inform
Summer term 2013
The student newsletter of the International Office at the University of Warwick
Blackpool at sunset. Photo: dpicker
Away days
win a £1,000
cash prize
or a £100
amazon.co.uk
voucher
Student Barometer:
Why your views matter!
The University of Warwick has reviewed the way it asks
for feedback from students in order to minimise the
number of surveys we ask you to complete. Therefore,
University-endorsed surveys such as the Student
Barometer are more important than ever.
Over 1 million students across 21 countries
in five continents have participated in this
independent student satisfaction survey. It
asks students about their arrival, learning,
living and support expectations and
experiences.
From responses to previous Student
Barometer surveys in summer 2012 and
autumn 2012, we know that Warwick
students are very satisfied with their
overall university experience. The overall
satisfaction rating in the International
Student Barometer Autumn Wave 2012 was
89.7%. However, there are 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 University and the Students’ Union
have been working hard in partnership with
Stagecoach who have now agreed to run
several more buses a day during the peak
times of the vacation periods.
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 Summer Wave 2013 will
close on Friday 28 June, so please make sure
We’re running some more coach trips
this term, so if you want a break from
your studies you might want to come
along. As before, prices range from
£10 to £15, depending on the trip. On
Saturday 11 May you can go to the
Salford district of Manchester, which
is where many of the city’s top tourist
attractions are. On Saturday 18 May
we’re off to Cardiff, the capital of
Wales. Then on Saturday 1 June you
could come to Blackpool, the seaside
town with the biggest rollercoasters.
Finally on 8 June there’s a trip to the
small town of Matlock Bath with its
cable cars and mines. These trips are
now on sale, so to buy tickets or find
out more go to www.warwick.ac.uk/
go/international/events/uk
you give us your feedback before this date.
The link to the survey was sent to your
Warwick email account by ‘i-graduate’ on
Wednesday 1 May 2013 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
In this issue: Student Barometer + Away days + Immigration update +
Leaving Warwick + Family visits + Moving off campus + Police registration + Hate crime
+ Exams + Student Liaison Officers + Register for Graduation + Travel safety
02
Inform Summer 2013
Family visits
Immigration
update
There have been various changes to Immigration Rules
from 6 April 2013 which you should be aware of:
Tier 4
• A new application form (Print and Send)
was introduced from 6 April for Tier 4
applications made in the UK. Applications
are now completed online and then
printed off before being submitted to the
UK Border Agency with your supporting
documents. Detailed information can be
found on our website at www.warwick.
ac.uk/go/immigration/student/
overview/
• The application fee increased for a Postal
application to £406, for an in-person
application to £406 + £375 per person and
the dependant application fee increased
to £305 per person.
• Anyone wishing to submit a Tier 4
application should read the most up to
date Tier 4 Policy Guidance very carefully.
Doctorate Extension Scheme
• On 6 April 2013 a new twelve month
work scheme was introduced into Tier
4 for students completing a doctorate
e.g. PhD, EngD, in the UK. The scheme
is designed to allow full-time Tier 4
students who complete a PhD/doctorate
a longer period to find work with a Tier
2 employer, set up as an entrepreneur, or
to gain practical work experience in their
field. Detailed information can be found
on our website at www.warwick.ac.uk/
go/immigration/employment/after/
doctoral
• Applications must be made before your
PhD is conferred so if this is something
you think you may be interested in you
are advised to find out details now so you
can plan ahead and ensure the timing of
your application meets the requirements.
Please refer to the website above for full
details of the process for applying.
Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur Scheme
• On 6 April 2013, the above scheme was
extended to include provision specifically
for MBA graduates.
• The University of Warwick has applied
to continue to participate in this scheme
and has requested 10 general places and
10 MBA places. We are yet to receive
confirmation from the UK Border Agency
of how many places we have been
allocated for this year but information
will be added to our website at
www.warwick.ac.uk/go/immigration/
employment/after/#Graduateentrepreneurs as soon as it is available.
As many of you will know, HOST UK is a
charity which organises for international
students studying in the UK to spend
a day or weekend with voluntary hosts
across Great Britain in order to promote
international friendship and understanding.
Would you like to experience more of
British culture and meet new people? Many
students find that spending a weekend in a
British home to take a break from university
life in a family environment can really help
them feel more positive about their time in
the UK. Why not apply for a HOST visit for a
day or a weekend? This will give you a great
opportunity to experience British life and to
meet new people.
Roberto, a student from Southampton
said in March: “A HOST visit enriches your
life, it will make you find out more about the
truly British way of life and the various counties’
traditions and, most importantly, you will enjoy
yourself. I definitely recommended HOST to ANY
student visiting the UK!”
HOST know all their host volunteers
and have been to their homes. So HOST
visits are safe and 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 tell us
your travel budget, and HOST will choose a
suitable host for you.
See www.hostuk.org for more information,
and to apply online for an invitation. Your
first application is free.
Chen Lin visiting the Longstaffs in Shropshire
Leaving Warwick
It might feel a bit soon to be thinking about leaving, but if this is your last term in the UK it’s worth making
your preparations sooner rather than later. Going home may seem easy, but there are some tasks which
may need a little time. It’s best to start sorting out your departure about a month before you leave. Here are
some things to consider:
Shipping: If you have a lot of things to take home you might have to send them back through shipping
companies: www.go.warwick.ac.uk/international/admissions/atoz/s/#shipping
Banking: It takes time to close down direct debits/standing orders etc.
Careers options: Have you looked at the Student Careers website? It’s at www.go.warwick.ac.uk/careers
Alumni Association: Join to stay up to date with the latest news from the University. You’ll get an
annual alumni magazine, regular e-newsletters and information on faculty, regional and university-wide
networking opportunities. For more information visit www.warwick.ac.uk/alumni.
Reverse Culture Shock: adjusting back to life in your home country can sometimes cause difficulties: you
have changed during your time in the UK, and so has home. This link has some information which will help
you prepare: www.ukcisa.org.uk/student/info_sheets/returning_home.php
The University of Warwick
Moving off campus...
If you’re returning to Warwick for the next academic year you might be living off
campus for the first time. This can be your chance to experience community life in the
UK with neighbours who aren’t necessarily students. The SU has a useful page about
living off campus and other resources you can access from: www.warwicksu.com/
advice/housing
Houses off campus can be subject to council tax but if everyone in the house
is a student you’ll be exempt from this. For more information see www.warwick.
ac.uk/go/international/admissions/atoz/a-c/#counciltax If you’re still looking
to find somewhere Warwick Accommodation have many properties in Coventry and
Leamington (which now has its own learning grid for Warwick students, in the town
hall) and some in Kenilworth. Their website is www.warwick.ac.uk/accommodation
When you change address remember to let everyone know, including the police if
you have to register (see www.warwick.ac.uk/policeregistration) the UKBA if you
have a visa (use www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/studying/adultstudents/changes) your bank, your doctor and the University, using https://start.
warwick.ac.uk to update your details.
It’s worth having a look at this guide for tips about finding private accommodation
as well as safety matters: www.britishcouncil.org/c108_creating_confidence_
june12.pdf
Finally, if you’ll be away from Warwick over the summer and need somewhere to
store your belongings there are some companies listed at www.warwick.ac.uk/go/
international/admissions/atoz/s/#shipping
Police
registration
Police Community Support Officers patrolling in the
snow. Photo: West Midlands Police
If you had to register with the police when
you arrived in the UK, you probably know
that you need to see them again when you
change address. However you also need to
see them within seven days if you change
your course, extend your visa, change your
name or marital status, have a baby, get a
new passport or change your employment
status. The police have reported that some
students seem to think that they should
only report these changes when they
change their address. This is not the case
– these changes should be reported within
seven days even if you have not changed
your address. So if you are living in West
Midlands Police’s area you should go to
Birmingham within seven days. If you live in
Warwickshire Police’s area you should make
an appointment to see them within seven
days (even if the appointment itself will take
place a little after seven days). There’s more
information about this at www.warwick.
ac.uk/policeregistration
03
Hate
crime
Sadly there are sometimes cases of verbal,
written or occasionally even physical abuse
of people just because of their nationality,
ethnicity, religion, sexuality or disability.
It’s a horrible thing to happen, and we
hope that this doesn’t happen to you but
unfortunately students can sometimes be
victimised in this way. It doesn’t have to
continue though. If this does happen to you
or anyone else, please, please report it, even
if it was a minor incident.
This type of abuse based on prejudice
is considered a criminal act in the UK and
is taken very seriously by the University,
the Students’ Union, the Police and by most
British people. Every time these incidents
are reported it provides more information
about when, where and by whom these
unlawful acts are committed. This means
more can be done to prevent similar hate
crimes in the future.
Here at the University you can report
hate crime to the Student Support Team –
studentsupport@warwick.ac.uk or phone
024 7657 5570, or the International Office
– internationalsupport@warwick.ac.uk or
phone 024 7615 1944. If you prefer not to go
through the University you can contact the
Students’ Union – welfare@warwicksu.com
or phone 024 7657 2778. Or you could text
the Coventry Hate Crime Reduction Team on
07903 674589.
You can report anonymously if you
prefer, or ask us more about your options
before you report. Your Resident Tutor,
Personal Tutor and the Students’ Union
would also be very willing to talk to you.
For more information on hate crime and
reporting please see www.warwicksu.com/
advice/crime/hatecrime
04
Inform Summer 2013
Shorts
Exams
The exam term has begun now. The
timetable is available at www.warwick.
ac.uk/examtimetables This can be a
stressful time of course. The SU has put
together a great website to help with this
at www.warwicksu.com/feelgood Also,
you can see Careers and Skills for exam
revision advice: www.warwick.ac.uk/
skills/face-to-face and the Counselling
Service runs workshops on managing exam
anxiety: www.warwick.ac.uk/counselling/
workshops/managingexamanxiety
though places are limited so they also
have an information page on the subject
at www.warwick.ac.uk/counselling/
informationpages/managingexamanxiety
Don’t forget that your personal tutor is a
good source of advice too. Good luck!
Student Liaison Officers
If you need to speak to someone from the
University but aren’t sure how to find the
right person or have a problem you don’t
know what to do about, there’s a new way
of getting help. A team of Student Liaison
Officers has been formed. You’ll see them
around in various departments and they can
help direct you to the right person, so please
do feel free to ask them. They’re easy to
recognise because of their distinctive green
tops. Posters in faculty buildings on campus
will give more exact details but their current
schedule is:
Monday – Science Building, Computer
Science, Maths & Stats
Tuesday – Humanities, Ramphal, Social
Studies, Westwood, WBS
Thursday – Engineering, Life Sciences,
WMG, the Medical School, Humanities
Register for graduation
If you will be graduating this summer, you
must fill in the online form at
www.warwick.ac.uk/graduation even
if you are not planning to attend Degree
Congregation. You
must use this form
whether you wish to
attend, or to defer to
a future ceremony,
or to graduate in
absentia.
If you need a
certificate of status
to confirm that you will be attending
graduation you can request this from
www.warwick.ac.uk/go/immigration/
statusletter The University does not issue
letters of invitation for friends and family,
but there is a sample letter you may wish to
copy and adapt, along with details of how
to apply for a visitor visa on the following
web page: www.warwick.ac.uk/go/
immigration/visitor/generalvisitor
Travel safety
Going abroad from the UK
to a new country can be
great fun or be useful for
your research. But please
remember to take extra
safety precautions.
In particular be aware of pickpockets and
bag-snatchers as some cities have a lot of
them. They may work in groups, with one
person distracting you while another robs
you without you noticing, and they often
target places where foreigners are likely
to be e.g. buses or trains from the airport
or tourist attractions and also at cash
machines. Here are some tips to help you
avoid being a victim:
• Take out travel and health insurance
for your trip. If you are travelling for
your studies you may be able to use the
University’s insurance. See
www.warwick.ac.uk/insurance/
keypolicies/traveloverseas/
• Keep a note of your insurance policy
number and important phone numbers so
you can easily cancel your bank cards if
they are stolen
• Make photocopies of your passport and
visa. Take one set with you (keeping it
separate from the original documents)
and leave another with a trusted friend or
family member in the UK. You might want
to keep your original documents in a hotel
safe when you are abroad and carry the
photocopies with you each day instead
• Think of the safest way to carry
important documents and other valuable
possessions. Front trouser pockets are
usually safer than back pockets, or if
they’re in your bag putting them in an
inner compartment may be best. If you’re
sitting down keep your bags close.
• Carry your bag so it’s less easy to be
grabbed, not just across one shoulder
• Avoid using your mobile or laptop in
public
• Find out the phone numbers for the
police, ambulance and other emergency
services for the country you’re in (often 112
or 999)
You can get further advice about the
country you’re going to at www.gov.uk/
foreign-travel-advice The health insurance
sections may not apply to you as it’s written
for British citizens but it has other useful
information specific to the country in
question.
If you do have the misfortune to have
your passport and/or BRP card stolen
see www.warwick.ac.uk/immigration/
lostpassportandvisas but please try your
best to make sure this doesn’t happen as it
would leave you in a difficult situation that
could affect your immigration status and
may even jeopardise your studies.
Looking for help with something? Have you tried the International Office’s
A-Z guide? It has information on lots of different topics, from childcare to
electricity, finance to lost property, storage to television. Have a look at
www.warwick.ac.uk/go/international/admissions/atoz
The International Office
University House, University of Warwick
Coventry CV4 8UW
t+44 (0)24 7652 3706
wwww.warwick.ac.uk/go/international
einternationalsupport@warwick.ac.uk
fwww.facebook.com/warwickinternationaloffice
twww.twitter.com/warwickio