LONDON
CALLING!
International Orientation 2012
Welcome to London!
Test your knowledge!
1.
Roughly how many languages are
spoken in London?
a.) 120
b.) 200
c.) 250
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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
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Welcome to London!
Answer: Waterloo…apparently!
And finally…
3.
How many bathrooms are there in
Buckingham Palace?
a.) 15
b.) 78
c.) 126
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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
in the first few weeks
• Explore with new friends
• Find out what’s free!
• Try out different places – food, entertainment etc.
• Make a list of all the things you really want to do, and
start doing them!
*(The answer was 78, by the way!)
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Transport
Expansive network through London of:
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Underground
Bus
Train
Taxi
River Transport
Tram
• Student Oyster cards – apply online. Gets you 30% off
weekly/monthly passes. Upload these onto your card.
• Young Person’s Railcard 30% discount on trains –
useful if travelling out of London
•(But never forget to pay your fare!)
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Top Tips – Transport
• Buy an A-Z so you don’t get lost!
• Use your student discount – cheaper to get a
weekly/monthly travel card if you are travelling on public
transport most days
• Buses: 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: Young Persons Railcard
(trains) or try the Megabus! (£1 fares to UK cities!)
• Never try and dodge your fare – you could get fined!
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Things to do and see
•Students’ Union – clubs, societies, volunteering and events
•Museums and galleries – over 300 in London!
•Concerts, plays, musicals, cinema
•Football, the London Marathon and other sporting events
•Festivals and other events
•Public parks
•Public Buildings and Monuments
•Pubs, clubs and eating out
•Trips and tours around the UK & Europe
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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.)
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What else?
• BBC TV and radio tickets – watch a show being
recorded. See www.bbc.co.uk for tickets
Free concerts:
• Open air concerts in the summer, including Somerset
House and the National Theatre (Both near King’s!)
• Free lunchtime concerts at music venues such as the
Barbican, Wigmore Hall and Royal Festival Hall – look
in Time Out for information.
• Free lunchtimes classical concerts in local churches,
including St John’s Waterloo and St Martin in the Field
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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!
•Lidos – outdoor pools which are cheap for swimming
and wonderful in summer!
• Students’ Union facilities – cheaper than public facilities
• Lower-division football matches and league and
twenty20 cricket matches
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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 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?
• London’s great for gigs and events – make the most of
it!!
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Top Tips – Going Out
• Evening Standard and Metro (free!) and Time Out
magazine and website
• Half-price ticket booth at Leicester Square
• Sign up to venue mailing lists/Facebook for notifications
• Freebies and discounts – www.vouchercodes.co.uk
• Ticket exchange - www.seatwave.com
• Meal deals – www.toptable.co.uk
• Returns at venues – best seats for lowest price!
•BBC filming and recording – www.bbc.co.uk
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Shopping
• Big supermarkets often cheaper for essentials. Major
supermarkets: Sainsbury’s, Tesco, ASDA (Walmart)
and Morrisons. Waitrose is more expensive.
• Argos is very cheap for essentials like kettles and
crockery – large store on New Oxford Street
• Lots of markets in London. Great for bargains!
• Lots of second hand bookshops – check out Charing
Cross Road and Marchmont Street (WC1 – near ULU)
• Waterstone’s Gower Street – biggest academic
bookstore in London
• Sales – check out Oxford Street and Westfield!
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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
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Utilities and Services
• Shop around for good deals (price comparison
websites)
• For those of you in private accommodation you may
have to pay for utilities (e.g. gas and electricity)
• Save money – call using Skype
• Go to Carphone Warehouse or Phones4U for deals
from different providers – more options!
• Direct Debit discounts for your bills
• Be careful of special deals – they are often only
cheap for the first few months!
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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!
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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
• Don’t forget to go to the Welcome Fair – 20th and 21st
September at the Barbican! FREE ENTRY!
www.kclsu.org
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ULU
• University of London Union in Malet Street (near
Goodge Street tube and Senate House Library)
• Free membership for King’s students!
• Lots of facilities onsite, including a large swimming
pool and a gym
• Clubs, societies and activities in addition to those
offered by King’s
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International Students
House
• You are all members – FREE!!
• Travel club – trips around the UK and Europe!
• Regular events – talks, dinners, quizzes, karaoke
nights, traditional Christmas party
• Great facilities – gym, bar, restaurant, student
accommodation
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HOST programme
• Great way to see other parts of the UK,
including Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
• Stay with a British family
• Visits last Friday-Sunday. Christmas visits also
available – apply well in advance
• First visit FREE! You just pay your travel
• Can go on a visit alone or with your
family/friends
• To find out more or apply, visit www.hostuk.org
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Useful Links:
Transport:
• www.tfl.gov.uk
• www.youngpersons-railcard.co.uk
• www.thetrainline.com and http://uk.megabus.com/
Discounts and deals:
• NUS card - www.nusextra.co.uk
• www.vouchercodes.co.uk
• www.timeout.com
• Price comparison – www.pricerunner.co.uk
• Us! – www.facebook.com/kingsinternationalstudentsupport
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Help!
If you are unhappy, looking for more information, or
have a problem and need help or advice…
You’re probably not the only one!
Don’t ignore the issue
Don’t pay someone for advice
Do make use of the services at King’s:
Student Advisers, Counsellors, the Compass, Chaplains
and the Students’ Union are here to help!
– all free, confidential and impartial
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My London
You find no man, who is at all intellectual,
who is willing to leave London. When a
man is tired of London he is tired of life,
for there is in London all that life can
afford.”
(Samuel Johnson)
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