Introduction

There is always a first time in every stage of one¡¦s life. Examples are the first day at school; the first love; first graduation; being a parent for the first time etc. Each stage represents a change. The proper handling of a change will result in the acquisition of more maturity. On the other hand, the mishandling of a change may produce negative effects on a person¡¦s development. Hence, each student who enters university for the first time will experience varying degrees of impact brought on by the changes and associated pressures exerted by his new environment.

Going to university signifies the making of a transition. The secondary student has now become a university undergraduate. This entails more than a mere change in one¡¦s status. The student has made the transition from that of a teenager to that of a young adult. Instead of relying on his family, he has to learn to live and care for himself on his own. Instead of being taught all the time, he had to learn how to acquire knowledge by himself. Such changes are bound to create a degree of impact for the student.

A Chinese overseas student must first of all cope with the four essentials, namely, ¡§clothing, food, accommodation and transport¡¨. Secondly, he must learn to live independently. Whilst at home he can depend on the care provided by his parents or even the Filipino/Indonesian maid, he now has to fend for himself and to live and eat by himself.

Food

The eating habit of the young is comparatively simple. The student normally has his lunch at the college canteen. Breakfast is usually taken at home firstly because it is cheaper and secondly it is more convenient. Milk, bread, ham, egg and sausages are not expensive. Students from Hong Kong often like to eat instant noodles. Here, one packet costs about 30 pence which is slightly more expensive than Southeast Asia. Most students cook their own dinner. Chinese students frequently prefer to eat rice. One can purchase rice in supermarkets or one can go to China Town to buy rice, instant noodles and a good variety of Chinese foodstuffs. However, the price may be slightly higher. Students, especially those from Southeast Asia, may have some initial adjustment problems as the English pound has a high exchange rate. But they will gradually learn to adapt. Chinese supermarkets can be found in most big towns. There are Chinese restaurants in China Town where students can make appointments to have tea and enjoy the Hong Kong life-style on Saturdays and Sundays.

Clothing

Over here the prices for clothing cannot be regarded as too expensive. The quality of European-made garments is fairly high. This is especially true in the case of overcoats and woollen garments. Their styling is both fashionable and practical. Famous brands such as CK, Polo are well worth buying at sales time. There are places called ¡§Factory Outlets¡¨ which sell out-of-season brand-name goods at cheap prices. They are worth visiting if you have the time. Sales in this country are different from those held in Southeast Asia where only a small reduction is made. Over here the sale is a genuine one where cheap goods can be bought. Those students who find that they do not have an adequate supply of everyday clothing, such as under wears, can purchase them in ¡§Open Market¡¨ (found in all big towns). The price of brand-name denim jeans is similar to Southeast Asia. The cheapest day of the year is Boxing Day which is the day after Christmas Day. All department stores hold their sales on that day and it should not be missed. Many charitable organizations also operate ¡§Charity Shops¡¨ which sell second-hand clothing, furniture and utensils. Prices are low and some goods can be bought with one or two English pounds. There are many such shops in the High Street of various big cities. (Usually, each district has a busy street called High Street.) It is worthwhile to take a look at such shops. English weather is changeable. Some people say that you can have all four seasons in one day. It is true that English weather varies considerably. Accordingly, students from Southeast Asia should take extra precaution. Even though the weather appears to be fine when you leave home, it may well rain in the afternoon. Hence English people frequently carry thicker clothing (e.g. overcoats). It is even better if you carry a coat with a hood attached to it. It is therefore advisable to take care with what you wear and carry extra clothing when you go out.

Accommodation

During the first year in university, arrangements are normally made for students to reside in dormitories. In the second year most students will have to find their own accommodation. Weekly rentals are in the range of 50 to 80 pounds. London is slightly more expensive. The rent depends on room size and facilities. It is advisable to co-rent with fellow students as there is at least some mutual understanding between each other. Note that English tenancy law stipulates that the minimum tenancy agreement must be one of 6 months or 1 year. It is better to ask for a 6-month tenancy agreement renewable upon expiration as this is a more flexible arrangement. Those who go home during the summer break can ask the landlord for a 50% reduction of the rent. This is subject to the landlord¡¦s agreement and there are no hard and fast rules. Do not hesitate to take action if problems arise in connection with the rented premises. If your roommate entertains guests every night or engages in casual relationships with members of the opposite sex, then you must move out as soon as possible so that your studies will not be adversely affected.

Transport

For daily transport, London has a satisfactory underground train system. Single trip tickets or whole day tickets are available on underground trains. Bus services are available in all towns. One can also purchase ¡§Bus Pass¡¨ for unlimited travel on buses. Car prices cannot be regarded as high in the UK. The cost of a new car is similar to that of Hong Kong, but cheaper than Southeast Asia. Second-hand cars can be cheap or expensive. One can be bought for a few hundred pounds. Bear in mind the relationship between price and quality. Knowledge is required in purchasing cars. The most important thing to do is to shop around. Free magazines on the sale and purchase of second-hand cars are available at the entrance of supermarkets and they are worth consulting. You can find similar material in the classified advertisement section of local newspapers or in the notice board of supermarkets to enable you to make comparisons. Those who do not have driving licence can obtain a Form D1 from post offices for the application of provisional driving licence. Those who can find the spare time can take driving lessons and undergo driving tests. Driving lessons are cheaper here than in Southeast Asia. The passing rate is higher too. Lessons cost ten odd pounds. You may find driving lesson advertisements on your college notice board. Many driving schools and driving instructors offer special rates to students. Driving licence issued in the UK is valid for 10 years. Another convenience is that once back in Hong Kong you can use your UK driving licence to obtain a Hong Kong driving licence.

As for purchasing airline tickets, you can book them through agencies specializing in student travel. Do not book too early as the airline may not have launched their cheap tickets yet. Do not be too late in making your bookings either. This is because cheap airline tickets can be sold out very quickly. Hence the most suitable time to book your airline tickets two or three months before the start of summer break. Otherwise the return flight will be fully booked and you will have to buy expensive tickets. Those who are going to Singapore or Malaysia should travel by Singapore Airline or Malaysian Airline. Sometimes it can be cheap to fly British Airways or Quanta¡¦s. Occasionally you may find that by paying the same fare you can go as far as Australia. However, those who are not going to KL in Malaysia may find that they have to change planes. In this respect British Airways and Quanta¡¦s are less convenient. If you do not reside or study in London, you may consider changing planes in Europe. This is because London is far away and check-in takes time. Very often you save time by boarding your plane in other cities. Also the costs of the ticket may be lower. You can make enquiries in your local travel agencies. It is now cheap and convenient to buy tickets through the Internet. Or from the travel agencies advertisements in newspapers you can find some sours ,one of the company name ¡§e-bookers¡¨ which sell tickets via the net or you can surf the websites of other travel agencies. Also major airlines offer privileges to their members. You can apply to join the Frequent Flyer club free of charge. Usually you may be able to obtain a free round-trip ticket to Europe after you have made two or three round trips of the travel to and from UK. You can obtain the application forms from the counters of the major airlines. Simply complete the forms and mail them back to the airlines.

Daily Living

Generally speaking, law and order in the UK is not too bad. However, theft is common. Chinese people face a fairly high risk of being the object of theft. Firstly the skin colour of the Chinese differs from that of the westerners. They become obvious targets and their comings and goings are more noticeable. Secondly, in the eyes of westerners, the Chinese are regarded as comparatively wealthy. Therefore we must not flaunt your wealth excessively (such as wearing gold ornaments or dressing oneself from head to toe with famous brand name clothing). You must be extra cautious. Also you must not keep too much money at home. It is better to have two bank accounts: a checking account and a savings account. Many banks hold promotions and offer cash or gifts to students who open accounts with them. It is easy to obtain ATM cards. If money is to be remitted from overseas, be sure that the address of the bank as well as the ¡§Sort Code¡¨ is recorded in the remittance slip. Omission of the Sort Code may result in failure to receive the remittance or late receipt. Credit cards are popular. Student credit card application forms can be obtained from the school or the bank.

Overseas Phone Calls

The UK has an advanced system of telecommunication. It is cheap to make phone calls back to one¡¦s country, although BT is slightly more expensive. You can purchase Calling Card from some small convenient stores to make overseas calls at a cost of several pence or ten odd pence per minute. Note that if the calls are made from public phone booths there may be a service charge (calculated per minute). You will not incur service charges if you make the calls from your residence. Mobile phones are also quite cheap. There are two purchase methods. The first one is to get connected to a network by paying a monthly fee. This requires you to sign a 12 month contract and to take out insurance. Credit clearance is also required. This is relatively troublesome but you can make free calls during off-peak hours and is suitable for frequent users. The second method is Pay As You Go. This is more suitable for students because the handset is sold to you and there is no need to buy insurance. Even if you lose your handset you do not have to bear the cost of phone calls made by others. Both have their own advantages. As for call charges, the cheapest networks are T-Mobile and Smart-Call from Vodafone. The newer the model, the more expensive will be the purchase price of the handset. Old models are quite cheap. As for access to the Internet, apart from your college most Internet service providers charge a monthly fee, Broadband normally high that the normal fee. AOL, FreeServe, BT etc also provide this service. Scan adverts to see if there are any special offers.

English Study

Most students who come to study in the UK have reached a certain level of attainments in English. The minimum requirement for university entry is a pass in GCSE English or equivalent. In recent years many colleges are proving ¡§Intensive courses in English¡¨. Students who think that their command of English is deficient can approach the college for help by taking extra courses in English.

Buying Goods

There are two items, which you may find it necessary to buy. One is a television set and the other is the personal computer. Frequently in the college notice board you will find students selling their television set. The asking price is usually not a low one. This is because if they had spent 100 pounds on a television set which had only been used for one or two years and they would regard it reasonable to ask for a sale price of 60 pounds. However, it can be said that the price of electronic goods falls every month. Take for example the 14-inch television set. Even a new one is now being sold at around 70 pounds and there is the advantage of a 1-year warranty. Therefore there is no need for you to buy a second-hand television set. Where the personal computer is concerned, you will have to be extra cautious. What was sold for 800 pounds a year ago is now being sold for around 400 pounds plus a 1-year on-site warranty. But your fellow student who is selling his computer may be asking for 500 pounds. It is therefore better to buy a new one. You must forgive your fellow students. They are ignorant of the current price. Many of them think that their goods are valuable and accordingly demand a high price for it. When it is your turn to graduate you should sell your possessions to your fellow students at a cheaper price.

Cultural Life

Your university and student union will arrange various cultural activities. If you want to read Chinese newspapers and magazines you can do so on the Internet. You can find them via Chinese Yahoo. There is a European edition of Sing Tao Daily News. You can also buy Chinese newspapers which have been shipped here by air, but they are very expensive and cost about one or two pounds to buy. The ¡§Next Magazine¡¨ and ¡§East Magazine¡¨ are available for sale at a cost of 5 pounds a copy. You can buy them in China Town or Chinese supermarkets.

Student Visa Application

First of all, an applicant has to submit proof that he has been accepted by a recognized university or education institution. He must also show that he has made adequate provisions for his tuition fees and living expenses (normally done by producing bank deposits). Proof of sponsorship, if any, should also be produced during the visa application. The course enrolled must be one of full-time duration (i.e. not less than 15 hours of instruction per week). The applicant should bring along his passport and documents showing the type of course chosen, its commencement and ending dates while making his visa application at the British Consulate in his own country.

Working Opportunities

Many overseas students wish to work in their spare time in order to supplement their living expenses and to gain work experience. UK immigration law permits holders of student visas to undertake legal work provided that it does not exceed 20 hours per week. However, his working hours are not subject to restriction during school holidays (which means he can work more than 20 hours per week). Furthermore, the student¡¦s spouse is free to work and there are no restrictions on the number of hours he or she may work. Work done without official permission is illegal and not protected by the law. Employers who engage illegal workers are liable to be punished. The illegal worker may also be deported or repatriated.

The UK government has recently published a White Paper on the consultation of immigration matters. One of its proposals is to permit overseas students to seek work after the completion of his course but the work sought by him must be related to the course studied by him. Moreover, it must be work which cannot be filled in the UK or the European Union. An employer willing to engage him may apply to the Home Office for a work permit on his behalf. Whether he is likely to succeed will depend on the final decisions of the Home Office.

Language School

Many overseas students come to the UK purely to study English. It is advisable for such students to choose schools which have been approved by the British Council. Such schools normally adhere to a strict standard. The British Council also carries out periodical inspections on them to ensure that their facilities, teaching standard and management are being maintained at the appropriate standard. There are also English courses run by official language institutions (BASLET) which charge lower tuition fees. Privately-run language schools charge higher fees. There are some language schools which charge relatively low fees. However, those whose real aim is to study English should not select such schools because many students attend such schools for the sole purpose of fulfilling the visa requirements. Those who genuinely intend to pursue a proper course of English study should therefore select an approved or recognized language school.

Conclusion

By going to university you can, through your studies, develop and cultivate your mind as well as acquiring professional skills. Have you ever considered what occupation you would have followed if you had not gone to university? It is not a matter of pure chance that you are in university today. It is the fruit of the combined labour of you and members of your family. It is also God¡¦s blessing to you. Going to university is the beginning of another stage in life. We hope that you will treasure these few years¡¦ of your period of learning. We hope that our student fellowship (Joshua Fellowship) or Mandarin bible group can share with you the joy and bitterness of university life and also to learn to grow together. Student fellowship (Joshua Fellowship) and Mandarin bible group both have meeting on every Wednesday night. We hope that we can see you there once a week. Your participation is our earnest desire. Where faith and worship are concerned, we the Cambridge Chinese Christian Church heartily welcome your attendance on Sunday afternoons so that we can gather together in mutual friendship and worship the one true God. Finally, may God keep you and bless you during your period of learning in the United Kingdom.

Resource: Pastor Lawrence Law

Translator: Bryan Chau