The most exciting time being a student is the summer vacation. A leave that never seems to end mainly due to the long and tedious days of summer. Summers have the ability to exhaust students, thus making them lazy and lethargic.
One of the best solutions to this problem is the increasing trend of summer schools. These summer schools are held at recreational places or even the hill stations with pleasant weather and a fun load of activities to keep the students busy and make them learn alongside.
University students from all over the world come to the UK every year to participate in different summer schools arranged by the universities and the relevant industrial partners.
Getting a chance to attend a summer school in the UK can be an amazing learning opportunity; however, moving to the UK is not a straightforward process most of the time.
There are many hurdles in the way, such as looking for accommodation if not available, whether good storage options are available or not, nearby summer student storage outlet, accessibility, and many more.
This guide aims at helping you in this regard by providing you valuable tips to prepare beforehand if you are coming to a summer school in the UK this year!!
Choose your summer school wisely
Depending upon the age group, there are a lot of summer school options to be found in the UK. They start from the age group of 7 – 12 and go as high as up to the university students.
Each school has its own theme and what they aim to achieve during the summers. It can be based on the location, history, or even the school’s management, so it is advised to wisely choose the summer school.
In any case, preference should be given to which one the student would personally like to attend.
Choosing a school will also affect the type of facilities a student will get such as the storage options, or summer student storage. Some schools provide accommodation alongside summer student storage while in some places, you have to find your own accommodation.
Students who opt for a school that does not provide summer student storage have to look for storage options such as a self storage outlet to deal with their storage needs.
VISA Process
The Visa process can be a tad complex for the first-timers. The process and the required documents can be different based on your citizenship while few students from some selected countries do not even need to obtain a visa to enter the UK.
All the information regarding the visa process of the specific country you belong to can be obtained using this link.
If you are only coming for summer school, you do not need to pay for the study visa. You need to obtain a short-term stay or a visit visa for this. Get in touch with your respective summer school for further clarifications on this matter.
It is advised to apply at least two months in advance as the visa decisions can take a long time, depending on where you live.
Things to bring alongside
Now comes the main thing, what to bring alongside when coming to the UK for summer school? Besides the essentials, there are quite a few things we deem unimportant but are vital for our day-to-day life in the UK.
First of all, you need to bring your everyday clothes. Only bring what you will be using, and nothing extra unless you want to use storage options and/or have access to summer student storage.
Else, you will have to opt for a self storage outlet to deal with your summer student storage problems and you can find several storage options for this purpose.
Secondly, you need to bring your own toiletries such as soap, shampoo, toothbrush, paste, towel, etc. A small travel bag is also a handy edition if you plan on taking some short trips during summer school.
You would probably bring an umbrella yourself if you are coming from a place where it rains frequently. If not, then consider bringing an umbrella alongside sunscreen as the weather can go both ways in a matter of hours.
Moving on, another essential thing is the adapter as most of your plugs are designed to fit in the sockets of your area while the UK has a standard 3 pin plug socket.
It is recommended to have some cash money in pounds and your travel documents always at your disposal.
Sometimes, students come to the UK carrying way more stuff than they would ever require or use. If you are one of them, this tip is for you.
If you are running out of the provided summer student storage space, one of the storage options available to you is a self storage outlet. Just go to a self storage outlet nearby and store your stuff for the duration of your summer school or call a service that picks up your belongings from your doorstep-like STORED.
In the end, you can either gather your stuff from your summer student storage unit or ask them to transport it to your home directly if they provide such a service. Some self storage outlets ship stuff internationally as well at reasonable rates.
Advantages of attending a Summer School
There are several advantages of attending a summer school in the UK. A few of them are listed below.
Long-term boarding life is not for everyone. These summer schools provide an excellent opportunity to enjoy the boarding life and explore its merits or demerits.
Summer schools in the UK are open to people from all over the world. One can learn a lot about life while living alongside people from diverse cultural backgrounds. It broadens the perspective and equips one with a new way of looking at life.
Summer school is also ideal for improving English language skills. As English is the official language in the UK, interacting with everyone in English can help a student improve their fluency immensely. English language skills can open doors to countless other opportunities in
the long run.
Summer schools teach students how to deal with complex conditions and be self-reliant. Whether you are dealing with accommodation issues, summer student storage problems, or visa hiccups, every step is a journey towards self-reliance.
Such situations give students exposure to unwanted situations and, most importantly, how to deal with them in an effective manner while living in a new place or even a new country. It is a great chance to learn something different and practical to use for the rest of their lives!
