Hi everyone! My name is Sarah, one of the Global Mobility Peer Advisors. It was so nice to see some of you on Friday for our orientation presentation and to answer your questions about studying in London. If you could not make it, or need a refresher on what we covered, I have summarized below some points that we discussed. My presentation slides introduced the facilities offered by KCL and the KCLSU, which I have written up, as well as added some useful links in case you need any more information.
What King’s and the KCLSU offer:
- Libraries: There are 7 KCL libraries across our campuses, plus access to external libraries and archives across London. You can check this link for a full list of locations, as well as details on opening hours and facilities at each library.
- Study Spaces: There are many cafés on campus and study rooms, both loud and quiet, which can be accessed by students. I have linked to some websites above which you can use to check the full list. There is also an online booking system for study spaces in case you need a room for a meeting or for group study.
- Societies: There are over 300 societies run by the KCLSU for everything including sports, theatre and subject-based societies. Many of them incur a small joining fee but that can lead to access to periodic meeting sessions, discounts on events or training, or exclusive opportunities to attend talks or trips hosted by the societies. A full list of societies for the current year can be found here.
- KCLSU Events: The KCLSU offer fun events run by the student union for students, usually at discounted and competitive prices. They normally take place in The Shack, Guy’s bar, The Vault, and other KCLSU venues. A list of events as well as access to ticket booking pages can be found here.
- The Union Shop: The Union Shop is located in the Bush House Arcade. I recommend getting some KCL goodies from there to remember your time abroad. Here is a link to their website showing what they have on offer.
- Sports: There are two KCL Gyms, one on Strand campus and one at London Bridge. Here is a link to find out more about the gyms and to see the membership options (discounted price for students). There is also a Sports and Wellness Centre at Waterloo, offering free Physiotherapy, Nutrition and Behaviour Change Sessions. You can find out more about those sessions through this link. There is also the BeActive program, a social and recreational sports program which allows access to many sports in multiple venues around London. If you are in KCL student housing, it is worth checking with your accommodation hall whether you get access to it for free! If not, you can check this link here for more details on which sports are offered and the timetable of events running for this semester, as well as membership fees. The Moves+ app is also accessible to King’s students and worth checking out, as you could get free drink or dessert vouchers based on activity levels.