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Tipping?
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Traveling to London this summer from the U.S. I read somewhere that it’s not required like in the U.S or how should I go about it? Thanks
Top Comment: Beware. Some places, especially in London, are being pretty sneaky. First, the automatically added service charge is now prevalent, and has suck up to 12.5% - sometimes even more. And even then, they often lead the bill open for you to add an additional tip on top. And Sea Comtainer House (a really nice hotel) does this with restaurant and bar bills, and also tries to add a service charge at check-out. Also, the routine for payment by credit card differs a bit from the way it works in the US. In the UK, you never let the server take you credit card away from you - the payment is finalised at the table using the card machine, and this includes adding the tip. We use contactless and chip-and-pin a lit more than in the US (although the US is catching up). If your card doesn't support this, I guess you can still swipe and sign on the machines, but since this has never happened to me with a UK-issued car, I don't know.
Do you have any travel tips for UK?
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1 month backpacking trip through UK and Ireland in Mid-August through Mid-September. Any local tips?
26F traveling from Virginia, US.
I am starting off in London (have to be there on 17 Aug for the Taylor Swift Eras concert which is actually my birthday!!). However, outside of London, I am unsure of how to build my itinerary and routes as this is my first true backpacking trip.
I do know that it will be quite busy in Edinburgh during the month of August for the Fringe Festival and Tattoo, however I am not too worried about this. I am from a major tourist city that practically has no “off-season” so I can handle large crowds very well. I am already booking accommodations as I do want to see the Tattoo (I’ve performed in Tattoos before but never been a spectator).
So, please tell me: -Your favorite spots in the big cities
-The hidden gems that are often overlooked outside of the major cities.
-Any foods to try and to avoid (I’m not a picky eater at all).
-Your recommended monuments and museums (I really want to learn more of Welsh, Scottish, and Irish history- it’s not pushed as much as England’s history in the American school system even though I took specific European History classes in high school and college)
-Any norms and customs I should be aware of? (I just learned that Sir and Ma’am aren’t used in the UK the way they are in the US.)
-Any no-go or high caution areas for a female?
Also, what’s the drinking culture like? I am excited to taste the different beers and spirits!
Finally, I love doing photography so if you know of any spots with lovely views (rain or shine) please let me know!!!
Edit: I’m very introverted so you dont need to worry about me being a “loud American tourist.”
Top Comment: Don't linger too long if a stranger "asks" for your help in the streets. A local would never ask for help especially from a tourist, and Americans could be too nice that scammers are well aware of that and taking advantage of it. Never lend someone your phone, always walk with your bags to your front. Tipping isn't a thing here and most of us glad it isn't. Don't assume everyone's a loyalist.
Tips for international students in the UK?
Main Post:
Alright, a little background:
Currently doing my A-Levels in Indonesia. In a bit, will be graduating. My top #1 country of choice for uni would be the UK, which I'm still going back and forth about (since it's pretty much guaranteed to be an expensive four years), but hopefully will manage.
My first question: Being a prospective, slightly awkward and not-naturally-charming, student in England, what are some good tips for socializing in uni?
I know people go to pubs a lot, but my country doesn't really have a big drinking culture. I don't mind drinking, I'm just worried I'll suck at handling a pint or two! Haha. I also notice international students tend to stick with their countrymen a lot, which I think is a huge missed opportunity to get to know new people.
My second question : I know everything is barely affordable in London, but could you point out areas with cheaper housing or tips to saving money in the UK? As per the exchange rate, Indonesian rupiah won't amount to much in the UK haha, so that's been weighing on my mind the most.
Cheers, here's to hoping I'll finally get to experience that lovely UK weather in 2023!
Top Comment:
Universities have hundreds of clubs and societies, join a few and talk to people, it’s very easy to make friends at university.
Have you been looking at any universities? Leeds and Manchester are great cities for students
Tips for Job Simulations for EY UK and Deloitte UK
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I have recently passed the online assessments stage and progressed to the job simulations stage - would love some insight and advice on these. How to best prepare for them and anything, in particular, I should be researching and focusing on?
Top Comment:
Hey dude how did your job simulation stage go? I just passed the numerical so i am hoping i get the next stage which is the job sim - any tips? How did it go? What was asked?
Tipping in the UK, when do you and when don't you?
Main Post:
I know there is the argument that the UK pays their workers a living wage so tipping is not really needed in most cases, but I'm just curious as to what most people ACTUALLY do. For example:
- delivery drivers
- waiters/waitresses in a cafe/pub/restauraunt (may be different depending on setting)
- bartender in a pub
- barbers/hairdressers
- [edit] Taxi drivers / uber drivers (do you treat them different)
- any other situations - car valet, concierge (if you're lucky enough to ever have one), etc, etc....
I have citizenship in both the UK and the US and lived in the UK when I was young and didn't need to worry about these things, but I've lived in the US for far longer and the amount of tipping that goes on in the US would probably blow the average Brit bonkers. Now there is a good possibility that I will be moving back within the next year, so I'm just trying to get a baseline of what is normal and what is not.
FYI, in the US, all of the above would expect tips, including some that I didn't mention like the sandwich makers at Subway, the local chinese takeaway even if you just ordered it to go in person, and a lot of places just put a jar out with the label "tips" to see what they will get, and surprisingly enough, they get them.
Also, please say who else you tip that is not on the list, or if you know of an American custom of tipping a person that is not on the list that you wouldn't in the UK.
THANKS!
EDIT: so far a lot of the response has been yes in restauraunts. What is the normal tip rate? In the US is was customary for 15% of the bill, but lately most restaurants suggest 20% (I suspect that is so that they can continue the low pay rate for staff) but when you do tip waiters/waitresses, do you go on a percentage?
Also, on the restaurant thing, seeing a lot about how good the food was, does that play into how much you tip the waiter, considering he/she had almost nothing to do with how good the food was?
EDIT 3 (placed above EDIT 2 because 2 is a bit long): I am trying to get through all the responses but it may take a bit.
EDIT 2: (this is in a comment below but I thought I'd share it here:
A little anecdote which may or may not have prompted a part of this question:
The last time I was there, probably around 2010, I arranged for me and my mum to see a show in the West End (Oliver - it was great), stay the night in London and the next day take a tour to walk in the stones at Stonehenge before they opened to the pubic (that's hasn't been allowed for quite a while except to private tours like this).
After the show the tube was overflowing so I got a minicab from the same company that I had already scheduled for the next morning to take us to the bus pickup point for the tour. It was a short ride but I tipped the driver 5 quid. Mum asked what the hell I was doing and I said this was the same company that was taking us in the morning, plus none of my relatives had let me pay for anything yet (and to be fair the same would have been true had they visited me) so I had a bit of exta cash.
Was I wrong?
COMMENT EDIT: I completely forgot about this incident which helps explain the above incident: When we arrived at Euston we got into a cab outside the terminal (if you know the long line of cabs out there) and gave the hotel a short ride away and the driver complained about how he'd been in line for hours to get the ride and would get nothing out of it. My mum had trouble walking and the hotel was a good 15 minute walk. We told the cabbie to never mind and got out, even though it would have been about a 3 pound fair and I'd have given him 20. I think he lost out in that deal. Anyway, I think that may have influenced the above situation a little bit also.
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[Uni] Tips for application to UK universities
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Hello! It's application time for those applying to UK universities and I just wanted to share some tips for applying, writing your personal statements, and getting through the interview stage. Most of what I am saying may seem obvious, but many people tend to take it for granted. So, I compiled a list of what I thought helped me (and other students) most - hope it helps!
Applying
- You have 5 choices in the UCAS application portal. Ideally, do try to choose subjects of similar types so that your personal statement (PS) need not be divided to address the different courses that you are applying for.
- If your grades are slightly under the admission requirements for your desired course, don't be afraid to apply for it as your first choice. Admissions officers typically take into account your grades as well as your PS. So for example if you are applying for Law in UCL (for which the cutoff is AAB for A levels + your LNAT score), and you have ABB - take the chance and apply, and then support your application with a strong PS. Universities have admitted those who do not meet their cutoff points, provided that the applicant's PS is compelling. However, if your grades are too far off from the cutoff for your desired course, it would be better to apply to a course which cutoff is closer since the chances of getting in - even with a good PS - are not very high. Use your choices wisely.
- Put at least your 4th and 5th choices as insurance choices i.e. schools which have lower admissions requirements that your grades definitely meet, just in case you are not offered a place in your top 3 choices.
- Do research into the university's culture before listing them as a choice - different universities have different cultures, and you may or may not like the academic and social environment that a university has to offer. If a university offers colleges (e.g. Cambridge and Oxford) for accommodation purposes - do further research into the different colleges. The environment that you study in has a huge impact on your mental well-being and your ability to study.
Personal Statement
- For PSs, there are essentially 2 questions that you definitely have to answer in the course of your 4000 characters: why you, and why XXX course? If you read through your PS and find that you have not answered these questions at all, then your chances of successfully applying to any course for that matter will be very slim.
- Admissions officers want to see interest. They want to know what motivates you into applying and deciding to read a particular course, and any background story you have which reinforces your desire to read that course at university level. Be sure to engage them. Think of your PS as a storytelling exercise - you want the person reading it to be wowed and to be convinced that you are the person they are looking for in their university.
- Use examples relevantly and sparingly. Do not bombard your PS with tons of examples of how you have done community work and the like if it isn't relevant to the course you have chosen. Examples should be used only to show that you have the character and ability to ace your chosen course, or to demonstrate your interest in the subject. I would advise against mentioning having read XXX book(s), which spurred your interest to further pursue this subject - everyone reads books. This is a common trick used by many candidates if they do not have real-life examples to offer. Hence, only use such an example as a last resort. Otherwise, provide real and compelling examples from your daily experiences to support your PS.
- Always have a proper structure for your PS in mind. Although it may be a storytelling exercise, each story must have a buildup and a conclusion. Plan what you want to say at the beginning, middle, and end of your essay. The last thing admissions officers want to read is 4000 characters with no logical structure to follow. That speaks volumes about your writing ability, as well as how well you present yourself to others.
Interview stage (where applicable)
- You've finally been called for an interview - congratulations! This year's admissions interviews will likely take place online via Skype or Zoom - make the necessary preparations to be interview-ready whilst facing a laptop or computer. However, for both in-person and online interviews, one key piece of advice is NOT to use verbal fillers. Singaporeans are especially guilty of this. If you need time to think, simply let the interviewer know that you need time, and then stay silent. Do not start off your sentences with "Um..." or "Ah..."etc. This takes practice, so practice it with a friend or your family members.
- Interviewers assess you not based on how many answers you get correct (unless you're applying for a mathematics-based course, then this doesn't apply to you), but rather your reasoning process. They want to know how you reason through your thinking and how you arrive at your conclusion. Interviewers, typically look out for candidates who demonstrate clear thinking abilities. This is coupled with the demands of your course: for example, if you're applying to Medicine, they would want to know how you deal with patients, with emergencies, and how you applying biological or chemistry concepts towards something which you have never come across before. If you're applying for Law, they would want to see how you defend your point of view and how you respond to certain twists in factual scenarios.
- If you genuinely do not know how to answer a question, be honest with the interviewer and state that you are unsure of how to approach the problem. However, do not stop there - offer your own explanation of how you have tried to solve or approach it, and then let them know which part has stumped you. This demonstrates maturity in that you recognise that you are not all-knowing, and are willing to defer to authority for assistance.
- Do not try to over-impress your interviewer. They can tell when you're trying to show off. Instead, be friendly and respectful and engage in small talk (if they do so first) so that they can take a (small) liking to you. Every win counts!
These are about the main points which I wanted to share. I hope this helps, and am open to PMs if you have any queries! All the best with your application!!
Top Comment: This is a great resource – hope you don't mind me adding to it! For choosing universities: Please don't just go for prestige. Choose what you think will help you to flourish because you're unique and this is your life. E.g. Aside from culture, I'd say a big one is location. Living in London is quite different from living in Oxford or Cambridge; and there's even more options beyond those two if you take the time to research a little. Trust me, if your mental health tanks because it's not a good fit, it's also hard to do well academically anyway. Personal statement: The advice above is great. I'd also add that it's helpful for you to show achievement as proof of intellectual and academic ability. Quantify it if you can e.g. top X% of Y. This answers the 'why you' question implicit in the personal statement challenge. [Edit: you really must get a second pair of eyes on your statement, preferably multiple times by the same (reliable) person. Doing so always results in improvements.] Others: (1) Create a timeline of key dates for yourself, e.g. registration for any admissions tests, they can be very stressful to track if you don't! (2) Figure out who can/should provide your academic reference and give them plenty of time to do it. Interviews: You need confidence. To get that, you need practice. And definitely no lying; this goes beyond obvious lies (e.g. saying you got this award when you didn't) but lying to yourself e.g. saying 'this idea is great because...' or 'this experience taught me...' when, actually, you didn't truly do/feel/think that. Just be yourself –– in your most confident, strong form. I graduated from Oxford University law with a double First and have helped others review their personal statements. PM me to discuss! I'm also happy to do Oxbridge-style interview practice. All the best in applying in this exceptionally tough year – you've got this!
Delivery drivers of UK, do you get tips at Christmas?
Main Post:
I’ve been getting a lot of parcels to my house this year and my local DPD driver is really great.
My partner is not from the UK and it is our first Christmas living together and he asked me how much he thinks we should tip him this year!
I’ve never considered this but it does seem a nice gesture. I’m wondering if this is common for delivery drivers? Or do you tip your delivery driver at Christmas?
(Assuming you don’t have a Hermes driver as your arch nemesis of course)
Top Comment:
Hermes drivers need all the tips they can get. Mostly ones about delivering parcels.
We don't tend to tip services (post, deliveries, bin men) like some countries.
If you want to do something nice, stock some (wrapped) food goodies and red bull in a basket with a note to help themselves.