Top tips

You should try and set up a bank account as soon as you get to the UK as many places, including our campuses, are cashless and will only take card payments. Please be aware there may not be any physical banks near some of our campuses.

International students will find useful information about opening a bank account in the UK on the UKCISA Website 

To open a bank account you need:

• - Bank letter - which you can apply for here .
• - Student Visa share code 
• - Passport 

You may be able to start the process of opening a bank account online (dependent on the bank). We recommend you research UK banks and choose a bank that meets your needs, you may want to find out about the currency transfer rates available to you. 

You should register for a doctor when you arrive in the UK in case you have any new or ongoing medical conditions that you need help for.

You can find your nearest NHS doctor by using this ‘Find a GP’ site and typing in the postcode of your accommodation. You can find details on how to register on the website of the GP Practice you choose. This usually involves filling out a form with your medical history and contact details.

BUS

• You can check what bus services are running using Maps on iPhone or Google Maps. You can see what routes are available, at what time, and where you need to go to catch them. Different bus companies provide different services across the UK, so using maps can be easier to work out what bus service to use, especially if you are visiting different areas of the UK.
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• If you are commuting to campus using the bus, you might be able to save money by purchasing a bus pass.
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TRAIN

• For long journeys the best option can be travel via train. If you plan to commute to campus on the train, you could look at getting a railcard, as this will save you 1/3 off your train tickets.
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• You can find more information about the 16-25 and 26-30 railcards by clicking here.
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• Use National rail for live updates and to book train tickets online. You can also use individual train operators apps and websites to book tickets. If you experience train delays, you can submit a claim to get money back from your ticket by visiting the train company’s website. You can find more information about the delay repay process here.
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Student Visa working restrictions

As an international student you have restrictions for working in the UK. You have restriction of hours and the type of jobs that you can work. Please be aware that unpaid voluntary work counts towards your limited working hours each week.

You can find out more information on the UKCISA website

• Up to 20 hours a week in term time if you are studying for a qualification at degree level or above. This means that your course is at RQF level 6 or SCQF level 9 or higher.
• Up to 10 hours a week in term time if you are studying for a qualification below degree level. 

You are responsible for ensuring that you do not exceed the maximum hours per week that you are allowed to work. If you work more than the permitted hours , this is a breach of your visa conditions and can have serious consequences. You must immediately report this breach to your employer and the university ukvicompliance@cumbria.ac.uk

National Insurance Number

The National Insurance Number (NIN) is a unique personal identifier used in the United Kingdom for tax and social security purposes. If you do not have a National Insurance Number, you will need to apply for this to be employed in the UK. Apply online 

Right to Work check

You have to prove to your employer that you have the right to work in the UK. This is known as a Right to Work check.

You will need to provide:

• your valid passport
• your online share code

Careers Support

The Careers team can provide you with help and support to access part time work, interview skills, CV writing and careers guidance for your post study journey. 

On Sundays and Bank Holidays, shops generally open for shorter periods ( usually 10am -4pm) than at other times in the week. Most shops have the opening hours available on their websites and in their shop windows. 

Supermarkets provide a wide variety of foods including international food. Large supermarkets may also have clothing, over the counter medication and a pharmacy available. Some UK supermarkets provide a delivery service; this can be helpful if you plan to order heavy items.  The list below provides details of supermarkets and small stores close to your campus.

Lancaster  

• Aldi - 48 Aldcliffe Road, Lancaster LA1 1UJ     
• Iceland - 22, Perpignan Way, Lancaster LA1 1NE        
• Sainsburys - Cable Street, Lancaster LA1 1HH             
• Lidl - Kingsway Retail Park, Lancaster LA1 1BS  

International Food Stores

• KF Oriental Store - 21 Common Garden Street, Lancaster LA1 1XD      

Carlisle

• ASDA - St Nicholas Gate Retail Park, London Road, Carlisle CA1 2EA 
• Iceland - 3A, Saint Nicholas Retail Park, London Road, Carlisle CA1 2EA  
• LIDL - Charlotte Street, Carlisle CA2 5BT 
• ALDI - Dalston Road, Carlisle CA2 5NP 
• Sainsburys - Church Street, Caldewgate, Carlisle CA2 5TF 

Brampton Road campus

• Morrisons - Kingstown Road, Carlisle CA3 0QZ 
• ALDI - Kingstown Road, Carlisle CA3 0AJ     

International food stores

• MK Spice - 51 Brook Street, Carlisle CA1 2HU               
• Tastes of Poland - 4-6 Tait Street, Carlisle  CA1 1RX                       
• Madinah Min Market Halal Store + Butchers - 131 Botchergate, Carlisle CA1 1RZ

Ambleside  

• Tesco Express -  Market Place, Ambleside LA22 9BU      
• Co-op - Compston Road, Ambleside LA22 9DR 
• Budgens - Compston Road, Ambleside LA22 9DR  

Many students also drive or get the bus to Kendal to access larger (and cheaper!) supermarkets like the ones below: 

• ASDA - Burton Road, Kendal LA9 7JA 
  Morrisons -  Queen Katherines Avenue, Kendal LA9 6DU 
  ALDI - Appleby Road, Kendal LA9 6DU    
  
  

We would recommend getting some reusable boxes or Tupperware so you can bring in lunch for days when you are on campus. This will reduce food waste and save you money by not having to buy food on campus.

If you are in a shared house, you will likely be sharing a fridge and freezer, which means space can be limited. It can be useful to make a meal plan and only buy what you need to reduce food waste and save space.

There are a variety of clothing shops on UK highstreets, and shops such as Primark and TK Maxx are a good way to buy cheaper clothing. This can be especially useful if you are from a warmer climate and need to buy warm clothes for the time you are in the UK. You can find clothes such as coats, hats, scarves, and gloves, which will be essentials for autumn and winter in the UK.

Always keep receipts for clothing, as you usually get a 28-day return policy where they can return and refund or exchange for another item, especially if the item is faulty.

Look out for big sales in the UK, the most common being Black Friday and Boxing day (the day after Christmas day). During these sales there are often big reductions on electronics, which is useful if you need to invest in a new laptop, headphones, or any other technology.

For discounts on restaurants and coffee shops, you can sign up for loyalty cards, for example Nando's, Pizza Hut, Costa Coffee, Café Nero, all have reward cards where you can get a free drink after you buy a certain amount.

Below are some websites providing discount codes for clothing, restaurants, or any electrical appliances. You just need to sign up to it using your university email to confirm you are a student, and you can download their apps to keep up to date with all the deals.

UNIDAYS: https://www.myunidays.com/GB/en-GB

TOTUM CARD: https://www.totum.com/

STUDENT BEANS: https://www.studentbeans.com/uk

SAVE THE STUDENT: https://www.savethestudent.org/

A lot of places will also do teacher and NHS discounts. You can usually access these discounts if you are on a teaching or healthcare course by showing your ID card.

• Instead of buying the books for your course, use your campus library to see whether they have the books there, or use the e-resources.
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• You can also use the Get More Books scheme to suggest to the library potential books that would be useful for your study if they're not already available in the library.
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• If you are thinking of buying a laptop for university, do not purchase the Microsoft package as the university already offers you Microsoft Office for free as a student. Check out the Free Software page for more details.