THE INSIDER’S GUIDE TO POSTGRADUATE LIFE IN CARDIFF 2015 1 Insider’s Guide to Postgraduate Life in Cardiff - Introduction CONTENTS WELCOME P4 P35 LIFE IN CARDIFF BEFORE YOU ARRIVE P5 P37 INFOGRAPHIC MONEY MATTERS P7 P39 SHOPPING ACCOMMODATION P11 P41 EAT, DRINK, PLAY THE UNIVERSITY P19 P43 MY CARDIFF STUDENTS’ UNION P21 P45 EXPLORING THE CITY GRADUATE CENTRE P23 P47 SPORTS OFF CAMPUS SKILLS AND DEVELOPMENT P25 P49 MY CARDIFF NETWORKING P26 P53 OUTSIDE CARDIFF FACILITIES P27 P55 TRANSPORT SPORTS ON CAMPUS P29 P57 CARDIFF BUS MAP SOCIETIES AND OTHER ACTIVITIES P31 P59 CATHAYS CAMPUS MAP SUPPORT SERVICES P33 P61 HEATH PARK CAMPUS MAP The Insider’s Guide is written by past and current Cardiff University Postgraduates. All information is coorect at the time of going to print in March 2015. Insider’s Guide to Postgraduate Life in Cardiff - Introduction 2 Email: [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)29 2087 0084 3 Insider’s Guide to Postgraduate Life in Cardiff - Introduction WELCOME Welcome to the Insider’s Guide to Postgraduate Life in Cardiff. We know there’s a lot to think about when preparing to embark on postgraduate study, so we’ve put together some information to make things a bit easier. Into this neat little guide, we’ve Life in Cardiff is a guide to places poured the very best of our to shop, eat, drink and play, plus knowledge and expertise on money-saving tips and information postgraduate life in Cardiff. Written on ways to get the most out of your by current and former Cardiff Cardiff experience. Everything in postgrads, this publication aims Cardiff is within walking distance, to guide you from the process of so we’re sure the maps of the city, funding your study at Cardiff right Cathays Park campus and Heath through to settling into your new Park Campus at the back of this student life, via accommodation, guide will be invaluable to you as funding, and everything in between. you get to know your way around. If you require public transport, check We’ve split the guide into three out our bus route map and the sections - Before You Arrive, The transport guide on page 55. University and Life in Cardiff. Even if you’re already at home in Before You Arrive takes you through Cardiff, there’s plenty between the essential bits and pieces these pages for you - including you need to make sure are in information on facilities, a guide to place before you get to Cardiff. It enrolment and key contact details. includes information on funding, We hope you learn as much from budgeting and organising your reading it as we did writing it. accommodation! Don’t forget, if you have any The University outlines the various questions, we are on hand during facilities and services available to office hours to help. you at Cardiff University and the unique position you are in as a The Postgraduate Recruitment postgraduate student here. Team Insider’s Guide to Postgraduate Life in Cardiff - Introduction 4 5 Insider’s Guide to Postgraduate Life in Cardiff - Before You Arrive BEFORE YOU ARRIVE This section of the Guide contains information on preparing for postgraduate study at Cardiff Insider’s Guide to Postgraduate Life in Cardiff - Before You Arrive 6 MONEY MATTERS We know that organising financial support for your postgraduate studies can be stressful, but once it’s sorted, you can get on with preparing for a new chapter of your life! Living Costs You can access a living costs calculator on our website (see link Students at Cardiff benefit from some of below) to see what the likely costs will the lowest rents in the UK, leaving you be for you. more to spend elsewhere. The below table should give you an idea of your You can save money on bills by using budget. comparison websites to choose the best provider for your needs, save money on Estimated cost of living in Cardiff books by buying second-hand, reduce travel costs by walking more or investing Item Per month Per year in a bus card, and on phone costs by (359 days) using free services such as Skype. More Rent* £297.54 £3,561.28 information on budgeting and earning Bills (energy/ £71.10 £850.83 money can be found on pages 9-10. water/TV/net) Food £120.00 £1,159.88 Fees Books £80.00 £320.00 Social £128.00 £1,529.34 Cardiff’s tuition fees are highly Clothes £27.33 £327.91 competitive. For the full cost of each Laundry etc. £26.10 £312.33 course, please see the University’s Travel £40.50 £484.65 Course Finder website. Self-funding Mobile phone £20.00 £236.94 students can pay tuition fees in three instalments throughout the year with no These costs are based on the average extra charge. costs of living experienced by current Cardiff University postgraduates. Resources Living Costs Calculator: www.cardiff.ac.uk/for/prospective/campus-life/living-costs Course Finder: www.courses.cf.ac.uk 7 Insider’s Guide to Postgraduate Life in Cardiff - Before You Arrive MONEY MATTERS FUNDING YOUR STUDIES As you prepare to embark on postgraduate study, securing funding is likely to be an important consideration. Researching your funding opportunities can be challenging, but we aim to make the process as simple as possible. Funding Search Career Development There are myriad forms of funding Loans available within Cardiff University and the Funding and Scholarship Search brings all A Professional and Career Development these together in a searchable databse. Loan is a bank loan that allows UK You can search by level of study, subject students to borrow between £300 and of interest, or region. Plus if you join £10,000 to support some forms of study. the Postgraduate Recruitment Office on You will begin repaying the loan when your Facebook or Twitter, you will receive news studies are complete, but the Government of new funding opportunities as they are will pay your interest while you study. published. The bank will usually take between six weeks and three months to process your application, so apply in good time. Alternative Guide Cardiff University has also purchased Postgraduate Taught a copy of the Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding, which holds Scholarships information about external charities, trusts Cardiff University will be offering a range and other organisations that help fund of scholarships for postgraduate taught study. Prospective students can use the students for 2015 entry. Please see the Guide for free on our website. website for more details. Resources Funding and Scholarship Search: www.cardiff.ac.uk/for/prospective/postgraduate/funding Facebook: CardiffUniPostgradInfo / Twitter: @cardiffunipg Insider’s Guide to Postgraduate Life in Cardiff - Before You Arrive 8 MONEY MATTERS BUDGETING Cardiff is a very affordable place to live. Budgeting will allow you to focus on your studies and your social life, rather than on unexpected expenses. Here are some of our tips on how to plan your outgoings effectively... when you move in to set up Making a budget a regular payment plan. Gas, water and electricity companies will The best way to cut costs is to predict want meter readings and it is important them, and making a budget is the best to supply readings taken on the day you way to reduce financial ambiguity. Using move in to avoid estimated bills, where the living costs calculator on our website, you can end up paying for a lot more than you can populate a budget for your time you use. If the acommodation doesn’t as a postgraduate at Cardiff. There are have a water meter, the government will some excellent budget templates for install one for free. This can take up to programmes such as Microsoft Excel three months, so deal with it right at the - type ‘personal monthly budget’ into beginning of your tenancy. Google to take a look. Other things you can do to cut costs Optimising your around the home include turning off your lights when leave a room, ensuring spending all applicances are off, rather than on standby, and wearing a jumper rather than If you’ve made your budget and want to cranking up the heating. It’s surprising make sure you can stick to spending twice how much difference these steps can as much on gigs as on food, for example, make - and being a spendthrift, after all, you’ll need to optimise your spending. means you have more money to spend on Bills can be expensive if you don’t keep the things that matter! an eye on your energy consumption, and can eat into your other funds. Some Make no mistake, knowing how much accommodation options have bills money you have to spend can be a included, which can be a weight off your massive weight off of your mind. mind. If you don’t have bills included in your rent, make sure you call the suppliers Resources The Student Support Centre provide information and guidance on Living Costs and sources of financial assistance:www.cardiff.ac.uk/studentsupport 9 Insider’s Guide to Postgraduate Life in Cardiff - Before You Arrive MONEY MATTERS EARNING WHILE YOU STUDY Whether working alongside your studies was the plan all along, or you have found your budget needs some boosting, you need to ensure your job meets up to your requirements. Some employers are more flexible than others, but be honest about your Office temping is another good way to earn requirements - with them and with some extra cash while you study, and can yourself. It can be tempting to take on a lead to some excellent transferrable skills.