In The UK

I got my student visa to study in the UK on 10th February 2011. As soon as I got my visa I had to book a flight to the UK as I was already 10 days late for my course. For that I went to a travel agent Asad who was very helpful. I would recommend anyone who wants to book a flight to contact him as he was very helpful and offered the best prices. His office is near Hotel Metropole and named as Gerrys HRM.

I got a flight for 12th Feburary to Newcastle. This included a 7 hours stay at the Dubai International Airport. I left my home for the airport at 9 because I had a flight to Dubai for 1030. The immigration and customs in the Pakistani side didnt gave any trouble and did everything quickly which was a good thing. I then boarded the plane for Dubai. The plane took of and I left Karachi and Pakistan. From the window I could see Karachi the city of lights glowing in the dark. Bye Bye Karachi!! Im leaving you and your warm weather and your sandy beaches but I will come back one day when you will be peaceful. I bid farewell to Karachi and the plane move forward to Dubai. Karachi became a dream now and I was about to explore the new world.

I swear the most tiring time of my life was when I had to wait for the connecting flight to Newcastle Airport in Dubai. It was very hectic as I had nothing to do there and roamed aimlessly at the airport smoking cigarettes in the smoking area which were abundant at the airport. One mistake I made here was not taking any cigarettes from Pakistan for my stay in the UK. In the UK cigarettes are very expensive as the government discourages smoking. Its a bad news for us smokers. Dubai Airport is the most modern and clean airport I have ever seen in my life. It has all the facilities for passengers. It is the most multicultural airport in the world where one can see people from every part of the world and people speaking nearly all languages of the world at a single place. I forgot my bag at the airport and was fortunate to get it back. It happened because I was so tired and decided to have a juice and after having it forgot my bag at the chair. Luckily I remembered that I had forgotten it after 15 minutes and rushed back with thoughts of loosing my bag in mind just to find that it was there.

Somehow the annoying seven hours passed at the Dubai Airport and it was morning and I was ready to go to Newcastle. It was a eight hours flight to Newcastle. They gave me a seat in the middle which was not near the window whereas I wanted a window seat. The flight was very boring as I had nothing to do and as I am not able to sleep in the plane it became more annoying. I was feeling sick and tired and praying to reach Newcastle all the time during the flight. Emirates in flight entertainment was shit. I had nothing to do than to wait for my final destination. I was already tired being awake for 24 hours and this flight made me more tired. Nevertheless the girl sitting next to me seemed to be enjoying the flight which made me kind of angry. She was from Newcastle and her name was Laura. She was quite interesting person and talking to her made a little amount of time pass nicely otherwise it was the worst experience in the flight ever.

The time somehow passed and we finally reached Newcastle airport. The first thing I noticed was the greenery of England which was totally different from the desert landscape of Dubai and Karachi. The other thing was the cold and crisp February air. It was so fresh. Newcastle Airport is a tiny airport. The smallest Ive seen in my life. The immigration officers at the airport were very friendly and quick. They did all the things fast and I was out in the airport. It was a very good experience because I was in the UK the place I wanted to be.   

I took my luggage and got it in the Metro which was avaiable from the airport and bought a ticket for Newcastle Central Station. After reaching the station with three heavy bags and sleepless for 24 hours I booked a taxi to my friends place to sleep. The next day was my first day at the uni and I had to get registered as a student.

TB Test For UK Visa in Karachi Pakistan

Today I got myself tested for TB at Aga Khan University Hospital Karachi. The medical requirements for people applying for UK visa is a TB Test. TB test is done at AKUH in Karachi. The certificate is issued by International Organisation For Migration (IOM). In this post I will share my experience with IOM and give suggestions to people who want to get themselves tested. There is no information available on the internet on how to get tested and whats the procedure. Only a number is given which is busy most of the times. :(

The first thing is getting an appointment with IOM. For that you have to call the IOM Call Center on 051-111-466-472. This line is busy most of the time. But it is not that much busy in the morning at around 8:30. So if you call early in the morning you have better chances of getting an appointment. Otherwise you will find the line busy all the time. The guy will ask for your full name, passport number, date of birth and the visa category you are applying. He will then provide you an application number and appointment day and timing.
Bank Fees: The fees for TB Test is Rs 3500 (Yup!! I know this is too much for a stupid TB test and the TB test is usually done in Rs. 500 but we cant do anything about it). You have to pay this fees at Standard Chartered Bank. They have special deposit slips for IOM. But you cant deposit your payment in all SCB branches. Currently there are two branches where students can deposit the IOM fees: one at University Road opposite Bait ul Mukarram mosque and the other one at Boat Basin. Passport number is also required for depositing the fees. After depositing fees at bank they provide you a slip which you have to take with you to IOM on the day of your appointment.
Visit IOM: On the day of appointment take your passport, a copy of your passport, two photographs and the bank deposit slip to IOM. IOM is located on Tipu Sultan Road. For getting there you have to take a turn to Karsaz from Shahrah-e-Faisal and go straight till the Tipu Sultan Road comes. It is just a few minutes ahead (on the opposite side) from the Karsaz checkpoint (where there is a fan). There is a sign on which Tipu Sultan Road is written. Just turn left and the first bungalow you see is IOM. Its opposite to Fiction. You go there at the gate and show your passport and they will give you a number which you have to show inside. My advice is to reach at IOM at 8 o clock in the morning. The IOM people will give you a sealed envelope which you have to take to Aga Khan Hospital for Chest X-Ray.
Visit Aga Khan Hospital: Take the sealed envelope you get from IOM to Aga Khan Radiology department where they will take it from you along with your passport. Then you will get your chest X-Rayed. They will return your passport back after the test.
Collect Results: For collecting the results you have to visit to IOM again. The results are given on the same day if you get tested at AKUH before 10 AM otherwise you have to collect them the next day. You will be getting the results on showing your original passport. The collection timings is 4:30 PM to 5:00 PM from Monday to Thursday.
Please provide your valuable feedback. Your comments matter a lot for me.

Study in UK For Pakistani Students

Around 10000 Pakistani students chose the UK for higher education in the academic year 2007-2008. Thats a big number!!! isn't it? Well a UK qualification is widely recognized the world over. In Pakistan a foreign qualification either from the UK or USA is considered a basic step for a great career. There was a time back in the 80s and 90s when people who came back to Pakistan after getting a foreign degree were considered hot cakes for employment. They were mostly successful in getting the job they desired. I have even heard from my teacher that her brother got a management job in a five star hotel in Karachi, at his desired salary without the interviewer even looking at his degrees. He was just impressed by the fluency of his English. Now only God knows how true is that but things have changed a lot since then. A foreign degree is still considered an achievement in the Pakistani job market but the foreign qualified graduates now have to struggle the same as their Pakistani counterparts to get their desired jobs. 

But still UK is the most popular study destination for Pakistani students. Most students complete their bachelors in Pakistan and apply to UK for their postgraduate studies. As many Pakistani students are worried about how when and where to apply I decided to solve their problems :D

The first question is about the fees and living expenses. The tuition fees for bachelors program is anywhere between 4000-12000 pounds. While the Masters programs cost around 6000-12000 pounds. The MBA normally costs anywhere between 7000-40000 pounds. Masters and MBA in the UK is of one year while bachelors programs finish in 3 years. The living expenses are around 500-800 pounds per month for London. Elsewhere it costs around 300-500 pounds per month. This depends on your lifestyle. The UK government demands that students must estimate 800 pounds per month for London and 600 pounds per month for elsewhere.
Students have to give an English Language test IELTS and score around 6 to get admission in Bachelors and 6.5 to get admission in Masters.
For MBA programs in UK three years work experience is a must requirement. One cannot get into a top ranking university without this. There are some universities which accept students without work experience.
Admission in MBA program without work experience is possible at: UWIC, University of Sunderland, University of Wales Newport, Cardiff University and University of Aberdeen. Other than these Universities some colleges also offer admissions in MBA program without work experience. Most popular colleges in London are are LSC London and LSBF.
How to Apply

To study in the UK a student needs Tier 4 Student visa. A study visa is issued on the fulfillment of criteria which is 40 points. 30 points for admission and 10 points for financial statement.

Students can select the university on the internet and apply online. They just have to fill the admission form and provide academic documents. Students can scan documents and email them with their application form. To apply students need a copy of their academic certificates and transcripts, two reference letters, IELTS score and a copy of passport. If the university accepts a student it sends an offer letter on which conditions of the program of study and fees are mentioned. The students then have to pay the initial deposit to the university (This is usually 50% of the fees). This amount is usually sent as a Demand Draft in the name of University. After the University has received payment it issues the CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies) letter. This letter is needed for applying for the UK Tier 4 Student visa.
Students also need to maintain their bank statement for a period of 28 days. They need to show that they have sufficient funds to support themselves in the UK. The requirement for bank statement is the remaining fees of the university plus living expenses. A student has to show 7200 pounds for London and 5400 pounds for elsewhere.
Pakistani students also have to get themselves tested for TB. This can be done in the meantime before applying for visa. Students have to take appointment from IOM Pakistan and pay fees for TB test. They will then be tested for TB and reports will usually be provided the next day.
When the student fulfills these requirements i.e. Gets the CAS Letter, Bank Statement and TB Test report he can apply for the UK visa. Visa infomation for Pakistani students is available on www.ukvacpk.com. This is a very useful website and contains all the information on visa requirements and how to apply.
Using Student Consultants
Students Consultants guide students about the admission and visa process. As nowadays everything is on the internet students can easily apply themselves but if students want to apply through a consultant check thoroughly about the firm like how many years they are in business and how many students have they sent abroad. Remember the most important thing is DONT PAY THEM AN EXORBITANT SUM. Consultants get a huge commission by colleges on every student they send to the college. Its anywhere around Rs 100000-150000. Some  consultants charge the Students too. Some of my friends have paid Rs 15000-30000 to consultants. This is so unethical. Students pay this huge sum because they just want to go to UK. My advice is if you are using a consultant do not pay more than Rs. 5000. Thats the most. And there are many consultants who dont charge their consultancy fees. Go for them!!!!!!.

I hope this information was useful for students wanting to study in the UK.
Please provide your valuable feedback. I love hearing from you - Your comments matter.

My choice - The University of Sunderland UK

In this post I will shed light on why I selected the University of Sunderland for my Masters. Actually at first I wanted to start my blog after getting to the UK and write about my experiences as I am very much interested in travel writing. But as there is a month in getting the visa I decided to tell people why I selected the University of Sunderland for my postgraduate studies.

The first reason is Affordability. The University of Sunderland is one of the most affordable University in the UK. The tuition fees for Bachelors program is 8500 pounds, for Masters program its 9000 pounds and 10750 pounds for the MBA program. Other than this all international students get a discount of 1500 pounds on their tuition fees. This makes my selected Masters program's fees 7500 pounds which is quite affordable if you compare it with other British universities whose fees range from 8500 to 12500 for Masters. 

The Cost of Living in Sunderland is very low. This is because its a small town in the north of England. One can easily live on 300 pounds per month in Sunderland. This includes room rent, food costs, transportation costs and bills. This is way cheaper than living in London or Manchester where one needs at least 500-600 pounds per month to survive.

Many students from Pakistan and India join small colleges in London and Manchester because they are somewhat cheaper. My advice to them is not to waste their time and money on these small colleges. Even if these colleges are licensed their study conditions and academic environment is way low than universities. The other thing is that these colleges are there just to make money from international students. Their degrees are of no worth in UK. My advice to international students is not to fall in the trap of these colleges and instead join a University. Nevertheless there are some colleges in London which are ranked highly trusted and their degrees are recognized. But the campuses of these college are very small and they dont have the facilities like those in a university.

Another reason that made me chose Sunderland is its proximity to Newcastle which has a population of over a million and is considered a big city in the UK. Newcastle is 30 minutes from Sunderland and students can find part time work there.
Hope this information helps international students in making their minds. Do a lot of research before selecting a education provider as this is about your career and you will be investing a lot of time and money for this.

Studying Abroad

It all started on a hot summer day of 2004 in Karachi. I was studying Physics from my teacher Lina and her elder sister Lubna who was my teacher and friend as well came in with some prospectuses in her hand. They were admission guides for the University of Luton UK and St. Andrews University UK. While handing me those two prospectuses Lubna said "Heyy Zohaib!! Just have a look at them". I replied "What the hell are these??".  She said "These are prospectuses of two famous UK Universities". I started looking at them and felt very much interested. I asked Lubna how she got those two prospectuses and she told me that one of her neighbors is planning to study in UK and he has ordered these prospectuses. I asked her was there any way I could get prospectuses like these for free. She told me that these prospectuses are usually delivered at home free of cost by most of the British Universities and I should try for it on the internet. That day the first thing I did after getting home was opening Google and searching for "Order free prospectus". The first few sites that I came across were University of Southampton UK and University of Auckland New Zealand's websites. I completed the forms for request of prospectus. 

I remember that within two weeks both universities sent me their information packs. I was very happy and read them thoroughly. That was the time I made my mind about studying abroad. Before that my aim was to join Pakistan Army (and my parents werent happy at all on this aim of mine. They wanted me to study and become an engineer and they thought joining the Army is waste of one's life.). I showed those prospectuses to Lubna too and she was very happy. Infact she was the woman who shaped my life this way. At that time I was studying at Cadet College Sanghar (which is Pakistan Navy's institution). When I went back to Cadet College from holidays I took the University of Central Lancashire's prospectus with me to show it to my friends. Within a few days the prospectus and the UCLAN was so popular that everyone came to me asking how did I got this prospectus and they wanted to get admission in the UCLAN and I used to tell them Im not an admission officer of the university lol, Go and search for it on the internet yourself. Anyways April 2005 came and I completed my Secondary Education. It was time to leave Cadet College Sanghar even though I had two years remaining to study for High School. But I decied to do my high school from Karachi.

I went through the websites of nearly 90 British and 30 Australian Universities for 3 years from 2004 to 2007. My criteria for selection of a university was: The tuition fees and living costs, How reputed the university is, In which city is the university located and what are the employment prospects after graduation. I got approximately 50 prospectuses from universities all around the world. They included universities from UK, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland.
I remember that for these three years the main thing which remained 24/7 in my mind was getting a foreign education. I turned into a maniac lol. Actually the condition of my country Pakistan was never very good. The crime situation and terrorism in Pakistan had become unbearable. People were(and still are) living in a state of fear. The government is corrupt and just want to fill its pocket with taxpayer's money. The situation was getting worse day by day. I am a peace loving person and Im very very sensitive. Whenever I turned on my television I saw something bad happening in Pakistan. This made me sad and depressed. I just wanted to go to a peaceful place like UK or Australia. Whenever someone asked me what I was gonna do after High School I replied I want to leave Pakistan for studying in the UK. As I belong to a middle class family of Pakistan my extended family members used to make fun of me saying how the hell can you go abroad for study. Its a rich people's game. But my parents promised me to send me abroad to get education.
By then studying abroad had become my Aim In Life just like 3 years back it was joining Pakistan Army and serving my country Pakistan. It was May 2007 and my high school Final year papers were the next month. I decided to talk to my parents about applying to a British University. I went to my Dad and told him that I have been searching a British University that is affordable and whose degree is accepted over the world. My dad replied that its good but why are you searching for a university so early. You will be going to the UK for postgraduate studies after completing your graduation from Pakistan. At that moment it felt as if the sky as falling on me. I became sad and asked my dad to send me to UK this year. I requested him to pay my fees for the first year only and the rest I decided to manage while working part time in UK. But he didnt accepted this. Anyways at that time I thought that my father has made a wrong decision by not sending me UK. But then came 2008 and the "recession" and people started loosing their jobs. At that time I thought that my father had made a very wise decision by not sending me to UK. And I also thanked God for saving me. Infact the other thing that I realized in the same time period was that Engineering was not for me. I joined a local engineering university and left it after 4 months. Actually in Pakistan and India most parents want their children to be either Doctors or Engineers. But I hated Maths from my childhood days. I knew I will never be a good engineer.
Again the newspapers and internet came to my help and I found a British degree program which was completely offered in Pakistan. I applied to the City APIIT and got admission there in March 2008. I studied there for three years and graduated in October 2010. I got my UK degree from Staffordshire University on 20th December 2010. From 2008 to 2010 I tried my best to get myself transferred to UK, Australia or Canada but wasnt successful :(
I recently applied for the University of Sunderland Masters program and got accepted. Will now apply for a UK visa in Jan 11.

The First Post

At Last I started my own blog. I have been planning to start my own blog for a long time. I am very happy today as I consider this the first step towards one of my aims i.e. Becoming a writer. First of all I like to introduce myself.
Im Syed Zohaib Zaidi. Born on 30th November 1989 in Karachi Pakistan I was the first child of my family. I got my early education from Karachi Public School and Cadet College Sanghar. After that I joined Aga Khan Higher Secondary School. After completing my High School I joined The City APIIT for my higher education. I recently graduated with a BA(Hons) in Business Administration from Staffordshire University UK.

The reason I started blogging was my desire to be a writer. I love reading and writing. I LOVE BOOKS. Its from my childhood. Its something innate. I remember I started reading books and newspapers from the age of 5. Even though I could not completely understand them but I still used to read them. Books had some sort of attraction in them. I remember when I was a child other children used to eat candies with their pocket money while I mostly saved my money and bought books. Whenever I went to the market with my parents I insisted on getting a new book. Many people considered me psychotic and insane. Maybe its because reading is considered a bad habit in Pakistan. Even though this land has produced world famous writers people here have other important things to do than reading.
The other reason of starting this blog is "me". There is a Zohaib which I have never ever shared with anyone. I want to share it with someone. I have a habit of not sharing a part of my life with my parents, siblings and friends. That part will be shared here.

Well I guess what was intended to be a small paragraph has turned into a quite lengthy speech lol. So I will end my first post here with the hope that you ppl will like my blog. Please feel free to comment. I will be very much encouraged if u provide me your valuable feedback.

THANKS