Making Your Stay in Coventry Worthwhile

After graduation, most of us will leave never to come back to the United Kingdom again not to talk of Coventry. Then why not make the one year stay worthwhile.This week I will be considering the social trips for current international students in Coventry University. The international office has thought it wise to make international students stay in Coventry worthwhile. I am very well aware that the pressure is mounting and the deadlines are very near for the submission of course works, but after the submissions I will like you guys to check out some of these interesting offers.

 Education I believe is not all about what we learn in the four walls of the classroom. It encompasses all things. Going to places where have not been before is an aspect of education. Most of the time in our various schools where we came from we go for field trips, so it’s something of that nature. The international office has arranged so many field trips to different places in the UK.  I know some of you have heard about this abut are not interested while some dont even know how it works or don’t even know how to pay.  It is very simple. All you have to do is to log on to the website below the table and follow and click on the section for the event and follow the guidlines. its quite affordable so dont be scared or turned away by the price. However it should be noted that you have to pay in advance so has to be part of the group.

Hotels in Coventry

I know how it gets when our families come to visit and we do not know that we stay well worry no more here are a list of hotels they can stay and still be close to you.

TRAVEL LODGE

Smithford Way

Off Corporation Street
Coventry
CV1 1QX

Tel: 0871 984 6385 * 

Fax: 02476 552298

Get a Railcard & Save Your Money For a Nice Trip

Do you still worry about the high price of the train ticket?
Do you want to win the tickets to Art13 London?
BUY A RAILCARD NOW!

If you're aged between 16 and 25, or are older and in full-time education, a 1-year Railcard costs just £28 and will save you 1/3 on rail fares throughout Great Britain -that is £2.33 a month for huge savings.

5 Ways to Get Around in Coventry

Lo & Behold Coventry Conquerors!

Hope you guys have been getting around pretty well so far :D If not, no worries >> today I am going to share with you some vital information with regards to the 5 ways to travel in Coventry - by car, taxi, bus and coach, train and air.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 
 

1. Car

If you are a newbie in Coventry and you already have a car to get around - kudos - way to go mate! :D If you don't have one at the moment but are planning get one very soon -awesome mate! There are 5 major national motorway links in this region and some popular A roads as main arterial routes. It would take you approximately 20 - 30 minutes to reach Birmingham and about one and a half hour, give or take a few, to reach London. I won't talk much about the boring stuff - you'll get used to it once you get a car :D The Coventry City Council has the car parking rates. Click here to view this.

What is the only way to do sports in this weather ? Rileys !!!

Hey guys, tired of studying and not having the time to engage in some sports, especially in this cold winter ? Rileys has some great deals for both socializing and drinking (as usual) while playing some sort of sports...


Firstly, Rileys is Europe's largest operator of Pool and Snooker clubs. Rileys in Coventry is one of the UK's leading sports bars in this field. This brand has a network of fantastic sports bars all over the nation. At the Rileys in Coventry, you can find plenty of high quality pool and snooker tables, late bar and good food in this friendly and lively venue. It also offers a huge 3 meter HD screen, a very comfy fan zone provides the ultimate sports viewing experience, showing all the big matches from SKY of football from the main european leagues. If you don't fancy football and darts is your thing, then you're going to love it, a multi lane darts zone is waiting for you.

African Food!!!

Looking to try something different to get your taste buds on fire? Why not try African food? In Coventry, we have 2 different restaurant which serve mouth watering delicacies (PALMS AND KALABASH). They serve fried rice, jollof rice, stew grilled fish, pepper soup, eba, okro - absolutely everything and exactly the way they make it back home. 

Visit the Ricoh Arena

The Ricoh Arena can be regarded as a "Must-see" attraction of Coventry, because of its impact on the city's sport, business and entertainment activities...

 

What can you do at the Ricoh Arena ?

The Coventry Harvard Referencing Style

The Harvard reference system is the acknowledged referencing guide for Coventry University. For most international students, this might be seen as a big deal. I was confused at some point. The whole thing looked very strange and to worsen the case, we were being told about the power and wonders of the Almighty TURNITIN. But please don’t be scared. It’s quite simple. One mistake most of us make is not recording majority of our sources when we assess them. I will like to advise you guys to always try and write them down immediately. For this article I have consulted some sources including school’s referencing guide.

To start with, some things are essential when compiling and making the reference list. These are the things you should put down or record:

10 Must-Haves from ICELAND

Lo & Behold Coventry Conquerors!

Hope you're surviving, and doing great - with the nice, sunny, warm, weather since day before yesterday :D (I wish we have this weather for the rest of winter :P) Also, I hope you're learning how things roll in Coventry >> big time eh? :P On that note, this week, I am going to share with you the 10 items that I think are a must purchase from Iceland ( Don't know where Iceland is? Locate Iceland). Please do not mind the picture quality - I tried my best! They didn't allow me to click pictures when I asked for a permission, so I kinda had to sneak, snoop and basically act like an unwanted detective :P My apologies to Iceland for being officious, but I wanted to do it for all my endearing wanna-be Coventry Conquerors (Kidding :P) Anyway, putting a hold to all my blabbering here >>> Ready, Steady AAAND

 

Number ONE

Iceland - 5 Garlic Baguettes

Item: Iceland 5 Garlic Baguettes

Price: £2

 

This is definitely the no. 1 must have from Iceland. I mean, for a meager £2 , you get 5, full-sized, delicious garlic baguettes with tiny specks of parsley and lots of butter, and THEY, TASTE, AMAZING!

Let's go shopping in Cov !!!

Hey Lads, Let's go shopping in Cov!

I will go through a few stores in Coventry where especially guys can find mainly two different styles of dressing.

2 Seasons

2 Seasons is a chain of UK stores and website selling Snowboard, Ski, Surf & Skate clothing & equipment form brands like Billabong, Element, Nixon, Dakin, North Face & Salomon.

The store is not only for men but also for those sports are predominantly practiced by men.

Shopping Right

Warm greetings to all my fellow international students. Hope you guys are coping with the weather? To the business of the day, understanding the market structure of a community is essential for economizing and getting the best bargain for your daily needs.Why should you buy some products for so much when you can actually get them for a pound or under. That is why this week; I will be giving you some insights on three shops you can visit for the best bargains. Without much ado, we start with the famous 99 Pence shop and PoundLand . We will also consider another shop called Home Bargains.

99P SHOP

All the goods in this store as the name suggest goes for under £1. You might think the products they offer are very few, but you have to check it out yourself.

Having a Romantic Valentine’s Day in Coventry

Ladies and Gentlemen, today I will talk about how to have a romantic valentine’s day in Coventry, this essay will introducing some romantic restaurants in Coventry. also after dinner I will recommend some Bar and Club for you guys.

 Restaurants:

 1. Do you want to have a romantic night? Just go to Café Italia. Address: 9-11 Trinity St, Town Centre, Coventry CV1 1FJ

Be Active! Join the CUSU!

How are you doing, mate?

Do you feel lonely when you just come to Coventry?

Do you want to know more friendly people here?

Do you want to have fun with friends after class?

Ask the Coventry University Students' Union (CUSU)!! 

Let's find your BANK

How to find a bank in Coventry
Today we are going to focus on one of the most exciting tasks you will have to do when you get to Coventry for the first time :) Choosing your bank

How can I get a student bank account for this year only?

First of all, it's kind of obvious but you will need a UK address before you can talk to a bank to open an account for you. Thanks to Kunjika, it will be as easy as a task that you can undertake from your couch.

The second step is to proceed to the enrollment at the University Student Center which is a really tedious task if you decide to go directly there as it is way overcrowded during the first weeks of each term.

Before You Can Start Working

Lo & Behold Coventry Conquerors!

How have you been this week? I hope the cold, chilly weather is not annoying you. Thanks to the snowfall (since last night) the pavements full of black ice and mushed dirty snow is really impeding my walk to wherever, whenever. No wonder "weather" is such a favorite topic in this country and the Brits talk about it ALL the time. (Point to be noted: Am I turning into a Brit? I just talked about the weather too.. Hmm.. question existing :P) Anyway, chit chats aside, this week I'm going to enlighten you about some of the stuff that you need to know before you can actually start working in Coventry.Lets start by talking about the work permit first. 

The working hours permitted to international students in UK, differ in accordance to the country you come from and as per the type of visa granted. For instance, if you are a Tier 4 visa student, you are permitted to work a maximum of 20 hours per week, and full-time during your vacations. If you don't know your visa type and your working hours, or even whether you're eligible to work at all, this information will be clearly mentioned in your passport. For those who had to obtain entry clearance before arriving here, check the UK entry clearance section in your passport for your work permit details.

One Good & One Not-So Good Place to Drink in Coventry

QUIDS INN

What could be better than a cheap English bar right next to your university ?

It doesn't matter whether you are a fresher or a veteran in Coventry. Quids Inn means drink and fun. I said “drink” and not “eat” because although they serve a variety of dishes from several countries (such as pizzas, nachos, lasagne etc), the quality is quite low and the food is not always as good as expected or as good as represented by the images in the menu. Distinct from the various pubs in Coventry, Quids Inn spreads over two floors, offers plenty of drinks and shots at a cheap price, and facilitates a few other activities you can enagage in (for example, they have one billiard table and dart boards).

The Garden at Quids Inn

But the secret weapon of this bar is its garden. If you are a smoker there's nothing better than smoking and drinking at the same time instead of going out every now and then to enjoy a few puffs. Furthermore, they also offer shishas in several flavours so that you can smoke these instead of your regular smokes :-) And don’t you worry about the cold weather, because their garden is covered by a roof and they have some sort of powerful lamps that are scattered throughout the garden to keep it warm and heated. Not even the cold winter of West Midlands will lead you away from having a great night.

Coventry Cathedral - A Story of Death & Re-Birth

Hey guys,

After a long, stressful and hard week in uni comes the weekend, and you think you don't have anywhere to go to, just to relax and have fun and get your mind off the stressful week because you do not want to spend much. When it comes to entertaining your friends and yourself, the cost of going out can soon add up. But after living in Coventry I have come to the conclusion that you do not have to have money to entertain yourself and, as students, even at those times when you do have money to spare, Coventry has loads of attractions at a very subsidized rate.The country is home to some top attractions for all, and guess WHAT many of them are FREE!!!!! And even the ones you have to pay for are not very expensive and really worth your time and money. Today, we're talking about the Coventry Cathedral. You can visit this city attraction on your own (and free of cost) or you can book for a tour. Let me enlighten you a little about it before I tell you how you can go about booking for the tour.

The Coventry Market - For All Kinds of Everything

A warm greeting to all my fellow international students. Are you finding it hard to locate a market in Coventry that gives you all your daily needs under one roof? The answer is not far fetched. Your main destination is the Coventry Market. I know most of you might have heard about Coventry Market or seen the banners and probably wondering what it it like. Coventry Market has been in existence for over fifty years and has more than 170 stalls and shops.

The market offers virtually everything like from goods to services: 

Fruits, Vegetables, Beef and Fish

Visit the Herbert Museum and the National Museum of Transport

Hey world,

This week I finally visited the two main museums of the Coventry city center… at last!

To all the money conscious people, I would like to remind you that both museums are FREE, which is a good point, since (foreign) students don’t usually have much money to spend in culture…I have been literally impressed by their size, and that they are of enduring interest and quality. Let’s first talk about the National Museum of Transport (NMT).

I was genuinely surprised by its rich content:  its wide variety of items which compose a museum pretty intense, that car lovers, as well as curious students, may enjoy visiting. The only drawback I could notice was the lack of explanation and guidance throughout the visit.

The presence of the museum underlines the importance of the automotive sector in the city which can be regarded as the birthplace of the British cycle and motor industry (as you can see regarding the courses related to it offered by the Uni) with companies such as Jaguar and Triumph that usually look for inspiration in Coventry students ideas.

Trying Chinese Food in Coventry

This article aims to familiarize you with the 4 famous Chinese restaurants in Coventry - Red Panda, Noodle Bar, Chi Bar and Han Dynasty. Chinese restaurants in Coventry can be distinguished as either serving Chinese fast food or as serving the traditional Chinese dishes. Noodle Bar and Chi Bar, for example, are quality restaurants offering good Chinese fast food at a lower rate. An average meal at Noodle Bar would cost you about 8 pounds per person. I suggest you go to 9 Bull Yard, Coventry West Midlands, (Post code: CV1 1LH‎) or call them at 024 7655 1388 to order and let your taste buds decide the quality of their food.

Noodle Bar

House Hunting from Your Couch

Lo and Behold Coventry Conquerors!

Most of you might have settled by now. This article is for those who haven't found an accommodation yet or are planning to shift to a new property. If you are too lazy to go house hunting in the cold, chilly weather, sit on your laptop and let your fingers do the work. If online house hunting is not your cup of tea, we will talk about the numerous letting agents in Coventry in our upcoming posts. However, I suggest you consider looking at properties online because it's free, convenient and saves a lot of your precious time!

Getting straight to the point, PrimeLocation (click to be directed to their website), according to me, is the best site for house listings.Mainly because they have a long list of properties in Coventry compared to other UK property portals. From experience, I guarantee they never run out of house listings in Coventry, while other websites fall short every now and then, specially during the non-peak months - January and September are the peak months because that's when new graduates or pass outs are replaced by wanna-be-graduates or freshers. Here's how you go about house hunting in Prime Location. Go to their website and click search to rent (or click here to be directly taken there) - as a student, temporarily living in Coventry, this is the right category for you. In the search to rent page, specify your details in the search box - type where you want a property (Coventry of course), your budget, the type of property you're looking for, the number of bedrooms and you're all set to click the search button. If you want a more filtered search, click on more options and specify the exact details of the type of property you're looking for.

Greetings!

A note before I start - You might want to read this blog in your mother tongue, so please feel free to use the Translate box on the top left hand side of this page to select your language.

Lo and Behold Coventry Conquerors :P

On behalf of the creators of this blog, a belated warm welcome to you to Coventry! (:

It's February and I presume it's safe to say that all new January starters have successfully enrolled in the university and are sorted for the term/semester. I hope everybody is slowly getting used to the notion of beeping your new CU (Coventry University) ID cards over those black boxes to access university buildings. Just about 4 months ago, when I was a fresher myself, I used to unsuccessfully try and pull or push a door open with a very evident  lost and bemused expression on my face. The next minute, someone would beep their cards over the black box and the mystical door would swing wide open. And my conscious would curse me for being dumb enough to have to learn via observation. To all those non-psychology students who don't know what I'm talking about, learning through observation is basically my thought process going something like the following:

For example: I see a lady walk towards the Hub door, pause for a few seconds to shuffle through her bag and take out her Student ID, before beeping it over the black box. I learn by observation that this makes the door open and I imitate the lady and hover my ID on every black box I see in the uni to gain access.