Type of housing: Apartment/House

Arranged by: Independently - My choice

If returning, I would choose: Apartment/House

Why? I wanted to meet English people and I have heard thet university accomodation is often with other international students. And it is a much more free way of living. However I would concider trying to find other students to share a house, could be a nice way to meet new people not necessarily studying the same uni courses although there is alwas the risk that you don't get along.

Personal comments:
none

Describe host city: Students equally interact with the local and student community

Activities, Nightlife, Travel: Takes place both within and outside of the university/student environment

Personal comments:
Spoilt for choice... Nightlife is best to explore with your friends. There are some lovely old style English pubs if you look closely in the little alleys off the main shopping streets. But most importantly do not miss the beautifull nature all around. The Dales, Peak and Lake distrikt etc.

Course recommendations:
Coming from Sweden I'm used to studying a course at a time. It is important to consider before you start how you think that you will react to few lecture hours a week and do severall courses at once. It is too easy to leave it all too late!! I chose to not interact with other international students, however there are a lot of them in Leeds and if you want to meet students from other parts of the world it's easy as pie, just keep an eye open for what is going on at the international centre, also the was an Erasmus society at the union. These are also good ways of meeting English students that have been or plan to go abroad studying.

Personal comments:
none

Language of instruction: English

Main source of funding:
Government assistance

Other sources of funding:
An ERASMUS grant

Work opportunities:
I didn't want/need to work

Personal spending habits:
Telephone I think is obvious (alot of overseas calls home). And I spent a lot of money travelling since I wanted to take the opputrunity to see as much as possible. Living close to the univeristy and town I saved money on busses since I walked almost everywhere. Also alot was spent on setting up home (pots and pans cuttlery, tv license, insurance etc).

Travel, Overall, Telephone, Housing: was more expensive than at home.

Food, Nightlife: was the same price as at home.

I wish I had known...
Opening a bank account took time, was rather complicated and dissapointing. As an international student not all bank would offer me anything, some demanded paper I did not have. In the end I used Nat West but they would not give me any internet services, so I had to visit the bank alot and queue and payed all my bills online with my credit card on the companies pages. Canät think of anything else (but it has been a year since I arrived, much seems hard to overcome when you get there but is soon forgotten :-)

In my opinion:
Everybody loved it, you will too!