1. My friend tells me that it is very difficult to get a visa to study in Britain.
2. My friend tells me that I can work in Britain and earn enough money to pay my fees
3. My friend tells me that when I travel to Britain I can only fly into Heathrow
4. My friend tells me that I can take an MBA without having any work experience.
5. My friend tells me that it is difficult to get a scholarship from a British university
6. My friend tells me that it is not safe to live in British cities
7. My friend tells me that it doesn't really matter which course I apply for, as it is easy to change course when I arrive at the University
8. My friend tells me that I can save Chinese bank transfer charges by taking my money to Britain in cash
9. My friend also tells me that I should take my money in US Dollars and not Sterling
10. My friend tells me that when fill in my application I should translate all Chinese names and addresses into English
11. My friend tells me that I must have an English name if I am going to study at a British university
12. My friend tells me that if I want to be accepted by a British university I will have to pay an application charge and a deposit, or even pay the full fees in advance
13. My friend tells me that I will not be allowed to start my course at a British university until I have paid my fees in full.
14. My friend tells me that accommodation at British universities is very expensive and it would be cheaper to live off the campus
15. My friend tells me it is very expensive to live in Britain
16. My friend tells me that the best way to assess a British university is to look at its position in the league tables
17. My friend tells me that it will take a long time to get a visa to go to Britain.
18. My friend tells me that the best accommodation to get is on the university campus
19. My friend tells me that I will have to take compulsory English classes when I study at a university in Britain.
20. My friend tells me that if I have taken the TOEFL test, the score will be accepted by a British university.
21. My friend tells me that the weather in Britain is not good.
22. My friend tells me that if I wish to go to a British university I must apply through an agent.
23. My friend tells me that I can only begin a programme at a British university in September/ October.
24. My friend tells me that I can study another language whilst at a British university.
25. My friend tells me that the best way to assess a British university is to look at its prospectus.
26. My friend tells me that I can enter the second or final year of a degree programme in Britain.
27. My friend tells me that there is a period of compulsory work experience in all British degree programmes
28. My friend tells me that I must go to London whilst I am in Britain
29. My friend tells me that the university will collect me from the airport when I arrive in Britain
30. My friend tells me that I can take a PhD at a British University if I have first degree from a Chinese University
31. My friend tells me that I can earn money by working on the campus of a British university.
32. My friend tells that I can earn money in Britain by teaching Chinese

1. My friend tells me that it is very difficult to get a visa to study in Britain.

Your friend is making you worry unnecessarily. It is not that difficult to get a visa if you are a genuine student. The British Government is very keen to encourage more international students to study in Britain and to facilitate this has simplified visa procedures and also changed the regulations to allow international students to work.

The procedures for obtaining your visa still require you to go for an interview - either at the British Embassy in Beijing, or at the British Consulates General in Guangzhou or Shanghai. The staff who interview you are called Entry Clearance Offices, and recently they have received training to familiarise themselves with the needs and requirements of Chinese students.

The important thing to remember when you are being interviewed is that you must be able to tell a good clear story. You need to be able to say very clearly why you want to study in Britain and what you plan to do when you return to China. For example, if you are going to study for a master's degree you should be able to say that it will add to your qualifications and skills, and this will make you more employable in the future. And then you can add that on return you intend to look for a job with a joint venture company.

What I'm saying simply is that you should show the interviewer that you have done lots of thinking and planning.

The interviewer will also want to see some evidence that you have enough money to study and live in Britain. This can be in the form of a bank statement, a letter of guarantee from a sponsor (in China or outside), a confirmation of a scholarship from a university or college, or confirmation of employment in Britain.

As well as being able to cover the fees, you must also be able to show that you have enough money to cover living expenses - this needs to be about £5,000 a year minimum.

Once you have had the visa interview you should get your visa within a few days if you are going to study for less than one year, or after about four weeks if your study is for more than a year.

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2. My friend tells me that I can work in Britain and earn enough money to pay my fees

I am afraid that your friend is giving you false hope. Yes, it is possible for your now to work without permission. You can work for up to twenty hours a week during semester time, and full time during the vacations.

But when you have your visa interview you cannot say that you hope to get a job to pay your fees - you must have evidence that you have already been offered a job. And this is very difficult to get. No employer is going to offer a job to somebody he or she knows nothing about.

Let's imagine that once you get to Britain you are lucky enough to get a job that pays you say £4 an hour. If you work twenty hours a week this will give you £80. This is hardly going to contribute a great deal towards your fees. The purpose of letting you work is to allow you to earn some pocket money to make life a little more comfortable.

Also, think about this. Degree programmes (both undergraduate and postgraduate) in Britain are shorter than in other countries. This is because they are much more intensive and being a student is a full time occupation in itself. There will be very little time left for you to work and certainly not enough time to earn enough to pay all of your fees. If you tried to do this you would become very tired, possibly even ill, and your academic studies would certainly suffer.

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3. My friend tells me that when I travel to Britain I can only fly into Heathrow

Your friend has got it wrong. There are many British airports where you can arrive - Manchester, Glasgow, Newcastle, Birmingham and others.

It is true that the majority of students arrive through Heathrow, and often the cheapest and most frequent flights are into Heathrow. But it is a good idea to familiarise yourself with the geography of Britain, and if your destination is quite a way from London then it is worth investigating whether one of the other airports would be easier. You may have to pay a little more, but you may well save in the end by not having to travel a long distance from London.

There are also two other advantages of not going through Heathrow. First of all the immigration queues at the local airports are invariably much shorter and friendlier. Secondly, Heathrow has four terminals, and almost certainly you'll have to go from one terminal to another if you are flying on to another British airport.

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4. My friend tells me that I can take an MBA without having any work experience.

In theory your friend is right. But if you do find an MBA programme that will take you without any work experience it means that it is not a very good MBA.

The purpose of an MBA is to give students training in business and management techniques by drawing on their work experience, and making them interact with others managers who have similar experiences. Look upon it as like-minded managers feeding off each other's experience.

A student in an MBA class who has no work experience cannot really make a contribution to the class - yes OK, he/she might be able to come up with lots of ideas - but they will not be ideas backed up by real experience. Contributing to the learning of the MBA group is a very important aspect of an MBA.

You will see that most MBAs are more expensive than other postgraduate programmes. One reason for this is that you are buying much more than the lectures and seminars - you are also buying real life experiences - and these are to be highly valued.

A good MBA programme will require you to have a minimum of two years experience, usually in a supervisory capacity at least. If you haven't got this but you still want to get a management qualification there are still plenty of other good masters' degrees available. These have been specifically designed for students without work experience. These could include Master in Business Studies (MBS), MSc Management of Information Technology, or MA International Marketing.

But even if you do have work experience you should still think very carefully. It may be more appropriate for you to take a different programme, especially if you want to specialise in a particular sector of management for your career. For example, if you are set on becoming a Personnel Manager it might be a better idea to take an MA in Human Resources Management.

Be very careful of MBAs that are available by distance learning - and by this I mean ones that are taught through correspondence material, or perhaps via the Internet. Check whether they provide tutor or group support in some form. If they don't, then again you will be missing out on a very important aspect of an MBA - interaction with fellow managers.

Look also at the way the programme is assessed. If it is only by examination, be very wary of it. A good MBA will use assignments to allow you to develop your managerial ideas. At management level, examinations are for parrots.

And if it is taught by distance learning, and doesn't require work experience, and doesn't have assignments - avoid it at all costs.

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5. My friend tells me that it is difficult to get a scholarship from a British university

Yes, your friend is right, but the situation is not impossible. Some British universities do give scholarships, but they are not commonly available. It is almost impossible to get a scholarship for an undergraduate programme.

It is possible to find them for postgraduate programmes, but it very much depends on what you are looking for. You can consider yourself very lucky if you find a full scholarship that pays both your fees and living costs. Possibly you may find one that covers your fees, or more likely part of your fees.

How do you get a scholarship? I'm afraid it is a case of looking around, and asking the individual universities if anything is available. There might well be information in the prospectus or on the website.

Some universities may tell you to ask at the British Council. The British Council may know of some scholarships, but it is unlikely to have full details of what is available, and it does not award scholarships. It does manage the Chevening Scholarship Scheme - these are scholarships awarded by the British Government - but nomination for these scholarships is made by various Chinese Government bodies - not the British Council.

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6. My friend tells me that it is not safe to live in British cities

No, this is not true. You are in no more danger in a British city than you are in China, or any other large city anywhere in the world.

Personal safety is very much a matter of common sense wherever you are in the world - don't flash money about - don't go into dark places at night - don't get into cars if you don't know the driver or any of the occupants.

All British Universities will hold induction sessions for international students - and health and safety will be part of this induction - listen carefully and act on any advice that you are given.

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7. My friend tells me that it doesn't really matter which course I apply for, as it is easy to change course when I arrive at the University

If this is the way you are thinking you are not really a very serious student. It means that you haven't been thinking properly about your career and what is the best course for you.

Yes, it is possible once you arrive at a British university to change to another course, but you should have a very good reason for doing so. The university will ask you to show that you have the right qualifications to take the new course, and it may take a little time to sort out the change, and this means that you may well miss the vital first few days or even weeks of the course.

So don't let your friend persuade you to apply for just any course. Your planning should be done before you get to Britain - not when you get there. There's too much to do and think about when you arrive, and you don't want to waste those important first few weeks trying to get onto a new course.

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8. My friend tells me that I can save Chinese bank transfer charges by taking my money to Britain in cash

This is very foolish advice. Do not listen to your friend.

If you carry cash and it is lost or stolen you will have no way whatsoever of getting it back.

I know Chinese banks make a charge to transfer money to Britain, but this is a much safer way to have your money sent. Many universities will have an account to which you can send your money. Other ways you might take your money is in the form of a banker's draft or in travellers' cheques. If these are lost or stolen, you can at least get the money back.
You should remember, however, that you will need some cash for immediate spending when you arrive in Britain. You may need to pay for buses, trains or taxis, and you will need to buy food and telephone home. I would suggest that you take about £200 in cash for your immediate needs. And guard it well when you are travelling.

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9. My friend also tells me that I should take my money in US Dollars and not Sterling

It does seem that Chinese banks prefer to work in US Dollars and not Sterling. But remember, if you have all your money in dollars you are going to incur two commission charges - once from Renminbi into Dollars and then another from Dollars into Sterling.

So it is worth trying get your money in Sterling if you can.

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10. My friend tells me that when fill in my application I should translate all Chinese names and addresses into English

It is often difficult to know what to do. Here's some general advice.

Do not try and translate Chinese addresses into English. Obviously, a British person is unlikely to be able to read characters, though many British universities do now employ Chinese staff in their international offices. The best thing to do is to write the address in pinyin. The address you provide is going to be used to send important documents to you - if it is in pinyin, the Chinese post office should be able to deal with it. If it has been translated into English, the sorters at the post office might have problems.

Let me give you a simple example. Something like He Ping Lu will be understood - but a postal sorter will not understand Peace Street.

The name of your Chinese university or college should be translated into English. A British person would not understand Ren Min Da Xue, but would understand People's University. Your university or college will have an official English version of its name, which may not be a direct translation of the Chinese. Make sure you use this, and don't make up your own translation.

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11. My friend tells me that I must have an English name if I am going to study at a British university

Not true. There is no rule that says you have to have an English name.

But you may find it easier to use one. British people have trouble pronouncing some Chinese names, and also most do not realise that the Chinese family name comes first. Let's look at an example.

Let's say your name is Chen Ming Er. A British person will assume your family name is either Ming Er or just Er. If you tell them your family name is Chen, then your name will become Ming Er Chen, which from your point of view doesn't sound very good.

When a British person sees the name Chen Ming Er, s/he has no way to tell if it is male or female.

So for all these reasons, Chen Ming Er would be better to call herself Julia Chen. But be very careful when choosing an English name. Ask the advice of a British friend. English names are usually chosen for the sound of the name - not the meaning. You may decide on a name that has a good meaning, but sounds very funny, strange or old-fashioned in English.

If you do have an English name, you should not use it on official documents such as application forms. Always use you Chinese name.

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12. My friend tells me that if I want to be accepted by a British university I will have to pay an application charge and a deposit, or even pay the full fees in advance

This is not usually the case. Certainly no British universities will make an application charge, and we are not aware of any that charge a deposit or make you pay your fees before you arrive.

But if you are planning to go to a College of Further Education you may well be asked to pay a non-refundable deposit. This means that when you arrive at the college and register for your course, the deposit will be credited towards your fees. But if you do not turn up for the course you will lose your money.

Why do the Colleges do this? In the past some international students have been offered a place by a college and they have used the offer letter to obtain their visa. But then once they arrive in the UK they look around for a university that will offer them a place. This means that the college incurs the expense of administering applications but then does not get the fees. For this reason many now request a deposit.

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13. My friend tells me that I will not be allowed to start my course at a British university until I have paid my fees in full.

Most British universities will now ask you to pay your fees in full very soon after you have arrived, or at least make firm arrangements to pay your fees in installments.
This seems fair enough. After all, universities anywhere in the world are also businesses. They cannot survive unless they charge fees to their customers. So you shouldn't expect any university to provide you with free tuition - you will have to pay for the service you are receiving.

No business can survive if too many people owe it money. No university wants to be in the position that at the end of the year a large number of students still have to pay their fees. For this reason you will be requested to pay your fees as soon as possible.

But most British universities do recognise that the cost of tuition and accommodation is expensive for Chinese students, and they do their best to find ways in which the burden can be lightened or spread. Here are a few:

· If you pay your fees promptly - say within a month of the beginning of your course - you may be entitled to a discount - usually in the region of 5-10%

· You can pay by installments. You will be expected to pay a set amount every month or every semester. Schemes vary from university to university

· If you are studying for more than one year - for example on an undergraduate programme - some universities will freeze the annual fee, so that the amount you pay every year is the same. This will help you to budget for your future costs.

· If you finish an undergraduate programme and then stay on at the same university to do masters degree, many will give you a discount on the fee for the master's course. It is a loyalty discount - typically it will be in the region of £500-1,000

· Some universities do have scholarships for Chinese students. These will rarely be full scholarships (though it is always worth asking) - but you might be able to get a part scholarship. Every little reduction helps.

It is very unlikely that you will be refused access to your course if you don't pay your fees immediately on arrival. But you will be expected to make the university aware how you are going to pay.

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14. My friend tells me that accommodation at British universities is very expensive and it would be cheaper to live off the campus

To a certain extent your friend is right. Accommodation at British universities can cost anything from £30 a week to more than £70. And yes, in the locality of most British universities it is probably possible to find cheaper private accommodation.

But you should look very carefully at the real costs before you go for private accommodation. On top of the rent, you will also be expected to pay for you own electricity, gas, and water. If you are not careful these additional costs can make the private accommodation more expensive, as accommodation within the university will usually include the cost of these services as part of the rent you pay for your room.

There are also other considerations to think about - not just cost. It's very important to think about security. Accommodation away from the university campus may not be so secure - especially if is private accommodation. If you are on the university campus you can be fairly sure that there will be good security arrangements to make your life more comfortable. In English we have an expression that's says, "you get exactly what you pay for" - I am sure you have the same in Chinese.

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15. My friend tells me it is very expensive to live in Britain

Well your friend is right if you are comparing costs with those in China. But not just Britain - all countries that are popular with Chinese students - Britain, USA, Canada, and Australia - can seem expensive. In a later article we'll be looking at living costs, and where are the cheapest places to study

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16. My friend tells me that the best way to assess a British university is to look at its position in the league tables

Ignore your friend's advice. Your friend couldn't be more wrong. The best thing to do with the league tables is to tear them up and throw them away. Ignore them as they tell you absolutely nothing.

The league tables that you might find printed in newspapers listing British universities in some sort of order are not official. They have not been prepared or sanctioned by any official body in Britain. They have been put together by British newspapers for one reason and one reason only - to sell more newspapers, and certainly not to help you choose a university. If the newspapers were genuinely interested in helping you, they would publish information about British universities which helps you make an informed choice. But this would take up more space and would be of little interest to the general reading public; and to any newspaper space is money.

But people do enjoy reading lists for fun - hence the university league tables and the increased newspaper sales!

When you think about the way the league tables are constructed you will soon realise how useless they are. Arbitrary facts about the universities are brought together in a series of weighted ratios to give an overall score. The facts include recent teaching assessments, research ratings, size of the library, amount spent on computers, number of students living in university accommodation, staff-student ratio. These are such diverse measures, that when they are brought together in one score, there is no meaning or relevance. Just because a university is high in the league tables it does not necessarily mean it is the right place to study a particular subject. Conversely, a university that is low down the table might well be a centre of excellence for teaching some subjects.

The league tables therefore tell you absolutely nothing because they are far too general.

So how do you find out what is the best for you? Notice I have said the best for you - not the best for your friend, or a newspaper editor, or an education counsellor, or an agent.

There are two official ratings that you can use to judge the performance of a university in a particular subject.

First of all there are the Teaching Quality Assessments (TQA). These are carried out by the Quality Assurance Agency, and you can find details of these for different universities in various subjects on www.qaa.ac.uk and click on Review Reports

These assessments are useful if you are going to take a taught programme, as they assess the way a subject is taught in a university and the infrastructure the university has to support that teaching.

If you are planning to go to a British university to do a research degree then you should look at the ratings in the Research Assessment Exercise. This will give you a good idea of the quality and level of research in any subject at a university.

I've already mentioned in other articles the different ways you can decide whether a certain university is the right one for you. It's worth repeating a few of them here:

• Have a look at the prospectuses and website. How much space is devoted to specific information for international students? Even better, is there a separate international prospectus?
• Is any of the university material translated into Chinese? You might be able to read the English, but if the material is in Chinese the university has considered the needs and interests of your parents, who may well not be able to read English
• Talk with friends and acquaintances who have studied in Britain. Listen to their experiences, but don't necessarily take their advice - their needs may not have been the same as yours
• Look at the way courses are taught and examined. Do they suit the way you learn and study?
• Look very carefully at the courses on offer. Are they exactly what you want? A course at one university may have the same name as one at another, but they may be very different in course content. Look to see which one has what you want.
• Think about your career when you return to China. Which course will suit you best
• Think also about your interests. Don't go for a subject that you will know you will find boring. It won't hold your attention, and you won't do well.
• If you can, go to the education exhibitions that are being held frequently around China. Talk to the university representatives and see what they have to say

The more you prepare and the more you investigate, the more informed will be your choice, and you will go to Britain confident that you have chosen well.

But you certainly won't learn anything from the league tables. Ignore them.

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17. My friend tells me that it will take a long time to get a visa to go to Britain.

This is sometimes the case. Studying in Britain is becoming more and more popular with Chinese students and so, at certain times of the year, there will be lot of people applying for visas to the British Embassy in Beijing, or the British Consulates in Shanghai or Guangzhou. The busiest months are July, August and September. This article is being written at the beginning of September and there is currently a six-week waiting time to get an appointment at the British Embassy in Beijing. You need to add the time it will take to approve your visa - sometimes up to one month - so you should really allow three months to get your visa.

If you do not get your visa by the time your course starts don't panic. Contact the British university or college and ask if it will allow you to join the course late. Some will allow this, but usually only up to about two weeks, so do check carefully. But it will mean that you have a lot of intensive work to do as soon as you arrive

The alternative is to ask the university if it also runs the course from January or February. Consider this option, because it will give you time to arrange a visa and settle in before your course begins.

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18. My friend tells me that the best accommodation to get is on the university campus

Yes, your friend is right. The accommodation provided in university halls of residence is usually better than that in the private sector. It is safe and secure, usually on or near the campus, will be cleaned and serviced regularly, and designed with student life styles in mind. It also allows you to mix much more easily with other international and British students.
But, it is usually more expensive than living off campus. You have to think very carefully about how you would like to live. Are you willing to pay a little more to have the peace of mind you get from university accommodation?

I am not saying that it is unsafe to live off campus, but just like any other town or city in the world, there are parts of British towns and cities that are not so nice to live in, and often this is where the cheapest accommodation can be found. So think carefully before you commit yourself.

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19. My friend tells me that I will have to take compulsory English classes when I study at a university in Britain.

No, this is not true, most English classes are optional. But for most Chinese students it is a good idea to take some English classes at the same time as you are studying for your main course.

Many universities and colleges will give you an English test when you arrive. This is not a test to decide whether you can be accepted - your place is already secure. The purpose of the test is to assess your English, to work out how well you are going to cope with studying in English, and recommend some English courses that will help you. These courses will be free; so don't worry about having to pay any extra fees.

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20. My friend tells me that if I have taken the TOEFL test, the score will be accepted by a British university.

Yes, most British universities will accept a TOEFL score. Most require a minimum score of 550, but some will ask for a higher score.

Although they will accept it, most British universities do not like the TOEFL test very much. They would prefer you to take the IELTS test, as it is a much better assessment of your real level of English ability. The problem with the TOEFL test is that a lot of it is simply ticking boxes in multiple-choice questions, and it is possible to study to pass the test without really understanding how to use English. If you can, take IELTS. Most universities ask for a score of 6 or above.

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21. My friend tells me that the weather in Britain is not good.

No, this is not true, but it is certainly a very strong rumour. And it really depends on your friend's definition of good weather!

Britain gets its share of bad weather but it also gets some very nice fine weather. The characteristic of the British weather is that it is very changeable and unpredictable. In the same day you can have sunshine, wind, bright skies, rain or even snow. But the weather is not as extreme as it can be in China. Temperatures rarely fall below -5C or go above 25C. A range of 30 degrees. Compare this with say Beijing where it can be almost 40C in summer and -20C in winter. A range of 60 degrees.

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22. My friend tells me that if I wish to go to a British university I must apply through an agent.

You don't have to - the choice is yours.

The benefit of working through an agent is that the process of applying will probably be easier. The agent will be able to supply you with prospectuses and application forms, and may even be able to arrange an interview for you if somebody from the university is visiting China. The agent can also help you complete the application form, and will send it to the university for you.

But there are some disadvantages in using an agent - and you should think carefully about these. First of all, the agent will only be representing a few universities and colleges in Britain, and will be promoting these heavily, as they will be paying the agent a commission. For example, if the agent is representing only five British universities, there are another hundred or more that you will not be told about. So make sure you find out about the full range of universities - not just those being promoted by the agent.

The other disadvantage is cost. And you should find out right at the beginning how much the agent is going to charge. Most universities forbid the agent to charge for information, prospectuses and application forms - these should all be supplied free. Visa application forms should also be free - don't let an agent charge you for these either.

However, the agent may well charge for some other services. You should find out right at the beginning how much these will be and exactly what they cover.

Do not pay the your fees to the agent. Most universities require you to pay your fees on arrival. They do not allow the agents to collect the fees, or even a deposit.

Finally, make sure the agent has been registered and approved by the Chinese Government.

So my advice to you is to use an agent if you think it will help. But don't just use one agent - try several to see what type of service they are going to provide, and also try arranging everything yourself - it's not so difficult.

If you really feel that you need help to choose your university and make your application you should go to the nearest British Council office, if possible. The Education Counselling Service at the British Council holds information on all British universities, and many schools and colleges. It will give you unbiased advice, and help you submit your application. And it will not make a charge for this service.

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23. My friend tells me that I can only begin a programme at a British university in September/ October.

No, this is not necessarily the case. Some British Universities, but not all, may also start programmes in January/February. It is always worth checking to see what is on offer at this time.

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24. My friend tells me that I can study another language whilst at a British university.

You can do a degree in a language, or even a language and another subject, such as Business and German. But also most British universities now have a language scheme to encourage its students to learn another language as a useful skill.

This will usually entail 3-6 hours of study a week, and will be extra to the study for your main degree programme. And it will not count towards your final degree classification. So you should think very carefully about whether you have the time to dedicate to such study.

You should also think about whether the time couldn't be better spent improving your English. All universities will also be offering free English classes as well, and you may need to concentrate on improving your English, rather than trying to learn another language.

What languages are available? You will find that the common European languages are most readily available - French, German, Spanish and Italian. But some universities also offer non-European languages such as Japanese and Arabic. I find that many Chinese students like to learn some Japanese.

Many universities now also teach Chinese (Putonghua), and this is proving to be popular with students from Hong Kong.

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25. My friend tells me that the best way to assess a British university is to look at its prospectus.

Certainly looking at the prospectus does help you work out what the university may be like and the attitude it takes towards Chinese students.

Look at what you've been sent. Have you simply been sent the prospectus that is normally sent out to British students? If this is the case then you might question how serious the university is at trying to attract you as a student.

A university that is really serious about helping you, and looking after you as a student, will provide you with information that has been especially written for international students. Best of all, they will have sent you a full international prospectus. Some may even send you material that has been translated into Chinese - this is useful to show to parents and relatives who may not be able to read English.

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26. My friend tells me that I can enter the second or final year of a degree programme in Britain.

Yes, this is correct, BUT it does depend very much on your qualifications so far. The problem for British universities is that the British and Chinese education systems are not that similar, so any tutor looking at you application has to assess exactly what academic work you have done, and how it fits with the entry requirements of a British degree programme.

One major difference is that in Britain the length of time a student will spend in education is 13 years - but in China it is only 12 years. So if you have finished Senior High School in China you may find it necessary to take a foundation programme before entering the first year of a British degree programme. In fact, some British universities will insist on this. Others may take a more flexible approach and allow you to enter the first year. It all depends on your individual case - your level of English, your marks in school, and the subjects you have studied.

My advice is that you should think very seriously about doing a foundation programme first, as it will help you with your English and your study skills. It is excellent preparation for the rigours of a degree programme in Britain.

The second difference is that most first degree programmes in Britain last for three years, whilst those in China last for four. This can cause a problem if you have studied part of a Chinese degree programme and want to transfer to a British degree programme. At what point do you enter?

The rule usually applied by most British universities is that if you have studied for one year in China you must begin year one in Britain, if you have studied two years in China you have to go to year two in Britain, and so on. But the admissions tutor will also want to see that you have studied the appropriate subjects in your Chinese university. This assessment is known as accreditation of prior learning (APL).

If you have studied a diploma programme in a Chinese university then the same rule applies. A two-year diploma will allow you to enter year two in Britain. But again the APL rule will also apply.

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27. My friend tells me that there is a period of compulsory work experience in all British degree programmes

No, this is not the case. Some degree programmes are four years long and do have a work placement in the third year. These are usually those degree programmes that are more vocationally orientated - for example BA Business Studies, BA Fashion Design.

In Britain these are called sandwich courses. Chinese students who undertake a sandwich year in industry usually find the experience very rewarding. It gives them the chance to do a real job as part of the programme, and of course it allows them to earn a salary for a year.

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28. My friend tells me that I must go to London whilst I am in Britain

Yes, I would agree with your friend. Wherever you are studying you ought to take the chance to see Britain's capital city. It is famous for so many things, and has so many places to visit that you will not be disappointed.

But I would also say, that you should visit as many places in Britain as you can. Obviously, time and cost will restrict you, but there is so much to see around the country. And don't restrict yourself to the places that are known to all Chinese - Oxford, Cambridge, London and Stratford. There is so much more - explore as much as you can.

Treat every visit as a new experience, and you will not be disappointed.

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29. My friend tells me that the university will collect me from the airport when I arrive in Britain

Yes, nearly all universities have a service to collect students from the airport, but it will not necessarily be one of the London airports. Most of the universities in the south of England will come to Heathrow and Gatwick to get you. But if, for example, you are going to be studying at one of the universities in the north-east, you will need to fly to Newcastle to be collected, and if you are going to the north west, you will need to fly to Manchester. And the best way to get to these airports is via Amsterdam not London.

So make sure you know to where you have to fly.

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30. My friend tells me that I can take a PhD at a British University if I have first degree from a Chinese University

Well yes, in theory, but the situation is much more complex than this.

Taking a PhD at a British university is something very personal. You simply do not register for a course and get on with it. Having the first degree is the first step, but you need more.

To convince a British university that you can take a PhD you will need to show more than just a first degree. You will have to convince the university that you have the necessary knowledge to enable you to undertake new and detailed research, as well as the necessary skills to undertake original research.

Filling in the university application is certainly not enough. You will need to write a detailed proposal to the university, setting out what research you want to do, how you propose to do it, and the skills and knowledge you have to support your application.

A British university will consider your application much more seriously if you have a master's degree from China, not just a first degree. And the master' s degree must be in a subject relevant to the area of research you want to undertake. And even then the likelihood is that the university will require you to register for an MPhil first. It will require you to work on the MPhil for at least a year before agreeing to register you for the PhD.

Before you make an application you need to make a very thorough investigation as to which universities may be able to take you. The university will need to allocate you a supervisor, and you need to find out if there is a suitable supervisor at the university of your choice. You will work on an area of research, which is both very very detailed and sometimes very narrow. (At the end of the PhD you will have produced a thesis which will make you almost the world's expert on that piece of knowledge - even if only for a very short time.) If the university does not have any experts in your particular area then it will not be able to take you, even though it may have a school, which teaches your general subject area.

Something else to think about is cost. If you are going to fund yourself it could be very expensive. It will take a minimum of three years to complete a PhD. Fees are charged for every year and at about the same rate as a master's programme - so by the time you have added accommodation and subsistence, you are going to need a minimum of £30,000. However, looking on the positive side, there are probably more scholarships available for PhDs and research projects in the UK, than for any other level of study, so it always worth asking the university if it has any scholarships available.

Universities do sometimes take on research assistants, to help professors with their fields of research, and pay a small salary. It is worth looking out for these. The best way is through the web sites of the universities, or in the newspapers The Guardian or The Times Higher Education Supplement - these both have good web sites.

Here's a final tip to help you on your way. Though the Internet and e-mail try and establish contact with a professor who would be interested in your research and might be a possible supervisor. If you can get his/her interest then he/she will probably be willing to help you with the process of your application.

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31. My friend tells me that I can earn money by working on the campus of a British university.

The chances of your being able to do this are very very slim indeed. British universities do not have schemes to provide work for international students. There may be a few part time jobs available on the campus, for example in the canteens and bars, but there won't be many, and you certainly won't be able to apply for these until you actually get to the university.

Having said this, many universities do have an office, which can help students find part time work outside the university - it will be called something like The Job Shop. It's always worth visiting these to see what is available.

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32. My friend tells that I can earn money in Britain by teaching Chinese

No, I don't think so. There are very few people who in Britain who want to learn Chinese, and it is very unlikely that you could earn any money this way.

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