The University of Liverpool Singapore Society endeavours to do its very best to provide the best possible assistance and support to you.

First and foremost, do note that the Country Manager of Singapore is Ms Ursula Henry, Deputy Director of the International Recruitment and Relations Office (IRRO).Ms Henry can be contacted @ u.t.henry@liv.ac.uk

Members of staff from the International Office regularly visit Singapore to meet with prospective students. If you would like to meet up with its representatives, please check the following website to find out when the next visit is scheduled:



The following is a guide for freshers coming to Liverpool. Do note that the contents that follow are only meant for informative and NOT ADVISORY purposes. We do not encourage anyone to rely wholly on the information:





Visa
All Singaporean students preparing for their studies in the United Kingdom will require a student visa. A student visa can be obtained from VFS Office which is located at the Bank of India Building, the address of which is 138 Robinson Road #07-09 The Corporate Office Singapore 068906. The website of VFS Office is @ www.vfs.com.sg

The opening times and contact details of VFS Office can be found @ www.vfs.com.sg/contact-us.html

What you will need to bring along for this visa application is reflected @ www.vfs.com.sg/forms/studentvisa.pdf

Applicants are advised that they may want to download the application form online @ www.vfs.com.sg/forms/revised-forms/VAF1%202004%20Non-settlement%20Form.pdf prior to making a visit to the VFS Office.



Money Matters
You should have at least approximately £200 to £300 on hand on your travels to Liverpool. Such an amount should most certainly be sufficient to sustain you during your initial few weeks in Liverpool while you wait for your bank account to be opened.

The cheapest way of transferring money over is via bank drafts, though TT (telegraphic transfer) is a more convenient method. You may want to bring along two bank drafts, one of which is payable to "The University of Liverpool" as school fees can be payable via bank drafts. The other bank draft is for the purpose of opening a bank account.

Banks generally take at least 5 working days to process and bank in bank drafts. And it is not uncommon for delays to occur with the very setting up/opening of a bank account. (Usually paperwork and verification issues.)

Do arrange for an appointment to open a bank account as soon as you are able to, when you arrive in Liverpool.



Documentation & Photos
Do bring along a dozen passport photos as you will definitely have use for them. It is probably more expensive to get passport photos done here in United Kingdom. Also, bring some photos of friends and family as these will definitely help when you start feeling homesick (or if you ever do feel homesick).

In addition, do remember to bring along all relevant documentations such as of your offer or confirmation letter from the University, and your educational certificates.



Exit Permits
Long gone are the days when the trip to the Central Manpower Base (CMPB) was required for application of exit permits. Exit Permits (EPs) can now be applied electronically and obtained online @ www.miw.com.sg.



Health Checkup
Whether the immigration authorities at the United Kingdom airports will demand certification of a student's health is a grey area altogether. In recent times, health certifications have not been demanded.

However, should you nevertheless choose to undergo a health examination, you may want to consider to undergo such an examination at SATA, which has centres islandwide. The website of SATA is @ www.sata.com.sg For an approximate amount of S$55, SATA offers a student packaged health checkup.



Air Tickets
There are specific travel agencies that target students and these tend to be able to offer student-friendly prices. Of course smaller travel agencies might be able to match up if not offer cheaper air tickets simply because of their smaller firm size.

Ask around.

A one way ticket from Singapore to UK can cost around S$750. And a return ticket from UK to Singapore (and back) can cost from the region of £450-£588. This year especially saw some students utilise online web resources in booking air tickets, and an SIA (return) ticket from Manchester to Singapore cost £479 with taxes included. So look out for those as well.



Accomodation
As we tell everyone, the first question to ask yourself is, do you want to cook for yourself or be served meals at stipulated hours?

If you choose the former, self-catered halls are the way to go. There are generally 2 self-catered halls which are in the university campus itself. These two are that of Mulberry Court and Melville Grove. Location-wise, Melville is situated minutes away from the Law Dept, the Sydney Jones Library (Arts Library) and generally other arty-farty departments. Mulberry Court on the other hand has the advantage of being directly above basic ammenities like the HSBC bank, NatWest bank, eateries and a small ma-ma stall. Plus, it is beside the Sports Centre. Though, at the end of the day, Mulberry and Melville are just 5mins walk apart.

If you chose the latter type of accommodation, that is, catered halls of residence, then you have to ask yourself another question. "Am I picky on food?" Word of warning before choosing catered halls is simply that if you can ONLY survive on food like laksa, cha kway teow, hokkien mee, rice (as your staple diet), think again about catered halls. Are catered halls a definite no-no? It depends. What makes up for the distance from university 20mins bus ride away), is that one tends to make many more friends in catered halls. You meet loads of different people from different places in the Dining Hall during meal times.

It can't be suggested of the type of accommodation you should be picking. At the end of the day, it really depends on one's own character. Should you decide on self-catered residences, Melville Grove and Mulberry Court residences should be good choices. Should you opt for catered halls, the Carnatic site is a good choice. Particularly so are Dale and McNair Halls.

However, one has to always consider the time required to travel to and fro from the University and also having to return to the halls at stipulated times to catch the meals being offered. There may be inconvenience and hassle involved, as many students can attest to.



Clothing
Bring enough winter clothes to last you through Autumn and Winter. You will definitely take some time to adapt to the cooler weather here in UK. Winter in UK can get really really cold and it is exceptionally windy in Liverpool. So, it would really be a good idea to bring windbreakers and stuff.

But having said this, it might be cheaper to get winter clothes here in UK. There is a place closeby to Liverpool called Cheshire Oaks. There, you should be able to get cheap(er) clothes.

Also, do not leave all your t-shirts and shorts behind. We do have heatwaves in Spring - Summer if you are lucky. Then, people will take out their sunglasses and be clad in typical summerwear.



Meet & Greet
The Society would advise freshers to utilise the Meet & Greet service provided by the International Recruitment and Relations Office (IRRO) at Manchester International Airport. Freshers are advised to get in touch with the Society as soon as possible.



Last but not least, do get in touch with members of the Singapore Society as soon as you are able to upon arrival in Liverpool!