The following information is provided to help you to know what to expect if you have never visited the UK before and to give you the basic information you need to get by upon arrival and during your first few days in London. LSBM will be holding a day of Orientation at the Campus for all new students prior to the start of each term. It is important that you attend and obtain further information on all aspects of life in London, have a tour of the facilities, meet faculty and administrative staff, and receive details of your class timetable. We look forward to seeing you there.

Most students will arrive in the UK via one of London's airports. When you arrive at passport/ immigration control please ensure that you have to hand your passport with your entry clearance stamp (if applicable), your proof of enrolment letter from LSBM and copies of any other documentation you were required to produce when seeking pre-entry clearance. Also, please ensure that you have LSBM contact details to hand should the immigration officer wish to verify your enrolment.

From Heathrow Airport to LSBM:
Heathrow Express: This is a mainline train that arrives at London Paddington Station, from where you can get the Hammersmith & City or the Circle Line to Euston Square, a few minutes walk from LSBM.  The journey time on the Heathrow Express is approximately 15 minutes and trains leave every 15 minutes. An alternative is to take the Piccadilly Line, which goes straight from Heathrow to Russell Square, a few minutes walk from our offices. The journey time is much longer (45 minutes to 1 hour), but if you have a lot of baggage you may prefer to get settled just once rather than change trains. LSBM is just 6-8 minutes walk from Euston Square tube station and only about 4 minutes walk from Russell Square tube station. Other train stations nearby are Euston mainline and tube, Kings Cross mainline and tube and Goodge Street tube (northern line).   Please note that there are two tube stations within a few minutes walk of each other with similar names: Euston Mainline station which also has a tube section on the Victoria and Northern line, and Euston Square which is a tube station only on the Circle, Hammersmith and City and Metropolitan lines. 

Alternatively, you can take a taxi direct from Paddington to Tavistock Place. There are two buses from Heathrow that come into Central London, the A1, which comes into Victoria Station and the A2, which comes into Euston Station (just a few minutes walk and much closer to LSBM than Victoria). A single journey on the Heathrow Express costs about ú 12.00, the Piccadilly Line ú 4.00 and the bus ú 6.00.

From Gatwick Airport to LSBM:
The Gatwick Express train takes about half an hour and again is a frequent service with trains leaving every 15 minutes. Its destination in London is Victoria Station. The Gatwick Express costs about ú 13.00 for a single journey. From Victoria you can take the tube on the Victoria Line through to Euston tube station and then you are just a few minutes walk away.
Alternatively, you could get the Thameslink Rail train, which will take you from Gatwick Airport to King's Cross Thameslink, and from there you can walk through the tunnel system to Kings Cross tube, then go one stop on the Piccadilly line to Russell Square.

From Stansted Airport to LSBM:
Take the Stansted Express train, which takes about 40 minutes and leaves every 20 minutes. This comes into London Liverpool Street. From here a tube train on the Circle or Metropolitan line can be taken to King's Cross, then change onto the Piccadilly Line to go one stop to Russell Square. The fare for the Stanstead Express is about ú13.00 for a single journey.

You can take a black cab or a private mini-cab from any of the London airports but be prepared to pay about ú 30.00 from Heathrow Airport, and about ú 50.00 from Gatwick or Stanstead. Alternatively, we can provide details of a taxi company operating from the major airports and advise of the set fare charged. Please contact us if you would like more details on this service.

Should you require any further details, please log on to  www.journeyplanner.com  to check on other routes.

If you have not already made an application through your local British Consulate, High Commission or Embassy for your student visa, please do so as soon as possible. Students who are citizens of countries outside of the European Union should all contact their local British Consulate/ High Commission to find out if they need pre-entry clearance for entry to the UK and what the procedure is. You may be required to have medical examination, prior to your departure, regarding which the British Consulate/ High Commission will guide you. Your visa application should take a minimum of 10 working days to process. Please see the enclosed sheet giving general guidance to student visa applicants.
When you arrive at UK Immigration you will have your passport stamped to specify the length of time you have been given leave to remain in the UK. This can vary and may not cover the whole period you intend to be in the UK to study. You are likely therefore to have to extend your leave to stay in the UK at some point during your studies. If this is the case, our admissions department will be happy to give you advice on this upon arrival, including the address of the Home Office department to which you will have to apply when your visa is due to expire. Some students may be required to register with the police within seven days of their arrival in the UK. If required, this will be stamped into your passport at the airport so please check the stamps carefully. There is a specific police office (Overseas Visitors Records Office) that you must register with. The address and directions will be included in your orientation pact upon arrival at LSBM.

Using transport while staying in London

London Underground (The Tube):
The London Underground system, known as the Tube, provides an excellent way of getting around London. There are a number of different lines serving various parts of London and the tube map is clear and easy to understand. You can view a map of the London Underground as a "hot-link" from the LSBM map on the "Contacts" page of this web site.You could also download it from www.thetube.com included in the "Links" page of this web site.. Tube and Bus maps are available at all underground Stations. You can also pick up details of London Transport's student discount scheme.

The nearest underground station to the LSBM campus is Caledonian Road, on the Piccadilly Line. The station is two minutes walk from our building.

Buses:
Buses can be slower than underground trains, particularly during rush hour but if you do have time they are a great way of getting to see London. As well as buses running during rush hour and throughout the day there are a number of night buses, which run when the underground trains have stopped for the night. Upon arrival you may wish to take advantage of London Transport's Official Guided Tour of London, which leaves from several locations around London.

Taxis:
The black cabs that you will see everywhere when you arrive are the best form of taxi transportation to take if you don't mind paying more than you would for public transport. The police license these and the fares are regulated. These cabs are usually flagged down on the street and can also be found in taxi ranks outside airports, major mainline stations and large hotels. There is also a black cab service that can be booked in advance but in most cases it is quicker to find one in the street. You can also use other private taxis known as 'mini-cabs' but these are not regulated in the same way and it is important to use a reputable company. These are booked in advance by telephone.

Intercity Trains:
If you are intending to explore other parts of the UK during your stay you may wish to travel by mainline intercity train. The main London stations are Euston, King's Cross St. Pancras, Liverpool Street, Paddington, Victoria and Waterloo. Depending on where you are travelling to you are likely to use one of these stations if you are going on a journey outside of London and the counties immediately surrounding it. Note that Waterloo Station also serves as London's Eurostar terminal from where you can catch trains direct to Paris.

The cost of living in London is generally considered to be relatively high in comparison to many other world capitals. However, there is a vast range of prices in most areas and it is possible to live centrally and be able to live well without problems as long as some sensible management of money is employed.

Accommodation:
Your accommodation represents the single largest element of your student budget. It also is the largest variable. There is a large range of prices of accommodation in London dependent upon a number of factors of which probably the most relevant is location. Prices tend to be high throughout central London but low cost student accommodation is available through specialised agencies (as used by LSBM) or in student hostels. Prices average from ú 100.00 - ú 150 per week for a shared room and may include some meals (usually at hostels only). Students wishing to have more private accommodation in their own apartment must be prepared to pay upwards of ú 200 per week in most central locations. In addition students are usually required to pay a month's rent in advance and a month's rent as security deposit. To explore some of the options available visit the "Links" section of this website where have provided several hot-links to websites of housing agencies in London.

Eating:
Again, a huge range of prices is seen in London as far as eating out is concerned. However, there are many different types of eating establishments, catering to diverse tastes with cuisines from all over the world. If students are prepared to look around they will be able to eat very well in London for a reasonable price. To give some ideas of average prices: full cooked breakfast in a cafT - ú 4.00, take-away sandwich bars and small cafTs at around ú 1.50 but can be considerably more expensive in some of the newer chain coffee bars. More information and guidelines on reasonable eating and drinking establishments in London is available under the relevant section.

Buying food in supermarkets can be a much cheaper way of eating and these days there are many items sold which are ready to eat or easy to heat in a microwave cooker, usually available at student hostels. If students plan to buy and prepare their own food for most of their meals and just have take-away light meals for lunch they should budget on at least ú 50.00 per week.

Travel:
If students are living in centrally located accommodation they will be able to benefit from a central zone travel card that can be purchased weekly or monthly and allows them unlimited tube and bus travel within the specified area. A weekly ticket currently costs ú 25.00 and a monthly ticket ú 90. If students wish to take advantage of their time in the UK and explore further afield, there are a number of discounts available on national rail travel, particularly if tickets are booked 14 days in advance. There are also a number of low-cost airlines with destinations all over Europe, which makes weekend breaks in Europe an affordable option with prices frequently under ú 100.00 and as little as ú 50.00 return. Eurostar also operates a train service direct to Paris from Waterloo station for a similar price. To explore some of the options available visit the "Links" section of this website where have provided several hot-links to websites of travel agencies in London.


Books and Stationery:
Specialised business topic text books can be expensive but are not as costly as books required for some science, law and medical subjects. On average a textbook recommended for a bachelor or master degree level class would be around ú 20.00 - ú 30.00. Certain books will be recommended and extremely useful to have on hand throughout a course but much of the required reading material can be accessed through libraries and on the internet.

Other costs to take into account:
Staying in contact - students may wish to purchase mobile telephones. The actual telephone itself represents the largest portion of the cost but phones from many other countries may be converted to UK phones by simply signing up for a UK account and replacing the SIM card.

Internet Access:
This is provided at LSBM but if you wish to use internet cafes at other times you will be charged at a rate per hour, which varies but there are a number of different organisations so it is best to shop around.

Clothing:
The best advice you can be given on practical and suitable clothing for the various seasons in London is to have a variety of items that can be adapted and added to as necessary to cope with the variability of the British weather. For the winter you should certainly have some jumpers and a warm coat or jacket. Students are advised to keep some money aside in case it is necessary during their stay to buy additional clothing. Central London boasts a huge number of individual clothing shops and branches of world-wide chains. Correspondingly there is a range or prices. If you can, keep aside ú 100.00 per term in case of the need for emergency purchases. Students who like to shop for clothes should obviously be prepared to spend more but this is a matter of personal choice rather than a necessity.

Bank Accounts:
If you are planning to be in the UK for at least six months you can apply to open a student bank account at any of the main high street banks. Student accounts usually allow access to your money via a cashpoint card for use at automatic cash dispensers which doubles up as a debit card (that is, when you use it the money is debited direct from your account) for general use in shops etc. There are usually restrictions on cheque book facilities on student accounts but policies can vary between banks so it is worth getting information from more than one before opening an account. The banking hours are usually 09:30 to 16:30 from Monday to Friday. Please ask Admissions or Student services for advice on bank accounts s you will need documentation from LSBM proving that you are a student in order to open an account.

Exchanging Currency:
You can change currency to sterling and vice versa at all main banks and Bureaux de Change. Bureaux can be found all over central London, in travel agencies, post offices, American Express, Thomas Cook, Lunn Poly offices and some shops. Once you open your bank account your money transactions will be simplified but when you first arrive it is best to bring some pound sterling traveller's cheques that you can change as needed. You may be charged around 1% commission on these transactions.

Money Transfers:
If you need to have money transferred to you from home in a hurry this can be done through Western Union. There are branches throughout central London, usually located in shops and you can find your nearest branch by calling 0800 833 833.

All students are recommended to have health insurance, valid in the UK, in place before arriving. This should cover emergency repatriation if required. Apart from paying for you to get home in a medical emergency your private insurance should allow you a choice of private hospitals (non-NHS or a private wing of an NHS hospital) in the case of non-urgent medical treatment, or recovery after emergency treatment necessitating a hospital stay. Depending on the circumstances you should also be able to get reimbursement if a private doctor or specialist for a specific condition treats you. A list of private practitioners is available from Admissions or Student Services and will be included in your information pack upon arrival. However, students who are full time and staying for at least six months can register with a local National Health Service doctor or health centre. You can find your nearest centre by calling 020 7725 3333. Admissions and Student Services can provide more information on this and on your nearest hospital. Emergency treatment is also available at the Accident and Emergency (A&E) unit of all major hospitals.
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