Royal Opera House Student Scheme: Cheap Ballet Tickets

Recently I had a chance to visit the Royal Opera House to see a ballet based on a Russian novel by Alexander Pushkin called Onegin. It was one of the best ballet productions I have ever been to. I would really recommend going. One thing that is great about London and the UK in general is that you get amazing discounts on a lot of things if you are a student.

If you are a student I highly recommend joining the ROH Student Scheme which is free. Then when they have any discounts on shows they will let you know. I was able to get tickets to Onegin for only 10 pounds! Not only that but the seat I was in, was originally 97 pounds, and had a great view! If you are studying abroad in London it is definitely a must!

University of Leicester Campus

Here are some photos around campus. The University of Leicester has a fairly small and central campus near to the center of town. The campus has a close knit community feel to it which is nice especially if you're an international student.

Victoria Park Path to the University of Leicester

Attenborough Building

Lifts in the Attenborough Building

David Wilson Library

Percy Gee Student Union

Freshers Fair

Old Thomas Cook House and Brookfield Post Graduate Teaching Center which is off campus but near by.

Freshers Flu

Oxford

I recently had the chance to visit the collegiate town of Oxford and was shown around by some friends who study there. When thinking of Oxford from an American perspective one might conjure up images from Harry Potter or of grand historical buildings with hard working students locked away in corners studying. Oxford is a must see for anyone visiting the UK and I was lucky enough to visit during St Giles Fair, which happens every year on the Monday and Tuesday after St Giles Day. We only spent a a day and a half in Oxford which was not enough time to see all the sites but we did get a good feel of the town. I plan on going back and being a bit more thorough next time!

Harrogate, Knaresborough, & Lincoln

It's been an absolute whirlwind since I first arrived in the UK. I flew in last Saturday and haven't stopped traveling since then. I went to a friend's wedding on Sunday in the beautiful spa town of Harrogate, which is famous for its famous baths, and Betty's Cafe. While we were up north in Yorkshire we decided to stop by Knaresborough on our way before heading to Lincoln in Lincolnshire.

Tier 4 Visa Guide: Everything You Need to Know

Visas are often annoying and complicated but very necessary. I have had the experience in applying for residence permits, student visas, and tourist visas. Compared to other visas I have applied for, the student visa to study abroad in the United Kingdom was not only more expensive but it was also a lot more difficult. Don't fret I'm about to divulge everything about the process and what my experience was like.

Do you need a visa?
If you are an international student who is planning on studying in the United Kingdom for a course, you will probably need a visa unless you are from a European Union, or European Economic Area country. There are two types of student visas: the tier 4 student visa, and the student visitor visa. The student visitor visa is usually for short courses. Unless you are doing a short course such as an English language course, or a training course you will probably need to apply for the tier 4 student visa. I'm going to be mainly discussing the tier 4 student visa, because that is the visa I had to apply for to study abroad as a masters student.

Cost
- £310 if you are applying from outside of the UK (as of July 2014)

Before You Apply 
- Passport: If you don't already have a passport, make sure you apply for one before starting the visa process and if you already have a passport, check to see if you have at least one blank visa page.
- Institution:  Verify that you have been accepted to study in the UK by a fully trusted tier 4 sponsor. You can check and see if your school is on the list of trusted and registered sponsors on the UK Visas and Immigration's (UKVI) website.
- Tier 4 Visa Guide: The visa guide is gigantic but it is extremely helpful. Think of it as your tier 4 visa bible. Almost every question I had was answered by reading the guide. The visa guide can also be found on the same website mentioned above and I will include all the links that helped me at the bottom of this blog.
-Time: I was informed by UKVI that it can take anywhere from 3 weeks to 2 months for a decision to be made on my visa and this is after they received my application at the British consulate. You can also estimate how long it may take to receive your visa on their website.

Tier 4 Visa Application Timeline

March 15th- Sent in my online application to the University of Leicester.

March 19th- Received an offer of place! Pretty quick right?

July 14th- Accepted my unconditional offer to study at the University of Leicester.

July 15th- Received an email from my university to verify all my personal details, which I did before I sent off my CAS request.

July 16th- My university emailed me my CAS.

July 17th- Applied online for my visa and paid for the visa fee.

July 24th- Attended my appointment at the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) center to provide my biometric information.

July 26th-  I went to the UPS store to mail in my application to the British Consulate. I used one day shipping and I also had to include a return shipping label.

Application Documents Included:

1. Printed Application with a stamp from USCIS on the front page stating that I have provided my biometric information.
2. Original diploma & transcripts
3. Current passport along with old passports
4. Bank statement
5. Passport picture (UK size)
6. If you are unsure on whether or not you need it in your application I would just send it.

July 28th- Received an email saying that my visa application has been received by the consulate.

August 18th-  The consulate sent me an email stating that they have approved my visa and that it should be shipped in the next 24 hours. 

August 19th- Finally received my visa!