Tips for freshers at the University of Nottingham, UK

Following tips might be of great help for new comers at the University of Nottingham.

• Get registered with a General Practitioner soon upon arrival and also fill in HC1 form to get help with medical prescriptions as even simple prescriptions cost much.

• Shopping: Consider Hyson Green especially for desi food and restaurants etc (you can also find cheapest supermarket ASDA there)

A free bus service (Medilink) runs from QMC to Hyson Green:

• The bus to City Hospital drops at Wilkinson street (near Hyson  Green).
• On way back from Wilkinson street Queens drive bus drops at QMC.

• Use transportdirect and google map for journey planning etc. For travel within Nottingham travel passes for students are available. 

• TravelSoc, PGSA and International Office arrange trips for various cities and attractions of England. It’s the best way to explore England and make friends, the student way. Every town has a travel information centre to guide visitors about attractions etc.

• University services worth availing: 

Student Advice Service: For guidance about any matter. 
Anybody Club: For playing different sports and getting to know the sports facilities  offered by univ.
Central Short Courses: Offers different free short courses to boost the skills you may need.
Counselling Service: A free confidential service for helping a student’s problems   
Career Service: For guidance regarding career and arrange presentations by different employers.

              

• Realcycle-nottingham is a platform for residents of Nottingham to either gift unused items or ask from other members. 

• In case of any problem outside university Citizen Advice Bureau, Police and Pakistan Center etc may be of some help.

• Hyson Green and Sneinton are the areas rich with Pakistani community. Majority of Pakistani community in UK is into business and not that aware of education or the students' matters. 

• Unitemp can be helpful for finding any part-time opportunities but it needs a prior CV check via appointment from CCD.  To be considered for jobs etc., a valid National Insurance number is required. For most of jobs, a UK driving license is an advantage. To apply for UK driving test or driving lessons, a provisional driving license is mandatory.

• Don't forget to explore Periodic Table of Videos, The Sixty Symbols and Einstein Blackboard. 

By Fahim Khanzada (Univ. Nottingham)

A Pakistani student appeals from UK

I, with other scholars from Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS), Jamshoro, was sent to the UK on merit scholarship awarded by the LUMHS/HEC for a four-year PhD degree course about two and a half years back. The relevant authorities in Pakistan have informed us recently that it is mandatory for us to finish our studies in three years at any cost.

I, a medical doctor and a member of the Faculty of Community Medicine and Public Health Sciences at LUMHS, with teaching experience of about 12 years, married, having four young children, proceeded to do my PhD degree course in epidemiology and public health, at the University of Nottingham, UK, in September 2006, after fulfilling all the requirements, i.e. clearing IELTS, GRE and a core course/test conducted by a fac ulty of international repute, organised by LUMHS (under the Faculty Enhancement Programme of the HEC/Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan).

For the PhD, I was granted ex-Pakistan leave of four years by the authorities. Accordingly, I was allowed a scholarship which included university tuition fees (for three years and paid in advance) and living expenses of 750 pounds per month for four years, permissible under the HEC policy.
After getting excellent progress reports during the first and the second year, I am in my third year of studies and progressing well in accordance with the study/research plan, and the fourth year is to be followed by write-up of the thesis, reviews by the supervisor, its submission and evaluation by the ex aminers, defending the thesis/viva voce, which will lead to the successful completion of the degree course and, finally, my return to my Alma Mater and the country with a PhD degree.

Under the circumstances narrated above, we have now been officially told by our university that:
(1) our studies were sponsored for the period of 36 months,
(2) it is mandatory that we finish our research and writing work within the stipulated time and (3) LUMHS, Jamshoro, will not bear the expenses (tuition fee or living expenses) if our studies extend beyond the said period.

Due to this decision, I feel devastated in a foreign land for no fault of my own. It’s not only unfair but will also waste all the sweat and blood I have put into my studies at the cost of my children’s future and also cause a colossal loss of the money inves ted by the government and the university, if I am not supported financially (by allowing living expenses for the fourth year) to complete my studies/research and return without achieving the objective.

It may be mentioned here that my PhD degree programme is based on human study, which is progressing with the support of the GPs’ all over the UK, and the needed data collection and analysis of the selected samples can hardly be accomplished in the three-year period of research in accordance with the prescribed and designed schedule under the supervision of the supervisor. Write-up of the thesis, its evaluation and defending the thesis is to follow in the fourth year. Accordingly, I have been allowed four years exPakistan study leave to pursue my PhD degree course as an inservice candidate at the University of Nottingham.

Making it mandatory for me to finish with the PhD degree course within three years appears to be quite illogical. The tuition fee along with the living expenses for the third year have already been paid by the LUMHS/HEC, whereas, for the fourth year till the academic requirements of the degree programme are fully completed, the LUMHS/HEC will be required to pay only the living expenses, which is their sole responsibility.

I hail from a middle class, educated family of Sindh, and am unable to afford the expenses in the UK for even a month, let alone one full year. I appeal to President Asif Ali Zardari to intervene in this matter and help me and many others who are pursuing their PhDs’ abroad.
DR ANEELA ATTA UR RAHMAN England

Different Scholarships at UK

Postgraduate study, MBAs and PhD Erasmus Mundus - the Institute of Education (IoE), London
The European Commission offers scholarships for 3rd country (non-EU) students and scholars MA in Lifelong Learning. The deadline for Erasmus Mundus scholarship applications for the academic year 2009/2010 is 31 December 2008.

OSI/FCO Chevening/University of Essex
Full scholarship for master degrees in Human Rights 2009-2010. Deadline of application: 19 January 2009.

OSI/FCO Chevening/University of Nottingham
8 full scholarships for LLM in Human Rights Law, MA in International Relations, MA in Social & Global Justice, MA in European & Global Politics, MA in International Security and Terrorism, MA Diplomacy, MA Politics and Contemporary History, MA Critical Theory and Politics. Deadline of application: 30 January 2009