Settling into King’s and London

1
Settling into Kings and London
London Calling!
2
Welcome to London!

• Test your knowledge!
• How many languages are spoken in London?
• a.) 120
• b.) 200
• c.) 250

3
Welcome to London!

• Answer 250 London is the most
• linguistically diverse city in the world!
• 2. Where is the best underground station to spot
  mice?
• a.) Waterloo
• b.) Victoria
• c.) Kings Cross

4
Welcome to London!

• Answer Waterlooapparently!
• 3. In which London building was Britains first
  escalator installed?
• a.) The Houses of Parliament
• b.) Harrods
• c.) Paddington Station

5
Where to start?!

• Get to know your surrounding area
• Consult My Campus and My Local Area guides
• Make the most of Students Union and College
  events throughout the term
• Explore with new friends
• Find out whats free!
• Try different places food, entertainment etc.
• Make a list of all the things you really want to
  do, and start doing them!
• (The answer was Harrods, by the way!)

6
Transport

• Expansive network through London of
• Underground
• Bus
• Train
• Taxi
• River Transport
• Tram
• Student Oyster cards and other network cards may
  save you money. (But never forget to pay your
  fare!)
• Apply online
• Young Persons Railcard will get you a discount
  on trains useful if travelling out of London

7
Top Tips Transport

• Buy an A-Z so you dont get lost!
• Make use of your student discount its cheaper
  to get a weekly/monthly travel card if you are
  travelling on public transport every day
• Buses are much cheaper than tubes. Buy a bus pass
  rather than a full travel pass if you only use
  buses
• Always ensure you know an alternative route to
  College/home in case of problems on public
  transport
• For travelling around the UK, get a Young Persons
  Railcard
• Never try and dodge your fare you could get
  fined!

8
Things to do and see

• Students Union clubs, societies and events
• Museums and galleries over 300 in London!
• Concerts, plays and musicals
• Football, cricket and other sporting events
• Festivals and other events
• Parks
• Public Buildings and Monuments
• Cinema
• Pubs and Clubs
• Eating out

9
Whats Free?

• Most major museums and galleries including
• Tate Modern and Tate Britain
• National Gallery
• British Museum
• Imperial War Museum
• Victoria and Albert Museum
• Natural History Museum and Science Museum
• (You will usually need to pay for special
  exhibitions.)

10
What else?

• Free concerts
• In the summer lots of organisations run free
  open-air concerts and events, including
• Somerset House
• National Theatre (Both near Kings!)
• Music venues such as the Barbican, Wigmore Hall
  and Royal Festival Hall often run free lunchtime
  concerts look in Time Out for information.
• Many churches have regular free lunchtime concerts

11
And whats cheap?

• Cinemas much more expensive in Central London
  cheaper on weekday afternoons. Student discounts.
• Theatres often run student offers/last minute
  offers
• Even restaurants often offer student discounts,
  so always check just in case!
• Lots of London parks have Lidos which are cheap
  for swimming and wonderful in summer!
• Students Union facilities, such as bars, club
  nights and the gym, are usually cheaper than
  public facilities
• Lower-division football matches and league and
  twenty20 cricket matches

12
Top Tips Going Out

• Get your NUS card and always ask about student
  discounts. Are there other loyalty cards you
  could get?
• Find out whats free
• Visit KCLSUs Welcome Fair (22nd and 23rd
  September) and sign up to mailing lists to find
  out about discounts and special events
• Keep an eye on whats going on in the Union
• Get to know your local area and check out the
  area guides is there a cheap cinema nearby?

13
Top Tips Going Out

• Free papers and Time Out magazine and website
• Half-price ticket booth at Leicester Square
• Venue mailing lists
• Ticket exchange - www.seatwave.com
• Freebies and discounts www.vouchercodes.co.uk
• Meal deals www.toptable.co.uk
• Returns at venues best seats for lowest price!

14
Shopping

• Big supermarkets often cheaper for essentials.
  Major supermarkets are Sainsburys, Tesco, ASDA
  (Walmart) and Morrisons. Waitrose is a bit more
  expensive.
• Argos is very cheap for essentials like kettles
  and crockery large store on New Oxford Street
• Lots of local markets in London. Good for
  bargains!
• Lots of second hand bookshops check out Charing
  Cross Road and Marchmont Street (WC1 near ULU)
• Sales throughout the year in major stores check
  out Oxford Street and Westfield!

15
Dont forget

• If you have a television it is against the law
  not to have a television licence. For information
  and to get a licence go to www.tvlicensing.co.uk
  or pick up a form in our information room
• Even if you are in College halls of residence
  MAKE SURE YOU GET INSURANCE!!! If you dont
  and your belongings are stolen or damaged you
  will lose a lot of money
• (www.endsleigh.co.uk specialise in student
  insurance policies)

16
Utilities and services

• Shop around for good deals (price comparison
  websites)
• Save money call using Skype
• Go to Carphone Warehouse or Phones4U for deals
  from different providers more options!
• Be careful of special deals they are often only
  cheap for the first few months!
• Open a UK bank account otherwise you have to
  pay to withdraw money!

17
Top Tips Shopping

• Find your nearest large supermarket and check out
  own-brands
• Check out some price comparison websites for the
  best deals for mobile phones, utilities etc.
• Check out your local area for local shops/markets
• Check for student discounts in shops even some
  major store such as Top Shop and HMV have student
  discounts
• Make sure you get insurance!

18
Useful Links

• Transport
• www.tfl.gov.uk
• www.youngpersons-railcard.co.uk
• www.thetrainline.com booking tickets
• Discounts
• NUS card - www.nusextra.co.uk doubles up as
  International student identity card
• www.londonforfree.net
• www.londonfreelist.com
• Price comparison www.pricerunner.co.uk

19
Help, Advice and Support

• All free
• Impartial
• Confidential
• Available to everyone
• If you need help, just ask!

20
Student Advice and International Student Support

• What do we do?
• Part of Student Information and Advice
• Offer free one-to-one advice and guidance on a
  range of issues including immigration, practical
  advice (e.g. opening a bank account), housing,
  finances
• Provide a range of leaflets and website
  information
• Available by telephone, email, at drop-in
  sessions or for longer appointments
• We are fully trained advisers and qualified to
  provide immigration advice

21
Contacting us

• Send an email to thecompass_at_kcl.ac.uk We can
  provide advice by email or book you an
  appointment to come and see us
• Call our Advice Line (open 10am-4pm Mondays,
  Wednesdays and Fridays) 020 7848 6858
• Come to a drop-in held daily from 11.30-13.30
  at a different campus each day see website for
  details
• Visit our website www.kcl.ac.uk/advice

22
The Compass Centre

• Services
• Student Letters Confirmation of Study Opening
  a
• Bank Account Visa Extension Council Tax
  Exemption
• Replacement ID Cards
• Accommodation Fee Payments
• Facilities at The Compass
• Formal and Group Study Space
• Access and Internet Kiosks
• Power Outlets for Laptops and Wireless Internet
  
• Comfortable Quiet Space for Reading
• www.kcl.ac.uk/thecompass

23
Counselling

• Also part of Student Services
• Free and confidential
• Trained, experienced counsellors
• Appointments available at each of the main
  campuses
• Booking an appointment
• Download a form from the website
• Visit one of our offices or the Student Health
  Centre and pick up a form
• Telephone the Counselling Service directly
• www.kcl.ac.uk/counselling

24
Chaplaincy

• Chaplains based on every site
• There for all students, no matter what their
  beliefs
• Trained listeners with lots of experience
  supporting students there to listen and chat
• Free international lunches on Monday (Strand),
  Tuesday (Waterloo) and Thursday (Guys)
• Organise lots of events and trips during the
  term
• Regular services and activities throughout the
  week
• www.kcl.ac.uk/chaplaincy

25
KCLSU

• Student Centres at Guys, Strand or Waterloo
• Get information on joining Sports Clubs,
  Societies, Volunteering
• Take part in activities
• Buy tickets for (cheap!) events
• Find part-time work in the Union
• Get a drink or a coffee and relax
• Get Academic Advice and support
• www.kclsu.org

26
Health

• International students allowed free treatment on
  the National Health Service if here for more than
  6 months in total
• College Health Centre open to all those in Kings
  halls and in nearby boroughs check
  www.kcl.ac.uk/health for details
• You must register with a doctor, even if you are
  not ill!
• For serious illnesses and accidents, call 999 for
  an ambulance
• Walk-in Medicentres quite cheap closest to
  Kings is at Waterloo Station
• Health information at www.nhs.uk

27
Opening a bank account

• Why open an account?
• Somewhere safe to keep money
• Cheaper than withdrawing money from your home
  account
• You will need a UK account if you want a
  part-time job or to pay certain bills (e.g.
  mobile phones)
• You will need to send bank statements when you
  apply to extend your visa
• Banks close to campus include HSBC, Lloyds,
  Natwest and Santander. Bank of China also offer
  special deals to overseas students

28
Opening a Bank Account

• Some accounts not available for international
  students
• Check what services the accounts offer and if
  there are monthly charges. Basic bank accounts
  are free and easy to open
• When you have chosen an account check what
  documents you need to open the account
• You usually just need your passport and a letter
  from Kings, which you can obtain from the
  Compass

29
A bit about immigration...

• Student visas
• Obtained before you came to the UK
• You can extend your leave within the UK if you
  decide to study here for longer
• You can work under certain conditions while you
  are here up to 20 hours a week in term time and
  full time in the vacations, but you cannot be
  self-employed, take up a permanent full time post
  or work as a professional sportsperson or
  entertainer!

30
A bit more about immigration...

• Student Visitors
• Either obtained this before travel or were
  stamped in at the airport for free!
• Should be studying in the UK for less than 6
  months
• Cannot extend your leave in the UK
• Cannot work, paid or unpaid
• Need to request permissions to re-enter as a
  Student Visitor each time you leave and re-enter
  the UK

31
Entry Clearance Correction Scheme

• FREE scheme in the UK to correct errors made on
  entry clearance (visas) issued abroad
• Students here for under 6 months should have
  leave for the length of the course plus one week
  Students here for 1 year should get the length of
  the course plus 2 months
• Should have permission to work
• If you think these are wrong on your visa sticker
  contact a Student Adviser at advice_at_kcl.ac.uk

32
Entering through Ireland

• Entering via the Republic of Ireland can be
  problematic as there are no border controls
  between Ireland and the UK
• Even if you have a student visa, this wont be
  activated if you enter the UK via Ireland
  nobody will know youre here!
• If you are seeking entry as a Student Visitor you
  cannot get this if entering from Ireland will
  have been stamped in as a Visitor to Ireland but
  not the UK
• If this applies to you seek advice from a
  Student Adviser as soon as possible

33
Travelling

• If you travel outside the UK
• Check if you need a visa before travelling
• Ensure you have a letter from Kings and a bank
  statement to show immigration when you return
• Check customs requirements so you dont bring
  back anything illegal!
• Expedia, Opodo and Eurostar are handy websites
  for booking short breaks
• Make the most of being on Europes doorstep!

34
Exploring the UK Europe

• HOST UK organises visits to stay with Host
  families throughout the UK. Kings pays for your
  first visit you just pay travel! See
  www.hostuk.org for details
• International Students House has a travel club
  which runs regular trips. Check out
  www.ish.org.uk
• Haggis and Shamrocker great trips to Scotland,
  Ireland and Wales. Visit www.radicaltravel.com
  for details
• Anderson Tours trips to famous sites such as
  Bath, Stonehenge, Oxford etc www.andersontours.c
  o.uk

35
Any questions?