Moving abroad

25th April 2014

When you decide to move to another country or to study abroad, millions of question will come to mind. This happened to me last year when I decided that it was time for a change: to go to the UK, to improve my English and to look for a new job. At the beginning, I felt excited: it was a new experience and I would get to know a lot of new people. However, when the date to go was fast approaching, I panicked! I had so many questions… That’s why I would like to give the students that are coming for the summer season some tips.

Cardiff City Centre

Probably, your first question is where am I going to live? The cost of living in Cardiff is much lower than other cities in the UK. You have several options such as living with a British family, living in a shared house or living in a residence. Sometimes looking for a room in a shared house is a difficult process and it takes time to find what you want. The difficulty depends on the season: Summer is a good time of the year because most of the students at Uni leave Cardiff during the holidays. However, once September begins the search race begins! In Celtic we can arrange your homestay or residential accommodation, so you don’t have to worry about anything!

Something that you need in the UK is a bank account and credit card. Some banks don’t ask you for an employment contract like Lloyds or Barclays, but if you’d rather another branch you can ask at Reception for a full-time student Certificate and you won’t have any problems. You only need your passport and a proof of address. Our Student Services Coordinator, Laurence Denison, will be happy to provide you with a Celtic School letter to take to your bank as proof of your study here.

Another important thing you need to know is if you need to go to the Doctor’s you have to be registered in your nearest practice. On the Wales NHS website you can find a directory where you can search the services by simply entering your postcode. You just pop into the GP Surgery you choose with a proof of identity and address and, that’s all!

A lot of students want to get a job at the same time that they’re studying. Cardiff offers excellent opportunities for students in restaurants, shops, hotels, etc. The first thing you need is a National Insurance Number (NIN) that you can get in the Jobcentre Plus. First, you have to call the Jobcentre Plus application line and they may ask you to go to a short interview where you’ll be asked about your circumstances. Once you have your number, you can start to look for a job. In Celtic School, we can help our students to write their CV (sometimes the layout or the information the employers want in the CV is different from your native country) and give some advice on finding a job. We are always happy to help!

That’s all for now but if you have any other question, feel free to pop into the office and ask me about anything! Also, don’t hesitate to ask for advice at the school, our student services are top priority to us and whatever your problem or concern, no matter how big or small, we will be there for you to make your experience of living abroad as easy as possible.