Questions about moving to England, starting with school.

I have so many questions to ask, so maybe I'll start with a little history to help you out. I'm 19 years old coming from Anchorage, Alaska so I'm used to the cold, however it doesn't appeal to me as something I Iwant. Though what I feel as uncomfortable is 20-30 degrees F but tolerable as long as it doesn't last 8 months of the year. I'm a Biology major and looking toward health/environmental science. I will have my certificate in Phlebotomy so hopefully I can find a job that could use that in the UK.

I was reading the "What are the Best Cities to Live in England?" and it gave me a lot of insight as to which cities in England might appeal to me but I'm not so sure about the Universities within the cities..

What universities would appeal to a Biology major? Will I have time to enjoy student life? Do I realistically have time to work and go to school? How much is housing compared to how much I will be able to make? Does the government help with financial aid as they do in the US? What kind of Visa will I need? And...How much would you say the initial cost is to get over there? Including flight, first semester tuition, housing and a stocked fridge...

Thank you so much for answering any of these questions and helping me get started.

Here's a useful ranking of Universities for biological sciences, by the Times:
http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/tol_gug/gooduniversityguide.php?AC_sub=Biological+Sciences&x=33&y=10&sub=9

I worked about 20-25 hours per week when I was at uni - in reality it was a little too much, and I almost stuffed up my degree because of it. I think about 15 hours per week of work is a realistic maximum to be able to properly apply yourself to a science degree, but I guess it depends on your energy and enthusiasm and the sort of job you do. You would really struggle to work anything approaching full-time, because you'll be committed to classes most days.

The cost of housing varies - if you study in London and want to rent your own flat it would be extortionate, but sharing a house with 5 others in Hull the cost would be nominal.

The government does help with financial aid, however if you're a US citizen you won't be eligible for it - there are ways of obtaining funding, but I'm not best placed to advise on those, someone in the US might be able to help? The visa that you'll need is a student visa, if you have a place to study at a recognised university it shouldn't be a problem, and they will normally support you through the application process.

It may be of some use to you that there are cities that are going to be designated "Science Cities," and are set to get millions of £ invested into them. There are also "Bioenergy Research Centres" being built across the UK. One of these "Science Cities" will be where I live Nottingham (that's where Robin Hood, Maid Marian and next year Russell Crowe lived/will live!!) which already has a Science Research Park near to the University of Nottingham. There are plans to have MediCity and one of these BioEnergy Research Centres too. I think another place is Dundee (N.E of Edinburgh, Scotland) and presumably there will be others affiliated to other Universities.

Regarding costs, obviously you are going to pay more than UK and EU students but nothing like as much as you would have to back in the States, prices of which I find ridiculous to be honest with you! Best first use that previous person's link and contact the University directly as they'll help.

Re costs vs working. Most people would do up to 20 hours maximum bar work. If you are coming from abroad in particular I would have thought this would be a decent idea to meet more people and also quickly learn to drink the "British Student Way!" It's not perhaps a great idea to be T-Total!!

I went to Manchester (Biology 1st class) and it was an absolutely fantastic course. The opportunities for field trips is amazing (Greece first year, Ecuadorian Amazon second year)

It's a fairly cheap city too

pm me for any specifics!

m

[ Edit: edit ]