T+1 month, settling in Manchester

This week is going to be 1 month since I arrived to the UK and I have many things to write about. The pre-MBA classes have already started and I’m pretty much settled in. I will write more about the Business School and the classes in the next posts, but right now I would like to share my experience settling in.

We arrived on Wednesday August the 4^th, it was around mid day and we took a taxi. First thing to notice when you get a cab in the UK is that they have plenty of room for 4 people and many big bags, but the taxi driver will charge you extra for the big bags, how much?? Apparently about £0.5 each, but it will depend on each driver.

First thing to do is to get a phone. Without a bank account you won’t be able to get a contract, so until you open your account you will need to use a pre paid phone. It is easy to get a pre paid phone, just try to find convenient fares (it’s never more convenient than having a contract). I got a Lebara SIM card because it allowed me to get cheap calls to Chile (even cheaper than calling inside the UK).

We arrived at a student accommodation that we booked in advance. We expected to find a permanent place to stay in 2 weeks, so we started visiting letting agencies straight away. The agencies will charge a fee that will vary depending on how many people will be in the tenancy agreement. Prices can go from £100 up to £200 in agreements for 2 people and the final price will depend on the agency. It is advisable to visit several places with different agencies.

Usually the agency will ask for a warrantor, obviously international students don’t have UK warrantors, therefore the agency will ask for an advance payment of up to 6 months (apart from the initial deposit of 1 month’s rent). Try to look for access to public transport and supermarkets when looking for a flat.

Remember to ask about the utility bills and consider extra expenses such as TV license and Internet (if you want broadband you will have to pay access to telephone lines). There is also the council tax, but students can get an exemption, remember to ask for it presenting the required documents.

While you are looking for accommodation you should start the process of opening a bank account, which will take about 3 weeks until you have full Internet access to the account and your debit card running.

I finally have my bank account, my phone contract and my flat, so I had some time for travelling... but that is a different story.