Mind you it is very, and I mean VERY expensive.

The last time I remember mine was overloaded by 12kilos (damn MAS-20kg only) and when i asked how much it was to pay the fine, IIRC, the lady said it was about �25 per kilo of excess baggage. Neither would I recommend sending back your baggages, i mean as students, it wouldn't be very economical to send back our baggages. So the best bet would be to find airline companies that offer the best student rates around with baggage allowances of >35kilos. The last time i heard, SIA's student baggage weight allowance was about 42kilos? Holy.. I might consider taking KLM back from Heathrow the next time i fly back.

This post has been edited by teehk_tee: Aug 7 2006, 09:51 PM

Hmm.. replying to one of the earlier posts.. shipping is the best way. Weight count is per 5 kilos. I forgot bout the price, but i'll update this when i get the answer.

Anyway, apparently it seems many of you are first-timers flying to the UK. One word of advice, be prepared for very stringent checks. The first time I flew OUT from the UK, they were so strict that I felt pissed off because they treated me like I'm some kind of terrorist of some sort. Also, the people there are polite, so if one greets you, at least have the courtesy to reply back.

Looking at another previous reply. Birmingham, moreover the west side of Birmingham (including Wolverhampton) is generally a *not being racist here* but more of a Indian/Pakistani descent populated area. Other places including Coventry, bla bla.. You can hear sirens everywhere (it's normal) including in London. But heightened security since the 7/7 bombings in London, somehow makes it feel safer. However, do try your best to avoid trouble. Especially anti-social youngsters that tend to dress up gothic style or wear hoods, etc. Avoid them at all costs, they can be very racist and dangerous. Just don't fall into a trap and get provoked by people, after all it's not your homeland.

This post has been edited by teehk_tee: Aug 11 2006, 11:56 PM

there is a minimum wage system in place at the moment in the UK, if I'm not wrong it's �5.50 per hour.

However, as a holder of a student visa, we are only allowed,what?, 20 hours of working time per week? It's pretty easy to get jobs there, however, the best jobs are usually in the university campus.

London's overrated .. and expensive. Come to Edinburgh

IMO, If you're talking about London's cost of living, feynman's estimate should roughly be correct. A budget of about �600 a month (incl �80 p/w rent) is pretty liberal already, you can squeeze in a couple of nights out for pints in there. Also, anyone who's saying that they want to save but eats out often should be shot. At the moment I'm surviving with about that amount with plenty left to go into my kitty for an Xbox360 and a good 2.1 speaker system.