Life in the UK

English Weather

For those students from hot climates, it is well to remember that England’s weather can be very changeable, and it does rain quite a lot. Therefore, you should bring some warmer clothes with you including warm clothes in winter and a waterproof jacket and suitable waterproof shoes. There are some local shops where you can buy cheaper clothes such as Primark, Asda, Tesco. You can find the weather forecast on: www.bbc.co.uk/weather or www.metoffice.gov.uk

Registration box

If you are here for a long period, it is advisable to register with a local doctor on a temporary basis. The college can advise students living in the residence which medical practices to apply to and which ones are local for the area.

Students can register as temporary patients with a local doctor or just visit the local pharmacy for advice.

At the beginning of this student guide, there are emergency telephone numbers and the emergency numbers for the member of the college staff which is operated 24 hours each day.

If you are ill, please contact a member of BCC staff and inform them about your illness.

At the beach

Bournemouth has a wonderful beach and during the summer, there are many tourists in the town. If you visit the beach, we suggest you:

• Use sun cream before and after swimming
• For your personal safety, do not go alone, go with a group of students
• If someone is in difficulty in the sea, telephone 999 and ask for the Coastguard
• Do not go swimming at night or if there is a red flag.

Opening a bank account

If you are studying in the UK for longer than 6 months, you should be able to open a bank account. If you are in the UK for less than 6 months, then you need to plan how to access your funds. You should make sure that you bring enough money to cover your expenses for the first few weeks in the UK. Please do not carry large amounts of cash with you or keep large sums in your room.
Opening a bank account can sometimes be done on the same day or might take up to a week. The required documents to open a bank account are:

• Passport
• Confirmation letter from the college, to show your address

Speak to the Office manager and we will help you to open your bank account. Some students prefer to bring credit cards (from own country), most of the Mastercard or Visa credit cards are accepted in the UK, they can be used to purchase goods or services or to take cash from any ATM (Automated Teller Machines) in the UK. Students must be aware of the exchange rate and additional charges from his/her issuer bank in their home country.

Cost of living in UK

The cost of living varies, and it is very much dependent on the lifestyle you lead. We recommend that you need about £5000 per year for accommodation and living expenses on top of your tuition fees. Also, if you are a smoker or drinker, you should allow more, personal spending money as cigarettes are very expensive (around £10.00 for a pack of 20) and a large glass of beer or medium glass of wine (from £4.50).

Special Needs

Students may have special needs which must be discussed before arrival or be specified on the application form. Please talk to the office manager about your individual requirements and we will try to put adequate provisions in place.