Settling into King’s and London

www.kcl.ac.uk/advice

Settling into King’s and London

London Calling!

www.kcl.ac.uk/advice2

Welcome to London!Test your knowledge!

1. How many languages are spoken in London?

a.) 120

b.) 200

c.) 250


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.) King’s Cross


Welcome to London!Answer: Waterloo…apparently!

3. In which London building was Britain’s first escalator installed?

a.) The Houses of Parliament

b.) Harrods

c.) Paddington Station


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 what’s 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!)


TransportExpansive 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 Person’s Railcard will get you a discount on trains – useful if travelling out of London


Top Tips – Transport• Buy an A-Z so you don’t get lost!• Make use of your student discount – it’s 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!


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


What’s 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.)


What else?Free concerts:•In the summer lots of organisations run free open-air concerts and events, including

•Somerset House

•National Theatre (Both near King’s!)

•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


And what’s 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


Top Tips – Going Out

• Get your NUS card and always ask about student discounts. Are there other loyalty cards you could get?

• Find out what’s free

• Visit KCLSU’s Welcome Fair (22nd and 23rd September) and sign up to mailing lists to find out about discounts and special events

• Keep an eye on what’s going on in the Union

• Get to know your local area and check out the area guides – is there a cheap cinema nearby?


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!


Shopping• Big supermarkets often cheaper for essentials. Major

supermarkets are Sainsbury’s, 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!


Don’t 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 don’t and your belongings are stolen or damaged you will lose a lot of money

• (www.endsleigh.co.uk specialise in student insurance policies)


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!


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!


Useful LinksTransport:

• 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


Help, Advice and Support– All free– Impartial– Confidential– Available to everyone– If you need help, just ask!


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

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Contacting us

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• Send an email to [email protected] 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


The Compass CentreServices • 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/thecompass22


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

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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 (Guy’s)

• Organise lots of events and trips during the term

• Regular services and activities throughout the week

www.kcl.ac.uk/chaplaincy

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KCLSU• Student Centres at Guy’s, 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


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 King’s 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 King’s is at

Waterloo Station• Health information at www.nhs.uk


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


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 King’s, which you can obtain from the Compass


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!

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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

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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 [email protected]


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 won’t be activated if you enter the UK via Ireland – nobody will know you’re 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

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Travelling If you travel outside the UK:• Check if you need a visa before travelling• Ensure you have a letter from King’s and a bank

statement to show immigration when you return• Check customs requirements so you don’t bring back

anything illegal!• Expedia, Opodo and Eurostar are handy websites for

booking short breaks• Make the most of being on Europe’s doorstep!


Exploring the UK & Europe• HOST UK organises visits to stay with Host families

throughout the UK. King’s 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.co.uk


Any questions?

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Documents

Settling into King’s and London