Some Useful Information for New Phd Students

Some Useful Information for New PhD Students

Jessica Chen-Burger

24 November 2018

Disclaimer: This information sheet is for reference only. The readers are recommended to investigate the matters further and make their own judgements based oncorresponding official information sources.

If you are coming to study in Informatics, a better starting time is in the autumn. The PhD program normally starts from late September or early October, depending on the Univ. calendar of the concerned year. However, if necessary, theoretically a PhD study can start from any time in the year as convenient. However, as this isnon-standardstarting time, sometimes it causes confusions and inconvenience.

Informatics normally runs an Induction Week that gives a gentle introduction to new MSc and PhD students to better prepare them for their studies. It will be useful if you can attend this program.

For accommodation, it is useful to stay on the Univ. campus, at least for the first year, esp. if this is the first time that you have come to live in a foreign country or to live in the UK or that English is not your first language. Univ. campus isnormally more specialised and better equipped with looking after students when compared with other private accommodations, e.g. by providing common rooms, Internet access or even cleaning services. Some Univ. campus also provides social and cultural programs for students.

It is always a good idea to arrive in the UK at least 2 weeks earlier so that you will have sorted all private matters and ready to start your studies at the beginning of the program. This is particularly useful if you are an international student that English is not your first language and/orthis is the first time that you have come to live in a foreign country or in the UK. These two weeks will allow you to recover from jet lag, if applicable, familiariseyourself with the city and its amenities,sort out your daily needs, make friends and contact with the Univ. to arrangeyour place of study, computing environmentand settle in, etc.

Although the Univ. provides computing equipments, it is also useful to bring your own laptop, so that it is more convenient for you to work either at work, home or for travel, e.g. to use it to give presentationsat conferences. The Univ. also has academic contract with software firms for students to purchase selective software at a discounted price. Therefore if you are thinking about purchasing some commonly used programs, it is advisable to firstly check out the Univ. Information Services and see whether they offer the software before you make your own purchase. See below for more information:

Once you have arrived in the UK, one of the first things to do is to contact me, so that I know you have arrived safely in the UK. We can then schedule for a first meeting where I will explain and take you through a study program in Informatics with myself, so that you have an overview of your three year’s PhD study program.

One of the other useful things to do is to get yourself a mobile telephone number (assuming you already have a working mobile phone). You can do so by buying a "sim" card. Plenty of (smaller) stores will install the sim card and get the phone working for you for free, if you purchase the sim card from them - so to save you troubles, in case it does not work. Once you get the sim card installed, you can "top up" the sim card by adding monies to this telephone number, so that youcan use the number straightaway.

Currently, there are a few bank branches at the Bristol Square, Univ. campus that offer good interest rates. It is advisable to check out the rates of a few different banks and also the rates of their saving accounts before deciding which bank to use. You can also open a current account in one bank, and saving account in a different bank, if that suits you better.

Tuition fees can be paid in several instalments (with relatively low interests charged) rather than all at once per year. This facility may prove to be very useful for international students. You can check this out and decide which options suit you better. For information, you can ask the Registration Office at the OldCollege for more details, see below:

Full-time students normally do not need to pay council taxes. If you are living in a private accommodation, make sure that you have enquiredand notified this with the Registration Office so that you are exempted from paying council tax.

Edinburgh is in general a safe place. However, it is recommended not to go home too late or walk in dark allies late in the night. Always take care while walking when it is after 10pm.

Cars in theUKdrive on the left hand side of the road. However, some roads are one-directional, therefore the traffic may come from the right hand side of the road. It is therefore advisable to look at both sides of the road before you cross the street to ensure your safety. This is particularly important when you just arrive the country and not used to the road system yet.