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CONTENTS 6 Student Safety in Birmingham 9 Looking for Work Experience? 12 How do you beat homesickness?14How to strecth yourbudget?16VIDEO: Money Savings Idea 17 Your Guide to Choose Accommodation 3



EDITOR’S LETTERWelcome to Birmingham!WayaLlWwomimITihvbVcdusWhafoihaeaaaheSrnrEeiWyasootszafcngeeaecotonwsmcirfefeovsnwoferirdeoiai.reneomgnrfptshmWlnMrotslvmdtyBiaohpaboevmyaeoeeigpiknaeitsrloynndsohhueiedeemnirotuydngieardeytaiuoMre1ygiidpanttoyysrxli6oou’rglmttonosiceasipoufdhoehoafauueanerowyolsangwnsarfysorsomcred?misroineacitlaeuetftlulfednyonarl.uennarcogmstflnraicmtwilotinmuctaoentePsahvclgoeihgdlyyodeeyhsiianigennllteyrriatiistuntntouctrotltriehdsfoceeiinuiouofdiprolhyvnlefsdorunrweosweea!yoonaahss!irftahonitkdutbetnufoiwlbutolooirrega.dvyroeoinrgretbfyEo.uoahental.yeneuatSwvaadloPjarrdemotwt,snuiCitryfltloyloylruayiholtnivTinldoyetrofousiahreeenenhmarofimlay.gnsndrackseeodHtgasresitsfslm!neiuakayfonio.wgcdevrgwtPnkhSoeihftnnioonohocguemtekrysseeasoor.nuinng Griya Ratri Putri 5

Picture: PC Tracey Pickering,Safer student website West Midlands Police Officer As multicultural city, covers BCU. Birmingham offers diversity, so many foods, places and events going on. This is a city to EXPLORE! But, make sure your time in UK is safe and enjoyable. Living in the new environment, it is important that you take steps to protect yourself and your property whilst in here. West Midlands Police Officer works closely within the university and in connection with student union to ensure your safety at uni, home living, and even in a night club that you’re going to spend your weekend. 6

STUDENT SAFETYin BirminghamHere are some practical advice on •Find out the information beforehow to prepare for coming to the you travel to the UK. ReassuranceUK and how to keep yourself safe is the accommodation safe?Youwhile you are here, from West can do it by going directly to bookMidland Police Community from the university or student ac-Support Officer Tracey Pickering commodation website. Speaking to another students who already• Find out the information before have arrived to get information.you travel to the UK. Reassuranceis the accommodation safe? You • You have to purchase a lot ofcan do it by going directly to book things when you first time arrivefrom the university or student ac- here. Set up a bank account socommodation website. Speaking you don’t have to carry a hugeto another students who already amount of money everywhere.have arrived to get information. • Don’t carry your• You have to purchase a lot of passport and visathings when you first time arrive around at all time.here. Set up a bank account so you Put them in a safedon’t have to carry a huge amountof money everywhere. place. Student ID will be enough. 7

• Don’t put all important thing in one Before you leave your house: box to reduce the risk of the lost. It’s going to be the first thing the robber • Lock your door and shut all the look. windows. • If you loose item, report to the • Plan your journey, to reduce the police as a lost. If you have lost your risk of getting lost. passport, report it to the security service in the university to process it • Don’t use a mobile phone when to the next stage. you walk along the street. If you need to make a call, stop, make a • Visit www.immobilise.com call, then put it away. It’s a free website to register your electronic devices and possession. • Simply aware your surrounding. This online checking is used by all UK Look people around, so you know Police forces to trace owners of lost what they look like and what’s go- and stolen property. It is simple, you ing on around you. Be careful with just put your details and unique refer- your belongings. ence number. It’s easier than using UV pen. • It’s better to walk in a group at night. USEFUL CONTACTS Website : http://saferstudents.west-midlands.police.uk/ Twitter : @SaferStudents On campus Off campus Birmingham City Unviresity West Midlands police: 101 +443316325 Emergency: +443316969 Emergency: 999 Aston University Emergency: 2222 (internal) 0121 359 2922 (external) University of Birmingham Tel : 0121 414 3000 (43000 internally) Security Control (emergencies) Tel : 0121 414 4444 (44444 internally) Email : [email protected]

Looking for..Planning to get a job after graduation? Consider that before youapply for a real job, having work experience is a real plus to show yourgenuine interest in the industry. Griya Putri speaks to David Bond,a Career Consultant from BCU Student Service about how to improvethe chance of getting work placement in the UK.What is the benefit of having work What is the restriction onexperience? undertaking a work placement for international student?Yes, it shows that you’ve got rel-evant experience. It also shows Your visa may allow you to work,other, some other skills that you but the visa rules are strict – payhave. If you have worked for differ- attention to what is written inent sec¬tor, you can demonstrate your visa and check the numberyour ability to work as a team and of hours you can work.interpersonal skills. 9

For many students it is 20 hours What is the difficulty for internationalbut can depend on the industry you student to get a job in the UK?want to work in. Many studentscan work longer hours in the hol- Usually, after you finish youriday but check with your universi- course, you will have a periodty’s Student Services department if between 2-4 months before youryou are unsure. visa expires, but often the compa- ny may not have work experienceWhat is your tips to improve the chance programmes that match yourof getting work placement in here? dates.1. Get your CV checked! Is it Another barrier could be thatrele¬vant to the UK? It’s slightly some companies don’t fully under-different from each country, e.g: stand what international studentssome coun-tries require photo, or can bring to the company. It’syou may include personal details helpful if you can consider how yousuch as your marital status, or the can market yourself to make younumber of children that you have. stand out compared to local stu-Keep it to 2 pages! dents and demonstrate how you position your self in the market.2. Make sure your CV is targeted tothe company that you are looking Some of the small companiesfor. For example, if you want to aren’t familiar about immigra-ap¬ply for Social Media Assistant tion rules and regulations. But itrole, your employer expects you doesn’t mean it’s impossible! Onceto include your twitter or blog on again, the most important thing isyour CV. If you apply for a job for a you know what you want to do, whycompany that has international of- you are special, what you can bringfices, then you may want to include that home student can’t bring.details of your linguistic abilities.State that you can speak multiplelanguages. Don’t just send out thesame CV every time. Make sureyou tailor your CV!10

With a massive information on the internet, it’s never been easier to find out what a placement opportunity that interests you. Go to the company websiteStudent service If you already know your dreamUniversity usually has career ser- company that you are going tovice that provide you the informa- work, go to the ‘career’ section ontion related to career and job pros- their website, and simply find thepect, such as online job board and opportunity there.advice on how to structure your CV.Work in the university either part- Use your contact networktime work or internship is a good Still struggling? Ask your friend,chance to get experience in variety tutor, or your parents. Develop yourdifferent role. relationship with many contacts. You never know some of them willSpecialised website lead you for the future opportuni-There are some specialised web- ties. t’s not about whom you know,site that is designed as a search but rather who knows you, right?engine for a placement. You canfiter your search according to thelocation, the area that you are look-ing for, then it will shows you a listof available placement. Visit Pros-pects.co.uk 11

Feeling lonely? Miss your home Taken from a paper published in Pediatrics, the journal ofand family? The majority new uni- the American Academy ofversity students will suffer some Pediatrics, Chris Thurberlevel of homesickness. Research and Edward Walton defineshows most of them can cope homesickness as “distresswithin a few weeks.By the third and functional impairmentweek all but a few have found caused by an actual or antic-symptoms decreasing. How about ipated separation from home andyou? attachment objects such as par- ents.” Homesick is a normal part as a students’ development towards adulthood. By being homesick, it tells you to realize certain needs and to find solutions to satisfy that uncomfortable feeling.There are several factors that While you are tempted to goingmake people feel homesick, back home when you’re homesick,such as, have been away from figuring out that feeling make youhome for the first time, low self grow into maturity. Yuying Wang,esteem, and have close emotion- who studies Marketing in As-al relationship with family or a ton University, has been living inpartner at home. For internation- Birmingham for almost 6 months.al students, everything seems get It’s not easy for her to live far awayharder since they have to adapt from her home in Beijing especiallywith unfamiliar new culture. “The advantage “I did solo travel of working in a for the first time to restaurant, beside Switzwerland last getting extra Christmas. It was money, I have free exciting!” meal!” Yuying Wang (24), Faustina Myra (26), Aston University BCU student student12

on the first three months. She been here for a year- shared hertried to make connection to experience how to cope home-university life by making new sickness. Rather than confused offriends and going out for dinner being alone, she preferred to findwith others. On Christmas hol- a part time job on one of restau-iday, she went for solo-travel to rant in Birmingham city centreSwitzerland for the first time. “It to spend her spare time. She gotwas exciting experience, I could opportunities to cultivate a socialenjoy my time alone, discovered life from her work environment.new things about myself and did Beside that, she joint internshipeverything that I really wanted to program about business for threedo. You don’t have to bother months during summer break.others,” says Yuying. There are many other ways to helpFaustina Myra, international stu- balancing your emotional support,dent from Indonesia -who has by seeking out activities that you enjoy the most. Finally, you can still go home for some time to get more nurtured and emotionally recharged. 13

HOW TO STRETCH YOUR BUDGETManaging a budget is not ashard as you think. The hardestthing is not to make it, but howyou can stick to the new plan.Remember, money is part ofyour lifestyle and character. Newstudent must face living on abudget especially when comingaway from home. Here they arethe step to save your money whilestudying, from Shara Athinson,a Student Finance Advisor fromBirmingham City University:Step 1 : Your living cost Step 2: Go for groceries with friendsCreate your budget to knowhow much estimated living cost Usually, some supermarketsfrom your basic expense, these offer to buy two for one deal thatinclude: your rent, food, travel, much cheaper. Then, you haveand book expenditure. Based to write down you priority to buyon the data taken from Save the before you go shopping. The mostStudent! student finance survey important thing is, don’t go to su-2012, rent is the largest propor- permarket when you’re hungry. Ittion of a student’s outgoings, will tend to be impulse buying thatwith food and socialising the can increase your expense.next largest drain on finances atalmost half that. See if there is Step 3: Prepare for different kindsomething you can reduce from. of clothesFocus on spending money only onneeds. Warm clothes will be useful for most of the time in the UK,14

except in summer, you have to Step 6: Open for a student bankprepare loose clothes. accountBest buy tips, you can buy warmclothes when summer and buy For safety reason, you can putsummer clothes when winter. money into the account rather thanStart buying from no will save carry physical cash. If your mon-your money, because you’re going ey is stolen, you will not have anyto have quite higher cost when money left. There are many bankyou buy boots or coats on winter. accounts that operate overseas thatOn orientation day, sometimes you can consider as your option.there will be shopping trip, theuniversity will show you the Step 7: Apply for student cardcheaper shop with best deals. Getting student card will be useful,Step 4: Decide where are you go- they offers many discounts anding to live that suit your budget benefit from many merchants. You can apply for NUS Card throughIf you go to private accommoda- your Student Union. National Railtion, you need to think about your also offers 16-25 Railcard. It costswater bills, electricity, gas, TV just £30 and will save you 1/3 onlicense and any other type ex- rail fares throughout Great Britain.penditures for household. Sharra If you’re aged between 16 and 25,suggests it is cheaper to rent stu- or are older and in full-time educa-dent accommodation than private tion, you can apply for it.hall, since the bills are included. Step 8: Save your travel budget inStep 5: Use the resources of the advancelibrary and the internet ratherthan buy a book Whether you are planning a week- end to go around London, or spend-Try to connect with your tutor ing your summer to travel aroundbeforehand, to know how many Europe, you will need to budgetbook and estimated cost of the the amount of money you plan tobook that you need during your spend.study, to draw the cost down themoney. If you need core books, Still have problem?just buy those. Because after you Come to your student services,finish with them, you don’t know they usually offers help for financialwhere you should put off your issue, such as student loan, how tobook? save your money, how to create a budget, and so on. 15

Money Savings Ideas16

Moving out on your own can be exciting for some reason, but you have to be careful to decide. Each option has its benefits. Student accommodation isWhat is the best a good choice for student on the first year, since you can socialize and meet new people in a sort of space. The best option for you: student accommodation usually has own common room and bar. Staying in a shared house will be good If you haveStay in a student a good housemate. You have to make a accommodation clear roommate rules to avoid risk inor shared house? conflict. Maintain your good relationship by showing good manners. 17