LIVING IN THE UK AS A STUDENT

The United Kingdom is one of the world's most exciting and vibrant places. Capital city London is one of the world's great bustling hubs and has something for everyone, from immaculate parks to arguably the greatest nightlife on the planet. The UK attracts young people from all corners of the Earth, so you will be in good company! Outside of the London, there are a number of fantastic towns and cities which will hurt the wallet slightly less, while providing thrills and spills all of their own.

If the hustle and bustle of city life doesn't appeal to you, the lush Great British countryside has been inspiration for generations of poets and artists, from Wordsworth to Turner.

Accommodation

When you first arrive in the UK, you may well find yourself staying in a youth hostel while you get settled. The Youth Hostel Association - http://www.yha.org.uk/ - is a good place to start looking for somewhere to stay, while organisations like St Christophers - http://www.st-christophers.co.uk/ - also have a variety of hostels around the UK. In London, you will probably pay £20-£25 per night for a hostel, while elsewhere you will probably pay £10-£20 per night.

Having somewhere to live will probably be your greatest expense when you are in the UK. Accommodation in the south east of England, and particularly in London, is expensive. The most popular way to approach accommodation is to rent a flat or house from a private landlord. Alternatively, you can rent a single room within a shared house or flat. If this room has its own cooker and bathroom it will be advertised as a 'studio' or 'bedsit'. There are lots of adverts for 'rooms to let' (hire) in local newspapers and on websites such as http://www.gumtree.com/ and http://www.torent.co.uk/cgi-bin/Generate.

You should be aware that adverts for rooms only give the price per room per week or month, unless they say otherwise. This means that extra costs such as phone, gas, water, electricity etc are usually not included in the advertised price. You may well hear British people complaining about council tax: if you are a student you don't have to pay this. One thing you will have to pay, however, is a deposit for your room - usually between one and two month's rent. Be sure to ask the landlord about this before signing anything!

If you have lived abroad before and if you have any references from previous landlords (in English) you should bring them with you.

Travel and transport

The UK is a relatively compact place and you can comfortably travel from the south coast of England to the cities of Scotland in a day. Trains can take you anywhere in the country, as can the many bus and coach services available.

Trains

The British railway was privatised in the 1980s and prices have gone up steeply since. This said, you can still get decent fares, if you know where to look. To get the best price on your tickets, you should book longer journeys as far in advance as possible (a month before is best) - you can do this through websites such as http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ and http://www.thetrainline.com/.

If you are aged between 16 and 25, you can buy a young person's railcard - http://www.youngpersons-railcard.co.uk/ - which reduces the cost of all train journeys by 1/3. If you intend to travel by rail, a young person's railcard will probably save you a lot of money over the course of a year and will get you discounted tickets on the London Underground too.

The London Underground, or 'tube' as it is popularly known, is a large network of underground trains running in and around the London area. Millions of people use the tube each day to commute to and from work and, if your placement is in London, you will almost certainly find yourself using the London Underground at some point. You can find their website at http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tube/. A good way to get around London is to buy a Travelcard, which gives you access to all tube trains and busses. Again, this is 1/3 cheaper with a Young Person's Railcard.

Coaches

If you wish to travel between towns and cities, coaches offer an alternative to the trains. While journeys often take longer, they are usually cheaper too. The main provider of coach services is National Express - http://www.nationalexpress.com/ - who offer a student discount card (check out their website for more details) and run services to and from all major UK towns.

For seriously cheap travel, you could try your luck with the Megabus - http://www.megabus.com/uk/ - although don't expect anything too luxurious!

Going Out

A typical night out for young people in the UK may involve an early meal, followed by a visit to a pub or bar and then on to a nightclub to dance the night away. In 2005, Britain's laws changed to allow some bars and nightclubs to stay open serving alcohol all night long, resulting in far more varied entertainment and better club nights, as promoters vie for your business. You can find out what's going on through websites like http://www.dontstayin.com/uk.

Not all of the UK's nightlife revolves around alcohol and loud music, though, and you will find great theatre in much of the UK, particularly in London's West End. London is also home to a number of the world's famous and spectacular musicals.

While not enjoying a great international reputation for cuisine, quality food in the UK has seen a great resurgence in the last few years and there are more restaurants than ever. London, as you may expect, has something for everyone, but you can find some real gems if you look further afield. The Indian food in Birmingham and Leeds is arguably the finest in the world (!) and often very affordable.

If you want to experience real British food, you should try fish and chips by the seaside and a Sunday lunch (roast chicken, beef, pork or lamb with potatoes and vegetables) in a traditional British pub.

The regions

Despite being reasonably small, Great Britain has distinct regions and actually consists of four separate countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Each of the countries is intensely proud of its national identity and many British people think of themselves as English, Northern Irish, Scottish or Welsh instead of British.

The most intensely developed part of Great Britain is south east England (which is where you will find London). This is also the most expensive part of Britain by a long way. You could reasonably expect to pay half as much rent in a northern city like Sheffield or Bradford as you would in London. Going out is also more expensive in and around the capital.

The regions:

Despite being reasonably small, Great Britain has distinct regions and actually consists of four separate countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Each of the countries is intensely proud of its national identity and many British people think of themselves as English, Northern Irish, Scottish or Welsh instead of British.

The most intensely developed part of Great Britain is south east England (which is where you will find London). This is also the most expensive part of Britain by a long way. You could reasonably expect to pay half as much rent in a northern city like Sheffield or Bradford as you would in London. Going out is also more expensive in and around the capital.

What does it cost?