Information coming soon

Unsure of how much it will cost to study in the UK? The UK Council for International Student Affairs has an online calculator, where you can work out the amount you will need to show for your immigration application.

You can find the online calculator here.

In the UK we often talk about the weather. This is because the weather is very unpredictable. It is a good idea to take an umbrella with you, even on sunny days. If you come from a hot country, it may be difficult to get used to a colder, wetter climate, especially during the winter months. Although Bournemouth has some of the warmest, driest weather in the UK, it can still rain a lot, even during the summer! It also gets dark very early in the winter, which can cause some people to feel low or even depressed, especially if they are used to sunny, bright weather.

• Make sure you get outside in the daylight whenever possible, especially if it is a sunny day.
• Eat well - consider taking vitamin supplements.
• Keep warm - wear lots of layered clothing.
• Fill your wardrobe with thick clothing items – jumpers, sweaters, vests, jeans, joggers, gloves, coats, puffer jackets, etc.
• Different kinds of fleece-lined shoes can help keep your feet warm while you’re out and you can get leg warmers and cosy slippers to wear indoors.

You can check the weather in the UK on the BBC website.

Bournemouth is well connected to the rest of the UK with train and bus routes to surrounding areas, as well as direct links to large cities such as London and Manchester.

If you are looking to get to university, there are a number of dedicated UNIBUS services:

• The U1 starting at Cranbourne House
• The U2 starting at Poole Bus Station
• The U3 starting in Southbourne
• The U4 starting at Westbourne

You can find out more about the routes, fares and timetables of these buses here.

Bournemouth train station is next door to ASDA near Lansdowne on Holdenhurst Road. From here you can catch trains to London Waterloo, Manchester Piccadily, Southampton Central and Weymouth. You can find out more about the station here.

Outside of the station, you can get buses into Bournemouth Town Centre and other places from More Bus. You can find out more about their services from their website.

There are a number of major supermarkets in the UK - the cheapest being Aldi and Lidl. Many students also use the ASDA superstore because it is close to most student halls. If you are looking for a taste of home there are quite a few international supermarkets in and around Bournemouth. You can find these and all the local Aldi, Lidl and ASDA on the map above.

SUBU Advice have created a handy budgeting document, which can be found here.

You can also view SUBU’s Cost of Living Support page here.

Bournemouth University’s website has some useful information and guidance to assist with your search for accommodation in the local area.

You can find more about the different types of accommodation on the BU website here.

Coming to University can be quite daunting, particularly when you have moved to an entirely new country! We understand that it can sometimes be difficult to strike up new friendships and settle in. Often it can help to speak to someone who has done it all before, that's why we've set up the International Buddy Scheme.

We match up new International Students with continuing students (Buddy Volunteers) who can share their hints and tips for settling in to life at University. You will explore 4 themes with each other across 4 weeks where buddies will share hints, tips and where to gain support around housing & finance, health & welfare, academic & career success and extra-curricular skills.

To find out more, visit subu.org.uk/buddyscheme.

You can also contact our Buddy Scheme Co-ordinational at internationalbuddies@bournemouth.ac.uk.

SUBU has a huge range of clubs and societies, available for any BU student to join. A club or society is a place where students can become a member and come together to build friendships, take part in activities together and, in some cases, complete in competitions.

These members are group of like-minded individuals with the same interests in a particular area such as a hobby, sport or profession. We also host a range of cultural societies to educate and empower students from all background.

To find out more about SUBU’s Clubs & Societies, visit subu.org.uk/clubs.

Our Liberation Networks support students who self-define within that group. Each has a dedicated Officer who will be your first port of call to make suggestions, raise queries or ask questions about the work that the Officer is doing.

We have Liberation Networks for Arab, Asian and Ethnic Minority Students, Black Students, LGBTQ+ Students, Disabled and Neuro-Diverse Students, Trans and Non-Binary Students, and students who identify as women.

Join SUBU's Liberation Networks at subu.org.uk/liberationnetworks.

The Mature Students Community is for students who are over 25 and studying at BU. The Community is designed to bring Mature Students together to make friends with others like you and provide a support system throughout your studies. We will be running a series of events throughout the year to provide in person opportunities to connect with each other.

Find out more at subu.org.uk/maturestudents.

The Student Parent Community is for students who, in addition to their studies, are looking after children. The Community is designed to bring Student Parents together to make friends with those in a similar unique situation and provide a support system throughout your studies.

Find out more at subu.org.uk/studentparents.

BU’s Global Café, located in Talbot House, provides a space for International students to meet new friends and a place to relax.

You can find out more about upcoming events on BU’s Faith and Reflection webpage.

SUBU works with a range of local and national charities, to help find students the right kind of volunteering opportunities, from one off volunteering days to weekly commitments - there is something for everyone, no matter how busy you are! Opportunities are uploaded weekly onto the SUBU Volunteering Hub and all you need to do is register on the hub to be able to apply for these opportunities. Volunteering is one of the most valuable and rewarding activities you can do alongside your degree as it helps you to improve on key employability skills and also makes your CV stand out from the crowd!

Please Note: As an international student there will restrictions on your Visa on the number of hours you can work and volunteer, so please ensure you check this before committing yourself to any role.

You can view SUBU’s current job vacancies at subu.org.uk/jobs.

You can also volunteer your time during your studies. You can find out more about SUBU’s volunteering opportunities via our Volunteering Hub - subu.org.uk/volunteering.

CareersBU also have their own Careers Hub, where you can find job opportunities throughout the year. Sign up to the CareerHub here.

This Grant provides short-term assistance for students who have no or very little funds available to them, and is often paid in supermarket vouchers.

Your request will only be considered if you are enrolled on a BU course and are able to show that you have very little or no funds remaining. You are not required to pay this grant back but if you have the ability to do so later it will mean that BU can assist other students in the same way.

Learn more about the Small Emergency Grant here.

The Additional Learning Support (ALS) team support is available to all BU students, whether full or part-time, undergraduate or postgraduate, on or off campus.

Support can be provided for students with specific learning differences, physical/sensory impairments, medical conditions, mental health issues and temporary injuries.

If you have a condition which is likely to affect your personal learning over time, speak to the ALS team. If you think you have a learning difficulty that has not been identified yet, get in touch and they can guide you through the process to find out. Contact the ALS team on phone: +44 (0)1202 965663 or email als@bournemouth.ac.uk.

PAL or Peer-Assisted Learning is a scheme where trained second year students (PAL Leaders) who are on the same course as you provide support during your first year of studying. As a fellow student your PAL Leader will directly understand your experiences as a first year, especially when it comes to specific course content and teaching. PAL sessions are timetabled into your studies and can be a useful space for discussion and learning from someone else’s experiences.

Find out more here.

The Student Rep programme run by SUBU is a hugely important programme for getting student voices heard at BU. Reps will collect feedback from their fellow students, present it at relevant meetings with SUBU and BU and report back to students what was discussed in relation to their feedback.

In addition to Student Reps, SUBU also has a team of Department Reps and Faculty Reps to ensure that students’ feedback is heard at every level of the university.

Learn more about coming a Student Rep at subu.org.uk/reps.

As well as being able to go to your lecturers for academic support, all students at BU will be allocated to a named Personal Tutor throughout their programme of study. The purpose of the Personal Tutor role is to provide individual support for each student as part of BU’s aim to deliver a supportive and personalised learning experience.

The university libraries are great resources of information, especially when doing assignments. The website is also helpful for information on various academic skills you may need during your time at BU including plagiarism, referencing and essay planning.

Each faculty has a team of librarians who can assist you in finding the academic resources you might be looking for. As well as helping you find books or journals, the team can also help you book study areas for group work.

To find the email for your faculty library team, head to the BU website or pop into either the Sir Michael Cobham Library (Talbot Campus) or Weston Library (Lansdowne Campus) to have a chat with the library team in person.

To find out more about the services the Library offers, visit the BU website.

BU study skills workshops offer in-depth learning and development on a range of essential academic skills to equip you for university life and beyond.

The workshops cover referencing, academic writing, presentation skills, time management and much more. Joining these workshops can help you build confidence, meet other students from around BU and improve your academic results.

Find out more about Study Skills Workshops here.

The Student Wellbeing service is a free confidential service for all BU students to contact when they are feeling stressed, anxious or in a low mood. They offer 1:1 appointments, drop in sessions, workshops and counselling.

Even if you aren’t sure if the service can help, they are more than happy to help you find the best support for your situation. You can self-refer using the online form found on the Student Wellbeing section of the BU website or email them with any questions or concerns you may have.

Find out more and how to contact them here.

Whether you follow a faith or not, the Faith & Reflection centre is a welcoming sanctuary from the busy student life.

The chaplaincy and faith advisor team exist to listen to, support and encourage you in whichever way you need. Within the Faith & Reflection centre you can find a communal area, a quiet room for individual prayer, meditation or just sitting, an Islamic prayer room, a Kosher kitchen and an open kitchen for anyone in the centre to use.

You can find the team in the Faith & Reflection Centre on the first floor of Talbot House (where the medical centre is) between 8am and 6pm Monday to Friday or drop them an email at faithandreflection@bournemouth.ac.uk.

You can find out more about the BU Faith & Reflection Centre here.

Getting exercise is a proven mood booster and can help lower stress levels, so why not join SportBU?

SportBU is the university’s centre for sports and fitness with various team sports, group classes and gym equipment to help you get moving. They also have fun activities for kids on Saturday mornings during term time and Holiday Camps during the holidays.

You can join online or by talking to the SportBU team on campus (located next to the Student Centre).

Togetherall is an anonymous online mental health support service which is free for all BU students.

This online community which is available 24 hours a day 365 days of the year, allows members to support each other while there are trained professionals monitoring activity to provide extra help and support where needed. They also provide a bank of useful information such as self-help programmes for anxiety, sleep, depression and more. You’ll need to register the first time you use the website but its quick and easy to do.

You can sign up to Togetherall for free via their website here.

1. Can I come with my family when traveling to start my course at Bournemouth Univeristy?

   Yes, based on the provisions on your student visa, you can come with your family when traveling to start your course at Bournemouth University, however, we would recommend arriving to start your course alone then bringing your family over once you have settled.

2. Is there accommodation available for me once I arrive in Bournemouth

   There is a plethora of student accommodations available around Bournemouth. However, it is your prerogative to make prior arrangements and book your accommodation before coming to Bournemouth. Additionally, if you are a student parent, it is important to note that the student accommodations are designed for single students only, so you will have to make arrangements with private lettings in Bournemouth.

3. Is there part time work available for me while studying?

   Yes, BU offers many student jobs within the university and additionally, you can access employment support from the CareersBU team. There is also a lot of volunteering opportunities, see the Part-Time work & Volunteering tab

4. What are the student friendly areas to live in?

   Student-friendly areas in Bournemouth include the postcodes BH1, BH8, BH2, BH9. Areas in close proximity to the university include: Lansdowne (Holdenhurst road, old Christchurch Road), Bournemouth square (Westover Road, Post office road), Winton (Winton banks area, Beechy road and beyond), Charminister, Boscombe, Student village.

5. What is the price range I should expect for accommodation?

   Price ranges for accommodation vary and are in flux with cost of living. However, typically shared accommodations range from £500 – 600 pm, single occupancy studios/flats range from £700 – 900 pm, while family accommodations with 2-3 bedrooms range from £1200 – 1500 pm with 3 bedroom and up ranging from £1500 - 1800 pm.

6. When I work more than 20 hours?

   During term time you are limited to working 20 hours a week, however, during Christmas, spring and summer breaks, you can work full time for those periods (NB if you are in your dissertation phase during summer, you are still limited to 20 hours per week).