yeah, 25kg is not a problem, my flight was weekdays and my weight limit is 20kg, but i checked in with 27.2kg.. haha... the fella let me go through... so lucky.. anyway i heard for student they don't really care, as long ur weight is not too much. also if it's during weekend, maybe they will more strict coz got a lot student are traveling.

Actually studying in Nottingham is not that expensive, studying in Nottingham, living cost is not that expensive, needs around £350-£450 per months. this including accomodation and also meals. for accomodation is rent a room (in the city), meal will cook yourself. As food is not that expensive, unless you want to eat very very good la. transport, if travel around Nottingham, there is bus card that you can buy. that will save a lot for transport.

if i'm not mistaken, councul tax is the tax of the renting for your accommodation. it's true that, student in UK don't have to council tax. er, i think you need to ask what tax that the bank officer mention.
i still can't open any bank account le, i keep having problem about the uni's letter to open bank account. especially natwest, my uni letter have change few times... haiz...

hi, i would like ask is there anyone having this problem?? just now i went to bank to open a basic account, i brought my uni's letter and also my passport. everything is fine until the bank officer fill in my surname. coz my name have first name, surname and middle name. so the bank officer fill my middle name as surname. haiz... i told him, that is my middle name. he said, if i would like to use back my surname i need to get a letter from malaysia embassy state which is my surname. he also told me that they must follow their system. which using the last name as surname... ... i having a lot problem when i'm try apply bank account. first they said my uni's letter don't have the details they require.. then second time, others problem.. finally now my uni's letter is fine but having surname problem...
anyone face this problem when open a bank account??

i went to Lloyds bank, Natwest also is the same, haiz... sumore Natwest need to make appointment to open bank account. I have christian name, so i use my christian name as my first name, then last 2 is my middle name and then my surname/family name.
now they have fix so many rules... now i'm tired... trying apply bank for 1 month, still can't open one... i don't know why they keep giving problem. probably i'm asian.
they also said i have a choice which is using my middle name (the last one) fill as my surname.. i'm a bit worry, coz i afraid if there is anything require bank account, and discover that my surname is different. that time, i sure die...

yeah, i know a lot ppl have christian name. actaully if you don't hv christian name, then the last 2 name is your 1st name. but if u you have christian name then the last name will be the middle name. so the last name will be the your surname.
anyway over here, can also if the christian name and middle name put as your first name. but not if you deal with the bank over here. nowdays they quite strict over these thing.
just finish open the bank account. but have to follow their system, which is using the last name(in my passport) as surname. well, wait until i got the letter from embassy and state the which one is my surname then i can change my real surname. haiz... friend, if anyone coming to study over, make sure you hv this letter, otherwise you will ended up like me....

huh. malaysia's chinese, surname should be at the front, so it's different.

Edit: Sorry. coz i was a bit tired when i post the message. beside that i a bit piss off with the bank. yup. it's clear statement.
anyway i didn't fill up the form, it's filled up by the bank officer. there is no chance for me to write/type anything on the form. only that is i put my signature on it.

This post has been edited by liew_jls: Nov 10 2006, 11:49 PM

yeah, i understand. now my problem is not putting my middle name, my problem is my surname. haiz.... i know if different surname, will cost a lot trouble in future.
anyway thanks guys. for tell me all this. i really appreciate...

i think a lot ppl will stay over during christmas break.... no choice right?? but i heard 26th should have sale lo... then if you are boring, can go for shopping... haha....
anyway christmas stay over is not that sad la... chinese new year have to stay over here is the most terrible lo...

huh?? terrible wor... i also heard about it...

yeah... as long u have ge the offer letter from the university and u have prepare ur funding, then the visa have to sendirian berhad.. settle yourself lo... have to go to british high com and apply ur student visa. when u got ur visa, make sure ur visa is enough for u to stay in uk including ur graduation ceremony.
usually university will have 1 or 2 week welcome week for international student. this welcome week, will tell u about living and studying in uk. also about the area of ur campus.

huh... what a waste... miss your graduation. if i miss my graduation, i sure cry for all my life....
yeah.. now they stamp the visa when we apply the student visa but when arrive immigration (uk's airport), they will check the visa and put date on the visa. anyway buy the air-ticket, they don't check whether you have the student visa or not, weired when i bought my air-ticket. she didn't ask me about my visa. anyway i didn't bought student ticket, but my air-ticket open for 1 year.

i think it's depend on ur course duration. for example if ur course from nov 2006-nov 2007 then ur visa will be from nov 2006 until jan 2008.
then if ur course is 3 years, then u will get 3 years student visa. when u applying student visa, make sure u prepare all the document and ur proof of ur funding.. otherwise they will reject ur application and u hv to reapply. at that time, u have to pay another RM600 for reapply student visa... good luck for apply visa.. hehe...

er, if i'm not mistaken, the north of UK will hv the highest chance to get to see snow. like nottingham? only that we don't know hv the chance to see the white christmas or not.. very rare can hv white christmas, right??
huh?? i heard when hv wind is the most cold... but if it's snowing or raining, the weather won't be so cold compare to have the wind.
haiz... now it's very cold le... freezing... erm... miss malaysia's weather...

yeah, it's true... last time, my friend need to pour the hot water onto the car door to open it. so driving during winter need to be very carefull.
this few days the weather very forggy... hardly can see the opposite's building... feel like in genting..

Merry Christmas and Happy New to everyone , especially those who study in UK and can't go back Malaysia...... (like me.. )
Enjoy ur holiday...

yeah, to get a permanent job in UK for international student is not easy, even for placement. you will need skills that they required. If you graduated and would like to get a permanent job, you have to go through a lot of procedure. When the company agree hire you, they need to advise the vacancy to public for 1 month. If there's no local people apply then only they can hire you and apply work permit for you. But for placement, it's no that troublesome. It's only company in UK prefer hire local people.
I must admit working in UK is a very good experience, their working style is totally different in Malaysia. Quite relaxing.
So what I suggest is, if you have the plan for work in UK, try for those course have placement or sandwich year. This will be more easier to get permanent job when you have graduate


If you only need an account for pay in tesco or others, then you can try Natwest's step account. Only that it can't use to buy things in the internet. If you need to saving, then you can try Natwest's e-saving, it has quite high interest.
But if you don't mind paying £5 per month, then you can use HSBC. It will have less hassle, you can straight away use it for all bills. It's all depends on you, if you pay, then you won't have 'ma fan'... For me, £5 per month, that cost me £60 per year and I can use this £60 for a lot of things...

Erm, to buy things or places couldn't use the SOLO card, I will use credit card. For example, you go to the train station to buy advance ticket, natwest's solo card cannot be used. So I used credit card for it. Anyway I seldom buy things from Internet.. and my credit card used for buy train tickets.. hehe..
I heard from my one of my friend, Natwest e-saving interest consider has the highest interest among all bank in UK, except ISA account (ISA account need NI number to open). The interest is about 4.89% (erm, if i'm wrong I sorry coz i don't really know about these interest thing, i opened it coz my friend said it is the highest interest so i just open it.. hehe.. I'm a loser I must admit).. But you check the webside E-Saving
erm, should be when you put £400++, then you should get £2++ every months...

I'm using Natwest's credit card, it's a student credit card. It doesn't hard to apply. I applied my credit card when I applied the step account. When the staff finished helped me open step account, she offered me student credit card. So if you are interested, you can go to one of the Natwest branch and ask about Student credit card.
Well, if you have NI number, (I was told) you can open ISA account at any bank. If you have quite a lot amount of money, you can consider ISA account (not sure i called it correctly). But you only can get NI number if you are doing placement or start to work in UK. But what i advise, you open E-Saving, when you apply E-Saving, you need to specify you are student otherwise you will have to the taxes.

ysl89
Living cost will be higher if you are going to stay in london.. The rent is very very exepensive. What you can do is stay area that close to london like slough, then travel to london by train. I believe that will be more cheaper.
But what think is cost on food will not that scary, quite cheap, that if you cook yourself. But travelling also quite expensive, so if you are student, then you can get some discount....
If you stay near to london, i think GBP450-500 will be enough. Beside you can work part-time.... Sometimes part-time job can earn a lot....
yeah yeah, damn suck, the income tax, is the worse thing in this country. When you get the pay slip, and you heart will very pain, 22% of your salary gone...

Gaza,
yeah, like Geminist and azarimy said, the best thing you need to do is register yourself with the university. If you are not in full enrolment status, there are not much thing you can do. As you need to a letter from university then you only can open bank account. Again, to register for mobile phone, you need the bank account.