Leicester/apply student visa

Myter SG

Hi all, here's a few questions requesting for help.

1) I am singaporean, how do I apply for student visa for study in uk? where do i go to apply?

2) Anybody in Leicester, UK? or perhaps anyone familiar with travelling from london to leicester? I am not confident of travelling from london heathrow airport to the university. Anybody can be my guide? because i don't think the university will be so good to get someone to help me along.

Its quite urgent as i will be reaching latest in august this year. I would really really appreciate if somebody could be my guide as this is the first time i would be in uk.

Pllllleeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaasssssssseeeeeeeeee... its really urgent!!!

Larry91 SG

I am british so cannot help you with question #1

as for question #2; its too bad you are not flying to London Gatwick airport because there is direct rail link to leicester from there - or Birmingham airport is much closer.

otherwise you can get a coach from heathrow to Nottingham and it stops in Leicester, takes about 2hr + 20 mins. :)

Larry91 SG

other general advice/information since you are coming to UK for the first time;

1. in singapore you got very low crime rates, so you may be used to taking liberties such as going out at night alone. Please don't have this attitude in Leicester...especially if you go outside the city centre. there is lot of crime and gangs violence in leicester. honestly its not known to be a very nice place. stay in city centre or student areas where its more safe.

2. if you arrive in leicester and get confused because everyone is Indian...do not worry, you have reached your destination :)

3. bring warm clothes

Myter SG

man u are scaring me!

actually i would prefer to study in sheffield but they didn't reply me. can u tell me how is sheffield, doncaster, northampton, and hull like?

Larry91 SG

sorry!! dont want to scare - im just paranoid about it these days

out of those places Sheffield is the nicest city i think, my bro lives there. but i never been to doncaster or hull.

Kuali Baba SG

1) The British High Commission website is a good place to start, as are these guys VFS

2) National Rail's website indicates that trains bound for Leicester leave from the St Pancras railway station. Take the Underground from Heathrow (buy your oyster card at the station office, keep it for travel in London and return it to get your deposit and remaining value back), get off at King's Cross/St Pancras and follow the signs.

You can buy your ticket to Leicester there and then at the ticket office. If you plan to stay in London a day or so, buying your ticket by 6pm the day before you leave gets you cheaper advance fares.

But Larry is right, Heathrow's not the closest airport. Birmingham is the nearest major airport. Lots of European carriers (and Emirates too) fly there. Choose wisely.

If you expect to travel around GB a lot, at any railway ticket office, you can pay for a 16-25 railcard which gets you 1/3 off the train fares. You'll need to show your passport.

Kuali Baba SG

man u are scaring me!

actually i would prefer to study in sheffield but they didn't reply me. can u tell me how is sheffield, doncaster, northampton, and hull like?

I've been only to Northampton. It's a small town surrounded by villages, famous in the past for producing shoes, and it has a top rugby team. Very few buildings are more than 5 storeys high. If you like racing, Silverstone is minutes away (make that hours when Formula 1 brings the traffic jams). It's on the main line between Birmingham and London, so it takes just over an hour to get to the capital by train.

Sheffield, Doncaster and Hull are in Yorkshire (south, south and east respectively), which is in the north (still just over 2 hours from London).

P.S. Travelling by coach is cheaper, of course, but I personally despise dealing with road traffic.

And if you do go to Leicester, don't be shy and miss the Deepavali/Diwali celebrations there.

Myter SG

1) The British High Commission website is a good place to start, as are these guys VFS

You can buy your ticket to Leicester there and then at the ticket office. If you plan to stay in London a day or so, buying your ticket by 6pm the day before you leave gets you cheaper advance fares.

But Larry is right, Heathrow's not the closest airport. Birmingham is the nearest major airport. Lots of European carriers (and Emirates too) fly there. Choose wisely.

If you expect to travel around GB a lot, at any railway ticket office, you can pay for a 16-25 railcard which gets you 1/3 off the train fares. You'll need to show your passport.

i checked emirates, they have direct from sg and the prices are quite fine. so in your opinion, birmingham would be closer to leicester? what transport do i take at birmingham airport?

i dont think i have time to linger around in london or other places. i would be travelling to university straight away. i dont trust coaches too. prefer trains. i just want to get to university in the fastest and least hassle way.

Myter SG

i checked wikipedia and the demographics for south asians is about 30% in leicester...

not that bad huh...

urmm,

seriously hope sheffield reply me as soon as possible!

Larry91 SG

keep reading... xD

"The Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) had estimated that by 2011 Leicester would have approximately a 50% ethnic minority population, making it the first city in Britain not to have a white British majority.^[10]"

(result from 2011 census is pending :P)

anyways its not important really, in my home town the majority indian areas are the safest areas.

you said "direct from sg"...im pretty sure emirates always go via dubai, maybe thats what you meant. im flying from birmingham to singapore via dubai in a fortnight.

getting from Bham airport to leicester is easy, its 10 minutes train journey from airport station to birmingham new street station (officially UK's ugliest building...not good way to begin your stay xD) then direct train to Leicester about 50 mins.

good luck with sheffield.

Kuali Baba SG

While we're on that subject, Manchester airport is closest to Sheffield, and Leeds Bradford airport is the closest to Doncaster (it's still reasonable close to Manc though) and Hull.

Myter SG

keep reading... xD

(result from 2011 census is pending :P)

anyways its not important really, in my home town the majority indian areas are the safest areas.

you said "direct from sg"...im pretty sure emirates always go via dubai, maybe thats what you meant. im flying from birmingham to singapore via dubai in a fortnight.

good luck with sheffield.

ohh so it will stopover in dubai? how long is the stopover?

Myter SG

While we're on that subject, Manchester airport is closest to Sheffield, and Leeds Bradford airport is the closest to Doncaster (it's still reasonable close to Manc though) and Hull.

i know SIA flies direct to manchester airport

but does sg have direct flights to Leeds Bradford airport?

i would prefer less transfer because i will have quite some luggages.

Kuali Baba SG

ohh so it will stopover in dubai? how long is the stopover?

You will have to change planes, and the length of the stopover depends on the flight you pick for the next leg of the journey. The shortest I found for SG to Brum is 2 hours.

As long as all the flights on your journey are with the same airline, you don't have to think about lugging your luggage around, it will be checked-in through to your final destination. I've done it countless times.

To get to Leeds this way, however, you need to fly with KLM, and you'll have a stopover in Amsterdam. It's the only airline that flies to both SG and Leeds.

And if you're going to carry loads of luggage to Manc, instead of flying SIA, save some money, fly with Emirates and you'll get 30kg baggage allowance. That's 10kg more than other airlines (unless you're flying to the Americas)

Larry91 SG

my stopover is 6 hours in the middle of the night, caus it was the lowest price option :/ lol

Myter SG

You will have to change planes, and the length of the stopover depends on the flight you pick for the next leg of the journey. The shortest I found for SG to Brum is 2 hours.

To get to Leeds this way, however, you need to fly with KLM, and you'll have a stopover in Amsterdam. It's the only airline that flies to both SG and Leeds.

wow thanks for informing me! i dint know about the extra baggage allowance. i would need it so much!! and also all the information of the different carriers. i have never been to europe before so i am kind of amateur in such stuffs.

Myter SG

my stopover is 6 hours in the middle of the night, caus it was the lowest price option :/ lol

maybe in future i could try it when i am travelling alone. how u occupy yourself during that 6hrs?

Kuali Baba SG

You'll be surprised by the amount of stuff you accumulate when you're abroad. I had to post some stuff home and check in more than 35kg after just 6 months. Luckily the baggage allowance in the US is 45kg.

Kuali Baba SG

maybe in future i could try it when i am travelling alone. how u occupy yourself during that 6hrs?

It depends on what the airport offers. Almost all have duty-free shopping, many have free wi-fi or internet kiosks, and a few like Amsterdam and Seattle have museums and galleries.

Myter SG

i guess i would have alot when i go... my books would come up to be 10kg at least.

yeah i know, all those daily neccessities will accumulate and seriously i need to tone down on shopping lol. i have friends overseas, normally they just give away the food and cheap necessities to neighbours and deposit some of the items they still want with local friends.

anyway was talking with one just now, we argued because our views differ as he feels that i should bring more winter clothings (he change his tees every 2-3days), but on other hand i would prefer to bring more summer tees as i feel i could change them everyday (a similar coat /jacket shouldnt be a problem to be worn everyday aint it?) and dont forget need to buy more long-johns...

in your opinion, is he more correct? or should i just bring more summer clothes?