Hello after a long hiatus! The last couple of months have been a busy busy time for most of us haven´t they? Except for those of you making last minute university applications, accommodation bookings and visa applications must be well underway? Just another month to go! I hope I´ve been able to answer some of the questions you´ve had about studying and living in the UK and I hope my posts and my e-book have made things a little easier and comfortable for you. I wish all those of you flying to the UK next month, a very happy countdown to departure!
This post, by the way, is not for you! It´s for those of you who haven´t been able to make it to the universities of your choice, and are looking for a second chance.
Read on…
We’re well into May, and those of you with offers are probably looking into accommodation options now? Read the Uni vs Private Accommodation post to figure out which one is for you! If you’ve decided on uni accomm, life becomes much simpler because you simply have to study the brochure and the website, shortlist a couple of places you’re keen on and make an application! But if you’ve decided to go down the private accommodation road, things become a little confusing. How do you look for a place sitting seven seas away? What does bedsit mean? And what do bills include? And what’s a detached house? And also, where do you search for rooms and flatmates?
I’m going to try and tackle these worries one step at a time. How about we begin by figuring out where to look first? Read on…
Just back from a lovely afternoon get-together, happy on tiramisu and carrot cake and rasberry meringue and all kinds of salads! I’m one of those folks who can’t enjoy a party unless there’s good food (no matter how fabulous the music is or how brilliant the company is or how much alcohol is flowing!), and so am feeling very content because there was a bit of it all! I made my two penny bit of contribution to the snack bar as well (and hope it made some stomachs happy!), and that brings me to party food recipe no 2! Read recipe 1 here.
Roasted vegetable and pesto salad
Read on…
What is a summer internship?
A summer internship is an opportunity to work in an organisation as a member of the team for a certain period of time in the holidays so as to gain valuable work experience in an industry of your choice!
Am I eligible to apply for an internship?
Summer internships are usually for penultimate year students (students in their second last year of university) and graduates. However each organisation has it’s own criteria, so it’s best to get in touch with them to enquire if you are eligible (incase the information on the website is not clear)
How long does it last?
Summer internships usually last for about 4-10 weeks. Some could be slightly shorter or longer.
Do you get paid?
Read on…
And we complete 3 months of MTG!
I’ve added a few new features to the website:
- There’s a twitter widget in the right-hand sidebar with my latest tweets – so if you aren’t already following MTG on twitter, that widget will keep you informed of most student-news updates. The widget doesn’t display retweets, however, so you could follow MTG for the whole deal!
- There’s an Amazon widget in the right-hand sidebar that you can use to shop for books, cds, dvds, gadgets, and anything else you fancy on Amazon
- What all you prospective students would find most useful is the Student Talk feature recently introduced. It’s a collection of interviews with alumni and current students from various universities across UK. The project is still in its infancy, and you can help it grow by contributing! Click here
- There’s a new testimonials page. I’m so glad MTG is being appreciated! Click here
- There’s a Flickr widget in the right-hand sidebar that streams photos of interesting places I’ve been to and have blogged about in the UK!
Some other updates:
- MTG now has over a 100 Facebook fans! Hurrah! Become one too – click here!
- The Orkut community has over a 180 members! Join in!
Thanks everyone for all the support and appreciation! A special thank you to everyone who helped with the Student Talk section – thanks for taking the time out 
Every year between August and September, Edinburgh opens its doors to the world of performing arts, when it hosts an extravaganza of theatre, classical music, dance, opera, and visual art, in the form of the Edinburgh International Festival.
Read on…
If you enjoyed it on screen, you’re going to love it in the theatre! Chicago – the Musical comes to London!
The Richard Gere – Renee Zellweger – Catherine Zeta Jones starrer has been setting the Cambridge Theatre, London, on fire since the 22nd of March, and promises to continue doing so until the end of October this year.
Read on…
You have the NUS card advantage already. Now get NUS Extra, and enjoy more discounts, offers, and competitions!
Flash your card at McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Amazon, Lloyd’s, Matalan, Superdrug, Odeon, Megabus, Body Shop, and loads of other places.
Read on…
Fancy a career with one of the world’s largest energy companies?
British Petroleum runs a number of graduate programmes:
Engineering programmes in automotive engineering, chemical and process engineering, civil engineering, drilling and completion engineering, process safety/risk engineering, instrument, control and electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, materials and corrosion engineering, naval architecture/ marine engineering, offshore and subsea engineering, operations and projects engineering, petroleum and reservoir engineering
Read on…
What is a National Insurance number?
A National Insurance number is a unique number assigned to you that is used to record your national insurance contributions and tax payments.
What is national insurance?
National insurance is paid by you and your employer to fund social security benefits. It is a certain percentage of your earnings.
Read on…
Here’s a little something I learned the hard way: don’t buy books and electronics and other similar bulky items from home and carry them along with you to UK! There’s always Amazon.
I made the mistake of utilizing almost 10 precious kilos of my measly baggage allowance to bring with me books and pots and pans and a laptop. This in itself was the result of many many trips to book shops to find the books that were on the reading list provided to me, and much time and effort spent squeezing all of them along with the pans and laptop into my suitcase. And when I reached UK, I realise that not only had I (and some other equally paranoid international students like me) different editions of the books from those my classmates had, and pans that didn’t sit too well on the hob, but that I’d actually spent way more than was necessary! Quite a shame!
Read on…
Fancy a career with one of UK’s fastest growing retailers, that is part of the world’s largest retail group, Wal*Mart?
ASDA runs 7 graduate training schemes:
Distribution Management
Retail Management
Supply Chain
IT Solutions Management
E-commerce
Finance
Trading
Read on…
I’m sure most of you coming to the UK to study must have asked this question at some point or the other! I’ve been browsing the internet and I’ve noticed that a lot of people are talking about a two year work permit you automatically receive once you graduate. So this post is to throw some light on this situation!
First off, let me clarify that you DO NOT receive a work permit. Nor are you allowed to stay back automatically! Moreover, you DO NOT get an extension on your current visa!
What really happens is that you can apply for what is called the Post-study Work Visa.
What is the post-study work visa?
The post-study work visa allows you to stay back in the UK for a period of two years. In this time, you are allowed to be employed.
Read on…
Fancy working for one of the world’s largest health care providers?
Then why not apply for a graduate training scheme at NHS?
The NHS (National Health Service) offers 4 graduate management training schemes:
- Training in Finance Management
Except the Finance Management programme which runs for 2 and a half years, the others are for a duration of 2 years.
Read on…
I met someone the other day who told me about a student in the UK who’d approached her with a seemingly simple question. His question was ‘How do I book train tickets?’
I was immediately reminded of how equally lost I was when I first came to England.
Think about it. Where do you go for information on schedules and prices and how do you then book tickets when the train station isn’t the easiest option because it isn’t the closest to where you are, and you’re too pressed for time to go all the way anyways?
Read on…
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