Your Journey
Welcome
Congratulations on your offer. By successfully applying to Edge Hill University you have made the first steps to an exciting future. We are looking forward to meeting you and this booklet is your essential step-by-step guide to help you prepare for moving to Edge Hill University and the UK. There is plenty more information on our website but if you still have questions please do not hesitate to contact us. Centre for International Education T: +44 (0)1695 657122 E: international@edgehill.ac.uk edgehill.ac.uk/international
Step
One
Accept Your Offer
It’s as easy as emailing international@ edgehill.ac.uk to let us know. Applications made through UCAS should also be accepted through the online system. If you have conditions attached to your offer, for example, taking an IELTs test, please ensure you meet these and provide the evidence to us as soon as possible.
Pay Your Tuition Fees The cost of your course will be detailed on your offer letter. All international students are required to pay 50% of their tuition fees prior to arrival or a Certificate of Acceptance for Studies (also known as a CAS) being issued. The CAS is needed when applying for a Tier 4 visa (see step 3) so it is extremely important this is paid as soon as possible. Payments can be made in several ways and you should ALWAYS quote your student number, found on your offer letter: • Credit/Debit card - please call our finance office on: +44 (0)1695 657252 to make a payment over the phone. • Bank Draft - either post by recorded delivery to Edge Hill or give to an EHU authorised agent. • Bank Transfer to: Barclays Bank, Lord Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, UK Branch Sort code: 20-51-01 Account Number: 20315605 Account Name: Edge Hill University Iban Number: GB32BARC20510120315605 Swift: BARCGB22
Step
Two
Step
Three
Apply for Your Visa If you are studying for longer than six months and you require a Student Visa, you must apply for a Tier 4 Student Visa before departing your home country. For those studying for less than six months you will need to apply for a Student Visitor Visa. If you are coming for less than six months and are taking a course which requires a placement you must apply for a Tier 4 visa. Tier 4 Visa An application can only be made after you have received a CAS from Edge Hill. A CAS will only be issued once all conditions are met and you have paid the 50% tuition fee deposit and completed a CAS request form. You can only apply for a Tier 4 visa within three months of the course start date, however, you should start gathering the supporting documents as soon as possible.
For information on how to apply visit: ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/studying and edgehill.ac.uk/international/support/applyingforaUKvisa
Student Visitor Visa If you are a ‘Visa National’ you should apply for this visa before departing your home country. For non-visa nationals you can request a ‘Student Visitor Visa’ on arrival at the port of entry in the UK; you should still carry with you all the required supporting evidence. Please note: Students on a visitor visa cannot work whilst in the UK. For more information on how to apply visit: ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/visiting/student
and edgehill.ac.uk/international/support/applyingforaUKvisa
If you are unsure at any point in the visa application process please contact CIE staff.
Step
Four
Arrange your Accommodation Choosing accommodation is an important decision especially as contracts are legally binding for a fixed period. You are therefore legally bound to pay the rent for the fixed period even if you decide to leave early. On-Campus Accommodation - At Edge Hill we have over 1400 single study bedrooms on campus, some with en-suite and others self-catered. The majority of International students choose to stay on campus for their first year. Edge Hill guarantees on-campus accommodation for all new international students who have firmly accepted their offer, paid 50% tuition fees and applied for accommodation before 1st August. You can apply for accommodation by completing our form at www.edgehill.ac.uk/accommodation/apply. Following a successful application you will be sent a contract and instruction on how to make the necessary payments, this should be completed before arrival otherwise your keys may not be issued to you.
Off-Campus Accommodation - If you wish to live in private accommodation, our Accommodation Team can advise and has a list of providers in the local area as well as a guide which explains how to find off-campus accommodation. Please visit edgehill.ac.uk/undergraduate/accommodation
for more information.
Step
Five
Prepare for your studies 1. Study in the UK can be different than in your home country. The teaching, learning and assessment styles can take several weeks to get used to. To help with your academic skills you should work through the sections on the Prepare for Success website: prepareforsuccess.org.uk. 2. English If you want to improve your grammar or learn about idioms, phrasal verbs or slang try visiting Dave’s ESL Café prior to arrival. Visit the ESL Café at: eslcafe.com/students.
English accents vary greatly and at EHU you will hear many different accents. The following link will allow you to hear accents from different regions within the UK. Simply click on an area on the map to hear how people sound who live in that area bbc.co.uk/voices/results/wordmap/ 3. Other resources UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) and the British Council have many resources to help your journey to studying in the UK run smoothly. • British Council, Comfort Zone: britishcouncil.org/eduk-comfort-zone.pdf
• International Student Calculator: international.studentcalculator.org.uk/international
• UKCISA Information Sheets: ukcisa.org.uk/student/information_sheets.php
Step
Six
Sign up for Global Friends Programme
Moving to a new country to study and live can be exciting and scary both at the same time. The Global Friends scheme has been set up to help new international students prior to arrival at Edge Hill and during those first few weeks when you are finding your feet. The scheme puts new international students in contact with a mentor prior to arrival. The global friend mentors have all studied at Edge Hill for at least 6 months so all those questions you have can be answered by someone who has 'been there and done that'. To sign up to the scheme please complete the application form at: edgehill.ac.uk/international/support/friends
Step
Seven
Book your flight When should you arrive? For students living on campus, studying for a full degree, study abroad or IFP/PMP; arrival days are 19th and 20th September 2013, this is also when the free meet and greet service is run from Manchester Airport (see Step 8). For students not living on campus you should ensure you arrive in time for the first welcome event on Friday 20th September 2013 The main orientation session will take place on Sunday 22nd September and enrolment will be on Monday 23rd September 2013. For students coming to take a pre-sessional course (3 or 6 weeks) please see our webpage for details of arrival dates: edgehill.ac.uk/international/support/predeparture
Booking your flight is one of the exciting steps to making the move to the UK, however please carefully note the date of departure and arrival as many of you will travel back or forward through the time zones and arrive a day later or earlier than you expected!
Step
Eight
Book onto the Meet & Greet Service Students arriving at Manchester airport are offered a meet and greet service. The service is free for students arriving on the specified arrival dates (19th and 20th Sept), for those arriving outside these dates, a ÂŁ55 charge is made. We would strongly advise all students living on campus to take up this service. To take up this service please complete the form on: edgehill.ac.uk/international/support/predeparture or email international@edgehill.ac.uk a copy of your e-ticket.
Students who have booked accommodation on campus and do not take up the meet and greet service will need to inform CIE staff of their time and date of arrival on campus so arrangements can be made for keys to be issued.
Step
Nine
Start Packing Pack in your hand luggage: • A current, valid passport, with visa/UK entry clearance • Original documents to prove financial support: i.e. evidence of financial aid, private finances, or bank statements • Health certificate (if required) • Students coming for less than 6 months should have return tickets. • Originals of important documents such as certificates, transcripts. • Travel insurance details • Details of your course of study, modules and career aims • Details of your accommodation and of Edge Hill University – address/telephone number
• Laptop/Tablet and UK plug adapter • Details of onward travel in the UK – train tickets, bus times, maps. • Any prescribed medication and a letter from a medical professional explaining what the medication is. • British currency & travellers cheques – enough for the first few weeks of term. • A warm jumper or jacket You are advised to carry the following in your suitcase(s): • Extra photos of yourself – passport size, but not necessarily official passport photos • Posters, photos of family, home town or personal items • Small gifts/souvenirs, as a thank-you, if you visit someone’s house • Sharp objects (scissors, razor blades) should be packed in your suitcase, not hand luggage You should NOT bring: • Very valuable items (jewellery) • Plants/seeds or foodstuffs • Cooking equipment (this can be bought easily and cheaply in Ormskirk) • Bedding & towels (these are provided for international student living in halls of residence at EHU) • Kitchen equipment or crockery, which are readily available in the UK. You may want to look at click2campus.com which provides a service specifically for students at universities in the UK to deliver essential items direct to their accommodation.
Step
Ten
Travel to UK and EHU This goes without saying but: • Have a farewell party • Say goodbye to your family & friends • If possible check-in online • Travel to the airport • Sit back and enjoy the journey! After your plane has landed you should: 1. Follow the signs to ‘UK Border’, ‘Immigration’ or ‘Arrivals’ 2. Join the queue for non-EU nationals • If you have a visa already you should have no issues through immigration, however, you should keep in your hand luggage the supporting documentation – bank statements, certificates etc. • If you require a ‘Student Visitor Visa’ stamp on arrival please request this from the Immigration Officer and show your ‘Student Visitor Visa’ supporting letter issued by EHU. 3. The immigration officer will date stamp your passport and write ‘VST’ if you have requested a ‘Student Visitor Visa’
4. After Immigration go to baggage collection or to your connecting flight. If your suitcases have gone missing please report this at the baggage reclaim desk and ensure you get a reference number and contact phone number. 5. Proceed to the arrivals hall through the GREEN ‘Nothing to declare’ channel. If you have items to declare or are unsure about any items you are carrying please proceed through the RED channel. For more information on bringing items into the UK please visit hmrc.gov.uk/customs 6. At the arrivals hall students who have signed up to the meet and greet service should look for an orange Edge Hill University sign. You will then be shown to your taxi for the journey to Edge Hill. If you have problems finding the Edge Hill representative please seek assistance at the Information desk or contact Edge Hill University. If you are catching a train or bus please follow the signs in the airport for the ‘Bus Terminal’ or ‘Train Station’. 7. Sit back and enjoy your journey to Edge Hill. For information on how to get to/from Edge Hill from Manchester/Liverpool airport please visit: traveline-northwest.co.uk/journeyplanner/enterJourneyPlan
Step
Eleven
International Welcome Programme International Welcome Programme The welcome programme starts as soon as students arrive. Students are shown to their on-campus room and taken on a tour of the campus and Ormskirk tour. Full details of the Welcome programme will be published on our website at: edgehill.ac.uk/international/support/predeparture
There will also be faculty and departmental induction sessions, you should keep checking on our website for further details. As a general guide the international welcome will be as follows: Friday 20th September International Welcome Buffet, meet all the new international students and staff of the Centre for International Education.
Saturday 21st September Day trip to a tourist destination in the local area, last year it was Conway in North Wales. Sunday 22nd September Orientation Session, this will help you understand important aspects of UK life, opening bank accounts, study skills, healthcare and much more. Monday 23rd September Check In, you must bring your passport and certificates listed on your CAS to the CIE Student Support Office in Stanley 10 for copying prior to enrolment. Enrolment, you will enrol for your course of study and receive your Edge Hill Unicard. Please note you will not be allowed to enrol unless you have ‘Checked in’ at the CIE office. During Welcome Week there will be tours of Liverpool and other presentations on subjects such as cultural awareness and part-time working.
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Main Reception - for general information
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Faculty of Education
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The Arts Centre
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International Office
Faculty of Health and Social Care
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Psychology and Social Sciences Building (SPS)
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Sport and Physical Activity Building (Wilson Centre)
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Business School Building
Learning Innovation Centre (LINC)
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The Hub
Biosciences
Student Information Centre University Library
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Durning Centre
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Milton House
Street and Venue
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Security
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Mathematics and Technology (MATEC) Sporting Edge
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Media and Computing Building (CMIST)
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HALLS OF RESIDENCE
Graduates Court
A4 - A5
Founders Court
C6 - D6
Forest Court
G6 - G7
Chancellors Court Back Halls
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ENTRY
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Our Campus
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P ROAD L A570 ST HELENS Visitors’ Entrancee
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Edge Hill University Centre for International Education St Helens Road Ormskirk Lancashire L39 4QP United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0)1695 657122 international@edgehill.ac.uk 24/7 Edge Hill security: +44 (0)1695 584227
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