LONDON CALLING! International Orientation 2012

2 Welcome to London! Test your knowledge! 1.Roughly 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: Waterloo…apparently! And finally… 3.How many bathrooms are there in Buckingham Palace? a.) 15 b.) 78 c.) 126

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 in the first few weeks Explore with new friends Find out whats 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!)

6 Transport Expansive network through London of: 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 Persons Railcard 30% discount on trains – useful if travelling out of London (But never forget to pay your fare!)

7 Top Tips – Transport Buy an A-Z so you dont 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!

8 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

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? BBC TV and radio tickets – watch a show being recorded. See for ticketswww.bbc.co.uk Free concerts: Open air concerts in the summer, including Somerset House and the National Theatre (Both near Kings!) 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 Johns Waterloo and St Martin in the Field

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! 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

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 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? Londons great for gigs and events – make the most of it!!

13 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 – Ticket exchange - Meal deals – Returns at venues – best seats for lowest price! BBC filming and recording –

14 Shopping Big supermarkets often cheaper for essentials. Major supermarkets: Sainsburys, 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) Waterstones Gower Street – biggest academic bookstore in London Sales – 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 or pick up a form in our information roomwww.tvlicensing.co.uk 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 –

16 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!

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 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 Dont forget to go to the Welcome Fair – 20 th and 21 st September at the Barbican! FREE ENTRY!

ULU University of London Union in Malet Street (near Goodge Street tube and Senate House Library) Free membership for Kings students! Lots of facilities onsite, including a large swimming pool and a gym Clubs, societies and activities in addition to those offered by Kings 19

20 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

21 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

22 Useful Links: Transport: and Discounts and deals: NUS card Price comparison – Us! –

23 Help! If you are unhappy, looking for more information, or have a problem and need help or advice… Youre probably not the only one! Dont ignore the issue Dont pay someone for advice Do make use of the services at Kings: Student Advisers, Counsellors, the Compass, Chaplains and the Students Union are here to help! – all free, confidential and impartial

24 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)