University of Birmingham

Welcome to the University of Birmingham, a redbrick university located in the central of England.and just 15 minutes by bus or train from the second largest city in England- the Birmingham City.

The main campus is the Selly Oak campus where most of Malaysian students studies. Selly oak campus was surrounded by a housing area which are dominated by the students.

There's not a need for so much of an introduction...As you would have known, The University of Birmingham is not only famous in UK but also well-known worldwide.

Founded in 1900,ranked 59th in the QS World University Ranking 2010,placing Birmingham 10th in the UK,which provides you with all the things that you need in your studies..

If you want to know more,watch this video..

Facilities

Just like the other places,at Birmingham,you will be able to use all the facilities provided in the university such as:
-Library
-Sport Centre
-Playfield
-Computer Lab
-And much-much more.....

And the most important is,we have a very nice prayer room located at the centre of student attraction..So you don't have to worry about going to miss your daily ""Dhuha"" prayer since it would only take you about 5minutes walk from your lecture hall to the prayer room InsyaAllah.. =)

Course

Students here take the critical courses such as Sciences(Mathematics, Physics, Biology, Biotech, etc)
Engineering(Chemical,Mechanical etc)

Accommodation

Basically,if you are a 1st year student,you are entitled to apply for a student accomodation provided by the university which are

-Affordable in price(£90-£1++ per week)
-Located very strategic in the campus(few of them-5minutes walk to the university,most of them-20 minutes and above walk to the university)
-and much-much more...

HOWEVER..
There are also private houses near the campus which are
-much cheaper than university accomodation!(£50-£7+ per week)
-strategic(near to mosque,restaurant etc)
-etc..

so,which accommodation type is better?
it's up to you to decide :)

In the recent past years, almost 75% of Malaysian students lived in private houses..
If you are planning to live in privates houses,do contact us as soon as possible so that we could help you to arrange your accomodation InsyaAllah..

Life as a Muslim

Just one sentence would suffice; living here in the UK makes us appreciate and know more about Islam..

Halal Food


In Birmingham, you dont have to worry about halal food. There is more than FIVE HALAL restaurant along Bristol Road which is about 2 minutes from the entrance of the university.

The price is a lot CHEAPER compared to other places. You have A LOT OF CHOICES which you do not have in other places. There is a chinese restaurant offering halal chineses food, an indian restaurant which provide a variety of halal indian cuisines and even a restaurant that offers MALAYSIA FOOD. Wow, isn it?

If you want to taste some fast food, you can choose either Pizza, Kebab or Burgers from a number of HALAL fast food restaurants here such as Pizza Land, Rooster and Adam's Place. The price? Spend £3 pound and you will get A MEAL SET!

Otherwise, you can cook by yourself if you want to. The groceries can be bought from Coventry Road, a residential area dominated by muslims. It was just 20 minutes by bus from Selly Oak. There is a supermarket named 'HALAL' supermarkert where you will found out that ALL the items sell is HALAL!!

Some of the groceries such as chilli sauce, instant mee, vegetables and eggs can be found at the nearby shop such as Aldi supermarket and Seoul Plaza (both are 5 minutes from university).

In short, you wont be hungry or loss weight here. Indeed, you will grow fat if you did not control your appetite because all the restaurants mentioned above serve a TRIPLE YUMMY foods~~~~

Plus,we got Banana Leaf,.
Erm,what is that?
If you want to know more about Banana Leaf,watch this video..(^-^)

Malaysian Community

Malaysian Society(Masocs)

What to Prepare

Prepare what you think you have to prepare!(document ect)
by the way,if you think you are going to Birmingham,do contact us and we are here to help you InsyaAllah..
For now,keep focus on your final exam,spend enough time with your family,then just sit back back and relax..=)

We are looking forward to see you in the future insyaAllah..



Contact Detail

Please dont be shy to call/sms/email/FB us...=)

Brothers:
Ahmad Shahrul Kamal B Haji Shahid
shahrulkamal_90@yahoo.com.my
+447955654580
+60122496010 (Available 29/06-17/09)


Sisters:
Nur Afiqah Rosali
fikamisha@yahoo.com.my(emel, ym, skype, facebook)
+447835244041
0137183465

University of Warwick

The University of Warwick is a "plate glass" campus university established in 1965. Its reputation has rapidly risen to be regarded as one of the top 10 ranking universities in the UK and offers a wide range of traditional university courses.The University of Warwick is classified as Tier 2 university alongside with Imperial College, London School of Economics and Political Science(LSE) and University College London. Located on the outskirts of nice and delicate city of Coventry,the university isrecognised as an excellent place to pursue your study and developing your skills.

Academic Excellence

- Consistently in the top ten UK universities in the media league tables; ranked 3rd in The Guardian’s 2011 league table and 8th in The Times Good University Guides 2011.
- Ranked 7th in the UK for research quality in the government’s Research Assessment Exercise, 2008, with 65% of our research judged to be world leading or internationally excellent
- The university of choice for over 45 overseas governments and organisations looking to sponsor the best students to the UK; including Malaysia.
- Positioned in the top five UK universities for students having achieved the highest number of tariff points on entry
- Excellent academic staff, recruited from the UK and abroad, ensuring high quality, research-based teaching in the Humanities, Sciences, Social Sciences and Medicine
- An established reputation among business, industry and the public services as one of the UK’s most important sources of ‘intellectual capital’


Courses

There are 5 main courses that most of the Malaysian undergraduate students here in Warwick chose to focus their study on:

- Business, Accounting and Finance
- Sciences (Chemistry, Biology and Physic)
- Mathematics (MORSE, Mathematic)
- IT and Engineering
- Social Sciences and Teaching (Law, TESL)

However, the university also offer their vast array of options, giving you the flexibility to specialise in aspects of your subject that particularly interest you. You can also broaden your academic experience by learning a new language or taking an option in another academic department. The administration have also designed all of the courses so that specialisations and options all fit together into a coherent programme that is tailored to your own interests and also equips you with the skills and knowledge greatly valued by employers.

At Warwick – depending on your subject – you may learn through:

- Lectures : the most formal way of teaching a large group of students
- Seminars : a group of around a dozen students meeting with a member of staff to discuss a paper prepared by one of the group, or a group presentation
- Tutorials : small group learning giving you the opportunity for more individual contact, so that you can discuss a paper in more detail and review your progress with your tutor
- Laboratory/language classes in specialist facilities
- Performance : Warwick has nationally recognised expertise in using theatrical performance skills to enhance student learning
- Independent study :the key element of your transition to university – learning to work by and for yourself.

Don’t worry as your lecturer and tutor will help you make this transition – and your seniors too.



The Campus

The University of Warwick is located in the heart of England, on the edge of the multicultural city of Coventry and the border of Warwickshire. This “best of both worlds” location means one side of the campus faces a bustling modern city whilst the other overlooks beautiful English countryside. Its illustrious mediaeval past can be seen in its remaining timber-framed buildings, whilst its modern day fame as a centre for peace and reconciliation is evident in its striking modern cathedral. Just south of the University of Warwick lie Shakespeare’s Stratford-upon-Avon and historic Warwick itself, home to Britain’s finest mediaeval castle.

(The University of Warwick Art Centre)

The University of Warwick campus provides a variety of day-to-day facilities and services for students. The area around the piazza and the Students' Union building are the central shopping spots where you can find a supermarket, banks, post office, pharmacy, bookshop, hairdressers and Oxfam shop.

(The University of Warwick – a world class campus)

Here’s the map of the campus.

To know more about the university, you can watch some interactive tour video here.


Facilities

The University of Warwick provide the students with wide range of facilities to help enhancing the academic excellence such as :

- One huge library – refurbished and remodelled to meet the needs of the 21st century leaner, consisting of millions of books and printed works, access to electronic journals and database and also subject librarians with specialised knowledge of your particular academic area.
- Huge and wide learning spaces for revising, reading or group discussing complete with latest IT equipment.
- A* rating facilities for the lecture hall, laboratory, classroom, and library. Plus, 24 hours working area for overnight students.
- Thousands of computers for the student to work on – including personal computer room for each department(only students from its own department can use).
- Also known among the Malaysians to have a confortable and pleasant prayer room facilities – offering 5 times a day congregational prayer including Jumuah and Eid prayers.
- Shops and restaurants around the university compound – serving halal foods for the muslims.
- Sports Centre with swimming pool, gymnasium and plenty of field to play on – indoor and outdoor tennis courts, hockey, rugby, football, squash, volleyball, cricket, frisbee and international standard athletic track.

(Experience the Warwick natural landscape during your walk)

- Tired of studying?? Go for a walk around the campus natural preserved landscape. You might even encounter with wild hare, squirrel and variety of bird and insect species. Click here for more info.


Accommodation
- On-campus

Warwick campus accommodation is second to none. Purpose-built residences provide over 6,000 rooms for both undergraduates and postgraduates, all within ten minutes’ walk of our academic and social spaces. Some accommodation is en-suite and some consists of study bedrooms with washbasins; there are traditional university halls, as well as flats, for between five and twelve students, with shared kitchens and bathrooms. All have network ports and high speed internet access, and all are furnished and maintained to a high standard. Each halls and flats have resident staff on duty to make sure that everything runs smoothly and look after their students’ welfare. There is also self-laundrette service provided in each residence. It cost about £2.00 per wash and £1.00 for drying.

(The latest hall on campus : Bluebell (to be completed on summer 2011))

Price range is from £76 - £145* per week depends on the type of the residence.

For more info about on-campus university accommodation, click here.

*Price is correct for 2011/12 academic year application.



- Off-campus

There are three choices for you to pick when planning to stay off-campus; university accommodation, private accommodation or rent a house.

For university accommodation, you don’t have to worry as Warwick Accommodation(manage by the university) will help you find off-campus accommodation.The university manages around450 houses (over 1,800 rooms) in Coventry, Leamington and nearby Kenilworth. In this way, we ensure that all properties meet local authority accreditation standards relating to health and safety, furnishing and maintenance, and that the rents are suitable for student

For more info about off-campus university accommodation, click here.

For private accommodation, I’m sure that you already received some newsletter about it such as Liberty Park, Study Inn, Paradise Place and many more. The price usually a bit higher from the university accommodation and you has to pay for the travel cost to the university.

If you prefer to stay off campus in a bachelor house, we can arrange itfor you and when you finally arrive, your house is ready for you and your friends.Sweet rite? All you have to do is contact us as provided at the end of this review. No worries, no sweat.


Shopping

As mentioned above, the University of Warwick is just 30 minutes away from the Coventry City Centre. There’s a lot of shoppingoutlets to look at from branded clothing to stationery. There’s also a shopping complex in Coventry that provides all sort of product, thus you got nothing to worry of.

If you love doing all sorts of crafting, knitting or models, there is Hobbycraft’s branch in Coventry. You can stock up there with variety of crafting material to suit you desire. Believe it or not, there is a huge IKEA complex here in Coventry. You can buy all sort of furniture at affordable price and seek advice on how to decorate your room.

If you still not satisfied, you can take a train to UK 2nd largest city, Birmingham. In about 20 minutes, you can dwindle around the Birmingham City Centre for lot more choices.



Halal Food

All campus accommodation is self-catering, with well-equipped kitchens and common rooms and is close to supermarkets to stock up with food. However, when you don’t feel like cooking, there are plenty of restaurants and food outlets on campus(serve halal food) where you can eat well. There more on foods!Eating @ Warwick scheme offers discounts on food and groceries at outlets across the campus.

(Warwick Student’s Union Building – Shops, restaurants, banks, post office, café etc.)

In order to get more choices at a cheaper price, you can just walk about 15 minutes form the campus to TESCO. As the main customer is from the university, the store operates 24 hours per day except Sunday(close at 4.00pm). If you don’t like TESCO, you can go to other stores like Iceland, Wilkinson which situated in the same building to pile up your food stocks.

To get a halal meat, you get buy pre-cut chicken and beef at TESCO. You can also buy halal meat at the Coventry market situated in the heart of Coventry City Centre. There are fresh vegetable, fruit and spices available at the market.

If you crave of the Malaysian taste, you can get some Malaysian product at the Asian Market; there is one near to TESCO and another one at Coventry City Centre.


Transportation

All University properties are within easy reach of bus stops, and there are frequent buses connecting campus to Coventry, Kenilworth and Leamington Spa. You can buy bus passes on campus which are valid for the full 3terms(about £215* by National Express).

Ifyou are planning to stay off-campus, I personally advice you to have it. Depends on where you might stay, you can try other alternative way such as walk or cycling to the campus.

(Bus No 12 provided by National Express from Coventry – University of Warwick – Leamington Spa)

If you’re planning to stay on-campus, then you might want to know the ticket prices:

Single journey : £1.60 per travel
Day saver : £3.40 unlimited travel for one day
Family saver : £7.50 for 5 people(need to use it together), unlimited travel for one day

*Price might slightly change for next academic year.



Student Life in University

As a muslim man and women in a Christian country, you might need to prepare yourself well. There’s no abah or ummi to remind you every day. Your flatmates don’t even care about your religion. They got their own faith and believe, they got their own culture. The world is not on your side. Your class, seminars, group discussion clashes with the prayer time. Sometime, you even end up finishing your labs when the sun is not there anymore. So, what can you do??

University life is tough and getting tougher. If you are not mentally and physically prepared, you might find yourself failing in the exam and sent home to Malaysia. Readings, tutorials and self-study need a high discipline and motivation to get through.

We are here to help. Meet us at our FREE pre-departure program organised by IKRAM UK & Ireland to ask and share the experience of studying at the UK top universities. Once again, it’s FREE!!

Arriving at Warwick, United Kingdom

Upon your arrival at London Heathrow Airport, there are various ways to get to the university. You can travel by bus, trains or pay for a taxi with some amount of money. Most importantly, London is not as small as other cities here in UK. It’s the largest city and you might even find yourself lost in the hectic atmosphere of the concrete jungle. With all your bags and belongings, it is a situation you don’t want to get in!!

Don’t worry as we can fetch you right on your arrival. We’ll take you to the university as voluntary deeds. You don’t have to pay us. All you have to do is contact us, tell your arrival date and the problem solved!!



Contact person

Any questions and queries, do not hesitate to contact usat:

NaufalJailani
BSc Chemistry 12’
+44(0)7500868279
watercress_blue@yahoo.co.uk (e-mail, FB, ym)

ShahidaTomiran
Bsc Accounting and Finance 13’
+44(0)7584284814
shahida.tomiran@gmail.com (email,FB)

They are superbly nice persons. If you call them(or just leave a message) and ask for helps, you can just consider it as job done. Thus, it’s up to you guys whether to take the opportunity or not.

See you at Warwick!!