INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SUPPORT WELCOME GUIDE - 2018-19 TOP TIPS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS - UWS

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INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SUPPORT WELCOME GUIDE - 2018-19 TOP TIPS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS - UWS
LANARKSHIRE

                         PAISLEY

                                    AYR

INTERNATIONAL
                             DUMFRIES

STUDENT SUPPORT
WELCOME GUIDE
2018-19                                                LONDON

TOP TIPS FOR
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS                           Version 05/18
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SUPPORT WELCOME GUIDE - 2018-19 TOP TIPS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS - UWS
The International Student Support Team is here to support you and
The International              ensure that you get the most out of your student experience. The team
Student Support                offer advice and guidance in a number of areas that may be relevant to
                               you during your studies, including:
Team welcomes                  •   Immigration matters, such as complying with Tier 4 visa conditions.

you to UWS!                    •   Visiting Europe for a holiday, attending conferences abroad,
                                   returning to your home country or visiting a British HOST family.
                               •   Working in the UK during and after your studies.
We wish you well with
                               •   Hints and tips on settling into life in the UK and meeting local
your studies and hope              people. Bringing dependants to the UK to live with you or inviting
that this guide provides           relatives to visit you during your studies.
you with some useful           •   Liaising with academic staff regarding your studies.
information for settling in.   •   Advising on ways of resolving financial issues.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SUPPORT WELCOME GUIDE - 2018-19 TOP TIPS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS - UWS
5 things to do
                                        differences between life in your
                                        home country and life here, you
                                        might start to feel more unsettled,
in your first                           especially if you are feeling
                                        homesick or missing familiar

week at UWS                             aspects of life back home.

                                        You can contact the Counselling
                                        Service or International Student
                                        Advisers if you would like to come
1) Start to adapt to                    and talk about anything that’s
life in the UK                          bothering you. You can access
                                        these services at the Hub/Student
You will hopefully find that your       Link on our Scottish campuses or
time studying and living in the         at London campus reception.
UK will be a rewarding experience
which you look back on with good        There may also be differences in
memories. It may take time to           the laws governing your home
settle in, especially if this is your   country compared to the laws
first visit to the UK, and you will     in the UK. See the government
probably experience some aspects        website www.gov.uk/browse/
of ‘culture shock’ – the impact of      justice for information on UK law.
moving from a familiar culture          See the Guide to Scots Law at
into an unfamiliar one. Culture         www.scotland.police.uk/assets/
shock can have a significant effect     pdf/keep_safe/scots-law-
on your emotions. Initially, you        english?view=Standard which
may feel excited and be keen to         provides guidance to people
learn about the University and          coming to live in Scotland.
about living in the UK. However,
as you become more aware of the
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SUPPORT WELCOME GUIDE - 2018-19 TOP TIPS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS - UWS
2) Collect your                       passport and both sides of your
                                      BRP card and keep them safe in
                                                                              bank accounts are easier to open
                                                                              than other types of account. If
Biometric Residence                   case either is lost or stolen and you   you change your address in the
                                      have to apply for replacements          UK you should inform your bank
Permit (BRP) and                      during your stay here.                  immediately. Many UK banks have
register with the                                                             mobile banking apps that can
                                      On arrival into the UK you may          help you keep track of your money.
Police (if applicable)                have been given a stamp in your
                                      passport requiring you to register
If you were granted a short stay      with the police. Collect your BRP       4) Register with a
permit to come to the UK, you         from the Post Office first and then     Doctor (GP)
will need to collect your BRP from    register with the police. It is a
a specified Post Office within        requirement to register with the        It is important that you register
10 days of arrival in the UK. For     police within 7 days of collecting      with a local doctor as soon as
further information see the UK        your BRP. For further information,      possible – don’t wait until you need
Council for International Student     see hub@uws.ac.uk.                      medical treatment. For further
Affairs (UKCISA) website: www.                                                information, see
ukcisa.org.uk/Information--Advice/
Visas-and-Immigration/Making-         3) Open a UK bank                       https://www.uws.ac.uk/
                                                                              international/living-in-the-uk/
a-Tier-4-General-application-in-      account                                 health-wellbeing/
UK#layer-3010.
                                      To open a bank account, you will
Take your letter confirming your      need your passport or identity
entry clearance with you when you     card and a ‘bank letter’ from UWS.
go to collect your BRP. Contact       If you are studying at a Scottish
an International Student Adviser      campus, you can request this
if you experience any issues with     letter through the Hub portal at
collecting it. It is useful to take   hub@uws.ac.uk. London campus
a photocopy of the personal           students should e-mail london@
information and visa pages in your    uws.ac.uk for this letter. Basic
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SUPPORT WELCOME GUIDE - 2018-19 TOP TIPS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS - UWS
5) Meet Local People                     when you are in a new country.
                                         The UK is famous for its strict
                                                                               For information on sexual health, see
                                                                               www.sexualhealthscotland.co.uk (for
                                         etiquette rules – see GB Mag’s        students in Scotland) or
The University Buddy Project gives
                                         article for etiquette tips:           https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/
new students the opportunity
                                         http://greatbritishmag.co.uk/         sexual-health/ (for students in
to get in touch with students
                                         lifestyle/british-etiquette-tips      England).
who have been studying at the
university for a year or two. It is
                                         Different people have different          See https://www.uws.ac.uk/
designed to help you settle into
                                         ideas & experiences of personal          international/living-in-the-
life at university better by having a
                                         relationships. Attitudes towards         uk/money-advice/ for advice
contact you can ask questions or
                                         relationships in the UK might be         and guidance to help you
get help finding your way around
                                         quite different to those in your         manage your money.
your campus or local area. To
                                         home country.
request a Student Buddy email:
buddies@uws.ac.uk or call 01698
894463.                                    Non-Eu students are required to register attendance with the Student
                                           Administration team 3 times each academic session for Home Office
If English is not your first language,     monitoring purposes. Information on where & when you need to
you’ll have a lot of fun learning          register will be sent to you by e-mail.
new words as you meet new
people. Another way of practising         Remember to access your UWS E-mail account!
your English is listening to
                                          UWS provides free e-mail accounts to all students and there are
‘Elementary Podcasts’. You can
                                          many computer labs where the internet can be accessed. You can
listen to them on a PC/laptop, or
                                          automatically forward e-mails from your student e-mail account to
download them to your phone:
                                          your personal e-mail account so that you only have to check one
http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.
                                          account. For information on how to do this, see www.uws.ac.uk/
org/en/elementary-podcasts.
                                          current-students/it-printing. Wireless network access is provided in
                                          various locations on campus. If you have problems logging on, contact
Knowing how to act appropriately
                                          the IT and Digital Services team on your campus or call 0141 848 3999.
in social situations can be difficult
                                          You can access the internet wherever you are by using a Wi-Fi finder app.
at the best of times, especially
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SUPPORT WELCOME GUIDE - 2018-19 TOP TIPS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS - UWS
5 things to do
                                      website www.sauws.org.uk for          supporting-your-health-wellbeing/
                                      further information. If you don’t     multifaith-chaplaincy/
                                      see anything you like, you can
in your first                         always set up your own society!       The following websites may also
                                                                            help you find a place of worship:

month at UWS                          3) Attend our ‘Taste                  Hinduism: https://en.wikipedia.
                                                                            org/wiki/List_of_Hindu_temples_
                                      of Scotland’ event                    in_the_United_Kingdom
                                                                            Islam: https://en.wikipedia.org/
1) Arrange a Host UK                  This event is your chance to meet
                                                                            wiki/List_of_mosques_in_the_
                                      the International Student Support
Visit                                 Team and to find out more about       United_Kingdom
HOST UK is a voluntary organisation   Scotland. You’ll get an e-mail with   Judaism: https://en.wikipedia.org/
which offers international students   further information on the event      wiki/List_of_synagogues_in_the_
the opportunity to visit a UK home    plus it will be advertised on UWS     United_Kingdom
for a day, weekend or for a few       social media.                         Sikhism: https://www.
days at Christmas. These visits are                                         worldgurudwaras.com/world-
very popular and provide a unique                                           gurudwaras/united-kingdom
experience of UK life as well as an   4) Find a place of
opportunity for cultural exchange
between the student and host.         worship
Visit www.hostuk.org for further      There are many churches in the
information.                          UK, representing the different
                                      branches of Christianity. For
                                      information on local churches or
2) Join a society or                  UWS student worship groups, see
team                                  the notice boards in the University
SAUWS (the Students’ Association      and Students’ Association, or
at UWS) runs a wide variety of        visit the University’s Multifaith
societies and sporting teams open     Chaplaincy webpage https://
to all students. Check the SAUWS      www.uws.ac.uk/current-students/
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SUPPORT WELCOME GUIDE - 2018-19 TOP TIPS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS - UWS
5) Find out about the                Council Tax is set by local
                                     authorities to pay for local services
different ways UWS                   they provide, such as schools,
                                     roads and refuse collection.
can support you                      You can apply for a council tax
If you have any problems during      exemption if you are a full-time
your stay here or are worried        student and you are living on your
about something, there are           own or with other students. See
many sources of help within          https://www.uws.ac.uk/
the University. The International    media/2147/how-to-apply-for-
Student Support team can help        council-tax-exemption.pdf
overseas students with general
welfare issues as well as visas,
immigration, work and financial
queries. Telephone appointments
can also be arranged easily.
Contact details for the team are
at the back of this guide. The
Counselling, Disability Support,
Funding and Advice and the
Multifaith Chaplaincy teams offer
support to all UWS students.
You can also speak to your
personal tutor, doctor (GP), staff
at the Students’ Association and
the wardens in the University
accommodation. There is a range
of self-help resources at
https://www.uws.ac.uk/current-
students/supporting-your-health-
wellbeing/counselling/
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SUPPORT WELCOME GUIDE - 2018-19 TOP TIPS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS - UWS
5 things to do
                                      campus, look out for the Discover       and-Arrival/Study-skills-for-success
                                      Scotland trips. More information        for study tips and information
                                      can be found at: https://www.uws.       on UK academic culture. If you
in your first                         ac.uk/international/living-in-the-uk/   need help with study methods,
                                                                              speak to your course supervisor

trimester at                          2) Enhance your                         or personal tutor in your School,
                                                                              or an International Student
                                      academic skills                         Adviser. Contact details for the
UWS                                   Get academic advice, guidance and
                                      resources from the UWS academic
                                                                              International Student Advisers are
                                                                              at the back of this guide.
                                      skills advisers. This support is
                                      designed to help enhance your           Read & Write Gold software is
1) Go on a ‘Day Trip’                 academic and practical skills for       available on all PCs on campus
                                                                              and can provide a valuable
with friends                          success at university and beyond.
                                                                              resource to boost your academic
Make the most of your time in the     See www.uws.ac.uk/current-
                                      students/developing-your-career for     skills and independent learning.
UK and get together with other
students to explore somewhere         further information.
                                                                              Flashcard apps are available for
new in the UK and learn about
                                      The teaching styles, ways of            mobiles and tablets. You can use
British culture.
                                      learning, assessment methods and        these apps to create exam revision
                                      expectations universities in the UK     flashcards to store keywords,
Most cities have a local tourist
                                      have of their students may be very      research, formulas, images and
information centre where you can
                                      different to what you are familiar      video wherever you are.
get ideas on where to visit or what
to do at the weekend and in the       with in your home country.
holidays. You can either go on an     Adapting to these new ways of
                                      doing things may require you to
                                                                              3) Make plans to
organised tour or arrange your
travel independently. See http://     approach your studies in a very         travel
www.tourist-information-uk.com/       different way. See the UKCISA           You have a great opportunity to
                                      webpage www.ukcisa.org.uk/              travel around the UK, Europe or
If you are studying on a Scottish     Information--Advice/Preparation-        beyond during official university
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SUPPORT WELCOME GUIDE - 2018-19 TOP TIPS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS - UWS
holiday periods. You must plan          saving and discount passes for       clear dashboard and intuitively-
travel around your course and           attractions and travel in Scotland   designed sections.
must not take time out of your          see http://scotlandwelcomesyou.
studies to travel for any reason. If    com/money-savers/.                   ‘GoinGlobal’ is a great resource for
you are a Tier 4 Visa holder, it is                                          students seeking job roles on an
important that you download our                                              international scale. The website
Travel Guide from                       4) Think about your                  offers free student webinars
www.uws.ac.uk/international/visas-      future career                        where you will learn how to access
immigration-atas/information-           For advice and support on career     and use the tools on the Going
for-current-students or from            planning, the graduate recruitment   Global platform. UWS students
our Moodle module before you            process, job searching (placement,   can register a personal account
make plans to travel. The guide         part time and graduate) and          with GoinGlobal at http://online.
has information on travelling in        volunteering, see the Careers and    goinglobal.com/default.aspx.
the UK and overseas, including          Skills Portal at https://www.uws.
information on travel insurance.        ac.uk/current-students/developing-
                                        your-career/ and sign in with your
                                                                             5) Look for
For information and ideas on what       banner ID and student password.      volunteering
to do and see in the UK, see the        The Careers and Skills portal
Visit Britain Tourist Information       consists of resources, employer      opportunities
website www.visitbritain.com/gb/        videos, interactive tests and        Volunteering is a great way to
en#lRE32TIdM56uHsGL.97.                 activities to help you prepare       gain valuable experience, meet
See http://www.                         for graduate employment and          new people and enhance your CV.
glasgowsleadingattractions.co.uk/       academic study. Academic study       Voluntary work can be recognised
for information on attractions close    resources include reading skills,    by UWS for your Higher Education
to our Scottish campuses as well        critical thinking, exams and         Achievement record. Register on
as information on tour operators        revision, giving presentations,      Self Service Banner for the UWS
that offer day trips and short breaks   referencing, avoiding plagiarism,    Voluntary Recognition Award at
to many popular destinations            and writing essays, reports          https://ssb.uws.ac.uk.
throughout Scotland. Search online      and dissertations. This site is      For further information,
for attractions in London. For money    engaging and easy to use, with a     e-mail recognition@uws.ac.uk.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SUPPORT WELCOME GUIDE - 2018-19 TOP TIPS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS - UWS
Ayr Campus                               throughout the UK.                    clothing, food and household
                                                                               items at reasonable prices. As well
                                         Glasgow city centre is 45 minutes     as the traditional market, there is
Catering
                                         from Ayr by train and is one of the   also a large ‘Car Boot Sale’ where
Catering services operate from the
                                         most vibrant and popular cities       second hand goods are sold. See
Atrium and the Student Union as
                                         in the UK. There is a lot to do and   http://www.ayr-racecourse.co.uk/
well as vending machines in the
                                         see – cultural events, museums,       conferences-events/the-sunday-
Atrium. For further information
                                         art galleries, parks, monuments,      market/ for more information.
including opening hours for the
                                         live music, cinema, theatre and
canteen facilities, see www.uws.
                                         a lively night life. See www.
ac.uk/current-students/campus-
                                         peoplemakeglasgow.com/ for
life/study-space-catering.
                                         information on attractions and
                                         events in Glasgow.
Entertainment
The ‘Odeon’ multi-screen cinema
                                         Shopping
is a short walk from the campus.
                                         Ayr town centre has a wide range
See the website www.odeon.co.uk
                                         of shops including specialist
for advance bookings and 24 hour
                                         independent stores and national
programme information.
                                         retailers. Ayr Central (www.
                                         ayrcentral.com/shopping) is a
The Gaiety Theatre is a multi-
                                         covered shopping area adjacent
purpose venue with a range of
                                         to the train station and the Kyle
performances including, plays,
                                         Shopping Centre (http://www.
live music and the traditional
                                         ayrshirescotland.com/shops/
pantomime at Christmas time.
                                         kylecentreayr.html) is in the town
The popular restaurant, Stage Door
                                         centre.
Cafe, is on site. Full information can
be found at www.ayrgaiety.co.uk
                                         Every Sunday a large well
Local newspapers will have details
                                         established market is held at Ayr
of local events and ‘The List’ www.
                                         Racecourse. Stall holders sell
list.co.uk has details of what’s on
Food Shopping                          Sport & Fitness
For general food shopping,             The Students’ Association runs
the nearest supermarkets are           a wide variety of sporting clubs
‘Morrisons’ adjacent to the train      open to all students. Check at the
station and ‘Tesco’ on Whitlets        Students’ Union or email sp@
Road. Budget supermarket ‘Lidl’,       sauws.org.uk for an up to date list
Aldi and the mainly frozen food        of teams and societies. There is
stores ‘Farmfoods’ and Iceland’ are    a fitness suite on Ayr Campus in
also close to the campus. The larger   room 2.090 just off the atrium.
supermarkets may offer a delivery      For further information including
service in your area – check online.   membership, charges and opening
                                       times see https://www.uws.ac.uk/
A ‘Farmers Market’ is held on          university-life/sports-social/. The
the first Saturday of each month       Citadel Leisure Centre on South
(except January) in the car park of    Harbour Street, KA7 1JB in the
the Kyle Centre shopping centre.       seafront area has a swimming pool,
Local farmers sell their produce       spa facilities and also offers a range
including a variety of good quality    of indoor sports. See www.south-
organic food. Expect to pay more       ayrshire.gov.uk/leisure/citadel-
for some items. See https://www.       leisure-centre for details. The HUB
whatsonayrshire.com/ for more          Ayr promotes active travel - see
information.                           www.activetravelhubayr.org/news
                                       for information.
Most supermarkets sell vegetarian
and vegan food. There are a
number of local butchers and
bakers selling fresh produce. Local
supermarkets and shops sell some
world food items. Search online for
details of specialist stores.
Dumfries Campus                         the centre of the High Street is an
                                        artist-led organisation which has
                                                                               Alternatively, travel into Glasgow
                                                                               city centre by train or bus.
                                        many connections with the local
Catering
                                        community and regularly hosts
There is a Costa Coffee outlet,
                                        cultural and artistic events.
a food court and a shop in the
Dumfries and Galloway College
                                        Glasgow city centre is 1 hour 40
Building with a further coffee
                                        minutes from Dumfries by train
bar located in the Rutherford
                                        and is one of the most vibrant and
McCowan Building. There are
                                        popular cities in the UK. There is a
vending machines throughout the
                                        lot to do and see – cultural events,
campus.
                                        museums, art galleries, parks,
                                        monuments, live music, cinema,
Entertainment
                                        theatre and a lively night life. See
Dumfries has all of the facilities
                                        http://peoplemakeglasgow.com/
enjoyed by students in larger
                                        for information on attractions and
towns and cities but on a smaller
                                        events in Glasgow. ‘The List’ www.
scale. There is a variety of pubs and
                                        list.co.uk has details of what’s on
clubs – check with other students
                                        throughout the UK. Additionally,
which ones are popular. There is
                                        the city of Carlisle is only 40
an Odeon Cinema (see https://
                                        minutes by train from Dumfries.
www.odeon.co.uk/cinemas/
dumfries/85/) plus a cinema and
                                        Shopping
restaurant in the Robert Burns
                                        Dumfries has a range of
Centre – see www.rbcft.co.uk for
                                        shops on the High Street and
details. For more information visit
                                        in the Loreburne Shopping
https://www.visitscotland.com/
                                        Centre (DG1 2BD). See www.
destinations-maps/dumfries/
                                        loreburneshopping.co.uk. Carlisle
see-do/ and see local newspapers
                                        is a short train journey away
for details of local events. The
                                        and has a selection of stores.
Stove Network www.stove.org in
Food Shopping                          details of specialist stores.          is located in its temporary home of
For general food shopping, the         Sport & Fitness                        the Ice Bowl car park, King Street,
nearest supermarkets to the            The Dumfries and Galloway College      DG2 9AN. The Ice Bowl itself has
campus are ‘Morrisons’ and budget      building has sports facilities         facilities for ice-skating, curling and
supermarket ‘Lidl’. There are also     including games hall, gym and          ice hockey matches. There are also
2 ‘Tesco’ stores on the outskirts of   fitness studio which are free to       opportunities locally for mountain
Dumfries at the Cuckoo Bridge          university students and staff after    biking, running, walking and golf.
Retail Park, DG2 9BF (https://www.     an induction. Neuros Spa offers
nrr.co.uk/portfolio/properties/        discounts for students and includes
cuckoo-bridge-retail-park) and         a swimming pool - see www.
the Peel Centre in Lockerbie Road,     neuros.co.uk for further details. DG
DG1 3PF. Most supermarkets sell        One leisure complex (Loreburn
vegetarian and vegan food. There       Hall, Dumfries, DG1 2HT) has a
are a number of local butchers and     fitness suite, classes and games
bakers selling fresh produce. Local    hall. For further information see
supermarkets and shops sell some       www.dgone.co.uk. DG One at the
world food items. Search online for    Ice Bowl has a swimming pool and
Lanarkshire /                           List’ www.list.co.uk has details of
                                        what’s on at both of these venues
Hamilton Campuses                       as well as other venues throughout
                                        the UK. Local newspapers will
Catering                                also have details of local events.
The new Lanarkshire campus has          Hamilton Park Racecourse
numerous catering outlets as well       (Bothwell Road ML3 0DW) hosts
as vending machines available for       regular racing events throughout
drinks and snacks 24 hours a day, 7     the season and is good for a day
days a week.                            out. See www.hamiltonpark.
                                        co.uk for details. Strathclyde
Entertainment                           Country Park has a range of
Hamilton has all of the facilities      activities available including sailing,
enjoyed by students in larger           walking, cycling and running.
towns and cities but on a smaller       Located within Strathclyde Park
scale. There is a variety of pubs and   is M&D’s Theme Park with lots of
clubs – check with other students       rides and attractions. See www.
which ones are popular. The             scotlandsthemepark.com for
Students’ Association runs a wide       details. Glasgow city centre is
variety of events for all students on   20 minutes from Hamilton West
campus – see the website www.           by train and is one of the most
sauws.org.uk. The ‘Vue’ multi-          vibrant and popular cities in
screen cinema complex is located        the UK. There is a lot to do and
at the Palace Grounds area. See         see – cultural events, museums,
the website www.myvue.com               art galleries, parks, monuments,
for information. Hamilton Town          live music, cinema, theatre and
House Theatre (103 Cadzow Street        a lively night life. See http://
ML3 6HH) and Motherwell Concert         peoplemakeglasgow.com/ for
Hall and Theatre (Civic Centre ML1      information on attractions and
1AB) host a variety of events. ‘The     events in Glasgow.
Shopping                              Sport & Fitness
There are 4 main shopping             The Students’ Association runs
areas in Hamilton. The Regent         a wide variety of sporting clubs
Shopping Centre (ML3 7DZ) www.        open to all students. Check at the
theregentcentre.com has many          Students’ Union building or e-mail
high street chain stores and Quarry   sp@sauws.org.uk for an up to date
Street has independent shops.         list of teams and societies. The new
The town square shopping area         Lanarkshire campus has a fitness
and the Douglas Park Retail Park      studio. For further information
have many large stores as well as     see www.uws.ac.uk/university-life/
restaurants and leisure facilities.   sports-social. Hamilton Water
                                      Palace has a 25m swimming pool,
Food Shopping                         fitness studio and health suite. A
For general food shopping, the        variety of fitness classes are run
nearest supermarkets to the           at the centre which is across the
student residences on Hamilton        road from the campus. For further
campus are ‘Morrisons’ and            information, see
‘Sainsbury’s’ in the Douglas          www.slleisureandculture.co.uk/
Park Retail Park and ‘Asda’ in        info/161/hamilton_water_palace.
Palace Grounds Road. Large            There are outdoor 5-a-side football
supermarkets may offer a delivery     pitches at Hamilton Palace Sports
service in your area – check          Ground (Motehill ML3 6BY). For
online. Most supermarkets sell        information see
vegetarian and vegan food. There      www.southlanarkshire.gov.uk/SLLC/
are a number of local butchers and    info/38/outdoor_sport.
bakers selling fresh produce. Local
supermarkets and shops sell some
world food items. Search online for
details of specialist stores.
London Campus                         what is on.                             Street, Covent Garden, Harrods
                                                                              department store and Westfields
                                      The Artwork’s Elephant www.             shopping centre. For places to
Catering
                                      theartworks.london/elephant is          get student discounts, check out
The campus has the advantage
                                      a hub for food and drinks outlets,      www.studentbeans.com.
of being surrounded by lots of
                                      small business and studios.
places to eat including Lower
                                                                              Food Shopping
Marsh Market (one of London’s
                                      The London Palace Superbowl             The closest supermarkets to the
best-loved markets which is just
                                      www.palacesuperbowl.com/                campus are Co-op Food (136
15 minutes from campus). The
                                      london.php, the Imperial War            Southwark Bridge Road, SE1 0DG),
Mercato Metropoltano www.
                                      Museum www.iwm.org.uk and               Iceland (300/304 Elephant and
mercatometropolitano.co.uk is
                                      the Cinema museum www.                  Castle shopping centre), Morrison’s
2 minutes from the campus and
                                      cinemamuseum.org.uk are                 (264 Walworth Road, SE17 1JE),
has loads of food stalls, including
                                      popular local attractions.              Tesco Metro (326/328 Elephant
Italian, Thai and Greek!
                                                                              Castle shopping centre) and Tesco
                                      The Southbank Centre www.               Express (44-46 Borough Road).
There are many other places to
                                      southbankcentre.co.uk has lots of
eat near the campus, including
                                      information on exhibitions, festivals   Sport & Fitness
the Artworks www.theartworks.
                                      and what to do in the area.             Students on the London campus
london/elephant, Dragon Castle
                                                                              have access to London South
(Dim Sum), Mamuska (Polish deli),
                                      There are some great walks to be        bank University Academy of
Nandos (Portuguese chicken), Tia
                                      enjoyed close to the campus. Take       Sport. Memberships range from
Top Mein (Noodle bar).
                                      a walk along the River Thames and       £29 to £39, which cover a range
                                      see Big Ben, The London Eye and         of activities and facilities. Further
Entertainment
                                      St. Paul’s Cathedral.                   information can be found on the
The campus is located close to
                                                                              London South bank University
some fantastic attractions and
                                      Shopping                                website www.lsbu.ac.uk/
activities. Southwark Playhouse
                                      There are loads of fantastic            academy-of-sport.
Theatre is just a 3-minute walk
                                      places to go shopping in London
from the campus. Visit http://
                                      including Oxford Street, Carnaby
southwarkplayhouse.co.uk to see
‘The Gym’ www.thegymgroup.             as well as a swimming pool.         If you are a resident of Southwark,
com/exclusive-student-offer                                                you are entitled to use the swim
offers a student discount and is a     The Academy of Sport at London      and gym facilities free in six of the
10-minute walk from the campus         Southbank University www.lsbu.      borough’s leisure centres, operated
on Waterloo Rd, Baron’s Place, SE1     ac.uk/academy-of-sport is open to   by Everyone Active in partnership
8UX.                                   the public. For information, see    with Southwark Council. See
                                       their website.                      www.everyoneactive.com/
The Castle centre www.                                                     southwarkfreeswimandgym for
everyoneactive.com/centre/the-         Fit4less http://www.f4l.com/        information.
castle-centre is also a 10-minute      southwark is located close to the
walk from the campus at 2 Gabriel      campus at Moonraker Point, 1
Road, SE1 6FG. It has gym facilities   Pocock Street, London, SE1 0FN.
Paisley Campus                        screen cinemas at Braehead and
                                      Silverburn shopping centres.
                                                                            Shopping
                                                                            Paisley town centre has a range of
                                      Paisley Arts Centre in New Street,    shops. See www.paisleycentre.
Catering
                                      PA1 1EZ and Paisley Town Hall, in     co.uk and www.piazzapaisley.
There are a range of cafes on
                                      Abbey Close PA1 1JF host musical      co.uk for more details. A greater
campus offering a variety of hot
                                      and theatrical events. For tickets    selection of stores can be found
and cold food. The campus is only
                                      and information see                   nearby at Braehead Shopping
a 5 minute walk to the town centre
                                      https://boxoffice.renfrewshire.       Centre www.intu.co.uk/braehead
which also has a wide choice of
                                      gov.uk/PEO/default.asp. Local         and Silverburn Shopping Centre
cafes, restaurant and takeaways.
                                      newspapers will have details of       www.shopsilverburn.com. Buses
There are vending machines
                                      local events and ‘The List’ www.      run from Paisley to Braehead and
throughout the campus.
                                      list.co.uk has details of what’s on   Silverburn regularly throughout
                                      throughout the UK.                    the day. Alternatively, travel into
Entertainment
                                                                            Glasgow city centre by train or bus.
The Students’ Association runs
                                      Paisley also has a variety of pubs
a wide variety of events for all
                                      and clubs – check with other
students on campus – see the
                                      students which ones are popular.
website www.sauws.org.uk or
                                      Glasgow city centre is 10 minutes
visit the Student Union building on
                                      by train and is one of the most
Storie Street.
                                      vibrant and popular cities in
                                      the UK. There is a lot to do and
The ‘Showcase’ multi-screen
                                      see – cultural events, museums,
cinema complex is located at
                                      art galleries, parks, monuments,
Phoenix Retail Park, Linwood
                                      live music, cinema, theatre and
Road, Paisley. See the website
                                      a lively night life. See http://
www.showcasecinemas.co.uk
                                      peoplemakeglasgow.com/ for
for advance bookings and 24
                                      information on attractions and
hour programme information or
                                      events in Glasgow.
call 08712 201 000. Buses leave
from Paisley Cross for Linwood
Road. There are also multi-
Food Shopping                           Neilston Road. Most supermarkets      at Thornly Park offers facilities
The nearest supermarkets to             sell vegetarian and vegan food.       which include a gym, courts for
UWS student accommodation               The health food store ‘Holland and    basketball, netball, volleyball and
are ‘Morrisons’ at Anchor Mills         Barrett’ at Paisley Cross, PA1 2AS    badminton and table tennis,
or Falside Road, ‘Tesco’ at East        stocks a selection also.              martial arts clubs, five-a-side
Lane and ‘Asda’ at Pheonix Retail                                             football/hockey pitches and a
Park on Linwood Road. Budget            A ‘Farmers Market’ is held on the     tennis court. For information, see
supermarket ‘Aldi’ is also on           second and the last Saturday of       https://www.uws.ac.uk/university-
Neilston Road and on Ferguslie          each month in County Square           life/sports-social/.
Main Road. These supermarkets           (outside Gilmour Street Train
are located on bus routes with          Station). Local farmers sell their    The Lagoon Leisure Centre, 11
buses leaving from Paisley town         produce including a variety of        Christie Street, PA1 1NB has a
centre. Tesco and Asda may offer a      good quality organic food. Expect     swimming pool and a fitness suite.
delivery service to your area – check   to pay more for some items.           Various fitness classes are also held
online.                                                                       there. For further information see
                                        Local supermarkets and shops sell     https://www.renfrewshireleisure.
‘Marks and Spencers’ in the Paisley     some world food items. Search         com/lagoon-leisure-centre/.
Centre sells quality food but expect    online for details of specialist
to pay higher prices here.              stores.                               Pure Gym offer 24 hour gym
                                                                              access, over 50 fitness classes
There is a Food Hall in the Paisley     Sport & Fitness                       per week and no contract
Centre which has a variety of shops     The Students’ Association runs        membership. The gym is located a
which sell fresh food, including        a wide variety of sporting clubs      15 min walk from campus Renfrew
a butcher and a fishmonger. It          open to all students. Check at the    Road PA3 4BX. See https://www.
might be better value to buy fruit      Students’ Union building in Storie    puregym.com/gyms/paisley/ for
and vegetables from a greengrocer       Street or email sp@sauws.org.uk       more information.
rather than from a supermarket.         for an up to date list of teams and
There are greengrocers in the           societies.
Paisley Centre, on Paisley High
Street, Wellmeadow Street and           The Robertson Sports Centre
Contact the International
Student Support Team:
Email: internationaladvice@uws.ac.uk
Phone: 0141 848 3800 (The Hub) / 0141 848 3047 (London campus)
Web: www.uws.ac.uk/international
Moodle: International Student Support
Twitter: @UWS_IntSupport & @UWS_LDNsupport

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