Why Study In United Kingdom?

Life in the Country
The United Kingdom (UK) is a sovereign country that includes England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales. Each country offers both large cosmopolitan cities as well as towns and countryside villages. It has a diverse society, cultures, languages, and faith that go along with its varied cuisines, strong transport links, music festivals, and international sporting championships. The nature lovers will feel at home experiencing the countryside and coastal towns while the city dwellers will find the cities of London, Manchester, Cardiff, Edinburg, and Belfast to be their new haven. While studying in the UK, you will find that the country is filled with a rich history, diverse nightlife, and opportunities to broaden your horizons.

Attitude and Etiquette of the Local People

The most important British etiquette is to be aware of the distinct nations that form the United Kingdom. The citizens are British, and while they share many customs, each country has its own set of history and traditions. The rise of multiculturalism, changing economy, social and gender-specific equality laws have played a role in Britain moving from a rigid class system to a more informal attitude to social etiquette. Britain has seen a shift from the household setting to more corporate business etiquette, becoming a set of written and unwritten rules of conduct to make social interactions with co-workers and international colleagues run more smoothly.

Language

92% of UK residents speak English (or Welsh in Wales) while the remaining having a different language native to their country. Polish topped the list of "other" languages spoken. London and the West Midlands have the highest percentage of non-English speakers or those for whom English is not a native language.

Transport

A broad public transport network makes travel easy for students to visit destinations across the country. Public transportation provides an efficient way to travel around the city or town that one lives in.

Transportation options available are:

Travel by Train
Inner City Travel
Road Travel\Top Universities in the U.K. with varied Course Options:

TOP UNIVERSITIES AND VARIED OPTIONS

The UK is home to some of the oldest and top universities in the world. Having an attractive education destination for students from all over the world. The students who wish to explore careers in Management, Law, and Social Studies are prominent in cities like London, Manchester, and Edinburg due to the high-quality education as well as the cosmopolitan lifestyle.

90 Universities from the UK featured in the QS World University Rankings 2021 with four of them making it to the Global top 10.

The top UK Universities offering various course options include:

University of Oxford
University of Cambridge
Imperial College London
University College London
University of Edinburg
University of Manchester
King’s College London
London School of Economics and Political Science
University of Bristol
University of Warwick

Part-Time Work Opportunities
To be successful in the UK graduate job market, work experience alongside a degree is necessary. Part-time work or an internship related to the degree can help develop real-life work skills and improve industry contacts. A part-time job can also help with the living costs in the UK while gaining work experience.

Most international students on Tier 4 (student) visa studying full-time postgraduate degree (for six months) are eligible to work in the UK while studying, as long as they do not:

Work more than 20 hours per week, except during vacations or in case of an agreed work placement or internship.
Engage in business, self-employment, or offer services as a professional sportsperson or entertainer.
Apply for a permanent full-time vacancy.
Students are allowed to do most part-time jobs. For students unsure of their circumstances regarding this, the UK Council for International Student Affairs provides up-to-date and detailed advice for various circumstances. Students may be able to extend their stay in the UK after they graduate and put their skills into practice if they meet the requirement schemes that are operated by the UK Government.

Post Study Work Opportunities and Permanent Settlement:

The UK post-study work visa (PWS) allows international students to stay in the country after graduation to find work for up to 2 years. During these 2 years after graduation, PSW visa holders can work in the job that they find, to transition to a general work visa in the future. This opportunity to work for 2 years after graduation makes the UK an attractive destination for students looking to start their international careers. A new fast-track visa scheme for attracting the best scientists, researchers, and mathematicians has been implemented in its initial phase. This is done to enable the best students in the field of Science and Research to study and work in the UK.

Top Institutes

The UK has a proven track record when it comes to world university rankings. The UK ranks high across every global ranking system, criteria, and field of study for the quality of education, student satisfaction, and global reputation. These factors go along with their high level of innovation and world-class research, benefiting from the latest facilities alongside their academic tradition.

There are many public and private universities in the UK that offer higher education. However, there are other types of institutions which include colleges, conservatories, and distance learning universities that provide higher education. The UK has a well-deserved reputation for educational excellence.

How It Works – The responsibility for education is delegated to each of the four jurisdictions in the UK: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wale. The differences are in education systems in place, the qualifications offered, and how the education is regulated.

Qualification Framework – Two frameworks work side-by-side for higher education qualifications of UK degree-awarding bodies, one framework applies to Scotland and the other operates in the rest of the UK.

The frameworks are:

The Framework for Higher Education Qualifications of Degree Awarding Bodies in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland (FHEQ).
The Framework for Qualifications of Higher Education Institutions in Scotland (FQHEIS).
The above frameworks are the principal national reference points in UK Higher Education for academic standards.

Diverse Study Options

The academic calendar in the UK starts in September or October and ends in June or July. Some courses offer a more flexible range of start dates. The deadline for applications for undergraduate course entry starting in September is typically in January of that year. There is a smaller intake in January for Bachelors, Masters and Ph.D., and foundation courses available. Private pathways providers may offer additional start dates throughout the year.

England has always been the leading language study destination and has pioneered techniques that are used around the world. International students will require to prove their English language proficiency as all courses in the UK are taught in English and so the students must be able to interact fluently and efficiently. IELTS is the most commonly accepted proficiency test in the UK. Other English proficiency tests include the Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) and Cambridge ESOL. Along with this, IELTS Academic, IELTS General Training, and IELTS Life Skills are accepted by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) as proof of English proficiency.

Types of Qualifications awarded/Types of Degree

There are numerous Bachelor’s and Master’s degree courses that are available for various subjects.

Undergraduate programs take four years of full-time studies to complete in Scotland and three years in the rest of the UK. The entry requirements are set by individual institutions and differ from the destination of study. Postgraduate programs last for one year full-time. Research-based courses can take up to eighteen months to two years to complete.

There are also different types of courses for students to pursue:

Doctoral Degrees (Ph.D.)
MBA
Postgraduate Diploma and Certificates
Professional Qualifications
Conversion Courses
Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL), Legal Practice Course (LPC), and Bar courses
Teacher Training.
Fees
The tuition fees charged by the universities and colleges cover key elements concerning their course and academic life, as well as services that are related to the wellbeing of students and the on-campus experience.

The fees for higher education in the UK depend on:

Where in the UK the student decides to study.
The Study Level.
For undergraduate courses, tuition fees range from £10,000 a year to about £18,000 a year (depending on the course and the institute). The tuition fees vary for all postgraduate courses.

Employment Opportunities after Completion of a Degree:

The UK has the sixth-largest economy in the world and home to various international business hubs, which makes it the perfect place for ambitious graduates to start their careers. Competition for graduate jobs are high but candidates with the required qualification, skills, and experience have a better chance of employment. Language skills are becoming increasingly important, making foreign nationals desirable candidates.

The main reason for students to choose the UK for further studies is to launch their careers upon graduation. The one-year Master's program is an attractive option for students to stand out from the crowd but giving equally little time to balance their studies with looking for their dream job. This gives the students an effective and efficient way to plan their future.

The UK is highly globalized. This means that the job market is highly competitive.

The major industries in the UK include:

Accounting, Banking, and Finance
Education
Engineering
Healthcare
Marketing
Recruitment and HR

Government and universities worldwide offer several scholarship programs to attract students to study in their country, designed to attract high-performing students and those who wish to work in the country after graduation. These scholarships can be in the form of substantial bulk payment, educational subsidies, or living allowance to make life easier to study abroad. There are scholarship opportunities for all degree levels.

Studying abroad comes with different expenses that students need to be prepared for. Developing countries offer various development scholarships to study abroad in the UK.

The following is a list of the different scholarships provided:

Chevening Scholarship – offered to outstanding scholars with leadership potential.
Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship – this scholarship and fellowship are for citizens of other Commonwealth countries.
GREAT Scholarship –for citizens of India, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Turkey, or Thailand.
Rhodes Scholarship – the scholarship supports exceptional international students from selected countries at the University of Oxford.
Clarendon Scholarships – awarded based on academic excellence and potential across all degree subjects at the graduate level.
Vice Chancellor’s International Scholarship – The scholarship is offered to students across all undergraduate and postgraduate course studies.
Some other scholarships include:

Scotland Saltire Scholarship
Charles Wallace India Trust Scholarships (CWIT)
Academy Asia Fellowship
A.S. Hornby Trust Scholarship
Erasmus Mundus Scholarships
Marshall Scholarships

The United Kingdom offers different types of visas based on the where and why you decide to come to the UK, duration, and type of study, and your circumstances and abilities. However, before applying for a visa, the student must ensure that the visa is according to their wants and needs.

Short-term Study Visa
General Student Visa (Tier 4)
Child student visa (Tier 4)
Maintenance fees and the 28-day rule:

A Tier 4 (General) student visa requires evidence of financial capabilities or a maintenance requirement covering tuition and living costs.
The Confirmation of Acceptance Studies determines the fee and requires you to have funds that will cover the first full year of the course if the duration is more than one year and the entire course if the duration is less than a year. Security of £4000 to your tuition fee is also required to be issued with a CAS. Any contributions made must be mentioned in your CAS.
The amount used for maintenance must remain in your account or your parent’s for a continuous period of 28 days, failure of which will cause you to fall short Home Office’s criteria and even refusal of the application.
Financial evidence:
The funds you need to prove must be in your bank account, parent’s account, or a shared account as long as you are listed on the account. If you depend on your parent’s funds, the following are the required supporting documents:
Confirmation and consent letter from your parents.
Birth certificate (in English)
Parent’s financial records.
The Home Office will not consider financial proof from someone other than you or your guardians unless the funds offered by someone other than your parents are transferred into your account or a shared account.

Required documents:
The Home Office will require the following documents to grant you your application:

Personal bank statements
Building society passbooks
Letter from the bank.
letter from an official financial sponsor
Letter from a regulated financial institution confirming a loan from the national government, state or regional government, a government-sponsored student loan company or part of an academic or educational loan scheme
Certificates of deposit
Student Visa with Dependants:
Family members may also accompany the student to the UK, but the dependant must be:

Your spouse or civil partner
Your unmarried or same-sex partner
Your child (under 18 years)
Dependants need to be financially capable of supporting themselves depending on the duration of the course, place of study, or if you have completed a course or still learning.

Documents required
When applying for a student visa, the following are the required documents:

A valid passport.
Evidence of financial capabilities.
Details of accommodation and travel plans.
IELTS test scores.
Acceptance letter from your desired Institute.
Tuberculosis (TB) test (if you come from a country that requires you to take the test or if you plan to stay in the UK for more than six months)
Certified translation of documents in foreign languages
A blank page in your passport for your visa.
Minors must provide the contact details of a parent or guardian in the home country.
Academic certificate and transcripts.
English language certificates.
Accommodation and travel plans.
If not a national, authorization from home country to reside in the UK.
Financial details of the sponsor.
ATAS certificates for research subjects.

Safety and comfort are very common essentials for any foreign seeking education abroad to look for. Your experience in the United Kingdom will vary from place to place so choosing a place to get the best out of it for your experience is wisely to be considered. After checking the details for the accommodation process with a university and accepting an offered place to stay, you can start applying for the accommodation. It is advisable to gather information from a variety of sources about accommodations and also start considering and seeking out multiple ways that will be most beneficial for you to earn as soon as possible to save money.

The four options of long-term accommodation are:

Renting a flat
Living on campus
Living in a private hall of residence
Homestay
Regarding all the four options above, keep in mind your financial status and potential earnings for extra billings (like electricity, gas, water), for convenient distance and travelling purposes to the university campus and distance to shops, eating stops and medical shops as well.

The short-term accommodation options are:

Hotel
Bed and breakfast
Hotels and Beds and breakfasts are best suited for a stay of few days during visitations as well as arrivals. It is advised not to look for hotels when you arrive for better convenience as they can be very expensive but looking beforehand and booking hotels online are very much more convenient and they may also offer discounts.

Average accommodation cost:

In London and some nearby areas, a student needs to state a monthly amount of £1,256 per month and £1,015 per month for students in other parts of the United Kingdom to fulfill the United Kingdom government’s requirement of a Tier 4 Visa. The living expenses in the UK depend basically on the place education. North England is more affordable than the south along with Scotland and Wales.