Opening a bank account and getting a new phone plan in England
This post is more about the logistics of moving abroad. The hardest thing I found was figuring out what phone provider or bank was the best in the U.K. So I have made a comprehensive list of all the things I love or hate about the companies I chose and what I've heard about others! Hopefully this will prove helpful and ease the stress of figuring out logistics before studying abroad.
Banking:
I chose to open a bank account abroad for a number of reasons. Generally, you have to pay accommodation fee directly to the university in the country you're studying in. That meant for me having to travel with thousands of dollars, or having it sent over to a bank account (which is safer and less stressful). I also wanted a U.K. bank account so that I am not constantly getting slapped with international fees on my U.S. credit or debit cards. And the last reason was one of the reasons I came abroad in the first place--to grow up and learn how to do things on my own--and opening a bank account in another country and managing your own money certainly does that.
Banks in the U.K. all pretty much have the same premise. You will want to open a current account and wire money from the United States into that account. *Keep in mind wiring usually costs a hefty fee so it is best to send all the money you'll need at once* Then when you have a U.K. account you can withdraw from any ATM free of charge. I chose my bank based on what was closest to me because you'll have to go into a branch to open it and if you have any problems you'll want it to be close by. You will also need a bank letter from the school you're studying at (which I wasn't told in advance) so just ask the international office at your school for that. A huge perk of the bank I chose (Llloyd's Bank, a very popular bank here) is that it has an easy to use app that I can track purchases on and send money with. Some of my friends here don't have an app with their bank so I would check that out ahead of time so that you can get the easiest to use bank.
Another way a lot of international students deal with money is by purchasing a travel card. You can purchase it in your home country and put x amount of the foreign currency you want on it. This wasn't personally great for me because every time you travel out of the country you're staying in you have to withdraw cash and then convert it, whereas I can use mine as a debit card anywhere (for a small fee in foreign countries) but I don't mind because the pound is so much stronger than most other currencies anyway.
Phone providers:
I chose my phone provider based on what most people had (so I knew I'd be able to get good service around) and based on what I saw had the most stores. This happened to be EE. I haven't loved every experience I've had with them but it has gotten me through and that's all I've needed. They just added roll over data which was my biggest problem with them and now I'll only have two months to use it before I leave. In general I get service almost everywhere I go, it works in all European countries free of extra charges, and I only pay 15 pounds per month. I'm pretty pleased with what I get with that. Unlimited texts, 150 minutes of calls, and 5GB of data. It's really easy to track how much data you use on the app so you're never left wondering whether you're going to run out in the middle of nowhere, and there are stores all over the U.K. and in most European countries. I would recommend it to anyone traveling here but I wouldn't say you have to get it over all else, I've heard good things about a few other providers as well. Vodafone, and 3 are the other main phone providers. They don't have as wide coverage but they generally get the same job done.
I would definitely recommend investing in a sim card when you go abroad. It is really easy to pop out of your phone and then you always have a reliable means of communication without wracking up exorbitant costs. (pro tip: pop your sim card out with the back of your earring).
In general those were my biggest struggles to figure out when I first moved abroad. I'd taken the advice of anyone I could get it from but you have to apply it to your own scenario as well and that's never easy. But hopefully this will help get you on the right track, let me know if you need anything clarified or explained more in depth!
Banking:
I chose to open a bank account abroad for a number of reasons. Generally, you have to pay accommodation fee directly to the university in the country you're studying in. That meant for me having to travel with thousands of dollars, or having it sent over to a bank account (which is safer and less stressful). I also wanted a U.K. bank account so that I am not constantly getting slapped with international fees on my U.S. credit or debit cards. And the last reason was one of the reasons I came abroad in the first place--to grow up and learn how to do things on my own--and opening a bank account in another country and managing your own money certainly does that.
Banks in the U.K. all pretty much have the same premise. You will want to open a current account and wire money from the United States into that account. *Keep in mind wiring usually costs a hefty fee so it is best to send all the money you'll need at once* Then when you have a U.K. account you can withdraw from any ATM free of charge. I chose my bank based on what was closest to me because you'll have to go into a branch to open it and if you have any problems you'll want it to be close by. You will also need a bank letter from the school you're studying at (which I wasn't told in advance) so just ask the international office at your school for that. A huge perk of the bank I chose (Llloyd's Bank, a very popular bank here) is that it has an easy to use app that I can track purchases on and send money with. Some of my friends here don't have an app with their bank so I would check that out ahead of time so that you can get the easiest to use bank.
Another way a lot of international students deal with money is by purchasing a travel card. You can purchase it in your home country and put x amount of the foreign currency you want on it. This wasn't personally great for me because every time you travel out of the country you're staying in you have to withdraw cash and then convert it, whereas I can use mine as a debit card anywhere (for a small fee in foreign countries) but I don't mind because the pound is so much stronger than most other currencies anyway.
Phone providers:
I chose my phone provider based on what most people had (so I knew I'd be able to get good service around) and based on what I saw had the most stores. This happened to be EE. I haven't loved every experience I've had with them but it has gotten me through and that's all I've needed. They just added roll over data which was my biggest problem with them and now I'll only have two months to use it before I leave. In general I get service almost everywhere I go, it works in all European countries free of extra charges, and I only pay 15 pounds per month. I'm pretty pleased with what I get with that. Unlimited texts, 150 minutes of calls, and 5GB of data. It's really easy to track how much data you use on the app so you're never left wondering whether you're going to run out in the middle of nowhere, and there are stores all over the U.K. and in most European countries. I would recommend it to anyone traveling here but I wouldn't say you have to get it over all else, I've heard good things about a few other providers as well. Vodafone, and 3 are the other main phone providers. They don't have as wide coverage but they generally get the same job done.
I would definitely recommend investing in a sim card when you go abroad. It is really easy to pop out of your phone and then you always have a reliable means of communication without wracking up exorbitant costs. (pro tip: pop your sim card out with the back of your earring).
In general those were my biggest struggles to figure out when I first moved abroad. I'd taken the advice of anyone I could get it from but you have to apply it to your own scenario as well and that's never easy. But hopefully this will help get you on the right track, let me know if you need anything clarified or explained more in depth!
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| My flight that started the adventure from Washington D.C. to England! |
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