inform
Christmas 2012
The student newsletter of the International Office at the University of Warwick
Christmas
closedown
at Warwick
Although term has finished
now, the International
Office remains open until
Friday 21 December so you
are welcome to phone,
email or come in to see us
as usual until then.
Over the Christmas and New Year season,
from the end of the day on Friday 21
December to the start of the day on
Wednesday 2 January, the University will
be closed. Most facilities and departments
will be unavailable or will have reduced
availability during this time.
However part of the Chaplaincy will
be available to students throughout this
time, from 8:30am to 10:30pm, so please
feel free to use it as somewhere to meet
up with other students in a warm, friendly
environment. We will be providing a DVD
player, CD player, newspapers and facilities
to make teas and coffees.
There will also be a programme of
events that you can attend throughout this
period. See page two for more details.
If you want to rent any DVDs, details
of the nearest Blockbusters stores are here:
www.blockbuster.co.uk/stores/store_
finder.aspx?postcode=CV48UW You will
need to show them certain documents to
register with them as shown here:
www.blockbuster.co.uk/help/
membership.aspx
University House and the Learning Grid
will be open for most of this time, except
from 6pm on Monday 24 December to 7am
Wednesday 26 December. Opening hours
for the Library, the Postgraduate Hub, the
Biomed Grid and similar services can be
found here: www.warwick.ac.uk/go/
library/basics/openinghours/vac
Although shops and banks may open
for longer hours just before Christmas, they
will be likely to have limited opening hours
from December 24 until January 2. Opening
times for the University’s restaurant, café
and bars are at www.warwickretail.com/
openingtimes
Further information about Christmas
opening times will be put on insite in the
coming days: www.warwick.ac.uk/go/
insite
A Christmas facebook group has
also been set up for any students who
are staying on campus over Christmas
at www.facebook.com/groups/
528295327194591/ for you to see who
else is around. It may also have updates
about the services and events available.
Christmas Supper and trip
Albert Hall, Nottingham Photo: Kafuffle
On the evening of Tuesday 18 December the International Office is running the annual
Christmas Supper for students who are still in the area. This event is always good fun and
includes a three course hot meal for £5 per person.
The last coach trip of 2012 is to Nottingham on Saturday 15th December for £10.
Nottingham is famous for Robin Hood and does indeed have a small castle to look round.
But it also has a tour of caves underneath the city and other attractions like the Galleries
of Justice. In case you’re wondering, there will be more coach trips in the spring and
summer terms.
To buy tickets and read more about these two events or to sign up to be the first to
hear about future coach trips see www.go.warwick.ac.uk/international/events
Photo: Lotus Head
Christmas
Programme
A number of students do decide to stay
on campus over the Christmas period, and
there will be a few events going on during
the days when most of the University is
closed that you might want to take part in:
Saturday 22 December Birmingham
Christmas Market. Meet at the Arts Centre
bus stop at 11am with money for the bus and
train and to buy Christmas goodies at the
largest outdoor Christmas Market in the UK,
set up like a traditional German market.
Sunday 23 December Films and/or board
games in the Chaplaincy from 12pm to 4pm
Monday 24 December A guided walking
tour of Stratford-Upon-Avon. For this event
there is a minibus so you must buy tickets
in advance from the Chaplaincy on Sunday
23 December between 12pm and 4pm, or
at the Christmas Supper on Tuesday 18
December if you attend. Cost £5, places are
limited. Leave from the bus stop by the Arts
Centre at 10am.
Tuesday 25 December Films and/or board
games in the Chaplaincy from 12 to 4, with
Christmas snacks (you could also bring some
to share with you).
Wednesday 26 December Out to Coventry
to find a restaurant to have lunch together.
Meet at the Arts Centre bus stop at 11:15am
with money for the bus and for food.
Thursday 27 December Play frisbee in the
field between University House and Central
Campus, 2pm to 4pm.
Friday 28 December Back to Coventry for
some ice skating and their international
market. Meet at the Arts Centre bus stop at
11am with money.
Saturday 29 December Shopping trip to
Bicester Village. Meet at the Arts Centre bus
stop at 11am with money for travelling and
shopping.
The Chaplaincy will still be open for you
to use between 8:30am and 10:30pm. You
would be welcome to organise your own
events in the Chaplaincy or elsewhere from
30 December onwards.
Have a look at this facebook page
before each event to see if there are
any changes: www.facebook.com/
groups/528295327194591/
Immigration advice
The last posting of visa extensions through
the University operated Student Batch
Scheme will be at midday on Friday
21 December 2012. To ensure that your
application is included in this last posting,
you must have a booked appointment to see
an Adviser by Thursday 20 December at the
latest so that they have time to check your
application and if necessary to produce a
CAS (Confirmation of Acceptance of Studies).
Please note that the International
Office’s immigration team will only assign
a CAS for students who have provided all
the necessary documents that meet the
Tier 4 requirements. To see what these
items are go to www.go.warwick.ac.uk/
immigration/student
If you wish to submit your own visa
extension application by post, the last date
to use the Special Delivery service before
Christmas from Post Offices is Saturday 22
December. Post Offices may be open for
shorter hours in the week before Christmas.
If your visa expires in January then
please ensure you sign up for the workshop
being held on Wednesday 16 January 2013 at
10am where an Adviser will go through the
requirements for an application. For more
details of and to sign up to this workshop
or one of our other immigration related
workshops go to www.go.warwick.ac.uk/
immigration/workshops
Please remember that all Tier 4 students
are required to present their updated visas
to the University for a copy to be kept.
This is done automatically for students
applying through the Immigration Service
Batch Scheme but for any students applying
independently, either in the UK or overseas,
you must remember to bring your new
visa to the International Office reception
as soon as possible. Students who fail
to present their updated immigration
permission to the University are at risk of
being withdrawn from the University, which
would mean the University would have to
report you to the UKBA and your visa may
be curtailed.
Christmas
shorts
Travelling
There is likely to be no public transport
anywhere on 25 December and a
reduced service on trains and buses on
other days, particularly 26 December
and 1 January. The two local bus
companies’ Christmas timetables
are www.nxbus.co.uk/coventry/
information/summary-of-christmasnew-year-services-2012-11-29
and www.stagecoachbus.com/
Christmas%20timetable.aspx. Taxis
will probably charge higher rates on
these days as well. Snow can affect
public transport services also.
For more general information on
travelling from Warwick see
www.warwick.ac.uk/go/transport
Emergencies
For an emergency needing the
immediate attention of the police, fire
service or ambulance phone 02476
522222 if you live on campus or 999 if
you live off campus. Remember to keep
your possessions somewhere safe to
reduce the risk of theft.
If you have any maintenance
problems concerning campus
accommodation and there is no
warden or residential tutor you
can speak to, you should report the
problem to security staff at the main
gatehouse. Their phone number is
02476 522083.
The Health Centre will be closed
from 6pm Friday December 21 to 9am
Wednesday January 2nd but if you
phone them on 02476 524888 you can
listen to a recorded message about
alternative medical provisions. They
will also display a list of chemists/
pharmacies that will be open at this
time on their exterior wall. See
www.uwhc.org.uk for more details on
their services over the Christmas period.
The International Office
University House
University of Warwick
Coventry CV4 8UW
t +44 (0)24 7652 3706
w www.warwick.ac.uk/go/international
e internationalsupport@warwick.ac.uk
f www.facebook.com/
warwickinternationaloffice
t www.twitter.com/warwickio