ORIENTATION HANDBOOK New Student Orientation & Enrolment Programme September 2008
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
School of Oriental and African Studies ORIENTATION HANDBOOK New Student Orientation & Enrolment Programme September 2008 Important !!! you in September Please bring this document with DIRECTOR’S WELCOME WELCOME I am very pleased to welcome all new students to SOAS. It is a very special place indeed, concerned with the places that matter in the 21st century (Africa, Asia and the Middle East) and the issues that matter (such as human rights, poverty reduction and globalisation, to name just three). It is full of passionate people who care about the world, who want to understand it and through understanding to change it. I’ve been at SOAS for two years now and have never regretted making the move. It is amazingly diverse, a very friendly place and incredibly stimulating. I am certain that you will enjoy your time here. It won’t always be easy – your preconceptions will be challenged and our programmes make serious demands on students – but it should be inspirational and enjoyable. One of our undergraduates wrote this year that “SOAS is such an addictive place – I may return in a few years either for my Masters or just a language course”. She’s right. So as well as welcoming you now, I look forward to welcoming you back to SOAS in the future! Professor Paul Webley Director and Principal CONTENTS INTRODUCTION What happens in Orientation Week? 2 Contact details/Buddy scheme 3 Finding your way around SOAS 4 Map 5 ORIENTATION International Students’ Welcome Day 6 Orientation Week for all students 8 Research Students’ Orientation 12 Orientation checklist 13 LIFE AND STUDY AT SOAS What does studying at SOAS involve 14 Study support 15 SOAS Library/IT and computing 16 Student Services 18 Health care and well-being 19 Managing your money at university 20 Student support and fees 22 Are you a disabled student? 23 Careers Service and Alumni 25 Accommodation 26 Your safety 27 Where to eat and drink at SOAS 28 Easy recipes 29 Welcome to SOAS Students’ Union 30 Things to do in London on a budget 33 REGISTRATION AND ENROLMENT Step-by-step guide to Enrolment 36 Faculty Registration information 38 Tuition fees 40 Important notes for Enrolment and Registration 42 Enrolment programme Inside back cover 2 WHAT HAPPENS IN ORIENTATION WEEK? In preparation for your arrival, SOAS staff and current By taking part in as many students have organised a variety of activities to welcome you to SOAS and to your student life in London. We activities as possible, you encourage you to take full advantage of the orientation programme available to you. By taking part in as many will have the opportunity activities as possible, you will have the opportunity to make new friends, familiarise yourself with the School and to make new friends, make the most of your university experience. Keep up-to- date with the programme of events for new students by familiarise yourself with checking the website www.soas.ac.uk/newstudents SOAS and make the Orientation Week takes place from Monday 22nd to Saturday 27th September 2008. It is essential to attend, most of your university in order to enrol with the School and register for courses in your Faculty. There will also be a number of School- experience wide introductory talks and welcome meetings hosted by the various academic Departments and Faculties in the School, which you are strongly encouraged to attend. In addition to this, the International Students’ Welcome Day will take place on Saturday 20th September 2008. (For details see pages 4 and 5) Social activities will also be running throughout the week, including walking tours of the local area and Students’ Union events. The Students’ Union Freshers’ Fayre will take place on Saturday 27th September. Student Ambassadors will be available during the week to answer any queries you may have or just to have a chat about life at SOAS. Look for the people in the green SOAS T-shirts! The main aims of Orientation Week are to welcome you to SOAS and to help you find your way around, to settle in, meet new friends and have fun. Enjoy yourselves! Heidi Ward Student Experience Coordinator ON I T DUC O R INT USEFUL CONTACTS 3 SCHOOL ADDRESS COURSE REGISTRATION The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) See the Faculty Registration Information on page 39 for a Thornhaugh Street list of Faculty Officers’ contact details. Russell Square London WC1H 0XG STUDents’ UnION/FRESHERs’ FayrE United Kingdom Contact Peter Baran on [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)20 7637 2388 (switchboard) This handbook is also available as a PDF Further contact details can be found at www.soas.ac.uk document. Please see the website: www. If, after reading this handbook and the website www. soas.ac.uk/newstudents soas.ac.uk/newstudents, you still have an unanswered question, here is a list of people to contact: If you have any difficulties reading this or need this document in a different format, OriENTATION WEEK AND INTERNATIONal please contact the Disability Advisers on STUDents’ WeLCOME Day [email protected] Contact Heidi Ward, Louise Harrington or Isabelle Cockel on [email protected] ENROLMENT Contact Registry on [email protected] SOAS Student BUDDY Scheme Would you like some support from an existing SOAS student while you begin your studies at SOAS? Are you perhaps a long way from home, or is it your first visit to England? Maybe you face some extra challenges which make settling in a little more complicated? Do you think that you could benefit from the support, advice or company of another student? If so, then why not join the SOAS Student Buddy Scheme? How does it work? SOAS offers the support of existing students who act as Buddies for new students during the academic year. The Buddies will be available from Orientation Week onwards, and their aim is to facilitate your individual needs. They can: help you find your way around the campuses and the locality ensure you acquire all necessary information about your timetable offer help with practical things like setting up a bank account or finding a good supermarket help you get involved in any Students’ Union clubs and societies you might be interested in meet you regularly for a chat to see how things are going generally be a source of support for you as you settle into a new university and possibly a new country Who do I contact if I am interested? Email: [email protected], or speak to a Student Ambassador (in the green SOAS T-shirts!) ON I once you are here. T DUC O R INT 4 FINDING YOUR way AROUND SOAS SOAS has two campuses. One is located at Russell GETTING TO AND FROM SOAS Square, in the Bloomsbury area of central London, close to the British Museum and the British Library. The nearest Both SOAS campuses are conveniently located close to tube stations are Russell Square, Euston, and Euston Underground stations, and are on major bus routes. The Square. The campus includes the Brunei Gallery, which following websites will help you plan your best route: hosts visiting exhibitions throughout the year, the Faber Building, where IFCELS (International Foundation Courses Walking Route from the Russell Square campus to and English Language Studies) is located, and the Percival the Vernon Square campus: www.soas.ac.uk/visitors/ David Foundation, which houses the finest collection of location/maps/campus-maps.php or see the simplified Chinese ceramics outside China. route in red on the adjacent page (please note not all street names are included). SOAS’s second campus, Vernon Square, opened in September 2001. It is just a 20-minute walk from Russell Buses to and from King’s Cross (for the Vernon Square Square. The nearest Underground stations are King’s campus): www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/gettingaround/maps/buses/ Cross and Angel. This impressive former Edwardian pdf/kingscross-2150.pdf school was renovated to contain a range of learning, teaching and social facilities, including the Byte2e@t café. Buses to and from Russell Square: www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/gettingaround/maps/buses/pdf/ Room numbers are prefixed by a letter representing the russellsquare-2222.pdf building they are in, except for rooms in the main building (Philips Building) at Russell Square. So V stands for Tube maps: Vernon Square, B for the Brunei Gallery and F for the www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/1106.aspx Faber Building. This letter is followed by the floor number See www.tfl.gov.uk for planning your route in London, and (remember that in the UK we start with the ground floor, for all other transport information. the first floor is one storey up), which is followed by the room number. For example, VG04 represents room 4 on Transport to and from Airports: the ground floor of Vernon Square, and B102 is room Information on arriving in London from Heathrow, 2 on the first floor of the Brunei Gallery (see the table Gatwick, Luton or Stansted Airports is available in the below). Rooms starting with G or L are situated either on Welcome Handbook for International Students: the ground or lower ground floor of the main building at www.soas.ac.uk/admissions/international/39997.pdf Russell Square. The exceptions are the Khalili Lecture Theatre (KLT), which is located on the lower ground floor of the main building at Russell Square, the Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre (BGLT), which is located on the lower ground floor of the Brunei Gallery, and the Brunei Suite (BS), which is located on the ground floor of the Brunei Gallery.