Manju studied at the London Film School in 2008-09.

What was your course of study?

Masters in Screenwriting

What did you study before this?

English Literature

Did you have any work experience at the time of application?

Yes- advertising and television

Any particular reasons you chose your university?

It is very well reputed and one of the oldest film schools in the world.

What did you most enjoy about your course?

The fact that my class of 11 students consisted of people from Russia, Greece, Portugal, America, Australia, Romania, India and England.

What did you like the least?

I actually loved all of it, unless I nitpick and I don’t want to.

Tell us about life beyond academics! What was/ is the social scene like? Did/does your city offer anything exciting that you’d like to tell prospective students about? Did/ do you travel much? Take extra-curricular classes?

I studied and lived in central London which meant pretty much everything was in close proximity – the river, oxford street, the pubs, west end- but central London also translates to easily the most expensive part of town or of any town, for that matter. So there are some weekends when you are better off sitting at home, catching up on your reading, even if Soho and Camden Town are calling out to you, in all their weekend glory.

Were you a member of any societies at university?

No

Which university facilities did you really enjoy?

The DVD library

Where did you stay?

Private

Do you remember how much you paid for your accommodation?

I do, though sometimes, I really want to forget.

Any complaints about your accommodation?

No, actually. Except for one creepy flatmate, who was promptly/politely asked to vacate by the agents.

Most plumbing related complaints etc. were swiftly taken care of – an email to my agent and it would be done.

How did you manage finances? Any tips for students on a budget?

It is going to be expensive, but learn to cook, don’t carry too much paper money around and start to love walking to places that you can.

And oh, the sooner you stop multiplying everything by eighty, the happier you will be.

Approximately how much do you think students should budget for per month (excluding rent)?

350 – 400 including transport, occasional good dinner and a film, once in a while.

Watching a film in London, inspite of the student discount, is a little bit on the atrocious side by the way.

What did you do about meals? Cooked/ Relied on restaurants/ take-away/ microwave ready-meals/had one of your flat-mates cook for you?!

Cooked. Relied on restaurants. Take away. Microwave ready meals. Everything.

Boon: Jacket Potatoes from street vendors, sandwiches from the thousand and one chains all over

What’s the food scene like for vegetarians?

It is quite okay; there are vegetarian options pretty much everywhere.

If you’re willing to travel a little farther away to the suburbs, there are Indian/Sri Lankan shops where you can get more relevant groceries etc.

Wembley, East Ham

Any restaurants/take-away joints in your university city/town you’d like to recommend?

Chennai Dosa!

Any other spots in your university city/town you’d like to recommend?

BFI, Southbank

Did you work part-time? Tell us a little about it!

No. If you are in a full-time course, I recommend not taking up a job.

Who was your mobile service provider?

TalkMobile. Which is good for calls to India but drains the money when you make local calls. Beware.

Were you on a prepaid/contract phone?

Prepaid.

Any interesting anecdote you’d like to share about life in the UK as a student? (this could be anything really. For example I know someone who thought he was buying a laptop, when actually it turned out he was sold a bag full of coca cola cans! Ouch!)

Cling on to your Ipod for life when traveling by bus – especially when you sit next to the automatic doors. Because a friend of mine, a rather dimwitted friend, sat next to the doors of the bus and was lost in a mindless Movie Quiz game the Ipod had to offer, when a young man, just before the bus stopped, snatched it out of her hands and was out the bus in a flash, as the doors closed. Friend of mine would be me. And I miss that Ipod to date.

And finally, would you recommend a UK education to other students?

Yes.

What did you do after university, and what are doing right now?

Am in Mumbai, writing a short film, and working in a production house.