Frequently Asked Questions
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Any questions before you embark on your exciting study abroad experience? We have tried to answer as many of your Frequently Asked Questions as possible. Please follow the links below and let us know if you have any outstanding queries! |
- Do I need a visa?
- How much are living costs?
- How should I carry money?
- Can I open a bank account?
- Is London safe?
- Do I need insurance?
- Do I need to pay for medical care?
- If I get sick, who can I talk to for advice and where can I buy medicine?
- What is public transport like in London?
- How do I get a student travel card (Oyster)?
- What should I do about a mobile phone?
- Will electrical items from home work in the UK? Do I need a converter?
- What is the weather like, what clothes should I bring?
- Should I bring my own bedding and towels to the UK?
- Can I get help finding a job in London, volunteering opportunities or general careers advice?
- When will I get my course choices confirmed/get my timetable?
- Will I need to buy lots of books?
- What free stuff can I do in London?
- How can I get discounts?
- How do I get a council tax exemption certificate?
- If I leave the UK to travel, what paperwork do I need to return?
- What are the links to all the important University webtools, student services etc?
- I have lost my student ID card – what now?
- Where do I hand in my papers to be marked?
- Can I come into the office to ask a question?
- When will I get my results/transcripts? Can I get extra copies?
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1. Do I need a visa?
Students who intend to stay longer than 6 months and those who are coming for less than 6 months but intend to work, volunteer or intern while studying are required to obtain a student visa before travelling to the UK. Read our Predeparture section for more information.
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2. How much are living costs?
Average weekly expenses excepting accommodation:
- Food £40-£80. You can eat very cheaply but the more you eat out, the more you’ll spend!
- Travel (bus or tube pass) £8-£20
- Personal (telephone, sport, entertainment, laundry) £75-£100. Again, it depends on you, if you’re going to gigs and football matches all the time, you’ll probably spend more!
Students say that they spend around £3,500-£4,500 pounds (including accommodation) in a semester, but it varies a lot from person to person. London can be really cheap! There is a lot to see and do that’s absolutely free, check out Timeout/London and VisitLondon for ideas. The costs start adding up when you want to travel a lot in Europe or go to lots of special events – the opportunities for fun are endless so it’s really up to you to work out your budget in advance and stick to it!
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3. How should I carry money?
We don’t recommend travelling with a lot of cash. There are lots of ATM machines that usually accept overseas credit and debit cards, check with your bank that your card will work overseas and be aware that you may be charged for using your card abroad. You will need to know your pin number. We recommend having one card for everyday use and one for emergencies. Traveller’s cheques are also a good back up strategy and can be exchanged at banks, post offices and Bureaux de change. See Predeparture - Money for more info.
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4. Can I open a bank account?
It is quite difficult for students staying less than 6 months to open a UK bank account so we wouldn’t recommend this for anyone except full year students. See the British Banking Association’s leaflet for more advice.
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5. Is London safe?
By international standards, Britain has low rates of street crime and violence but in any big city, it’s worth taking a few simple safety precautions:
- Plan your journey in advance when using public transport, particularly night buses. TFL travel tools are very useful.
- If you are planning to stay out late, try to travel home with a friend. Keep a taxi number and your fare handy.
- Avoid walking alone at night and keep to well lit main roads.
- Only use black cabs or licensed mini cabs, be CABWISE
- Consider how much alcohol you have had – it can affect your judgement of people and situations and change your perspective.
- Don’t accept drinks from strangers or leave your drink unattended.
- Keep your personal belongings close to you and keep expensive items out of sight, particularly in bars and restaurants. Try not to carry too many valuables.
- Do not walk about displaying your mobile phone, it is easy to grab.
- Look out for your friends. Make sure you know where they are and keep in touch to make sure everyone gets home safely.
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6. Do I need insurance?
We strongly recommend that all students take out both medical (see below) and personal belongings insurance for the length of the study abroad period. This will protect you, should your luggage go missing, your laptop be lost or your wallet get stolen. Make sure you keep the documents safe and know how to claim.
Keep traveller’s cheque receipts separate from the actual cheques and make a photocopy of your passport and any other important documents. It is not necessary to carry your passport with you at all times, only when travelling outside the UK. If you do lose it, it’s easier to get a replacement if you have a copy.
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7. Do I need to pay for medical care?
Medical services are widely available but free healthcare under the NHS is only available for residents and certain EU nationals. Short term visitors (under 6 months) will be charged for all but emergency treatment.
We strongly advise that you consult your medical insurance provider to see if your policy covers you overseas and if it covers emergency expenses such as evacuation/repatriation. If you do not already have overseas medical insurance coverage, you should purchase this for your period of study in the UK.
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8. If I get sick, who can I talk to for advice and where can I buy medicine?
First point of contact is NHS direct. Tel: 0845 4647, www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk. See Predeparture - Health for more information.
The biggest pharmacy chain is Boots, which has branches all over London. There are also numerous smaller pharmacies and you can buy basic medication like painkillers in most supermarkets.
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9. What is public transport like in London?
There is an extensive network of underground and overground trains and buses in London. These are all maintained and run by Transport for London and are safe and convenient. We recommend all students to get an Oyster card, which makes getting around town really quite cheap. See Predeparture - Transport for London for more info.
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10. How do I get a student travel card (Oyster)?
You can apply to TFL online for a student Oyster card once you’re fully enrolled as a student of London Metropolitan University. You’ll enrol during orientation week so you can’t apply for your Student Oyster before you get to London. As it will take a few days after applying to receive the card, we recommend that you get a standard adult oyster card as soon as you arrive in London as you’ll start saving money straight away. Either use pay-as-you-go oyster, or buy a 7-day travelcard.
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11. What should I do about a mobile phone?
You may be able to use your own mobile phone if it has ‘roaming’ enabled, check with your provider. However, this is expensive. We recommend getting a UK mobile, you can get a pay-as-you-go phone and sim card for around £15-20. There are many network providers with high street shops or visit The Carphone Warehouse, also on the high street, which carries all networks and brands.
We also recommend that you use Skype to keep in touch with home. It’s cheap and it’s easy!
Alternatively, get an international calling card from a newsagent for cheap call rates. Outward international dialling codes from the UK can be found here: http://www.thephonebook.bt.com/publisha.content/en/search/international/index.publisha
E.g. to dial the USA from the UK dial 00 1, to call the UK from the USA dial 011 44
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12. Will electrical items from home work in the UK? Do I need a converter?
The voltage used in Britain is 240 Volts AC at 50HZ. Most power sockets are designed for standard 3-pin square plugs. Electrical appliances in Britain generally use the British standard plug with 3 square pins.
To use an appliance from home you will need at least one of the following:
- Plug socket adaptor
- Stepdown transformer/ voltage converter
Plug socket adaptors and power transformers are widely available, you can buy them at most airports, electrical shops and hardware stores, as well as online. Maplin is particularly good for cables etc.
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13. What is the weather like? What clothes should I bring?
Britain has a temperate climate and London is one of the mildest areas in the UK. However, the weather can be unpredictable; Londoners get used to carrying sunglasses and an umbrella to be prepared for anything! Our top tip? Layers! You will need a warm waterproof coat but expect to be in a t-shirt when you get onto the tube or into a sunny park.
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14. Should I bring my own bedding, towels, hairdryers etc to the UK?
Of course it’s up to you but it’s simple and cheap to buy these things here, so we normally recommend that you save yourself the trouble of carrying them over. Usually the simplest place to buy these things is from one of the big chain stores.
The main supermarkets, which not only sell food etc but often cheap bedding and towels and sometimes electricals too, are Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons and Waitrose.
Bedding, towels and electricals can also be bought from supermarkets or clothes/home stores ranging from department stores like John Lewis or Debenhams, to cheap shops like Primark and Argos.
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15. Can I get help finding a job in London, volunteering opportunities or general careers advice?
Yes, the Career Development and Employment Service is part of Student Services, located on the first floor of the Tower Building. They can help with everything from finding a part-time job or volunteering opportunity, to brushing up your CV and planning what to do after you graduate.
Don’t forget that if you intend to work or volunteer or intern during your study period, you MUST get a PBS Adult Student Visa before entering the UK.
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16. When will I get my course choices confirmed/get my timetable?
Your courses will be confirmed and your timetable provided during orientation week. Up to this point we will regularly check module registrations submitted to us and contact you if there are any problems. If we do not contact you, then we are registering you for your first choice modules.
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17. Will I need to buy lots of books?
Reading lists for each module can be seen in the module description in the module catalogue. However, we don't recommend buying any books in advance as most set texts will be held in one of our libraries for your use. You may have to buy a few important textbooks but, in general, students do not spend much money on books.
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18. What free stuff can I do in London?
Many London museums and art galleries are free, some special exhibitions will be
ticketed but students usually qualify for reduced entry. Here are some of the larger, better known institutions:
National Gallery - http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/
Tate Britain - http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/
Tate Modern - http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/
Science Museum - http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/
British Museum - http://www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk/
Natural History Museum - http://www.nhm.ac.uk/
Victoria and Albert Museum - http://www.vam.ac.uk/
You can also explore places like the Southbank http://www.southbanklondon.com/, all the famous markets and so many other things, it’s impossible to list them all, although some have tried: http://www.timeout.com/london/features/2892/FreethingstodoinLondon.html
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19. How can I get discounts?
An international student identity card (ISIC) will provide you with discounts at several
sites and attractions in both London and the rest of Europe. They can be purchased from local travel agents, for example STA Travel: http://www.statravel.co.uk/
You could also get a NUS extra card which is the most widely recognised proof of student status in the UK. Apply via the Student Development and Activities Service. These fabulous people also organise free trips in and around London each semester under the ‘Give it a Go’ scheme. They also help organise the Choir and Orchestra.
For cheaper theatre tickets, you can arrive an hour before the performance with your ISIC/NUS card and queue for available seats at discount prices or select the student option when booking online. Also try the half price booth in Leicester Square (cash only).
Student ID cards will ensure a discount at most mainstream cinemas but it’s also worth seeking out some smaller venues.
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20. How do I get a council tax exemption certificate?
You can get council tax exemption certificates from your Undergraduate Office.
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21. If I leave the UK to travel, what paperwork do I need to return?
You will not usually be required to show any documents on re-entry to the UK if you meet all 3 of these requirements:
- The last time you were given permission to stay in the UK it was for more than 6 months
- You will re-enter the UK before your UK visa runs out
- Your circumstances have not changed since you got your visa.
However, it is advisable to carry in your hand luggage:
- An enrolment letter showing duration of your course (request from your Registry), proof of fees paid and UK address
- Proof you have enough money to support yourself (your bank statements/letter from your sponsor)
If you were given permission to enter/remain in the UK for 6 months or less you need to carry a recent proof of enrolment letter which confirms that you still have the remaining duration of your course to complete in the UK.
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22. What are the links to all the important University webtools, student services etc?
Go to Metranet (https://intranet.londonmet.ac.uk/ ), the quicklinks section and the students section will have everything you need, including Webmail, Evision, Examtrack, Student Services.....
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23. I have lost my student ID card – what now?
New student ID cards cost £12. You must go to the cashiers’ office in the Tower building, pay £12 and get a receipt. Then take this receipt to your Undergraduate/Postgraduate Office and they will be able to print a new card immediately.
If your ID card and/or travel card has been stolen, you should report this to the police. You can do this online: https://online.met.police.uk/
Once you have your crime reference number, you need to contact Transport for London (TFL) and the your UG/PG Office. Stolen ID cards are replaced free of charge.
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24. Where do I hand in my papers to be marked?
Unless otherwise indicated, you should hand in coursework to an Undergraduate
Office (UG students) or Postgraduate Office (PG students). Please see the submission of assignments handout for more detailed information, and also read the information online about Coursework and Exams. Papers that are handed in late will be marked down.
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25. Can I come into the office to ask a question?
Yes, we’re here to help. Office hours are 10-12 and 2-4 for drop in. If you can’t make it during these hours, please email us or phone us for an appointment.
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26. When will I get my results/transcripts? Can I get extra copies?
We send these out once grades are released by the University. This happens in March, July and September (reassessments). We will send them to your school/group you applied through or directly to you, if you applied independently. We supply a copy for you and one for your school. If you require any further copies, they must be requested and paid for. See Returning home for more information.
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