Apply at least 2 months before the session starts. For example. if you're expecting your A2 result to come out at the end of Jan, you should have already applied. If you're expecting your a2 result in august, then apply sometime in June/May with your AS grades.
Yes, I was. Keep in mind, I am not in UoNottingham. It was too expensive for me to afford even with the scholarship.
Life here is good. If you're good at speaking English and can live independently, on your own, then you should do just fine. Just keep in mind that there are a lot of different ethnicities here. It's similar to Pakistan in many ways, at the same time, it has it's contrasting features too.