In the shoes of a "LONDON STUDENT"

One of the biggest concerns for international students in a foreign country are part time jobs. Temping would be an excellent option to earn that extra money, for those extra living expenses by working easy hours and very flexible days. There are many recruitment agencies that offers temporary, weekend or weekday jobs. You can choose the hours and number of days you want to work. ARTISAN PEOPLE is the best recruitment agency in my opinion if you’re looking for temporary, part time or full time Jobs. I worked for them as a temp when I was a student and I had a wonderful work experience by the time I finished university. Sometimes you get the opportunity to move to a full time position when you work with them.

About Artisan People: Artisan People is a great recruitment agency that provides staff for museums, exhibitions, art galleries, box office, attractions, beauty and luxury retail and also for corporate positions. They have offices in London, Scotland, Manchester, Birmingham, liverpool, South of England and northern regions. They have a wonderful team who will help you find a job and also guide you through out. Below is the link to their website. www.artisanpeople.com To get placed in your desired job, here are a few tips from Simon King, who is the coolest and wondereful boss you’d have :) Before the interview: 1) Do your home work. Know the role and also about the brand/place you’re going to work for.

2) Get some sort of idea about it beforehand.

At the interview: 1) Make a positive first impression. It is very important.

2)Have confidence and be confident about what you can do. 3) Be connected and attentive. If your mind is elsewhere and you’re not paying attention, you won’t pass the interview. Be present always. 4) Show that you’re here to get experience and not want just a job. To be successful with the job: 1) Must be open to learn and be motivated. 2) Be exceptional and bold with promotional jobs. 3) Effective communication is very important. 4) Be brand appropriate and dress appropriately for the role. 5) Make a sale. Do the job you’re hired for. 6) Have to become a character. You need to be involved. 7) Keep the brands happy.

Qualities that help employ yourself: 1) Time keeping. 2) Preparation. Plan your day in advance.

Studying in London is affordable if you know how to do it and do it the right way. All you have to do is do some digging into the education support like scholarships, funds etc. One does not have to be very wealthy and rich to study abroad. I was not. Yet I came to London for a Master’s degree and Graduated successfully. You just have to do 3 things.

Firstly, before you come to London or when you plan on studying in London, go online and look for scholarships. UK provides a lot of bursaries, grants and scholarships for international students who wish to study in the country. Choose the one most appropriate for you/ your situation and apply for it. There are internal and external scholarships. Some universities have their scholarship application deadlines before the programme intake and some have after the intake. You can find out about all those details in the university’s website in the finances or funding and fees page. Or you can email the university and ask them to send you the details. Below are some links that would be helpful to find out scholarships in different universities and also some external scholarships.

http://www.scholars4dev.com/tag/scholarships-for-indians/

http://www.scholars4dev.com/category/country/europe-scholarships/uk-scholarships/

https://www.soas.ac.uk/registry/scholarships/external/

Secondly, when you are studying in London your tier 4 student visa allows you to work 20 hours per week. You can take up a part time job in Subway, KFC, Mc Donalds or a sales assistant job in retail or a stewarding job in museums and theaters etc.You can also work in small assisting roles in your own universities. You can work from as little to as many up to 20 hours in a week according to your convenience. This will help you earn some extra pocket money for your leisure and fun. It also gives you some job experience, helps you socialise and make friends from outside of your university and classmates. Networking is always good. It will add to your job opportunities after education.

Thirdly, towards the end of your studies find an internship, or even better if you do an internship from the beginning. You can also keep your part time job and make it full time after your studies. Once your CAS period is over you can work more than 20 hours until your visa expires and its time to leave back to your country. The money you have earned and saved with your small jobs will of course be a big amount when you convert it into your currency. You can earn the money you spent on your education with these part time jobs. So when you go home you not only have good work experience but also have taken back the money you invested in your studies, Always keep looking for job opportunities and attend interviews whether you want to work in the country post studies or you want to go back. The experience you get is highly valuable.

 LUIP had organised the last event of the ambassador programme, the closing reception.

It was our last get together as ambassadors where we were presented with our awards and certificates.

We shared our experiences as a student and ambassador for London with the people who had come. We also did short interviews for them. 

It was really sad when we came to the end of the London study ambassador programme.The fun and opportunities we got in this programme was just amazing.

If you wish to study in London then here's what you need to know. 

Most people think the application process and other procedures are very twisted and too much work. Well, its not. It's a pretty simple, straight forward process. 

If you are looking for undergraduate studies then you have to apply through UCAS- Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. If you are looking for postgraduate studies then you can apply directly on the university's website. 

Below are the links for both undergraduate and post graduate applications for Indian students.

http://www.ucas.com/

http://www.studylondon.ac.uk/application-advice/your-country/entry-requirements-for-indian-students

The above links have all details regarding the application requirements, equivalents, admission process, visa requirements etc. 

In case anyone prefers to apply through agencies then I advise you to contact the universities of your choice and ask them if they have any education consultants or their agents in India. Most of the universities have delegates and education advisers in India. Some universities have representatives who come to India for education fairs to help students enrol in their universities. Only apply through those so that you don't waste your time, money and effort in your higher education process.

For anyone who is thinking about studying abroad..

I would love to share my honest opinion on how it is to study in London from my personal experiences as a student here.

When I came to London I did not know anyone here. I did not know the place, the people, not even to make my own food. If you are in this same situation don't let that stop you from coming to London cause that isn't a problem at all.

The university  arranges airport pick-ups for all international students.

You can stay on campus but if you prefer to live off campus there are a number of other options like family stay accommodation where you live with a family, rented apartments where you share a flat with friends, private flats where you can rent a flat for yourself, or international student house which is a mansion exclusively for international students in London.

As I preferred to stay off campus the residential services in my university had sent me a list of places for accommodation close to my university before I landed in London to help me settle soon as I got here. The lovely Irish family I've been living with since then helped me in so many ways. They even taught me to cook food!

My top 3 reasons why anyone should choose London as a study destination would be:

AMAZING PEOPLE: The multi cultured friends, teachers and other people I come across everyday. Talking to them and getting to know their culture, traditions, aspects and views on different things in life is very Interesting.

AMAZING PLACE: Living in "THE WORLD'S BEST CITY" has given me the best life's experiences. Be it food, clothing or anything, London has shops that are very expensive, fairly priced and also very cheap. You can choose whichever works best for you and still live that amazing life you deserve! You just need to know the right choices to make, which I'm sure London will teach you.

AMAZING FUN: London offers a number of events, entertainments and places to visit for free and in great student discounted prices!

The students are also eligible for free medical services and that is great! Living very far away from home and you never know what medical issues you will come across as its not in your control. We think medical expenses are very high in foreign countries but in London its free! Well, how could it get any better?!

Coming to London has definitely made me a better person. It teaches you to be independent, to stand on your own legs. London has given me both quality education and quality life experience.

It is indeed 'a home away from home'. I am a 100% happy for having made the right choice by choosing to study in London. I am in love with London!

3 tickets were made available for the ambassadors for a Private View of the Famous RCA show at Battersea.

The exhibition had art works from textile, jewellery, sculpture, furniture, ceramics etc.

These were the works of the masters students of fine arts of the Royal College of Art.

The works of these talented students were amazing. 

The attractive and thoughtful creation of the fine arts students kept us inspired throughout!

There were beautiful prints developed by the print students.

Intricate and interactive textiles developed by textile students.

Delicate and fine jewellery were presented by the jewellery students.

The amazing ceramic art pieces were eye catchy. 

The sculpture department and carved art sculptures.

There was a live performance made by the artists about how the human body speaks to us and how we respond to it.

The famous RCA show exhibition is open from 18th June until 29th June. Its free for anyone to go and see.

I highly recommend all students to go have a look and get inspired!

The Shard is London's highest viewing platform which is also western Europe's tallest building. In this London's newest attraction visitors enjoy unparalleled 360 degree views for 40 miles.

The shard kindly offered to host a private Tour and champagne reception for the London Ambassadors. We met at the front entrance to the Shard at 6.00 pm and we started our tour in about 30 minutes.

After we walked through the security check we had our fun pictures taken by the staffs in the shard. 

We then moved on to one of the high speed elevators to go to the top floor. We reached level 68-72 in just 60 seconds where the view from the shard is situated. It is twice the height of any other viewing platform London has. 

We enjoyed the great views looking through the digital sky telescopes and took lots of pictures.

Of course selfies also!

After spending as much time as we wanted having fun we went down to the champagne reception on floor 68 to enjoy our drinks and nibbles.

As the organisers liked to spend some time with us "brainstorming" our ideas on how we would market the Shard to students, family and friends we had a discussion over tea and drinks in a private reception.

The event ended with Nina Davies, who is a Director with the LUIP members, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London presenting the awards for the most successful bloggers from North America, India and China. 

There were 4 Golddust press tickets available for the ambassadors for the press launch of the Made in Brunel show.

The exhibition had various innovative and creative technologies and designs invented by the Brunel students.

They had great, thoughtful and cool inventions! 

Students wear able to directly showcase their abilities to potential employers and industry professionals through their design process and innovative thinking.

Throughout the day, participants working in small teams were solving 8 briefs in just 3 hours from prestigious companies under tight time constraints and high pressure. In just one day, a collection of the future’s brightest problem solvers collaborated on a range of real-world briefs. 

Made in Brunel have never undertaken such a large event.

For more details click on the link below.

The London student ambassadors were invited to join with LUIP Directors and International Officers at a reception for UCAS counsellors from all over the world, to network and share our experiences of being a student in London. The event took place at the London and Partners board room which is on the 6th floor of 2 More London Riverside. It has a wonderful view of the Thames and the London bridge.

There were 45 guests from all around the world, all who are involved with advising students on coming to London to study. It was a great opportunity for us to share our views, experiences and talk about our role as a London Ambassador. There was also 21 LUIP people attending the reception.

All the ambassadors had a rota to "man reception" either in pairs for 20 minutes, or for 10 minutes each. We were all actively involved in our responsibilities like meet guests on arrival and hand out their badges, show guests to the Boardroom as they arrive, show them to the coat room if they wanted to leave their coats and bags and help them with anything they wanted.

One ambassador from each country (India, China and America) had to deliver a short speech to all the education counsellors who had come from different countries. As a LUIP ambassador representing India I delivered a speech about how life is for an international student in London. I shared my experiences about student life and views on why anyone should choose London as their study destination.

After the quick speeches all of us socialised with the guests in the Boardroom and had fun enjoying afternoon tea, canapés, and cocktails. It was a great experience.

Employability and enterprise is a career fair conducted for students by the university. Job recruiters and employers from many different professions have stalls in this fair. Its like an exhibition of jobs for students. Whether you are looking for an internship, part time work, volunteering work or full time employment after studies you can apply for it here.

You can choose from a range of jobs from accounting, banking, fashion, army etc. Any kind of job you are looking for!

All you have to do is come in with a number of CVs/resumes and drop them in at which ever jobs you are interested in. You can apply to as many as you want. 

The few good things about attending employment fairs are:

You have better chances of being noticed and getting jobs.

Your applications are not just another one among thousands of email.

You get to meet the employers and recruiters in person when you apply. You can talk to them and create an impression which gets your applications better chances to be considered.

The jobs you apply to are genuine company as they are brought to you by the university.

You get the proper salary and permit without being cheated.

At these career fairs students can also get services like having their CVs/ resumes and cover letters checked.

There will be presentations and talks about tips for interviews and also student employment eligibility and visa guidance. You can clear all your doubts about the visa requirements , work permit and also anything about jobs and employment.

Comic Convention is the place for you if you are a fan of Comics, TV, Movies, Anime, Manga, Sci-Fi, Cosplay and Video games.

MCM London Comicon is the UK's premier Pop Culture Event that happens twice a year each May and October in London's Excel Centre.

The stations, trains and streets are filled with geeks and fans dressed in fancy costumes going to the convention.

This multi genre fan convention runs across 3 days attracting a large number of people. It has the involvement of the industry luminaries, to name a few, Universal Studios, Twentieth Century Fox, Manga Entertainment UK. 

The Show features:

Comic Village

This area is where amateur as well as professional artists, writers, publishers etc sell their prints and comics.

Exhibit Hall 

This area features dealer stands and media companies such as movie studios and TV stations.

Cosplay 

This is one of the popular parts of the show where people are allowed to take part by engaging in role play with other cosplayers  in the same series. It can also be to just show enthusiasm to their favourite characters or to show off the costumer's latest works. Great way to meet new people with mutual interests!

Guests & Autographs 

Guests from popular media are commonly invited to the show for promotions. Big names in Movies and TVs will sit and sign items for the public in the autograph area.

It was so much fun to see the fans dressed up in costumes of their favourite characters like super man, spider man, bat man, one face team, kick ass, star wars, pokemon etc etc, taking pictures with each other. 

It is by no doubt a fantastic time to have fun with your friends hanging out in costumes and play demo of new video games. The tickets are only about 10-12 pounds. I'd say its definitely worth a visit. Next time (Oct 2014) I am going in a costume with my friends.

LUIP had organised another event for the London ambassadors. Boat ride in the Thames. We had the option of choosing between the rides- Thames jet and river cruise. The rides were sponsored by city cruises. Some of us went on both the rides. 

THAMES JET

These are the rib ride- the speed boats. It was a great ride on the river Thames. The weather was just perfect with some sunshine and cool breeze. As the tide was high the boat was rocky which added to its sharp twists and turns that made the ride fantastic.

Afternoon traditional  British lunch

Followed by the fun boat trip we were taken for a traditional British lunch with roasted chicken,potatoes and vegetables at this pub restaurant named 'ales and pies'.

CITY CRUISE

These boats are the famous regular boat trip in the river Thames which all the tourists as well as the others do. The guide gave some humorous commentary throughout the ride about the famous buildings and monuments like the shard, the London eye, oxo, big ben, tower bridge, millennium bridge etc. 

The boat rides are a must try once event in London. Whether you are looking for an adrenaline rush or a calm ride on the Thames the best place to go to is the famous http://www.citycruises.com/. These rides are definitely going to give you what you're looking for.

Registering for medical services is as important as opening a bank account when you first move to London for your studies. It is also the most ignored thing until the need emerges.

My advise to students is to not wait till you are in need. Register for a general physician soon as you move to a new country. Medical expenses can empty your wallet unless you register for the services.

NHS- National Health Service is a free medical service for the residents of UK. To make full use of this facility you have to register for it and get your NHS medical card. You can register through your university or go to the nearest NHS clinic or hospital and register directly.

Once you get registered you are entitled with free medical help and also will be assigned a general physician for your regular health check ups as long as you are a resident of UK. It covers everything from routine treatments for long-term conditions, to transplants, emergency treatment etc.

You can call 111 or 999 for any medical help or emergencies depending on its seriousness. These are a 24 hrs and free call service.

111- if you need medical help fast bit it's not a life-threatening situation.

999- if your's or someone's life is at risk or seriously injured or critically ill.

Now that you know about the free medical services you are eligible of do not hesitate to go to the doctor whether you have a flu or cold or food poisoning or even if you chop off a bit of flesh from your finger while working late night on submissions. Just call 111 or 999 and don't panic. Help is on the way. Enjoy your NHS services! 

The London Study Ambassadors had the opportunity to go to The Bank of England museum. It was an interesting tour. At first there was a small briefing with an animated video which taught us about how the bank works and the banking system, Inflation etc in an interesting way by Mr. Richard from the Bank of England.

We were then on a tour inside the museum to see some interesting things..

Banknote gallery which had the oldest bank notes that were simple hand written receipts. 

A machine that helps us to view the advanced security features in the bank notes. 

The Great Iron Chest- a precursor to safes, which is the oldest piece of furniture in the museum.

Old swords and Muskets which were once used to defend the bank.

A genuine gold bar weighing 13 kg, worth over 350,000 pounds. The most interesting thing about this gold bar is that you can hold and try to lift it. It was impossible for me to lift that heavy bar of gold though I tried hard. There is also a smaller bar of genuine gold on display.