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 
Windsor’s claim to fame is the Windsor Castle, and what makes it different from the other castles across UK is that this is also a royal residence still very much in use! We took the train to Windsor a few days ago, nice and early in the morning, to catch the 11 o’clock guard changing ceremony, which we were told is something that should definitely not be missed. Now I’m not a morning person at all, so after whining about waking up early for 3 days prior to D-day, I finally resigned myself to my fate and got to the station in time. Now getting to Windsor is a fairly long drawn out procedure because the only train that travels to it is the one from Slough. So we went Newbury to Reading, Reading to Slough, and then Slough to Windsor, and got to the castle at 10:30; 10:36 to be precise! The fare was an £11 standard day-return, which wasn’t too bad. Entry to the castle, however, is £16, which I thought was quite a bit, until I learned that if I got my ticket stamped on the way out, I was granted free entry for a year!
Read on…
Don’t leave the UK without exploring a castle! There are quite a few to choose from really, and Warwick Castle is only my second, after Skipton, and was immensely enjoyable!
We chose the Easter weekend to explore the castle because there was a special line-up of events. A lot of people chose to do the same, and the castle grounds were thronging with activity, and were brimming with people of all ages in every kind of medieval costume imaginable! Little girls in pink princess gowns, lads in suits of armour, warriors, peasants, jesters, soldiers, dragon slayers, and even a Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I!!
Read on…
A couple of days ago we decided to take advantage of the sunny weather and head to Bath, one of England’s favourite tourist spots. Everyone associates Bath with the stonehenge, and we were looking forward to paying a visit too, but we were so taken by the city of Bath itself, that we ran out of time!
So what’s so great about Bath? First off, it’s a far cry from the red/brown brick constructions you see all over England. In Bath, the raw material used is limestone! And this gives an illusion of extended space and lends a certain freshness to the landscape. The rows and rows of daffodils against the limestone walls are a very pleasing sight! Second, Bath is situated in the heart of what is perhaps one of the most stunning countrysides in England. Acres of fields and hilly turf, and gorgeous valleys. And as we were driving through them, I realised that the city blends beautifully into this natural surrounding.
Read on…
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…
The British Council’s Education UK desk is conducting a survey for international students. All you need to do is answer 8 simple questions, and you will automatically be entered in a lucky draw! The winner gets a Dell Inspiron 1525 laptop!
Here’s the link to the survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=nQkcs_2bmBrg2FtWX_2fNF9MvQ_3d_3d
Fingers crossed!
Where are you going to be on the Valentine weekend? Hopefully Germany because that’s where all the action is!
Read on…
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Valentine’s Day is coming up, and I bet there are as many of you rolling your eyes, wishing all the pink and red would vanish quick, as there are those of you looking forward to gifts and surprises and dinners out and lovey-dovey time together!
Read on…
Have any of you visited Ingleton? You must! I went there on my brithday a few years ago and absolutely loved it!
Read on…
If you’re a movie buff, you’ll enjoy this.
Read on…
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