A good experience.. for life & academics University of Manchester
- R GulatiIndia
- University Of Manchester, United Kingdom
- MA in International Politics, International Relations Pathway
- Postgraduate
- 2007
The campus is fantastic, huge and 5 minutes from the city-centre. The staff, especially the professors are very approachable and friendly. The University has mostly modern infrastructure, with several brand new buildings. The first week, especially for foreign students can be a bit hectic and most of us were lost, but things settle out soon. The student IT set-up needs a lot of work, when I was there, our marks etc. were never online on time.
The admission process involves the form, the SOP, Reco letters and your marksheets, which take time to collect and notarize, so plan in advance! The University sends representatives during the summer to meet you, and even conduct interviews, so it becomes very easy to gauge your chances of getting into your course and get one-on-one advice on where to stay. There is also a gathering of students before departure, where you can get to meet other students going to Manchester and maybe make friends and coordinate in advance, which helps break the ice. Visa process for the UK is really easy, provided 2 things are taken care of: 1) you have an UNCONDITIONAL letter from the uni. 2) You have your finances sorted out, for fees and for staying. Most major airlines give out extra-luggage vouchers for students, so dont miss out. Also, just carry your essentials and warm clothing. Everythings else is easily available and at low cost- ie. bedding, pots/pans and even Indian dals, lentils, breads and masala's can be easily bought as there is a large asian shopping district right next to uni. Don't forget to take your vaccines, x-ray and medical insurance.
I didn't really apply for funding from the University, so I can't comment much. The University does offer bursaries, but are limited in number, especially for foreign students, so better to check with your dept. in advance.. you can all contact details from the uni website. Generally, its better advice to secure admission and try for non-University tied scholarships given out in India itself, Chevening being the premiere one.
The course structure is very relaxed and encourages self-study. If you're doing an Arts based course, you wont have more than 8-10 yours of lectures per week. Classes are more discussions, debates and presentations, so dont expect a teacher to be dictating notes! All the professors are top of the line, and many are authorities on the subjects, yet let the students take the lead in classes. Make sure you prepare for class by doing some self-reading, the prof. will never say anything, but you'll feel foolish if you're the only one not contributing to the discussion. All classes start dot on time and if u have to make a 5 minute presentation, then make sure its exactly 5 minutes. The academic staff is very friendly, but you have to make sure YOU go to them for advice, help, support. They treat you like adults, so no one will ask you until you ask yourself
The campus facilities are fantastic, the library has more than 4 million books and most of the resource material you'll need is available on their online database so that you can access it in your room. Manchester is a big city, 3rd largest in England. So theres lots of entertainment- movie halls (which play all the latest movies from back home). Try to experience something different, go for a play or musical and travel a lot. The rail station is 5 minutes by bus and most travel destinations are just 2-3 hours away, so lots of room for day-trips. London is about 2 hours away. Get a Young Persons Railcard and you'll get 1/3rd off on all your tix. For travelling in Manchester, the stagecoach Unirider is the way to go. It might seem expensive at first, but you'll save at least double that over the year. Part-time work is easily available for students in place like Marks and Spencers, Curry's etc. Minimum wage is about 6 pounds and hour, so you can make good pocket money. But do check your visa limitations on what and how much work you're allowed to do. There is an international society that is very active. But try to do things on your own. Also, all Brits spend their evening in the Pub, even if you dont enjoy alcohol, you can go and have coffee, but to fit into their lifestyle and culture, you'll have to be open to going out. THERE'S NO POINT GOING TO ENGLAND TO JUST MAKE MORE INDIAN FRIENDS. You'll find plenty of people from India in and around your accomodation, i think there are about 500 Indians studying there, so you wont be short of company if you're missing home.
The alumni association is very good, and goes out of its way to keep in touch with you. You also have a very good careers service (if you're looking for work in the UK), although i don't know how well they're doing these days. Also drop in on the career fairs. Again, all this is dependent on how much you want to go and get it, you can't sit back and wait for something to fall on your lap. For a job prospect, Manchester ranks in the mid-rung Univserities, ie. not oxford or cambridge, but much better than a host of others like Leeds, Nottingham, Lancaster etc. Pay more attention to the COURSE you're doing, its better to do a premiere course from tier 2 uni then an unheard of course from a tier 1. Stick to recognized courses, Finance, Economics, IT, Politics, IR, Biotech etc. and avoid courses with fancy names like (Global International Business Econometrics or some other fancy name that Universities make up for people who dont have the marks to get into the premiere courses, but the Uni still wants their money. Remember: BY LAW, AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT PAYS 3 times the fees an English student does. And most englisg students now go to college for free, so international students are the only ones paying, so many uni's will try to get you in, so be careful.
तिमीले स्थाननिर्धारित गर्नुपर्छमा Northern England.
विस्तृत रूपमा University of Manchester को स्थान हेर्नको लागि नक्सामा क्लिक गर्नुहो्स् ।
यस सस्थानको लागि गरिएको स्तर निर्धारण
सबै स्तर निर्धारण तालिकाहरू हेर्नुहोस्
यदि हाल तपाई अध्ययनरत हुनुहुन्छ भने वा यदि तपाईले अध्ययन पुरा गर्नु भएको छ भने आफ्नो अनुभव साझेदारी गरेर भविष्यका विद्यार्थीहरूलाई सहयोग गर्नुहोस् ।