it is easy to measure head knowledge.....all tests and exams do this very well....

it is not so easy on the other hand, to measure how skillfully this knowledge is put to use....this includes soft skills like problem solving, communication, logic, etc....

other attributes, grossly lumped into a term call eq (emotional quotion) is even harder to measure....empathy, interpersonal relationship, team spirit, altruism, etc.....

while chinese have often scored very well in knowledge testing, they usually fare badly in the other aspects....a common example is when students from prc are given a complex math equation to solve.....they do very well....however, when the same equation is presented in a situational format, and they have to first condense the problem into that equation, they falter.....

the eventual success of a community, and country depends on all aspects...not just how well you do in factual exams....that is why although germany, the usa, etc trail east asia in such scores, they are still the world's powerhouses in industry, innovation, education, and sciences.....

This post has been edited by limeuu: Aug 31 2013, 02:26 PM

if you need the money now, just change....it's too late to worry about fluctuations....

hedging is only if you know you will need the money in future, and you buy it in advance....and hope it's cheaper than when you need it.....sometimes you get it wrong, and it's more expensive.....

there is a difference between rice cooker, and pressure cooker.....

like i mentioned before, it may be difficult to get a small (like 0.6 or 0.8l) rice cooker in uk..but you can certainly get them, and they are not much more than msian prices....

bank draft would be the safest and cheapest way of bringing money.....but it takes a few days to clear, so some cash to last a couple of weeks would be useful...

you will need a letter from the uni to open an account, and they will want an address, so it is useful to have you place to stay sorted out before opening the account....note that uk banks are VERY fussy about new bank accounts...

they will pay a small interest on most accounts.....the best bank is the one you have easy access to where you live/study....

mvm....

you do NOT need an agent....just decide what you want to do, and choose the 4 unis (all info available in websites) and apply through ucas......you have 4 choices only, choose carefully....

you have to consider london separate from outside london....

while the cost of food, goods etc are pretty similar throughout the british isle, rentals differ significantly between london and outside london....

if you live frugally, you can survive with 600-700 quid a month in most parts of uk....but you will need to add 200-300 extra for rent in london....

i said frugal....

if you want to enjoy life, 2k a month may also not be enough...

contracts for private housing is usually for a whole year, so you still have to pay rent even if you are not there/back to msia during the summer holidays...but you will save on living costs and utilities...uni hostel/colleges are however based on the academic year, but cost significantly more than private housing on a per week basis, so they usually work out the same.....

This post has been edited by limeuu: Oct 13 2013, 11:39 PM

everybody seems to have missed the word frugal......

remember, public transportation is also expensive....so you may get cheaper accommodations further out, but add the transport costs (and time too), it may work out better to stay within walking distance...

london is not like taiping, or even penang, where you just find a place to stay.....it is a huge city, and obviously you will need to find a place reasonably close to where you are going to be studying/working....a commute across greater london itself can take up to 2 hrs.....

for central london, and up to zone 2, rentals are likely to be >1k quid a month.....

This post has been edited by limeuu: Feb 1 2014, 11:56 AM

1. there is a heat wave at the moment, and you will find it hotter than msia, as they do not have aircon mostly....the underground will be stifling hot....

2. they are NOT as sensitive as msians, and much more accommodating than msia....

3. it's the same plug....hello.....we borrow their plug system....

i thought minimum top up for giff gaff is 10 quid a month?......

the mara scholarships available to malays have never been stopped or scaled back.....it's the jpa overseas scholarships open to all, what has been reduced....now restricted to only either engineering in countries that charge little or no fees, or designated courses in top 50/top10 unis....

you can use msian driving licence to drive in uk for up to 120 days, you do not need to have an international licence....but if you intend to continue driving longer than that, you will need to obtain a uk licence......no you cannot convert from msian licence, and no, there is NO kopi-o uk licence.....

yes, i am aware of this loophole and know people who has done this....and i understand the uk authorities are also wising up to this loophole...so i am not sure if it is still possible....all they need is to determine if the hk licence is indigenous or converted.....

get a small rice cooker....although you can get them in chinese grocery shops there....

you will be covered under the nhs.....free

you do not need the old passport, unless there is still a valid visa in it....

there is usually no 'extras', unlike many other places where they charge you 'exam fees' etc....

london rentals, expect to pay gbp600-1000/month, depending on where and quality of accommodation....

living costs depends on lifestyle...survivable with 200 quids a month without transport (ie walk!)....

a budget of 30k, taking away 20k for fees, means 10k for 9 months, very comfortable outside london, livable in london....

the transportation cost will cancel most of the savings from living further out...not to mention the time wasted on the trains/buses...

they are all russell group unis, and also about equally ranked....

more relevant may be where you intend to practise law....and the cost and lifestyle of that city.....