I have some questions on studying at University of Portsmouth or UK in general

NULA2024

Is it a good idea to bring my car to the school/country?
I would like to bring some electronics/appliances (large printer, detachable vacuum cleaner, small shredder) and a bicycle. What are your thoughts on shipping these items to the campus?
Is it necessary to visit the school prior to move-in date?
What is the latest suggested date to arrive on campus?
What's the best housing options for international students, specifically for students in the nursing/health professions?

(edited 11 months ago)

Reply 1

Anonymous #1

Original post by NULA2024

Is it a good idea to bring my car to the school/country?
I would like to bring some electronics/appliances (large printer, detachable vacuum cleaner, small shredder) and a bicycle. What are your thoughts on shipping these items to the campus?
Is it necessary to visit the school prior to move-in date?
What is the latest suggested date to arrive on campus?
What's the best housing options for international students, specifically for students in the nursing/health professions?

I didn't study at Portsmouth, but I know people who did so I might be of help. I have also studied at UK universities before alongside some friends who were international students, so I should be able to answer some of your questions.

Is it a good idea to bring my car to the school/country?
Importing your car into the country is not a good idea - it's stupid expensive. I would rather buy a car here and then sell it off once you want to leave the country.
If the university is in London, there's little point in getting a car. I wouldn't consider getting a car unless you intend to live off campus and there is car parking ready for you where you live.
The only times when I consider getting a car is if you intend to do weekly shopping, get into town (if you don't have a cheap bus pass) often, or you intend to drive away from the university town/city on a frequent basis. There's little need for a car, and universities tend to have strict policies against people parking their cars near their colleges/campus e.g. expensive permits that have a lot of restrictions.

I would like to bring some electronics/appliances (large printer, detachable vacuum cleaner, small shredder) and a bicycle. What are your thoughts on shipping these items to the campus?
Bike is practical, especially if you live off campus. Printer is also practical, but I would get an all in one printer (include copier, scanner, printer, card reader, etc.) for around £60.
A vacuum cleaner and small shredder are nice, but they are not necessary. Unless you use them often, I don't see the point in taking them with you.
Personally, I would not bring anything that you can't fit in 2 suitcases. Anymore than that would be a pain to move back and forth. Besides, you don't know the size of your room and if it's too much you need to arrange for alternative storage (which is a pain for international students unless you know a lot of friends who can store your things for you).

Is it necessary to visit the school prior to move-in date?
It's not necessary, but it's recommended. Unless you have done a lot of research using Google Maps or done a lot of snooping around the local area using Google, you might be caught out on a number of things. If you can't visit the university in person, do as much online research as you can.

What is the latest suggested date to arrive on campus?
Your university would have a start of term date sometime in September/October, and that would the the latest anyone should arrive on campus. I would recommend international students to come on campus by the end of August to give them time to get a feel of the local area, but that's up to you.

What's the best housing options for international students, specifically for students in the nursing/health professions?
As far as I know, there is no single best housing options.
If you are in nursing/health, then you would likely need to attend the local university hospital for your lectures and practicals as well as being near the university for lectures. I would recommend looking for accommodation that are somewhere in the middle of the 2. The downside of this though is that the accommodation can be expensive because the rent can sometimes be based on the location relative to major amenities and areas of focus e.g. a university, place of work, train station, bus route, hospital, school catchment area, etc.
I would pick your accommodation wisely. If you live off campus, the options are a bit more flexible, but for university accommodation your tenancy tends to be at least 1 year (or rather 10 months term time).

Reply 2

A Rolling Stone

20

Original post by NULA2024

Is it a good idea to bring my car to the school/country?
I would like to bring some electronics/appliances (large printer, detachable vacuum cleaner, small shredder) and a bicycle. What are your thoughts on shipping these items to the campus?
Is it necessary to visit the school prior to move-in date?
What is the latest suggested date to arrive on campus?
What's the best housing options for international students, specifically for students in the nursing/health professions?

no, especially not for uni
wtf why all of this for uni? just a bike is fine
yes, because it's an average uni and your own country has better ones
the weekend before freshers week
near enough to the lecture halls and the town/city

Reply 3

BCU Student Rep

Official Rep

17

Original post by NULA2024

Is it a good idea to bring my car to the school/country?
I would like to bring some electronics/appliances (large printer, detachable vacuum cleaner, small shredder) and a bicycle. What are your thoughts on shipping these items to the campus?
Is it necessary to visit the school prior to move-in date?
What is the latest suggested date to arrive on campus?
What's the best housing options for international students, specifically for students in the nursing/health professions?

Hi @NULA2024

Although I don't study in Portsmouth, I can definitely help out with some of your questions!

Having your car at university isn't essential, but can be useful. There isn't often parking at student accommodations which is why a lot of students just rely on walking or public transport. It isn't wrong or bad to bring your car, but just be prepared to add it into your student budget.

Lots of universities have accessible printers in their libraries - here at BCU the library is open 24/7, so I don't personally feel the need to provide my own printer. But again, this is personal preference.
Most student accommodations provide a vacuum too, so unless you have a specific one you prefer to use, I would say this isn't essential.
And a shredder is again optional - there is most likely some form of paper/document recycling on campus.

It's not a necessity to visit your uni before you move in. Many UK students don't visit beforehand. However, from experience, I am happy that I visited before I moved in so that I knew my surroundings better. If you can't make an in-person visit, you could see if your uni has any campus tours online, or any social media content that can help you get a better picture of your future uni.

I would suggest arriving no later than a week before your course starts. This way, you can choose whether to partake in Freshers' events and activities, but you can also become more familiar with your new home, and get to know other students before your first day.

I would suggest looking at student halls/student accommodation as a new student. This is shared accommodation, typically with your own private bedroom and en suite, and a shared kitchen facility. I found living in halls helped me to meet more people and I lived really close to my uni campus in my first year, which made my commute much easier. Take a look at your uni's website for accommodation options too.

Best of luck! 🙂
Emily
Student Rep at BCU

Reply 4

A Rolling Stone

20

Original post by NULA2024

Is it a good idea to bring my car to the school/country?
I would like to bring some electronics/appliances (large printer, detachable vacuum cleaner, small shredder) and a bicycle. What are your thoughts on shipping these items to the campus?
Is it necessary to visit the school prior to move-in date?
What is the latest suggested date to arrive on campus?
What's the best housing options for international students, specifically for students in the nursing/health professions?

also, what the hell do you need a shredder for... are you a secret agent??

Reply 5

Anonymous #2

Your University will tell you your course start date and suggested arrival/enrolment dates

Many Universities cannot offer in person tours but may have open days or virtual tours.

Most Universities that offer accommodation have fixed dates when you can access their halls and be inflexible about an early arrival. Their website or tenancy agreement will detail this.

Student accommodation provides a hoover.

You can buy bicycles very cheaply second hand. Bicycle theft is an issue so you should avoid having an expensive one.

Reply 6

Shaunaaaa.

1

Original post by NULA2024

Is it a good idea to bring my car to the school/country?
I would like to bring some electronics/appliances (large printer, detachable vacuum cleaner, small shredder) and a bicycle. What are your thoughts on shipping these items to the campus?
Is it necessary to visit the school prior to move-in date?
What is the latest suggested date to arrive on campus?
What's the best housing options for international students, specifically for students in the nursing/health professions?

hiya, so im at portsmouth uni currently. i personally wouldn't bring a car round here but other parts of the country you'll probably want it. there is a nearby train station by portsmouth uni.
vacuums are provided in this unis accommodation, but i believe you can bring a small one. you may be required to inform your halls manager beforehand, if you're planning on bringing a lot of electrical equipment. there are printers too here - the library's open 24/7 and on your library account they make for you, you get £10 to spend on printing there - but i understand it's more convenient to use your own.
It's not necessary to visit beforehand either, just a matter of whether or not you have many questions or are unsure.
I know you're able to get early access to some accommodations but i'm unsure of latest date possible.
Housing wise, I'm in Harry Law - it's the 2nd cheapest and honestly this one's not great, i wouldn't recommend staying in this accom.

sorry i can't be more helpful, tho you may be able to find online 'portsmouth halls handbook' it should help a little more

Reply 7

NULA2024

OP

2

Original post by Shaunaaaa.

hiya, so im at portsmouth uni currently. i personally wouldn't bring a car round here but other parts of the country you'll probably want it. there is a nearby train station by portsmouth uni.
vacuums are provided in this unis accommodation, but i believe you can bring a small one. you may be required to inform your halls manager beforehand, if you're planning on bringing a lot of electrical equipment. there are printers too here - the library's open 24/7 and on your library account they make for you, you get £10 to spend on printing there - but i understand it's more convenient to use your own.
It's not necessary to visit beforehand either, just a matter of whether or not you have many questions or are unsure.
I know you're able to get early access to some accommodations but i'm unsure of latest date possible.
Housing wise, I'm in Harry Law - it's the 2nd cheapest and honestly this one's not great, i wouldn't recommend staying in this accom.
sorry i can't be more helpful, tho you may be able to find online 'portsmouth halls handbook' it should help a little more

I prefer physical rather than digital notes and so I do a lot of printing. Is the 10 pounds for the month or semester? I'm also concerned about getting my bicycle stolen since it's a really nice one. What's your opinion on that?

Reply 8

Shaunaaaa.

1

Original post by NULA2024

I prefer physical rather than digital notes and so I do a lot of printing. Is the 10 pounds for the month or semester? I'm also concerned about getting my bicycle stolen since it's a really nice one. What's your opinion on that?

I'm not 100% sure, tho if i'd hazard a guess I'd probably guess it's for the year - which i know is quite disappointing. but as i said you'd probably have to ask the accommodation you're staying at to see if all your equipment will be allowed.
in terms of the bike, there's bike racks nearby and around the city & i know my accommodation has a bike storage area so i'd assume the others do too. however, if your bikes nice quality or expensive it might still be a risky decision to bring it bcs it would be more likely to be stolen. So it's up to your own discretion

Reply 9

martin7

20

Original post by NULA2024

Is it a good idea to bring my car to the school/country?
I would like to bring some electronics/appliances (large printer, detachable vacuum cleaner, small shredder) and a bicycle. What are your thoughts on shipping these items to the campus?
Is it necessary to visit the school prior to move-in date?
What is the latest suggested date to arrive on campus?
What's the best housing options for international students, specifically for students in the nursing/health professions?

First of all -- which country are you coming from? Which country issued your driving licence?

How long is your course?

Bringing a car is going to require various formalities. See https://www.gov.uk/importing-vehicles-into-the-uk/temporary-imports for details. Obviously there will be the costs of physically getting the car into the country. You'll also need to check what the insurance requirements are -- your existing policy might cover use abroad for the short term, but you may need to get UK car insurance.

Will you realistically need a car in the UK? Will you have somewhere to park it? Universities don't necessarily have much in the way of parking.

For appliances, you'd need to be sure they are compatible with the UK's electrical system. If they don't have a UK-style plug you'd need to fit one or get an appropriate adapter (though the printer probably already has a removable cord so you'd just need the UK version of that assuming the printer will run on a 230-volt 50Hz supply.

You say your printer is "large". What do you mean by "large"? Do you know that you'll have enough room for it in your accommodation?

For your appliances in general, have you looked at how much it will cost to transport them as opposed to buying replacements in the UK?

Transporting a bicycle cost money, and again, it would be worth looking at whether it would be cheaper to buy a second-hand bike in the UK. You'd need a good quality bike lock, and I certainly would recommend against using an expensive bike.

It's not necessary to visit before you move, but obviously you can if you want.

The university will advise you regarding moving in dates. Obviously you want to avoid arriving after the start of teaching, and really you would want to be around for freshers week. If you require a student visa you're at the mercy of how long it will take to get the application processed and the visa issued.

I'm not familiar with the accommodation market in Portsmouth.

Reply 10

YSJstudents

Official Rep

15

Original post by NULA2024

Is it a good idea to bring my car to the school/country?
I would like to bring some electronics/appliances (large printer, detachable vacuum cleaner, small shredder) and a bicycle. What are your thoughts on shipping these items to the campus?
Is it necessary to visit the school prior to move-in date?
What is the latest suggested date to arrive on campus?
What's the best housing options for international students, specifically for students in the nursing/health professions?

Hi there,

Although I do not study at Portsmouth, I can answer some of your questions.

Is it a good idea to bring my car to the school/country?
I would say that for your first year especially there is not much point bring a car to university as as most universities the parking is limited and prioritised for commuting students and lectures. This would mean that you would potentially not have anywhere where you are able to park your car whilst you are at university. Also all the things that you may need such as shops and leisure areas will be in close proximately to the university.

I would like to bring some electronics/appliances (large printer, detachable vacuum cleaner, small shredder) and a bicycle. What are your thoughts on shipping these items to the campus?
I would say check with your university to see if this is possible. I would say that a bike is very useful and practical and can be used as a means of transporting further distances quicker and most universities have lots of bike storage space on campus. I would say that things such as a printer and shredder are not useful as you will have access to printers on campus and if you really feel like you need a printer you can pick on up for a cheap price quite easily. Also in all student accommodation you will be given a hoover/vacuum cleaner so there is no need to bring one with you.

Is it necessary to visit the school prior to move-in date?
Although this can give you a good indication of what the university is like and gives you the opportunity to speak to lectures and students about the course and their experience it is not necessary to visit the university before attending. This is all down to preference and your choice.

What is the latest suggested date to arrive on campus?
The latest date and the usual date for students to move to university and arrive on campus in the weekend before freshers week as this is when they will have people on campus available to help you move in and point you in the right directions.

What's the best housing options for international students, specifically for students in the nursing/health professions?
Usually all students in first year are given student accommodation/halls which is provided by the university or a university partner as long as they apply before the accommodation deadline which is provided by the university.

I hope this helps and good luck with your university journey 😊
Katie - Student Ambassador

I have some questions on studying at University of Portsmouth or UK in general

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