Opening A Bank Account

Whether you’ve come to study or to work in the UK, it’s best to apply for a British bank account. This will not only make your life much easier in the UK, but also allows you to use bank letters as proof of address. And a bank statement is essential when you apply for a Schengen visa. So, let's get into how to open a bank account.

We should quickly mention the different types of British bank accounts. Bank accounts are generally divided into two types: current accounts and saving accounts. As students, the account we usually want to open is a basic student current account that comes with a debit card.

When you decide which bank to open an account with, you often need to go to a physical branch to make an appointment to open your account. The process looks like:

1. Receive bank letter from university;

2. Make an appointment online or offline: remember to ask what materials you need to bring when making an appointment.

3. Open an account with necessary documents online or offline, and set a password;

4. The card will be mailed to your address.

What you normally need are (Please check with the details with the bank you made appointment):

1. Your passport with student visa (if that is appropriate)  

2. The letter from your university confirming your UK study details 

3. Proof of your address in the UK.

After successfully opening an account, the bank will send a letter to the address you provided, including your card and pin number (generally, the card and password are sent separately). After receiving them, you can activate the account to use the Online Banking service. Members suggested that you must open online banking or mobile banking, so that you can manage your money anytime and anywhere even if you are not in the UK and cannot go to the bank.

In addition to the common British banks, there are many "virtual network banks" in the UK, among which "online celebrity Bank Card" Monzo is highly praised by everyone! Card processing can be done online for everything, avoiding the trouble of running back and forth to the bank. After getting the card, you can enjoy the real-time exchange rate of overseas credit card, free cash withdrawal amount, and efficient and humanised customer service.

For more information, check out these links:

• Leeds University Union

• The International Student Office

• UKCISA

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To get in touch please email chris.cambell@transformationsleeds.org.uk

Talk Like A Local

Before I lived in the UK, I wasn’t sure what to believe about idioms and how British people used them. I know we’ve all passed some language exams like IELTS before we came here to study, but you might still feel confused when you have conversations with native speakers as you can't always rely on a word's definition to tell you what a phrase means. So today I’d like to share some idioms and coded language that I have learned from my British friends.

• Rings a bell

  • Something that sounds familiar. Makes someone remember something indistinctly. To awaken a vague or indistinct memory. So you can say “The place he was talking about rang a bell but I couldn't remember where I had read about it.”

• A Blessing in disguise

  • A good thing that seems bad at first.

• An arm and a leg

  • A phrase used to massively over exaggerate when something might be expensive. For example: “This pint cost me an arm and a leg!!!” When, in reality, they're just paying an extortionate amount compared to what they're used to.

• Worship the golden calf

  • An unworthy or inappropriate object of worship, typically wealth. For example: “Let’s devote ourselves to something more meaningful than worshiping the golden calf.”

• Off the top of your head

  • Without careful thought or investigation. Like, "Off the top of my head, I think Lucy loses the key every week."

• A penny for your thoughts

  • A way of asking someone to share their thoughts with you. For example: “I'll give you a penny if you tell me your thoughts”

• To sit tight

  • If you sit tight, you remain in the same place or situation and do not take any action, usually because you are waiting for something to happen. “Sit tight. I'll be right back.”

• Beat around the bush

  • A typical British saying meaning you're purposely avoiding the topic; not speaking directly about the issue.

• Bee’s knees

  • You should know that “the bee’s knees” is actually a lovely term used to describe someone or something you think the world of. So if someone says “Go-karting yesterday was the bee’s knees” they’re actually telling you that “Go-karting yesterday was totally awesome!”

• Steal someone’s thunder

  • To take credit for someone else’s work or to take attention from them during their special moment .

• Speak of the devil

  • Used when the person in question arrives right on cue - as if they knew you were talking about them. 

Apart from idioms, British people also like using coded language to avoid embarrassment:

• Interesting…

  • Especially when followed by a long pause, this often means the opposite.

• That's not bad!

  • Even though “bad” is in this sentence, it means “that's good”.

• I almost agree.

  • This sounds like they’re close to agreeing. But, it actually means they do not agree at all.

• With the greatest respect…

  • What you did or said was totally wrong.

• Bit wet out there

  • Actually it’s pouring, welcome to the UK.

I hope this is helpful for your life in the UK! Please let us know if you have more idioms/coded languages to share.

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To get in touch please email chris.cambell@transformationsleeds.org.uk

Travelling In Leeds

Welcome to Leeds! We understand that moving to a new country is exciting, and can also be quite stressful, especially in the beginning. We want to help you learn how to travel in, and around, Leeds by train/coach, taxis, buses, and on foot!

TRAIN

Leeds train station is operated by Northern Rail, who are mainly responsible for travel around West Yorkshire. British trains generally share starting and ending points, but individual trains will be operated by different companies taking different routes. This means there will be differences in fares and times, so remember to check your tickets as soon as possible. I always use the Trainline app on my phone to check the ticket. 

If you are new to Leeds, don’t forget to set up your Railcard immediately. Always try to book your tickets as early as possible; you can save lots of money if you book your ticket a month in advance!

COACH

Coaches are generally for travel between cities in the UK. The two major coach companies are National Express and Megabus. If you plan to use them frequently, you can apply for student discount cards.

National Express: if you have a low budget and you plan to travel for a long distance, I suggest taking a coach with National Express. It generally costs less than half the price a train ticket and you can go all the way to London for £14 rather than £140 (or more) on the train.

Megabus: These coaches are even cheaper than National Express, making it the cheapest way to travel between cities in Britain. I find that megabus is often up to an hour late when leaving so be prepared for that possibility.

TAXI

Uber: is the easiest way to book a taxi. This requires registering via the Uber app with your phone number, credit card information, etc., and you can only pay by card instead of cash. Using the app means you usually wait 5-10 minutes to be picked up by the taxi. Uber’s safeguards help ensure your personal safety.

Amber: is the most trusted taxi company in Leeds and is cheaper than Uber. They also have an app to download and you can book a car several days, or even weeks/months, in advance. It's cost-effective, especially if you take it with your friends. Amber has been guaranteed by the university, so it is very safe for you to use even if it is midnight.

BUS

Public transportation in Leeds is mainly operated by two companies, First and Arriva. It may be cheaper to take a taxi than a bus if you’re not going very far. On the bus, you can buy one-way, round-trip, daily or weekly tickets, and monthly tickets. Some of them have student discounts or special types of tickets for students. 

I suggest buying daily tickets if you need a return ticket as it will be cheaper and you can take buses from any company as many times as you’d like. Students who have just arrived in Leeds can wander around by bus and see the area around Leeds. You can download the APP and find more information HERE.

ON FOOT

Leeds is bursting with attractions and beautiful architecture. If you live in the city centre, Leeds is easy to navigate on foot. It will take you 20 minutes to walk from the train station to campus and you can enjoy lots of historic buildings on the way, so why not?

You can find more tourist guidance HERE.

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To get in touch please email chris.cambell@transformationsleeds.org.uk