International Student Survival Guide
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International Student survival guide An informal booklet of useful information and guidance to help you get the most out of living in the UK 3 Introduction Contents Welcome and congratulations on It is the hope that you keep this guide 4 When you first arrive 37 Student Support choosing the University of Reading for throughout the year as a reference for 4 Arrival – top tips in the first week 37 Welfare support your studies. Within this guide you will relevant advice and contact information 5 7 facts about Reading 39 Academic support find lots of useful information on getting to help you with any problems you may 6 Crossword 40 The cultural adjustment cycle the most out of your stay here. There encounter or to find out about how to get 41 Where are you in the process is plenty of support available at the involved in extra-curricular activities and 8 Daily Life of adjustment University for all aspects of student life make the best use of your time in Reading. 8 Getting around Reading 42 Ask Aggie including study, accommodation, finance, The guide has a mix of information and 10 Reading revealed 43 Getting support when you need it visa issues, health and careers. In this activities to both inform and entertain 14 Consumer rights 44 International Students’ Officer of RUSU guide you will find the names, contact you. Use the contents opposite to quickly 15 Shopping and eating out in Reading details and web links needed to access find the relevant information you need 18 Technology communication and media 45 Opportunities at University this support. or browse at your leisure trying the 20 Communicating internationally 45 Extra-curricular activities You will also find out how to get involved activities within. 21 Places to visit 46 RED in clubs and societies, integrate with UK 24 The package day out – Oxford 47 Getting a job We wish you all the best! students and understand UK customs and 48 What’s it like to work and study? Mark, Liz and Clare culture. You can also learn about Reading 26 Game of academic life 49 Careers and work experience and the UK, including the best things to do and places to go in and around 28 Daily life – continued 50 Looking Ahead Reading. The guide has advice both from 28 Integrating with UK students 50 Graduation and beyond experts within the University and current 29 Learning to cook international students, who having become 31 British customs and manners 51 Map settled into life at University are able to 33 Please, thank you, sorry share their experience. 34 Names 35 UK Celebrations 4 5 Arrival – top tips in the first week Seven facts about Reading Having arrived in Reading and moved into You will need to sign in with your • Attend the Hall Fire Safety Talks your new accommodation it is time to get username and password, which you All hall residents are required to attend eading is the largest town in England. n the ruins Reading Abbey, the remains of Henry I lie. set up as a student at the University. can retrieve from RISIS once you have a talk about fire safety in halls of residence. ROf course there are larger cities, but Reading IHenry was King of England from 1100 to 1135. completed both online registration and This includes how to prevent fires and what • Registration: You will first need to has not been granted city status despite being ot as long as the Nile (4132 miles), the River have your visa/passport scanned in the had your visa scanned, whilst obtaining to do in the event of a fire. These talks are larger than many cities. Miller Building by the Admissions Team. your Campus Card. Further information compulsory and you are required to attend, NThames flows through Reading on its way to Following this, you will receive help to can be found by clicking on the help link so do not ignore the request and make sure njoy listening to music at Reading Festival, one London. At 215 miles it is the UK’s second longest river. enrol online and receive your university on the Reading Live web page including you attend. More information is given in of the largest and most famous music festivals in how to access your university e-mail on the Halls survival guide. E o and watch a Championship league football user name and password. When you have the UK. It plays host to top bands from the UK and the done this, you can collect your campus your smartphone or pc. • Freshers’ Fayre Gmatch at Reading’s Madjeski stadium, named card, and you can use this to access • Finding class rooms: When you get your All of the student sports clubs and societies world. Previous bands that have played are Nirvana, after Sir John Madjeski, the chairman of Reading FC the University of Reading computers timetable take some time before your in the University show the new students Guns n Roses, Metallica, The Killers, The Red Hot Chilli and Chancellor of the University of Reading. and your email account. To access this lectures to find where the classrooms or (‘freshers’) what they have to offer in Peppers, Blur and Eminem to name but a few. information you must log into RISIS, the lecture theatres are. Some classrooms are the Freshers’ Fair held in RUSU (Reading The festival is usually held in August. Universities online information system. not obvious to find and you risk missing University Students Union) during freshers’ Ensure you do this as soon as possible part of the lecture if you struggle finding week. This is your opportunity to meet uthor Jane Austen studied at the Abbey school in to receive important announcements the room. those running the clubs and societies, see Reading. Jane wrote Pride and Prejudice and other from the University. The importance what sports, activities and interests are A of checking your university e-mail on offer, ask questions and sign up to join classics such as Emma. account is described on p11. them. Don’t miss out, it’s the easiest time iCaprio’s co-star Kate Winslett in the blockbuster to join up and great fun seeing all the • Accessing your e-mail account: Titanic was born and raised in Reading. Her family You can access your University e-mail different clubs and societies. D still lives here. account from the Reading Live web page: https://live.auth.reading.ac.uk/ One of the stars of the hit movie Fire safety is taken very seriously in hall and Titanic was born in Reading the safety talks and test are compulsory 6 7 Across Down 1 2 International 3. A group of students that share 1. Activities outside of studying. 3 4 a common interest. 2. A title awarded to an academic with puzzle 5 5. An assessment to test a candidate’s a PhD by a University. knowledge. 3. A lesson by the tutor with considerable Terms found at university 7. To achieve an undergraduate degree. student involvement. 6 7 8. This building houses Student Services. 4. Examination by interview. Usually 9. An abbreviation of the name of the main associated with postgraduate studies. 8 9 student organisation at the University. 6. The University of Reading’s 11. The place to go to borrow books and main campus. journals. 10. The term for new students at university. 10 11 12. The academic year is divided into these. 14. A lesson by the tutor with no or limited Summative 12 13. Copying a piece of work of another student participation. 19. Deadline without reference. 15. Assessment that does not count 18. Resit 16. The road on campus from where you towards your final grade. 17. 13 14 15 Chancellorsway can catch a bus into town. 16. Formative 15. Plagiarism 17. A second attempt at passing a course. 13. Lecture 14. Terms 16 18. Coursework must be handed in by this 12. Freshers 10. Library set time. 11. Whiteknights 6. RUSU 9. 19. Assessment where the marks contribute 17 Viva 4. Carrington 8. to your final grade. Seminar 3. Graduate 7. Professor 2. Examination 5. 18 Extracurricular 1. Society 3. Down: 19 Across: Solutions 8 9 Getting around Reading Reading has an extensive network of buses Easysaver 10 – £16 Cycling ‘To travel in Travel into London Travel into London linking the different areas. They are relatively This is a 10 trip smartcard that gives you At the University of Reading students are Reading I use Trains regularly go from Reading Railway London Underground (LU), or The Tube, inexpensive and a quick way of travelling. It 10 single journeys for better than the price encouraged to cycle. Whiteknights Campus a bicycle. It’s Station to London Paddington. If you are carries more than one billion passengers is therefore worth getting to know the bus of 9! Pay just £16 and you get a smartcard is ideal for cycling and cycling can save you quite easy and planning to spend a day in London you a year, as many as the entire National Rail routes that are of most use to you. The main with 10 single journeys pre-loaded onto time getting to and from lectures. There are convenient to go are probably going to use the London network. With around three and a half buses that service the University of Reading it. They are stored until you need them – bicycle racks at hall and on the main campus, to everywhere Underground. It is sensible to purchase million journeys made each day, on 11 lines are the 20, 20a and 21.