Home > Current students > International students > Newsletter

The International Student Calculator

Many international students, including those from developing countries, have been coming without adequate financial preparation and running into financial difficulties. The UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) has teamed up with UNIAID, the independent charity helping students cope with finance, to give a helping hand. A new online International Student Calculator is launched this week to help international students plan and manage their finances for studies in the UK and is available free online for students and universities to use.

According to research by UKCISA, student finance is the number one concern for international students; Almost a quarter (23%) of them said they didn’t have enough money to live on. Of those who had experienced
hardship, 72% said they underestimated the cost of living. Only 25% of students took out possessions insurance, which is concerning as students are often targeted.  Also, many have unrealistic expectations of how much time they can spend working.

The International Student Calculator is an online tool developed with students from 13 different countries. It
enables students to;

• Build a lifestyle budget and see how it balances by week, month or over a year.
• Understand how they will spend their time as well as their money in the UK
• Get information on areas like insurance and banking as well as guidance on the costs of living
• Learn from case studies and top tips from other students
• Save their budget so they can use it before arriving or during their study.

Log on to the International Student Calculator at www.studentcalculator.org.uk/international.

University climbs the league table 

The University has risen six places to 55 in The Guardian University Guide 2009, with excellent performance in certain key areas.

The tables are based on a combination of aspects such as National Student Survey findings, expenditure per student, student:/staff ratios and entry tariffs.

There was good news in some of the key 47 subject areas that can be compared between universities.

Drama and Dance provision is particularly well regarded, ranking 4th. Art & Design also performed well, ranked 20th in the UK. Music, which includes music technology courses across the University and at franchise colleges, is also listed 20th. For Mechanical Engineering the University is ranked joint-first for Value Added (scoring 10/10) and 13th for Overall Teaching

For further information visit www.guardian.co.uk.

Pre-Arrival guide

For those of you coming to study at the university in September, please ensure that you complete the
registration form to book for the Meet & Greet, and the Orientation Programme. If you do not register by the required deadline you will not be met at Birmingham International Airport. For further information and to access the Pre-Arrival Guide please visit www.bcu.ac.uk/studentservices/
international/prearrival/.

Birmingham City University Open Days – Its all about you!

We understand that choosing the course and university that’s right for you is a huge and often difficult decision. For those of you fortunate enough to be already based in the UK, come along to one of our Open Days. Our next Open Days are:

20th & 21st June 2008
16th & 20th August 2008 (Clearing)

Our Open Days are aimed at people interested in undergraduate study, but you will also be able to speak about postgraduate study. There’s a packed programme of events and activities running throughout each day.

You, your friends and family will be the centre of our attention, as you meet and talk to our friendly staff and
students about courses, careers and all aspects of study.

Our Open Days can get really busy. Registering in advance will ensure that you are fast tracked through the
registration process on the day.

We’re sure you’ll leave with a real feel for what it’s like to be a Birmingham City University student. We hope you have an enjoyable day.

For more information please visit our website.

Go-ahead for City North sports site 

The University has received planning consent for its proposed sports centre in Perry Barr from Birmingham City Council. The centre will boast a wide range of sports facilities for students and staff of the University as well as members of the local community including:

a sports hall big enough to accommodate eight badminton courts; an 80-station fitness suite; dance and aerobic studios.

The planning consent also allows the future development of an all weather pitch. The building designed by
Warwick-based architects, Robotham Architecture, will cost around £7m. Work is planned to commence in July with completion before the start of the academic year September 2009.

Pranab's top TV job 

A former student has landed a senior post with the company behind the latest development in television in India.

Pranab Prakhar, who completed an MA in International broadcast Journalism, is Senior Executive Producer-Sports for NEWS X, one of the three new channels recently launched by former Star TV Group Asia Chief Executive Peter Mukherjee.

The INX network, which boasts former ITV and Sky personnel in its senior management, says it aims to provide an environment where bright, daring, energetic and creative people enjoy working together to develop world class TV and other media products.

In his new role Pranab leads a team of 30 journalists on the Sports Desk. "We have over four hours of sports content during 16 hours of live TV every day," he says, adding, "It includes two special sports shows which have already won praise from critics and my bosses in the organisation."

In an email to course director Diane Kemp he said: "I just wanted to say my personal 'Thanks' for all the support you gave during my study, which helped me be a good broadcast journalist and team leader."

Diane said: "We are delighted for Pranab. Even though most of our broadcast journalism students land good jobs and develop their careers we never quite get over the excitement of hearing how well they are doing."