Some years ago, a confused international student approached me with several questions about student life in Britain. During the conversation I discovered that he’d had to scrounge for information to survive as a student in the UK. Later that evening, I walked into a bookshop to look for a guidebook on international student life in the UK – I couldn’t find any. With the encouragement of my friends, I thought about writing one myself.

This book is the first of a series of guidebooks aimed at foreigners in the UK, and aims to answer questions about UK living. This book has come about as a result of my day-to-day interaction with several students, universities and government officials.

With its superb colleges and universities, Britain is a popular destination for international students. Currently, around 270,000 overseas students are studying at UK universities and the number is expected to rise by 10 per cent every year. In comparison to the United States or Australia, Britain offers a wider and richer experience to overseas students and a degree from Britain is recognised all over the world for its quality and academic strength.

A Guide Studying and Living in the UK will provide you with all the things you need to know about the British higher educational system and life in Britain. It includes information on the immigration regulations for students, university life, the health service, and British customs and traditions.

I hope you find this guidebook useful for your preparation to come to the UK and throughout the stay itself. Good luck!

This book has been a labour of love over many years of providing information, advice and guidance to others.

I am grateful to my good friends Canon Robin Crawford, Rev Peter Hannaway, Dr Adrian Winnett, Dr Ian Beadham and Kostas Nikoloudis who kept encouraging and nudging me to finish this book. I wish to thank my loving brother Rajiv Satya for his support.

Special thanks to Jenny Guildford for her invaluable help in correcting errors. Special thanks also to the staff and students at Reading University Students’ Union, Reading University and the University of Bath.