| Arrival in the UK |
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| 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. |
| Getting to Central London upon arrival in the UK |
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From Heathrow Airport to LSBM: |
| Immigration Controls |
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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. |
| Transport and Travel |
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Using transport while staying in London |
| Guidelines for Students on the Cost of Living in London |
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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. |
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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 £ 25.00 and a monthly ticket £ 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 £ 100.00 and as little as £ 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 £ 20.00 - £ 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. |
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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 £ 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. |
| Money and Banking |
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Bank Accounts: |
| Health Services |
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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. (Return to Top) |