RHUL Prearrival Dec2017.Pdf

Dear student,

Welcome to the International Study Centre (ISC) at Royal Holloway. We are delighted that you have chosen to study with us and look forward to welcoming you onto the International Foundation Year (IFY).

To enable production of your college card in advance of your arrival please send a photo to the [email protected] as soon as possible. Please use these guidelines to ensure your photo is acceptable: https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/enrolment/documents/pdf/photoselectionguide.pdf

Arrival You should arrive at RHISC by Thursday 4th January, 2018. You will receive information about your accommodation separately.

Induction Week Please find a campus map here: https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/cps/documents/pdf/campusplan.pdf Wetton’s Terrace is building no 62 on the map. All students should arrive at the International Study Centre (ISC) at 10.00am on Thursday 4th January, 2018. It is important that you attend all sessions as these are designed to prepare you for your studies during the first term.

Please ensure you come to the ISC at Wetton’s Terrace for all enquiries and do not go to RH Student Services on the campus.

Costs/What you need to bring There is a fixed cost of £350 for your books and materials for all courses for the whole year. This will be added to your booking and you must confirm that you accept the charge during the induction process. It is a requirement of the programme that all students purchase the essential texts for their chosen courses.

You will need to bring enough funds for the first week as follows:  £34.00 for police registration  In the region of £200 for food, entertainment and general living costs until your bank account is opened.

You must also bring the following documents with you:  Passport and visa and 30 day vignette letter (BRP card if you have collected it)  4 x passport size photos  Original IELTS certificate.

For further general information please see the following useful links for our Facebook and Twitter pages as well as other useful information.  RHISC Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Royal-Holloway-University-of-London- International-Study-Centre/171557699578257  International Student Services - http://www.rhul.ac.uk/international/support/studentsupportservices/home.aspx

If you have any queries about the IFY course, studying at the RHISC or living in the UK prior to your arrival please feel free to contact Anne McNeil in the ISC office at [email protected].

We look forward to seeing you during Induction.

Kind regards,

Alexia Gonzalez Head of Centre

Thursday 4th January Time Event/Activity Location Notes

10:00 – 11:15 ISC Arrival Wetton’s Annex B Passport/Visa/Original IELTS Sign-in/ID check certificate Contact detail confirmation 30 day vignette Documentation completion BRP card

11:15 – 12:00 Welcome Talk Part 1 Wetton’s Annex B Alexia Gonzalez Welcome/Overview/Expectations Head of Centre Rules & Academic Regulations

12:00 – 13:30 English Placement Tests Wetton’s Annex B Magda Barrett Head of English

13:30 – 14:30 Lunch Campus All students

14:30 – 15:30 Royal Holloway International Wetton’s Annex B Denise Keable Student Orientation International Study Centre Deputy Head of Support and Advisory Services Sophie Stephens Student Engagement 15:30 – 17:00 Maths Diagnostic Test International Study Centre Syed Haider (Economics & Science students Head of Academic Subjects only) Friday 5th January Time Event/Activity Location Notes

9:00 – 10:00 Academic Pathway Information Wetton’s Annex B Syed Haider Session & Electives Head of Academic Subjects and tutors

10:00 – 11:00 Welcome Talk Part 3 Wetton’s Annex B Alexia Gonzalez Alumni/Student Head of Centre Representation/Building Futures Anne McNeil Charity Administration Officer

11.00 – 12.00 Under 18 students only Wetton’s Annex B Sidonie Elliott Attendance & Guardians Welfare Officer

12:00 – 13:00 Lunch International Study Centre All students All staff

13:00 – 14:00 Welcome Talk Part 4 Wetton’s Annex B Alexia Gonzalez Health & Safety, Welfare, Sidonie Elliott Personal Tutorials Welfare Officer

14:00 – 14:30 Welcome Talk – Student’s Union Wetton’s Annex B Natalie Bates Academic Representation Coordinator 14:30 – 16:00 Books and timetables International Study Centre Passport/Visa return Registration By appointment only Please check reception door

Attendance and punctuality  Students are expected to attend all classes.  The only exceptions are where the Head of Centre has given permission, prior to the absence, or the student has phoned the Administrator on 01784 276687, between 9.00am - 9.30am of the day of the absence, with an accepted medical complaint. Students must visit the Health Centre if they are unwell enough to miss classes.  Any student missing a class and not following the above rule will receive an 'unauthorised' absence in the register. This will appear on the student's permanent record.  Any student missing classes, and not following the above rule, will have an appointment with the welfare officer.  If attendance issues continue, a student will be referred to the Head of Centre and will receive a first formal warning, which is kept on their record. Parents, sponsors and/or agents will be informed at this stage.  If significant improvement is not made, in line with the first formal warning, a second and 'final' warning will be issued. This may lead to a student's registration being terminated by the Centre.  Any student, whose attendance falls below the 80% requirement of their visa, may be reported to the UKVI, in line with requirements for CAS Issuing. This may involve the student failing to have their visa renewed.  Poor attendance is likely to influence decisions made by the University as to which students will be accepted onto the undergraduate course.

Homework  Students will be set, and are required to complete, at least one piece of homework each week.

Class room behaviour and etiquette as outlined in the Student Handbook  Students are required to follow the rules set by each tutor.  Failure to follow these rules will result in an appointment with the Head of Centre.  Students are expected to respect the tutor by not talking to others during the tutorial period other than as part of group work or tutorial discussions.  Students are not allowed to use mobile phones during lessons.  Students are not allowed to eat food in the classrooms.  Students may drink water in class, but no other types of drink.

I confirm that I have read and understood the above rules and procedures of the Centre and I agree to follow these rules during my period of study at the ISC.

Signed: ______

Date: ______

Some tips for new students

Don’t Panic You will probably spend the next 4 years at university so you do not need to decide / sort / experience everything in the first week.

Talk to those around you It may look as if everyone else has made lots of friends and are enjoying themselves, this is not the case. Try talking to students living near you or in your department.

Routine helps At school much of your work was timetabled, whereas at university you will need to allocate your time to self-directed learning, it will help if you plan your study time.

Keep a balance This may be the first time you have had to look after yourself, as well as making time for fun and socialising make sure you rest, exercise and eat healthily.

You may feel homesick Many students will experience homesickness during the transition from home to university, even those who really looked forward to it and had previously felt confident. For most it is an uncomfortable phase but if you are very distressed talk to a Student Counsellor.

Take the help that is available As well as Student Counsellors who you can talk to about any concerns in a confidential, friendly setting; the college provides a range of support on issues of health, finance, and educational support. Check the Support and Advisory Services website www.rhul.ac.uk/for-students/student-support/

Sooner rather than later Most students try to manage by themselves and only seek help when they have got into a muddle. No matter how small you think your difficulty is it is better to seek help early.

Attendance at Student induction will support you in ALL of these matters.

Local Guide / Useful Information

Egham Egham is a small town in Surrey with a population of Restaurants: 5,724. It is conveniently located a 20 minute walk http://www.egham.org.uk/locinfo/drinkandeat.html from Royal Holloway College. http://www.thefoodplace.co.uk/restaurants/uk/surrey/egham/ Shops: http://www.locallife.co.uk/egham/shopping.asp Nightlife: http://www.locallife.co.uk/egham/nights-out.asp Leisure Centre: http://www.eghamleisurecentre.co.uk/

Surrounding Towns Surrey The county of Surrey has a lot to offer. See the link http://www.visitsurrey.com/ for information on towns/villages, activities, things to do and places to go. Staines Restaurants: Staines is a medium-sized town about 3 miles from http://www.stainespeople.co.uk/restaurants?ito=GGen Royal Holloway (about 45 minute walk) and only one Elmsleigh Shopping Centre: stop on the train from Egham. The wide http://www.elmsleigh.co.uk/ pedestrianised High Street has most familiar retail Shops: names and smaller independent shops can be found http://www.locallife.co.uk/staines/shopping.asp in the surrounding streets. A market is held in the (Includes Waterstones, Marks & Spencer, Debenhams, JD pedestrianised High Street every Wednesday and Sports, Sony, Argos, PC World, Tesco, Waitrose, HMV). Saturday and is one of the largest and busiest street Nightlife: markets in Surrey. A medium-sized shopping centre http://www.localnightlife.net/localnightlife/towns/staines/ (Elmsleigh) is directly behind the High Street. The Leisure Centre: Two Rivers retail park includes a Vue cinema, gym http://www.everyoneactive.com/tabid/656/default.aspx and cafes. Thorpe Park Thorpe Park is a popular theme park located near http://www.thorpepark.com/ Staines.

My Induction Programme royalholloway.ac.uk/isc Royal Holloway International Study Centre Connect with us on social media Wetton’s Terrace, Egham facebook.com/RoyalHollowayISC Surrey, TW20 0EX youtube.com/user/RoyalHollowayISCUK Telephone number: +44 (0) 1753 276687 twitter.com/rhulisc Emergency telephone number: +44 (0) 7557 260679 #HiRHULISC 5 Windsor http://www.windsor.gov.uk/visitor-info Windsor is about 5.5 miles from Royal Holloway and on the train line from Staines. It is a historical town http://www.royal.gov.uk/theroyalresidences/windsorcastle/w on the River Thames and is a popular tourist indsorcastle.aspx destination. It is famous for Windsor Castle, one of http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/default.asp?action=article the Royal family’s office residences. It has a large &ID=34 pedestrian shopping area, a busy High Street and a historical shopping area, with a wide selection of gift Restaurants: shops around the castle. There are also the facilities http://www.royal-windsor.com/windsorrestaurants.htm usually found in larger towns: two railway stations, a Shops: theatre and several large hotels. http://www.thamesweb.co.uk/windsor/info/shopping.html Windsor Castle: Windsor Castle is one of the http://www.windsor.gov.uk/shopping/a-z/a largest and oldest inhabited castles in the world. A Nightlife: Royal home and fortress for over 900 years, the http://www.windsor.gov.uk/food-and-drink/nightlife Castle remains a working palace today and the http://www.royal-windsor.com/nightlife.htm Queen’s preferred residence. The magnificent State Theatre/cinema: Apartments include paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens, http://www.theatreroyalwindsor.co.uk/ Gainsborough and Van Dyck. Visitors can also see http://www.windsor.gov.uk/things-to-do/theatre-and-cinema Queen Mary's Doll's House and St George's Chapel, one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in England. The Castle is open to the public daily (except 25-26 December). March – October, 09:45- 17:15 (last admission 16:00) and November – February, 09:45-16:15 (last admission 15:00).

Boat trips: Regular return riverboat cruises operate daily from February to November from the Promenade, Barry Avenue. These include forty- minute and two-hour trips and provide unique views of the Castle. It is also possible to hire self-drive or rowing boats for 30 mins or 1 hour.

Royal Windsor Wheel: A recent addition to the town's tourist attractions, this large ferris wheel provides an overhead view of the surrounding area, including the castle. It is located in Alexandra Gardens near the River Thames. Bracknell Leisure Centre: Bracknell is a medium-sized new town located 10 http://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/leisure/leis-bracknell- miles from Royal Holloway. In addition to the sport-and-leisure-centre.htm shopping centre, it also has a large Leisure Centre Cinema: and a Cinema/Bowling complex. http://www.odeon.co.uk/fanatic/film_times/s2/ Bowling: http://www.hollywoodbowl.co.uk/Our- Centres/Bracknell.htm Shops: http://www.bracknell.com/shopping.php Woking Shops: Woking is a medium-sized new town located 10 miles http://www.visitsurrey.com/things-to-do/shopping/woking- from Royal Holloway. It has quite a large shopping town-centre-p487831 centre, a cinema and theatre. Theatre: http://www.theatresonline.com/theatres/woking- theatres/woking-theatres.html

My Induction Programme royalholloway.ac.uk/isc Royal Holloway International Study Centre Connect with us on social media Wetton’s Terrace, Egham facebook.com/RoyalHollowayISC Surrey, TW20 0EX youtube.com/user/RoyalHollowayISCUK Telephone number: +44 (0) 1753 276687 twitter.com/rhulisc Emergency telephone number: +44 (0) 7557 260679 #HiRHULISC 6 Virginia Water Lake / Savill Garden Virginia Water Lake (part of Windsor Great Park) is a http://www.theroyallandscape.co.uk/landscape/virginiawate large man-made lake and park about 2 miles from r/ Royal Holloway College. It is a very pleasant area to walk around, ride a bicycle or picnic. http://www.theroyallandscape.co.uk/landscape/savillgarden Savill Garden is connected to Virginia Water. The / Garden charges an entrance fee but there is a very pleasant cafe with an outside seating area and a gift shop in the Visitor’s Centre which can be visited free- of-charge. Runnymede Runnymede is a meadow alongside the River Thames. There is a recreation ground with a small http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-runnymede cafe and it is a popular picnic spot. The Magna Carta (the basis of British democracy) was signed by Kind John at Runnymede in 1215, and is commemorated by a memorial at the foot of Cooper's Hill (and by a sculpture in Church Road in the centre of Egham). Another memorial at the top of the hill nearby commemorates all Commonwealth air force personnel killed in World War II. This is freely open to the public year-round. It has excellent views towards London, Windsor and the Surrey Hills.

Travel RHUL College Bus The RHUL College bus runs between Egham train station and and the Campus. Local Public Transport http://www.rhul.ac.uk/forstudents/campuslife/collegebusser vice.aspx http://www.rhul.ac.uk/forstudents/Localsupport/bus_timetables.html http://www.conferences.rhul.ac.uk/delegation/publictranspo rt.html Trains Egham to London Waterloo (41 or 60 mins) and to Reading (46 mins) Egham http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/egh/details.html Staines to London Waterloo (35 mins), Windsor & Eton Riverside (17 mins) and to Reading (50 mins) Staines http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/stations/sns/details.html Coaches National Express coaches travel to most destinations in the UK and tend to be cheaper than trains. Telephone: 08717 818178 National Express http://www.nationalexpress.com/coach/ Local buses Bus number 441 – Heathrow Airport, Staines, Egham, Royal Holloway College, Englefield Green http://www.londonbusroutes.net/times/441.htm Bus number 71 – Heathrow Airport, Staines, Egham, Royal Holloway College, Englefield Green, Windsor http://www.londonbusroutes.net/times/071Heathrow.htm

Where to find ……

London London is easily accessible by train from Egham or Getting around: by coach from Staines. The train is more expensive http://www.tfl.gov.uk/gettingaround/1106.aspx but much quicker. If travelling by train, it is usually cheaper to buy a ticket that includes tube/bus travel. Tube map: The train from Egham arrives at London Waterloo. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloads/standard-tube- From here it is an easy walk to the South Bank and map.pdf over Hungerford Bridge to Embankment, Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square and nearby areas. On the Things to do/Attractions: Underground (known as the Tube) the Northern, http://www.visitlondon.com/ Bakerloo and Jubilee lines go through London http://www.ukguide.org/london/attract.html Waterloo. The coach arrives at London Victoria Coach Station. Markets: The main shopping areas are around Oxford Street. http://www.streetsensation.co.uk/markets.htm There are several famous markets including Camden http://londonmarkets.co.uk/ and Portobello Road. Leicester Square, Piccadilly and Covent Garden are all within a 10 minute walk of Shopping: each other. Here the main collection of cinemas, http://www.timeout.com/london/shopping/ theatres, restaurants, nightlife and China Town can http://www.visitlondon.com/attractions/shopping/top- be found. Covent Garden also has many shops as shopping-destinations well as the central market. There are numerous art galleries and museums Parks which have free entry, as well as other tourist http://www.timeout.com/london/aroundtown/features/8118/L attractions such as Changing of the Guard at ondon-s_major_parks.html Buckingham Palace.

Other UK Tourist Sites

My Induction Programme royalholloway.ac.uk/isc Royal Holloway International Study Centre Connect with us on social media Wetton’s Terrace, Egham facebook.com/RoyalHollowayISC Surrey, TW20 0EX youtube.com/user/RoyalHollowayISCUK Telephone number: +44 (0) 1753 276687 twitter.com/rhulisc Emergency telephone number: +44 (0) 7557 260679 #HiRHULISC 8 Oxford Oxford is home to one of Britain’s oldest and most famous universities where the colleges are famous for their wonderful architecture. Oxford has a busy pedestrianised town centre with numerous shops, cafes, restaurants and nightlife. It is also on the river where you can try the traditional art of punting. Oxford can be reached by frequent services either by train from London Paddington or on the National Express coach. http://www.visitoxfordandoxfordshire.com/ Brighton Located on the south coast Brighton is a university town with a large selection of shops, cafes, restaurants and nightlife. It also has a pier and large pebble beaches. The architecture gives Brighton its famous character and it is a very popular location for a weekend or day-trip. Trains to Brighton go from Clapham Junction and take 45 minutes (take train from Egham and change). http://www.visitbrighton.com/ Bath Bath is a historic Roman town in the South West of England a short drive off the M4/M5 motorways. It is famous for its architecture and the Roman Baths. It is also a busy university town with plenty of shops, cafes and entertainment. Trains from London Paddington take 90 minutes. http://visitbath.co.uk/ Stonehenge Stonehenge is perhaps the most famous prehistoric monument in the world. Located off the A344 Road, Amesbury, Wiltshire or by bus from Salisbury (the Stonehenge Tour Bus is the public bus departing from Salisbury rail and bus stations See www.thestonehengetour.info).

Useful Contacts

International Study Centre Department Phone No. Email/Website Contact/Company Name Administration Office 01784 276687 [email protected] Anne McNeil [email protected] Chris Watmore [email protected] Karin Shuttle [email protected] [email protected] Welfare Officer 01784 414984 [email protected] Sidonie Elliott

Head of Centre 01784 276688 [email protected] Alexia Gonzalez [email protected]

Head of English 01784 276692 [email protected] Magda Barrett [email protected] Head of Academic Subjects 01784 276692 [email protected] Syed Haider

Staff Room 01784 276693

Emergency number 07557 260679 Alexia Gonzalez

Royal Holloway Departments Department Phone No. Email/Website Contact/Company Name College Switchboard 01784 434455

IT Sevice Desk 01784 414321 [email protected]

Security 01784 443063 [email protected]

Health Centre (office hours) 01784 443131 [email protected] Dr Denny & Partners, Clarence Medical RHUL Health Care Emergency 01784 443131 Contact (out-of-hours queries 5.00 - 6.30pm) Student Housing Bureau 01784 443358 [email protected]

International Student 01784 443663 [email protected] Denise Keable Support Admissions Office 01784 443829 (IFP) or [email protected] 01784 443345 (Int Sts) Finance Office 01784 414428 [email protected] Sam Barr

Welfare Office 01784 443966 [email protected] Debra Atkin

Educational Support Office 01784 443966 educational- [email protected] Student Counselling 01784 443128 [email protected]

Student Union 01784 276700 [email protected] Katie Blow Representative / Vice- President (Education & Welfare)

Local Facilities

Department Phone No. Email/Website Contact/Company Name Health care (out-of-hours) 01753 865773 Need Surgery details (Dr Primary Care Trust Denny & Partners, Clarence Medical RHUL) NHS Direct 0845 46 47

Hospital - St Peter's, 01932 872 000 Chertsey 24 hr Accident & Emergency Taxi - Gemini 01784 471111

Taxi - Egham Cars 01784 471177 Egham Train Station http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/ stations/egh/details.html Surrey Police 0845 125 2222