inform
Autumn term 2012
The student newsletter of the International Office at the University of Warwick
The University of Warwick has reviewed the way it
asks for feedback from students in order to minimise
the number of surveys we ask them to complete.
Therefore, University-endorsed surveys such as the
Student Barometer are more important than ever.
Over 1 million students across 21 countries
in 5 continents have participated in this
independent student satisfaction survey. It
asks students about their arrival, learning,
living and support experiences.
From responses to previous Student
Barometer surveys in autumn 2011 and
summer 2012, we know that Warwick
students are very satisfied with their
overall university experience. The overall
satisfaction rating in the International
Student Barometer Summer Wave 2012
was 88.5%. However, there are other areas,
such as transport links and opportunities
to work, where you have told us you are
less satisfied. The University does take your
feedback seriously and acts upon what
you tell us, making a real difference to the
student experience at Warwick for years to
come.
The Student Barometer takes around 10
minutes to complete, so it is a really easy
way of helping the University to understand
your needs. The Autumn Wave 2012 will close
on Friday 7 December 2012, so please make
sure you give us your feedback before this
date. The link to the survey will be sent to
your Warwick email account by ‘i-graduate’
on Monday 5 November 2012 along with a
message from the Vice-Chancellor.
As a thank you, you have the chance
to win a £1,000 cash prize or a £100
Amazon.co.uk voucher (the University
will be awarding vouchers to five lucky
participants).
If you would like to find out more about
the results of previous surveys and what the
University and Students’ Union has done as
a result, please visit:
www.warwick.ac.uk/go/international/
updates/isb
Destination
UK
Over the years many students have
enjoyed the coach trips that the
International Office has run to see
towns in other parts of the country
and we’re pleased to say that the first
trips for this year are now on sale.
Sometimes they sell out quickly, so
it’s best to buy your place soon if
you’re interested.
On Saturday 10 November we’re
starting with one of our most popular
destinations – Cambridge, famous for
its university colleges. This is followed
by another favourite location on 17
November: the town of Bath, named
after the Roman Baths which is its
most impressive attraction. On 24
November you can go to the lively
coastal city of Brighton. The last trip
of this term is to Liverpool, home
town of The Beatles, on 1 December.
To find out more about what
there is to see in these destinations,
and to buy tickets if you want to,
go to www.warwick.ac.uk/go/
international/events As usual
we’ve kept the cost down, with the
ticket price varying between £11 and
£15, depending on which trip you’re
interested in.
© Solipsist
Why your views matter...
Mosaic in the roman baths at Bath.
In this issue: Why your views matter... + Destination UK + Helpful banking tips +
Immigration advice + HOST + Sounds fantastic + Develop your skills at Warwick +
Atishoo, Atishoo!!! + Studying abroad + Creating confidence + Any problems?
02
Inform Autumn 2012
Helpful banking tips
HOST
Probably most of you have managed to set up a UK bank
account by now. There are a few things you should do to
manage your account well:
• Don’t keep lots of money in your room,
put it in a bank account. Sadly burglaries
do occasionally happen, even on campus.
• If you can withdraw cash from cash
machines or pay for goods in shops etc.
using a bank card with a PIN number do
not let anyone know your PIN number,
not even your closest friends.
• If you need to extend your visa while you
are in the UK make sure you receive bank
statements through the post: don’t get
them emailed to you. And make sure you
keep them all.
• If you change address let the bank know
so that they do not send bank statements
or other important information to your
old address.
• Make sure you have enough money in
your account for any direct debits or
standing orders that you are using to
make payments.
For more information about banking please
see this website: www.go.warwick.ac.uk/
international/help/guides/offerholders/
preparing/bank
Immigration advice
The Immigration Service in the International Office is here to help you with your
immigration queries during your time at Warwick. Our website at www.go.warwick.ac.uk/
immigration/ provides information on various immigration issues that may interest you,
including making a Tier 4 visa extension application (the Immigration Service can submit an
application to the UK Border Agency on your behalf), working in the UK during and after your
studies and travelling overseas, amongst others.
We offer workshops throughout the year on popular immigration topics. Please see our
schedule at www.go.warwick.ac.uk/immigration/workshops and use the online booking
form to book a place should you wish to attend one.
Here are some top tips from the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) for
protecting your immigration status in the UK:
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Study at the Tier 4 sponsor that issued your CAS
Check whether you need to register with the police
Check your work conditions
Do not claim ‘public funds’
Ensure that your maintenance funds are available to pay your living costs
Open a UK bank account that sends paper statements by post
Make a note in your diary four months before your immigration permission runs out
Keep copies of your personal documents
Keep all correspondence from UK immigration authorities
Maintain attendance on your course, and submit your work on time
If you have a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), keep it up to date
Remember to report a change of address to the UK immigration authorities (see details on
our website at www.go.warwick.ac.uk/immigration/responsibilities)
• Do not get into trouble with the police, or commit driving offences
We would also advise you to keep copies of any correspondence you have with the UK
immigration authorities and to keep the details of any flights you have into and out of
the UK.
HOST visit in St Ives, Cornwall
As many of you will know, HOST
UK is a charity which organises for
international students studying in
the UK to spend a day, weekend
or Christmas with voluntary hosts
across Great Britain in order to
promote international friendship and
understanding.
A HOST visit is a great way to
spend Christmas. Campus can be quiet
over the holiday period so if you sign
up for a HOST visit, they will do their
best to match you with a host over
Christmas/New Year. This will give
you a great opportunity to experience
British festive traditions and to meet
new people.
HOST know all their hosts and
have been to their homes. So HOST
visits are safe. The hosts want you
to feel welcome and at home in this
country. You can go alone, or with an
international student friend, or with
your partner/children if they are living
in the UK with you. There are hosts
in every part of Britain. You give your
travel budget, and HOST will choose a
suitable host for you within budget.
See www.hostuk.org for more
information, and to apply online for an
invitation. After you have applied you
will be asked to pay the administration
fee before your application is approved.
If this is your first application the cost
for a weekend visit is just £10.
Please make an application as soon
as you can if you want a Christmas
visit, as invitations are limited. The
deadline for a Christmas or New
Year Visit application is Friday 23
November. But the earlier you make
the application, the more likely HOST
is to be able to offer you an invitation.
One student has recently said
about HOST: “This visit is one of my
best cherished memories of the UK.
Contrary to the popular myth of cold
British, the host family I met during
the trip were so warm, kind and
friendly.”
The University of Warwick
03
Sounds
fantastic
Did you know that inside the Arts
Centre there’s a Music Centre at
Warwick that all students can use?
One of their music groups that you
might be interested in joining is
the Warwick World Music Group.
They are an improvisatory fusion
music ensemble which mixes sounds
and voices from around the world.
Last year they performed with the
University’s Symphony Orchestra in
the Butterworth Hall and at One World
Week (you’ll hear more about One
World Week next term – it’s the biggest
student run international event in the
world) and they plan to do the same
this year as well
as performing
at certain
Warwick World
music
Music Group
festivals.
auditions
If you
Tuesday
want to
audition
30 October
for the
Warwick World
Music Group, this
will happen on Tuesday 30 October
and if you’re successful you would
be expected to attend rehearsals
every Tuesday at 5:30pm. Contact
music.centre@warwick.ac.uk or
ruairiedwards@gmail.com if you want
to sign up to be auditioned.
There are other music groups you
may like to join through the Music
Centre, to play an instrument or sing
with one of their choirs or singing
groups, some for experienced singers,
some for beginners. They also have
practice rooms that you can use for
free, or you may want to pay for
individual music lessons in a particular
instrument or singing lessons. Or if
you prefer listening to live music, the
Music Centre organises performances
in the Arts Centre during the year,
including the free Thursday lunchtime
concerts. Have a look at their website
for all the details, it’s www.warwick.
ac.uk/go/musiccentre
Develop your skills
at Warwick
Make the most of our varied
schedule of workshops,
events and other activities
What’s on offer?
The Centre for Student Careers and Skills
offers an extensive programme of free
workshops, one-to-one sessions, and
other events and activities throughout the
academic year. We have three distinct skills
programmes aimed at Undergraduates,
taught Masters and Postgraduate Research
students respectively, and all are specifically
designed to help you develop your academic,
personal and professional skills in a
systematic way throughout your time at
Warwick.
How can our skills programmes help you?
If you are an Undergraduate or Taught
Masters student, then the Undergraduate
Skills Programme and the Masters Skills
Programme is the programme for all of your
academic and personal development needs.
Have a look through the Warwick Skills
Workshop Programme throughout the
academic year. They can support you to:
• improve or update your skills
• develop your confidence
• maximise your academic success
• get to know other students
• learn how to articulate what you have to
offer and impress potential employers.
The best workshop to begin with is the
‘Getting Started on Skills Development and
the Warwick Skills Portfolio Award’ and
there are 17 other workshops to choose
from. In addition, we run Academic Writing
courses aimed at Undergraduate and
Masters students. For more details, here’s
the link to the full skills programme:
www.go.warwick.ac.uk/skills
If you are a postgraduate research student
(MPhil, PhD, MRes, EngD), there are two
programmes on offer:
The Research Student Skills Programme
will initially help you to build your
understanding, skills and confidence as a
new researcher, particularly by attending
the ‘How to Be an Effective Researcher’
induction programme. Then, as you progress
through your research degree, it will provide
you with many opportunities to:
• identify and develop further skills required
for the research process;
• meet fellow members of the wider
research community;
• think about how you can transfer your
skill set and research experience to the
job market.
For more details on the full offering visit
www.warwick.ac.uk/services/scs/pgr
The Postgraduate Researcher Enterprise
Programme will provide you with the
knowledge and skills to help you create an
impact, whatever your chosen career path.
• You will learn how to generate ideas,
recognise opportunities and take practical
action to make things happen, promote
yourself and your work, form networks
and attract funding.
• You will be encouraged to think about
how your research skills are relevant in
different contexts, so that you can fully
consider the range of careers that are
open to you.
• By thinking and behaving in a more
enterprising way, you will find yourself
working more effectively, and will be
better able to promote yourself to a wide
range of employers.
For more details on the PREP programme:
www.warwick.ac.uk/services/scs/pgr/
enterprise
04
Inform Autumn 2012
Atishoo,
Atishoo!!!
Creating
confidence
Hopefully you have
registered with a doctor
now, as it’s best to do this
before you get ill so you can
make an appointment when
you do need to see a doctor.
Hopefully you’re all feeling safe and well
as you read this. Nevertheless it’s always
worth making sure that you know how to
stay safe. The British Council have produced
a useful booklet called Creating Confidence
with lots of useful tips about your personal
safety when you’re in your room, on
campus, in town or on public transport,
how to keep your possessions and your
identity safe and information about driving
and cycling safely in the UK. We recommend
that you have a look through this document,
which you can read at www.britishcouncil.
org/creating_confidence_2011-12.pdf
Most students use the Health Centre, which
is on campus near the Students’ Union.
If you have changed address since you
registered, you must let your doctor have
your new address so that you stay registered
with them.
One of the illnesses you are most likely
to get during your time here is a cold or flu,
especially when the weather gets colder.
When you do, unless it’s more serious than
a normal cold or flu, please don’t go to
see your doctor – it is better that you rest
at home and have plenty of fruit juices or
water than make unnecessary trips to the
Health Centre. There are some medicines
that can help you feel a bit better, but
you can get these from a Chemist (e.g.
M.W.Phillips in the Students’ Union). If you
don’t know which one to get the staff there
will be happy to advise you. Of course you
will need to make sure you do not take too
many tablets or the wrong ones as this
can be very dangerous – always read the
instructions that come with the medicine.
And don’t use antibiotics (unless prescribed
to you by a Doctor) – overuse of them can
lessen their effectiveness. There’s more
information about colds and flu on the
Health Centre’s website at www.uwhc.org.
uk/important-info/flu-and-colds
You might also want to see this webpage:
www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/checksymptoms
If you are not able to attend classes because
of illness you should let your department
know. There is more information about
health matters at
www.warwick.ac.uk/go/international/
help/guides/atoz/h-l/#health
Studying
abroad
Warwick students studying abroad this year
If you are interested in studying abroad during your time
at Warwick, you may like to consider participating in the
Warwick Study Abroad programme.
Many departments across the University
offer the opportunity to spend up to a year
abroad. For further details please see
www.warwick.ac.uk/go/studyabroad
Exchange opportunities exist across
the world. For those within Europe, under
the Erasmus programme, which celebrates
its 25th anniversary this year, you may
also be eligible for an Erasmus grant.
Your department will be able to provide
information on specific arrangements with
exchange partners throughout the world.
Other opportunities to study overseas
include a year at the University of Tokyo on
the AIKOM programme. This programme
is available to all undergraduate students
but please note that the deadline for
applying for the programme will be the
end of January. Competition for the place is
strong so keep an eye on the website for the
confirmed application deadline. For further
details please visit www.warwick.ac.uk/
go/studyabroad/outgoing/aikom
Another option you might like to
consider is the exchange programme with
Renmin University, Beijing. For further
details please see www.warwick.ac.uk/
go/studyabroad/outgoing/renmin. For
this year there should be 10 places on
offer to take part in the Renmin Summer
Programme. The deadline for applications
will be confirmed on the website.
Any problems?
We would love it if every international
student at Warwick always had a
brilliant time during their studies
here. Unfortunately life isn’t always
like that and you may at times have
academic, emotional, financial or
other difficulties. If you’re faced with
a problem and aren’t sure who you
can speak to then this page gives a
list of places where you might find
help at the university, in the Students’
Union and from some external
sources: www.go.warwick.ac.uk/
supportservices You would also be
welcome to email the International
Office on internationalsupport@
warwick.ac.uk and we’ll see what we
can do.
The International Office
University House
University of Warwick
Coventry CV4 8UW
+44 (0)24 7652 3706
www.warwick.ac.uk/go/
international
internationalsupport
@warwick.ac.uk