourself - and you can find any further information online.

Now is the time to begin your own journey and tread your own path.

Get ready for Manchester.

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Your time is now

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Life up north

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Why I chose Manchester

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Lessons from my first semester

For further information and exclusive content, visit our website:

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Six ways to wellbeing at Manchester

www.manchester.ac.uk/getready

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Checklist and what to bring

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Stay in touch and dates for your diary

If you do not wish to receive further print marketing communications from the Student Communications and Marketing Team at The University of Manchester, please email: printoptout@manchester.ac.uk with your name and University of Manchester ID number.

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Applying for a visa (if applicable) It is essential you obtain the correct immigration permission before you start your studies with us. We encourage you to apply for it as soon as possible to avoid any complications. The UK government requires all international (non-EEA / Swiss) students coming to the UK for over six months to obtain a Tier 4 (general) Student Visa. The university will email you a unique 14 digit CAS number to include in your application. You can apply up to three months before your course starts.

If you are granted immigration permission, you will initially be issued with a single entry visa for one-month’s stay and must collect your Biomoetric Residence Permit (visa) within 10 days of arriving.

Those studying for less than six months can apply for a Short Term Student Visa provided you have no intention of extending your stay or working.

EEA and Swiss citizens can enter the UK freely, without additional documentation confirming a right to reside. However, you will need a Registration Certificate if you wish to work.

Some students applying to study certain sensitive subjects must also apply for an ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) certificate; your offer letter will advise if this is necessary and you can apply up to six months before your studies begin. (www.gov.uk/guidance/academictechnology-approval-scheme.)

Health requirements We recommend that all students are vaccinated against Meningitis C and MMR (measles, mumps and rubella), before leaving your home country.

Depending where you live, you may also need a certificate stating you are free from infectious tuberculosis (TB) before your visa can be granted (www.gov.uk/tb-test-visa).

Students applying to stay for more than six months, will need to pay a ÂŁ300 (per person, per year) fee to access free healthcare on the National Health Service, paid as part of your visa application.

English language requirements To ensure that you have sufficiant English language skills to understand and benefit from your teaching, a condition of your offer might be to achieve a certain score in an approved English language test, such as IELTS Academic (both UKVI and non-UKVI), Trinity College London ISE (modules II, III, IV) or Pearson Test of English (PTE). Our website has a full list of the qualifications we accept: www.manchester.ac.uk/ language-requirements . Please bring your certificate to registration.

Volunteering in the UK Taking on a new challenge with others is a great way to make friends and settle into your new community so we encourage you to get involved with good causes through volunteering. There are opportunities with local people of all ages, including mentoring children, organising activities for older people, fundraising and helping on conservation projects. If you are interested in volunteering, you should bring a certificate of good conduct from a police station in your home country before you travel. www.gov.uk/government/publications/ criminal-records-checks-for-overseasapplicants.

Your visa conditions If you need to extend your stay, you may be able to apply from the UK, but this depends on your circumstances so if you need to extend your visa seek advice from the Student Immigration Team first. You can find a step-by-step guide to immigration at www.studentsupport.manchester. ac.uk/immigration-and-visas and you can consult our Student Immigration Team, made up of specialist advisors who are regulated by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner email: visa@manchester.ac.uk

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All university students in the UK are required to pay tuition fees; your offer letter will state how much. You therefore need to make sure you have funds (or a sponsor or scholarship) before payment is due, at registration in September.

If you have firmly accepted an unconditional offer, you have the option to pay early and can find out how online. During registration you will have the opportunity to pay your fees in three equal instalments.

If you have a financial sponsor, you will need to provide a letter from the organisation or government funding your studies, on official headed paper, and submit it to sponsor.letters@manchester.ac.uk ahead of registration. For the purpose of US and Canadian student loans, you will need the references G12136 (USA) and PUBO (Canada).

Depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible for one of the funding streams available to international students. You can find out about them at www.manchester. ac.uk/funding-opportunities.

Avoid carrying cash We recommend that you arrive with access to enough money to cover immediate expenses such as accommodation deposits, rent and food. It can take some time to open a UK bank account so we advise you to do this as soon as possible after arriving.

We will be able to help with this process in September and in July if you are studying on a pre-sessional course. Most ATMs accept foreign cards (although there may be a small charge) and credit and debit cards are widely accepted in stores, even for small purchases.

We recommend against bringing anymore than ÂŁ200 cash with you.

When you apply for your Tier 4 student visa, you will need to prove you have access to sufficient funds to cover your tuition fees and living expenses. There is more information on this at www.gov.uk/tier4-general-visa. International students are not typically entitled to any UK state benefits so it is important to make sure you have satisfactory funds to complete your studies.

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PURCHASE

The cost of living in Manchester is similar to other major UK cities outside of London.

Some courses will require you to pay for specific items, materials or activities not covered in the tuition fees, such as field courses. In these cases the University endeavours to keep these additional costs as low as possible. www.manchester.ac.uk/costofliving

Cinema ticket for one student

£6.50

£9.40

£7.95

Gym membership nine months

£110.00

£150.00

£130.00

Gym membership one month

£18.99

£25.00

£22.00

Train ticket to London

£60.00

£90.00

£75.00

Weekly food shop for one

£34.00

£34.00

£34.00

Fancy afternoon tea

£18.95

£27.00

£22.98

Theatre ticket

£16.00

£69.00

£42.50

Fish and chips

£5.00

£5.70

£5.35

Accommodation (self-catered)

£5,195

£7,155

Manchester United tickets

£20.00

£20.00

Meals (excluding meals out)

£1,525

£2,025

Haircut - women

£6.00

£60.00

£33.00

Clothes

£400

£520

Haircut - men

£6.00

£50.00

£28.00

Transport (includes local transport and travelling home/visiting friends)

£460

£535

International society trip Lake District/Blackpool/Wales

£25.00

£38.00

£31.50

£250.00

£250.00

£7.00

£6.00

Lao gan ma crispy chilli oil

£4.99

£4.99

Gig tickets

£40.00

£26.50

TOTAL

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MAXIMUM AVERAGE

COST UNDERGRADUATE POSTGRADUATE

YEAR (40 WEEKS) YEAR (52 WEEKS)

Other (eg books, equipment, mobile phone bill, £2,000 socialising, laundry, photocopying and printing)

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MINIMUM

£2,600

£9,580 £12,835

Student bus pass Taxi from campus to city centre

£5.00

£13.00

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We know there’s a lot to think about and prepare before you set off for Manchester. Here is what you need to do next.

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Your offer If you are an undergraduate offer holder, you can check UCAS Track on exam results day to see if you’ve been accepted. If your offer from us was unconditional, you need to wait for further instructions from us about the registration process.

Postgraduate offer holders can access our self-service tracking system by clicking ‘track your application’ at www.manchester.ac.uk/pgtadmissions or www.manchester. ac.uk/pgr-admissions You should have already received an offer letter directly from the academic school you have applied to, detailing any conditions where relevant. Schools will be happy to answer questions directly and you can find their contact details at: www.manchester.ac.uk/schools.

Tuition fee deposits Those studying on a one year Masters course are required to pay a mandatory £1,000 tuition fee deposit before an electronic Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) can be issued. This will later be deducted from your fees. You are exempt if your fees are fully funded by a third party sponsor or US student loan or you are attending an English language pre-sessional course at The University of Manchester.

Further information can be found at: www.manchester.ac.uk/tuition-feedeposits

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Accommodation

Orientation and Welcome To welcome you to Manchester, we offer an airport collection service from Manchester Airport for students living in our halls of residence. This will run between 10 – 15 September.

Orientation is the best way to start your time at Manchester. From 13 September, you will have the chance to find out everything you need to know about life in the UK with presentations and workshops on topics such as safety, health care provision, support services and banking.

Welcome begins on 16 September and it’s an exciting time with fairs, tours and events across campus to help you make friends and settle into student life. Further details will be online soon: www.manchester.ac.uk/getready.

Our accommodation guarantee for international students sets us apart from other universities. If you are coming to university alone, we promise you a place in a university-owned (or managed) halls of residence in your first year, provided you submit your application on time by 31 August.

We encourage you to apply as soon as possible to give yourself the best chance of getting the room that you want: you do not need to wait for your offer to become unconditional. Once you have done so and your offer to study here is confirmed, your accommodation offer will be emailed over the summer.

You will find a new community of friends in your halls. To help your transition, you will also find our ResLife teams in every halls of residence: staff and postgraduate students, living onsite, who will help you address any issues you encounter in accommodation. www.manchester.ac.uk/accommodation If you prefer to stay in private rented accommodation, Manchester Student Homes offers help finding accredited properties and a free contract checking service: www.manchesterstudenthomes.com.

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With thousands of students joining us each year, we know only too well that life and the adjustment to a new country and culture can sometimes be a challenge. Here at Manchester we encourage you to take care of your physical and mental wellbeing, to help you achieve your academic and personal goals.

We want your time at The University of Manchester to bring out the best in you; to help you discover who you are and who you want to be. We will support you to embrace the new aspects of your life and to get the most from this experience with help from dedicated support and academic staff.

A move to Manchester will open up an incredible new world of knowledge, friendship, culture, opportunities and independence and we can’t wait for you to arrive.

Now is the time to feed your mind, to work smart and to get the best out of yourself as you look towards the finish line – whether it’s creating the path to your dream career or working on life-changing research. It’s your time to empower yourself and your future.

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From left to right: Rodosthenis Charalampous, Jiawei Yang and Ahmed Abdelmotteleb

The University of Manchester is home to students from 160 countries - and the leap to a new city, new independence and new culture is one of the most exciting things about travelling here to study.

Third year physics student, Ahmed Abdelmotteleb, from Egypt, chose Manchester for its research - and fell in love with the city. He says: “It actually exceeded my expectations. I didn’t expect people to be so friendly.

“Because Egypt is more of a conservative culture, the freedoms and friendliness stood out here.

“In Egypt, there is a certain barrier between the student and the lecturer. In Manchester, there is a more friendly vibe: you can talk with them on a first name basis.

“The culture is very different. The music scene is a very cool thing. There is a big variety of cuisines.

“I use the International Society on a regular basis.

I went on many trips with them and different language courses. I even taught one course myself. The people there are some of the nicest people I have ever met. It’s really chill. I go to the cafe there every Wednesday and chat to other international students. It’s one of the most diverse universities in the world.”

Jiawei Yang, from China, in her second year of a PHD in dental materials, says. “I think it is because of the studying style here and the life: the experience is very good. The university, the libraries, all are really nice. The staff are really friendly and really helpful. You can just talk freely, so I really like that.”

While the food, weather and transport (we drive on the left) were a big adjustment, homesickness did not factor. “Because you make friends here, they make us more happy - less homesick. The culture is quite interesting. Every time you get off the bus, people say “cheers” to the driver instead of thank you. Or saying “sorry”, I now say “sorry” many times a day.

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“Have as much fun as possible, but don’t let yourself go off the rails! Don’t be afraid. Make more friends and try everything.”

Ahmed also has some tips. “First year is the best time to travel to new places, try different societies.

Joining societies related to your country can help with homesickness. Also decorating your room as you would back home. Be back and forth between the two cultures.”

Rodosthenis Charalampous, a first year electrical and electronic engineering PhD student, from Cyprus, did his undergraduate degree here too.

“Manchester has exceeded my expectations,” he agrees. “There’s people by your side to guide you.

“I have got the most out of my experience when I started hanging out with people from other cultures.

“When you first come here you are really excited to try new things and it’s really easy to postpone your responsibility and give priority to going out. Finding the balance is a very personal thing.

“Be prepared to make a leap into being an independent person. I would advise students to pick three or four things that they definitely can’t live without, part of their routine in their culture, and bring them over.

“The only negative is to buy food, you have to go to a supermarket. Where I come from there are small kiosks or bakeries in nearly every neighbourhood. But there is a coffee shop on every single corner which is convenient. And get a raincoat! Solid advice!”

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Arriving at university is not just the start of an academic journey - there is so much to learn and discover about living away from home. We want you to feel prepared and we have plenty in place to help you feel supported, giving you more time to enjoy the vibrant city you will soon call home.

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I wanted a good university in terms of league tables. People don’t like to say it but almost everyone has done the same. I then looked at location; whereabouts it was to the nearest city/town centre. I didn’t want to be in the middle of nowhere and have to travel five hours by foot to the nearest McDonald’s.

Manchester is a very big city and the university is a bus ride away (or walk) from the city centre so in that respect Manchester came out top for me.

It was very important for me to not only come out with a good quality degree but, above all, knowing I spent my time in a place I enjoyed and felt valued and important.

The biggest overall factor, for me, was how each university appeared to treat their students. I didn’t get the chance to visit Manchester until my applicant day, so I followed them on Snapchat to get an insight – yes my decision was based off Snapchat, what a ‘millennial’ thing to say! But anyway, on their Snapchat, the University always appeared to go above and beyond for their students. From the nap pod to the Wellbeing rooms to revision packs they placed around the library during exams. I was sold.

What it’s like studying here:

At the end of the day it’s a big commitment time-wise and financially.

Student experience coupled with Manchester’s academic success put it at number one for me.

I am pleased to say Manchester lived up to my expectations if not exceeded them, in terms of that student treatment I keep harping on about.

As I prepared for my first exams I experienced, first hand, the University’s wonderful treatment of its students when we needed it most. They ran de-stress weeks with free classes such as Tai chi, Sunrise Yoga and Zumba to help students stay (relatively) calm and healthy during exams.

This, alongside year-round services such as essay-writing and meditation (and that one time they had a bouncy castle and dogs in for Wellbeing Week) prove to me that the University really do want the best for their students. Especially in ways I haven’t seen from any of my friends’ universities. Ha! There’s also the fact that the facilities are a mix of modern and old which are very Instagram-able and lovely to work in. There are lots of societies, the art gallery and museum and four music venues which host incredible artists all year round literally in our student union! Dua Lipa, Amine and Khalid just to name a few!

Manchester’s only slight downside is the unimaginable amount of rain but you kind of get used to it!

Good luck with everything.

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t e r c e The s of not

Don’rty wor

missing home, is

creating HOME One-year-ago, I was frantically completing my coursework and stressing about my UCAS application. Nine-monthsago, I received my offer to study medicine at The University of Manchester. Eight-weeks-ago, I stepped into the Stopford Building, on campus, for the first time. While this journey is undoubtedly relatable for almost every student, there lies one small difference: I - like some of you - started this journey 11,000 kilometres away. So here are three lessons that I’ve learnt as an international student at The University of Manchester!

Wait until tly , patien

r e m syouu’lm e the l hav ! h g u a l t s a l

Lesson 1: Re-evaluating homesickness

Lesson 2: Coping with the UK weather

Lesson 3: Culture Shock

I had always thought of homesickness as missing the tangible, physical aspects of my home country: my room, my school, my metropolitan city skylines. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Once the excitement of freshers dies down, you realise that it’s the little things your heart aches for. I miss the constant noise from living in the city centre, being on a bus and knowing where I’m going and even wearing my old school uniform. You feel homesick at the strangest times, as a memory comes up on Snapchat from oneyear-ago or your school holds a reunion that you can’t go to. I realised the secret of not missing home is creating home. Whether it’s cooking traditional food or putting up old photos, embrace the homesickness by reminding yourself of the fond memories you will always have.

Don’t let the bright sun fool you…If you’re from the tropics like I am where summer is much hotter than 20 degrees, ‘weather shock’ is very real. It still amuses people how intolerant I am of the cold weather and I’m warned it’s only going to get worse. I’ve realised it may be incredibly cold outside but it’s going to be extremely warm inside so layering is essential. If you’re from a warm country like I am, wait until you arrive to shop for winter clothes. It will be more suited to the climate and better quality. Also, unless your umbrella is particularly windproof, I suggest you leave it behind. I find putting your head down and running a better option.

Wait patiently until summer, you’ll have the last laugh!

This might seem a bit strange but despite being forewarned about culture shock I wasn’t expecting it.

Having come from an international school I assumed moving to Manchester would be exactly the same. I was wrong.

Despite having always navigated new countries easily, moving 15 hours away from family and friends didn’t help my adjustment. I’ve always thought that ‘culture shock’ carried negative connotations. In reality, my experiences haven’t been negative at all. From being that student who carries around too much cash, uses foreign sounding slang and is teased about your American-isms; you will be a source of amusement for a while. Don’t worry! It’s all lighthearted and isn’t at all intended to make you feel uncomfortable. It’s taken longer than I expected to no longer feel like a tourist and start thinking of my flat as ‘home’.

No one will expect you to find your bearings straight away so you shouldn’t expect that of yourself either!

Personal safety Manchester is generally safe but, like any big city, taking steps to improve your personal safety is important. For this reason, we encourage you to take on board some tips to keep yourself safe while out and about: Avoid walking alone at night, stick to lit roads and walk with friends; take licensed taxis (black cabs) or pre-book your taxis online or via an app such as Uber; avoid carrying cash and use a debit card instead - they are accepted in most shops and destinations even for small amounts. If you ever find yourself in an unsafe situation, the UK emergency number is 999.

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When it comes to your wellbeing and settling into life in a new country, a small action can make a big difference.

One of the University’s key initiatives to help you to adjust is the Six Ways to Wellbeing - a programme that can help you feel good and live well during your time at Manchester.

For each of the Six Ways - connect, give, take notice, be active, be healthy, learn and discover – we’ll encourage you with simple ideas and activities to try, with friends or on your own, helping you find a blend of things that fit with your lifestyle.

When you first join us, we’ll focus on ideas to help you to settle in. So for connect, you might share a meal with friends or you may go big and join a society. Giving could be an everyday random act of kindness - like holding a door open - or it might be signing up to volunteer. (See p.3 for details of the good conduct certificate you will need to bring to do this.)

We think taking notice is a really important one. In this busy world, our

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attention is pulled in different directions from the moment we wake up. We suggest putting your phone away really engaging in your surroundings on your regular journey to campus to help focus your mind; or you might want to go a step further and take a lunchtime meditation workshop or download and use a mindfulness app.

Wellbeing is both physical and mental.

Keeping active improves energy and sleep and isn’t just for those who want to join a sports team; getting off the bus a stop early will contribute to your daily steps too. Healthy bodies help sustain healthy minds so feeding your body the right foods is also vital.

The university has a city of art, music and culture on its doorstep, including our own Whitworth Art Gallery, and the Six Ways urges you to explore it. While learning is the main reason you are here, discovering new skills or broadening your knowledge outside the lecture theatre can help bolster self-esteem, resilience and social integration.

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We advise against bringing large amounts of luggage as you will often find it cheaper to buy what you need once you arrive. Pay attention to your airline’s luggage allowance to avoid expensive excess charges and label your luggage with your name, home address and Manchester address.

Passport and visa International students (non-EEA/Swiss) will need a valid passport and visa with them; EEA/ Swiss citizens will require a valid passport or national identity card to enter the country.

Documentation Start your visa application

Funding

If you’re an EEA or Swiss citizen, you are entitled to enter the UK freely to study, without immigration permissions.

It is important that you have sufficient funds in place (or a sponsor or scholarship) for your studies and living expenses in the UK before you arrive. If you are an international (non-EEA/ EU) student studying on a one-year taught master’s course, you are required to pay a mandatory tuition fee deposit. There are certain exemptions. Please see our website for detailed, up-to-date information.

Students from outside these countries (non EEA/ Swiss) will need visas to study and live here. If you are enrolling on a course for more than six months, you need to apply for a Tier 4 Student Visa. If you’re on a course of six months or less, or an English language course of up to 11 months, you can apply for a Short Term Student Visa.

We offer full guidance on the process and requirements: www.manchester.ac.uk/ visas-and-applications If you are travelling on a visa, you will be required to answer questions and provide documentation when you arrive at immigration control in the UK.

www.manchester.ac.uk/fundingopportunities

Accommodation Apply as soon as possible to give yourself the best chance of getting the room you want. Our accommodation guarantee for international students promises you a place in a university-owned (or managed) halls of residence, but you must submit your accommodation application on time by 31 August - and then re-apply next February for your subsequent years. www.manchester.ac.uk/accommodation

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Your documents may need to be seen by an immigration officer on arrival in the UK. For registration at University, you will need your ATAS certificate (if you have one), English language certificates and a print out of your CAS statement, as well as the academic documents listed in it. You should also carry original documents proving support for tuition fees and maintenance; you will need these and your offer letter if you are eligible to apply for a short term student visa on arrival. Please bring your TB screening certificate if one was required for your immigration permission.

Travel insurance details We advise you to take out insurance to cover your journey and first two weeks in Manchester. You should also bring your bank cards, cash, details of your addresses and contact telephone number for your accommodation in Manchester, as well as this booklet and other helpful information sent by The University of Manchester.

Flights

Food items

You are making a big move to a new country.

As such, we encourage students to consider flying direct to Manchester, rather than London, to avoid additional travel and make your arrival in the UK easier. Manchester Airport is a 20-30 minute journey by road or rail to the University.

If you are bringing foods or liquids, check the UK rules on carrying these.

For security rules on the volume of liquids permitted in hand luggage, see www.gov.uk/hand-luggage-restrictions.

For a list of UK banned and restricted goods, visit www.hmrc.gov.uk.

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We will stay in touch with you so be sure to add us to your safe senders list and keep us posted if your contact details change so you don’t miss any important information.

Key dates

11 15

SEPTEMBER 2019 Airport welcome

Meanwhile, you can keep in touch with us and follow us on social media too: www.manchester.ac.uk/getready

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SEPTEMBER 2019

Orientation

Welcome

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SEPTEMBER 2019

Semester one

/TheUniversityOfManchester @officialuom

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@OfficialUoM OfficialUoM

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JANUARY 2020

DECEMBER 2019

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JANUARY 2020

Break

orientation@manchester.ac.uk

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JANUARY 2020

JUNE 2020

Semester two

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MARCH 2020

APRIL 2020

Break More details www.manchester.ac.uk/key-dates

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