This article is intended for those lucky ones who managed to enter British universities. SMAPSE experts have compiled for you a detailed and complete list of the things that you will need in the UK (including for the first time), dividing them into 2 large blocks - official documents and necessary trivia.
Package of documents
- Valid passport with a student visa
- Driving license (they will be valid for 1 year from the date of entry into the United Kingdom)
- Educational certificates and diplomas - both originals, and certified copies of notarized copies
- All letters from the university and the online system UCAS, confirming your enrollment in the program and the right to live in a common residence
- Bank statement, officially translated into English and certified (usually required for opening an account with a British bank)
- Translated into English and certified medical certificate of the state of health (especially if you have chronic diseases)
- 5-10 photos of the passport sample.
Do not be lazy: remove copies from all documents, additionally scan them and put them in electronic cloud storage - you will say thank you in case of losing important files.
Household trivia and necessary items
- Personal laptop, USB-wire, adapters for connection to the network
- Glasses or contact lenses if you wear them (in the UK, taking an ophthalmologist is quite expensive, like prescription glasses or lenses in a pharmacy)
- Medicines. Medicines in Britain are not only expensive, but also in the overwhelming majority are released only on prescription - there are very few names in open sale. Be sure to take a stock of your medications if you have chronic illnesses, and also stock up pills for motion sickness, headache and stomach problems. An exception can be made only for vitamins and various dietary supplements: they are just cheap enough in the UK, sold in a huge range and very high quality.
- Electronic dictionary or translator (for example, popular and convenient ABBYY Lingvo)
- Reliable comfortable shoes, warm sweaters and a waterproof jacket: the weather in the UK is unpredictable, and SMAPSE experts can guarantee that you will want to stroll through the countryside, climb one of the big green hills or the mountain range, go on a picnic or walk along the seashore
- Leaf tea - optional. Incredibly, but the fact: for all its uncontrollable love for this drink, the English prefer the tea bag - a good leaf will be found not so simply
- Souvenirs and memorabilia from your country. This will be an excellent gift to new friends, teachers, curators or members of your host family.
