UK STUDY INFORMATION

In this section, you can find information about the UK, including school life, weather, food, culture, living cost, medical care, guardianship, clothing and transport.

STUDY ENVIRONMENT

School Life

The UK educational system is different from most educational system in Asia, e.g.

  • UK system has a wider selection of courses to choose from.
  • The system encourages students to learn properly, through which they think about solutions/theories and express ideas during classes; whereas the educational system in Hong Kong forces students to memorise the entire textbook content during exam time.
  • Borders usually build a very close relationship with each other since they are living and studying together under the same routine.

For most of the UK secondary schools, you are expected to wear school uniform and participate school's extra-cirrculum activities. The general preception of UK schools is:

  • Traditional, strict and discipline
  • A lot of teamwork during classes
  • That there are regular school trips and annual school events. With good facilities, e.g. computers and for sports

Weather

England's climate is mild and damp, with temperatures moderated by the light winds that blow in off its relatively warm seas. Temperatures inland do not get much below freezing in winter (December to February), or much above 30°C in summer (June to August). The north is the coldest area; London, the southeast and the West Country are the warmest. Rainfall is greatest in hilly areas and in the West Country. You can expect cloudy weather and light drizzle in any part of England at any time.

Food

There is a variety of food available in the UK. The nation's favourite dish is fish and chips. You will be able to find pizza shops, Chinese takeaways and fast food chains quite easily in towns across the UK.

Culture

In comparison to the way of life in Asia, lifestyle in the UK is relatively less hectic and rather uncomplicated. However, the way of life in big cities like London, Manchester and Birmingham is more like that of Singapore and Hong Kong. In general, British people like to participate in sporting events, and every weekend there are many activities for entertainment from which to select.

You will find British people are friendly, helpful, warm-hearted but perhaps a bit reserved at times. The general impression is that they have good manners and are portrayed as gentlemen.

WHAT TO PREPARE

Living Cost

Compared to the Asian standard of living, living costs would be considerably higher in the UK. In addition, the cost of living in the south of England is more expensive than that of living in the north. There is approximately a 15-20% difference between the two regions. Below is a list of pricing in the Southern region of England:

  • Newspaper £0.40
  • A dozen of eggs £1.20
  • A can of coke £0.50
  • Special fried rice £2 .50
  • A MacDonald Big Mac Meal £3.29
  • A pair of shoes £40
  • One litre of milk £0.60
  • Cinema ticket £4.50

Medical Care

You are entitled to free medical care if your course lasts for more than 6 months, this is provided by the government's National Health Services (NHS).

In addition, most secondary schools have their own doctors and nurses on 24-hours standby. But if parents would like to take on private health care insurance, we can similarly assist you with the arrangement.

Guardianship

By law, international students who are aged 18 or under are required to have a guardian to act the role of a parent. This parental care includes attending regular school visits and events, the acceptance of school reports, providing a home to stay during holiday (term-break or Easter), and to deal with any other parental issues.

For more information, please go to our Services page.

Clothing

Weather in the UK is rather unpredictable at times. The majority of your study would probably be rather cold and windy. It is therefore best to bring along raincoat as well as thicker layer of clothing.

Transport

The UK transport infrastructure is well designed. You can travel around the UK in all types of transport (e.g. coaches, rails and flights). However, the costs are sometimes quite high. You are always advised to pre-book your journey.