What do London’s Markets have to offer?

Guest Post by Morgan Souihed.

Wherever in the world you are, high street shops and chain supermarkets can get pretty tiresome, can’t they? People shuffle along with their trolleys oblivious to one another as they shovel tasteless, cellophane-wrapped foodstuffs into their baskets: the same bland products every week. With Britain’s high-streets becoming more and more homogenised, people need to look elsewhere for a shopping experience that’s a little more fulfilling. Fortunately for all of us who’ll be studying in the UK, London has a rich history of independent markets that provide high-quality products and foodstuffs that aren’t simply churned out by a soulless corporation, often at competitive prices. Many of these still operate today, and if you’re staying anywhere near Mile End road, you’ll find several of them right on your doorstep…

Farmer’s market, Mile End Queen Mary Campus
We’re sure your parents will have been incessantly telling you to buy fresh fruit, veg, meat and fish instead of subsisting on the more common takeaway-based student diet. Fortunately for them, and for you at the University of London’s Queen Mary Campus a local farmer’s market is hosted every Thursday from 9am until 2pm. Here you can buy fresh local produce including sausages, fruit and vegetables, freshly caught fish and artisan breads to ensure that your diet can range from the simply healthy to the practically opulent. Take advantage of this local treasure and the parents will have nothing to worry about!

Roman Road market
Markets can provide you with more than just food, however. At craft markets like the excellent Roman Road market, you can pick up some great bargains to do just that. You can source yourself some budget antiques, pick up a few books for study or pleasure, take in some spectacular street performers and even grab a bite to eat. The Roman Road is the oldest known trade route in Britain, so the market is steeped in history.

Brick Lane market
If you’re feeling adventurous and up for venturing a little further afield, Brick Lane Market is a sprawling, traditional flea market where you can buy yourself just about anything you could possibly want. It’s well worth the effort to go and take in the sights, smells and bargains aplenty that the market has to offer. Brick Lane is famed for being an area rich in Asian culture, so you can grab some fantastically authentic food while you’re there, and the market itself will provide you with vintage clothing, electrical goods and bric-a-brac aplenty. Why not check it out and see what hidden gems you could unearth?

One key way to experience these attractions is to live near them. There are luxurious student accommodations nearby, such as Scape Living’s Hoxton location, or student housing possibilities via Erasmate’s website , which means that some of London’s best sights and experiences are just minutes away. So don’t miss out on what could be some of the best times of your life!

Improving Your Employability By Volunteering Whilst Abroad

Employers are throwing the term ‘employability’ around a lot, which basically means that a candidate is suitable for work in their sector and has valuable soft skills for work. Employability is harder to obtain than employers think, as you often need to get employed to earn it.

Outstanding grades, industry relevant internships and a combination of the two don’t seem to be enough to give that edge when approaching a potential employer anymore.

Why Volunteer?
Being part of the Erasmus exchange and gaining experience abroad is a very good way to gain employer’s attention, but there’s still more you can do whilst abroad to help you stand out from the crowd. Volunteering is becoming ever more popular and important within sectors, and there’s a big industry of it in many European countries, including the UK. Furthermore, volunteer work also gives you a great chance to prolong your stay abroad after an Erasmus exchange. In case you’re looking for housing options during a volunteer program, take a look at Erasmate’s browse housing list for current housing offers.

There are many preconceptions about volunteering. Some of them being that a volunteer would be bored or that there won’t a connection to your chosen industry. Having industry specific experience is good, but employers also want to see examples of dedication and passion.

If you can’t find industry related volunteer work, then look out for opportunities with causes that you are passionate about. If you wish to raise money for a cause funding research for a disease a family member has, then this not only shows dedication to your family, but also involves organization, budgeting and planning skills. Remember not to volunteer because you’ve heard it’s a good idea to do it, but because you want to, as employers will see right through you if you’re not passionate about the cause.

Regarding the first point of volunteering being boring, this won’t be the case if you volunteer for a cause that’s important to you, and there’s a growing trend of volunteering at summer and adventure camps in the UK.

Stand Out
Summer camps are a common sector in America, but are still growing within the UK meaning that volunteer work in such a different sector will help you stand out when looking for work in the UK or back home.

Volunteer work at a children’s camp is especially useful for those studying to become teachers, as you can gain valuable experience of interacting with the children in a very different environment compared to the classroom while still having to distribute the same authority and discipline. The challenge is creating the right balance between comradery and discipline. Conquering this challenge will impress potential employers, as many experienced teachers still struggle with this balance.

Similarly, if you’re planning to become a trainer or instructor within the sports or activities offered at summer camps, then you can gain valuable experience by volunteering as well as stand out with knowledge of more unusual sports such as weaselling (which is climbing, sliding and squeezing through tunnels and rocky obstacles to reach the top of a hillside).

Just like having hobbies is a credit to your versatility, so too is volunteer work in a different environment than what is expected. If you can show volunteering experience in a sector or industry which can stop the employer to take a closer look at your CV, then you have better chances of being noticed at the early stages of recruitment.

Find out more about UK summer camps. This article was written by Sarah Oxley on behalf of Doit4real, a charitable organization who provide adventure and summer camps for children aged 10-16.

Going to study in the UK? Here are some essential tips regarding your accommodation..

Dear readers,

One of our users approach us to write a guest post with tips regarding accommodation search in the UK.

Finding a property to live in
If you are unsure of where to look then you may want to consider asking your university. Most universities in the UK have an office for international students where you can go to for advice about anything. When you ask for student accommodation, also ask which letting agencies to avoid because the international student office will know which agencies have got a well established reputation and which agencies do not. In addition to this, they can also advise you on the area where you’d like to live in. Some areas are safer than others so it’s worth checking this out.

Another way of finding the right property to live in is by simply scanning the internet. You can make use of a search engine like Google by typing in relevant keywords such as “Flats in London” or “Student Accommodation in London”. These websites often allow you click on the type of property and neighbourhood you’d like to live in, the price and whether you require the property to be furnished or not.

Erasmate student-to-student housing also offers profiles of students that are looking for a room and students that are offering a room. The drop down menu allows you to narrow down your search by clicking on the type of country, city, the rent you can afford to pay and the length of your stay. If you are an exchange student and you are looking for short term stays, it is worth considering the Erasmate student to student housing as most letting agencies in the UK require you to sign a 12 month contract.

 

Arranging viewings
It is important that you organise and plan your viewings carefully. Most likely, you will still be in your own country when making these appointments, so when you come to the UK, you might have many viewings to attend. In order to not get confused, make sure to write everything down, i.e. the letting agency, the person who is responsible for the viewing, the type of property, address, phone number and rent to be paid. By doing so, you will find it less stressful and easier to manage.

Viewing properties
It is very important that you take note of everything when you view a furnished property and to watch out for any damaged furniture or poorly installed showers and/or boilers. The UK has many old houses and unless the letting agency you arranged a viewing with is maintaining its properties, you might find yourself looking at properties that are in poor conditions.  If this is the case then don’t be afraid of asking the letting agency what they can do to fix it.

Signing the contract
If you think you have found the right accommodation then it is time to negotiate on the rent. In most cases, letting agencies increase the price slightly to see if they can get away with it, so always ask. When you do sign the contract then you will have to pay a deposit. The deposit, by law, should be kept by a third party such as “my deposits”. If this is not the case, then ask your letting agency where they will hold the deposit. Also ensure that this is stated in the contract.

Also, prior to your departure for the UK, make sure that you have got a guarantor. A guarantor is someone who agrees to be held responsible for any damage a tenant might cause and bills, when the tenant cannot or refuses to pay. They usually require the guarantor to live in the UK. If you don’t know anyone in the UK who would take up this responsibility, then you can ask the letting agency if someone from your country is ok. Bring relevant documents as well, such as a payslip, copy of passport and a utility bill. In most cases, letting agencies will allow you to have a foreign guarantor.

If you are participating in student-to-student housing then it is essential to have a contract that includes all necessary information such as whether a deposit is required and the details about your guarantor. You can view a preview of the rental contract and purchase your rental contract here.

This post was written by Susanna Cha on behalf of Pearson PTE English Exam, approved for a tier 4 student visa.

Susanna, thank you for sharing your insides! Are YOU interested in sharing your knowledge on an Erasmus exchange program and/or tips regarding housing in Europe? Contact us here!

Student Mobility – a UK example by BBC

The Erasmus programme gives European students since 1987 the possibility to exchange for 3-12 months to another European university in order to get to know foreign people, culture and languages.

In order to increase international mobility of students further, the Bachelor/Master system was introduced in early 2000s. The system allows better comparison of the various study programmes in Europe and enables flexible learning pathways.

This BBC video gives an example of UK students doing their study in the Netherlands as universities in their home country are over subscribed and tuition fees are high.

The increase in student mobility calls for a webportal where students can easily find housing abroad! Welcome to Erasmate!