Author: Yasmin Mortuza (Page 3 of 3)

Meet Ben Hunt, your KCLSU President

Hi – I’m Ben HuKCLSU_Bennt, KCLSU President.

I’m a Philosophy student, was Vice President for Education (Arts & Sciences) last year and am your elected President for 2016/17. As part of the Student Officer team, my job’s to lead KCLSU (our Students’ Union), represent your views to the university and make sure your student experience at King’s is the best possible.

Our Union’s where we can get involved in university life outside our courses, make a difference for ourselves, each other and the world around us, socialise and connect with one of the most diverse networks of people in the world and access support when we need advice or help to make the most of our time at King’s.

King’s students are an incredibly diverse group – we study different subjects, at different levels and we all have different backgrounds and identities, so we all need different things. Leaving with our degrees is of course a huge priority, but we’re also here to build memories, meet people and explore the interests that make us who we are.

Together, we’ve done incredible things to improve the lives of our fellow students, at King’s and beyond, as well as for our communities. Here’s just a tiny snapshot:

  • Ensured the University would act as rent guarantors for International students. Previously, International students were struggling to secure accommodation.
  • Put Kosher food on the menu in KCLSU and University spaces.
  • Worked with disadvantaged communities in outreach projects, inspiring young people to pursue Higher or Further Education.
  • Made sure free sanitary products were available for free to students in our Student Centres.
  • Raised hundreds of thousands for charity, every year.
  • Campaigned against cuts in the NHS.
  • Reduced the number of redundancies made in the Health Schools.
  • Campaigned for microwaves in our spaces so we can eat our own food.

If you’re planning to work while you study, you could work with the Union. All our staff earn the London Living Wage – something we campaigned for and won. There are usually jobs going in our venues, Student Centre and in the offices, but check out kclsu.org/workwithus to see what’s available.

You’ll find us on campus, online and we always want to hear from you!

Ben

KCLSU President 2016/17

kclsu.org/studentofficers

 

 

How am I going to find my new home?

A lot of our residents are making their way to London for the first time. Whether you’re arriving by car, plane or train it’s going to be tricky navigating to your residence with a suitcase or two. To make thing’s a lot smoother, make sure you download a navigation app like Citymapper or Google Maps before you arrive. Here are King’s College London’s tips for getting around:

Arriving in the UK – Getting from the airport

ConfusAirportMapingly, London has several major airports. Each has several routes for getting into central London, some of which are quicker and more expensive than others.

From Heathrow: you can get the Piccadilly Line all the way into central London. This is by far the cheapest option, but can be difficult if you have lots of luggage. Alternatively, the Heathrow Express is really quick (just fifteen minutes!) but more expensive. It goes directly to Paddington Station. A taxi can cost around £85, but if you are travelling with other people and can share the cost this can be a good options if you have lots of luggage. National Express coaches go to London Victoria and are a cheap option.

From Gatwick: there are plenty of trains and buses that go to central London. You can get the Gatwick Express direct to Victoria. However, it is far cheaper – and almost as quick – to take a normal train (Southern or First Capital Connect) to Victoria, London Bridge or St Pancras, which run regularly. Tip: there is usually an option to buy a ticket that allows you to travel on all routes except the Gatwick Express. National Express coaches leave fairly regularly and are one of the cheapest options.

From Stansted: London Stansted Airport is quite a long way from London itself. You can take the Stansted Express to London Liverpool Street, which takes around 45 minutes. Alternatively, several coach services go to central London, but travelling times are much longer. Don’t get a taxi from Stansted as it will be really expensive!

From London City Airport: London City Airport is actually within London so is on the TFL network (see below). You can get the Docklands Light Railway into central London and connect with various underground services to reach your final destination.

 

Getting around London

 tube-map

Getting around London can be confusing. The Transport for London (TfL) network is huge and is comprised of the London Underground (colloquially known as the “Tube”), buses, trains, river transport, trams and even a cable car! Most Londoners get what is known as an Oyster Card as this is cheaper than buying single tickets for every journey. You can use this by topping it up with money and paying for journeys individually or if you’re travelling around London regularly (i.e. you’re using public transport most days) then you can buy a weekly, monthly or annual travel card and upload it to your Oyster card. Many students are entitled to a special 18+ Student Oyster card that allows them to get a discount on these weekly, monthly or annual cards (see below). Oyster Cards work on most forms of London transport, though fares are higher for riverboat services and the Emirates cable car. They should also work on local train services within the London area.

We found this light-hearted, useful guide to using the London Underground, which you might find helpful.

Many people cycle in London and you can now hire what the locals call “Boris Bikes” (because the scheme was started by London Mayor Boris Johnson) for a small fee. You need to be careful if you cycle in London that you take safety precautions, and ensure that your bicycle is secure. You can find more information and useful tips on the TfL website and through the Metropolitan Police.

 

View more about Oyster Cards, 18+ Cards and cabs on the main King’s College Website.

Get active with BeActive Halls

Hey there!

I’m Alyx, the Sports Participation Coordinator at King’s Sport. Working in the Sports Department, everyone always asks me what ‘my sport’ is, but in truth I’m not particularly good at any sports – I just love being active and teaming up with friends.13124814_645156652299847_6755941854234291869_n

The majority of my role is coordinating BeActive, which is our Recreational Sport programme and it’s all about giving something a go in a social, non-competitive environment. Usually there is a membership fee, but as a resident in a King’s College London Halls of Residence for 2016/2017 you get free access!

You’ll get exclusive access to the BeActive Halls programme, as well as being able to attend all the sessions included in the standard programme, which is open to all student at King’s. This means you have more than 45 sessions to choose from every week during term time – and all for free! Every session takes place within walking distance of halls of residence, and all students living in halls of residence can attend any session at any of the locations, regardless of experience or how sporty you think you are.

To get involved all you need to do is choose a session from the timetable included in your welcome pack when you move into halls, then show up to the venue with your King’s College London student card. There will be one of my trusty Activators there to welcome you and get you started with the session.

The timetable starts12186378_561167030698810_1556061476874814786_o on the Monday 3rd October but you’ll also be able to catch me and the team before then at campus and residences events and at fresher’s fair during Welcome Week. So if you have any questions about BeActive Halls or more generally sport at King’s – be it club sport, King’s Move, facilities – don’t hesitate to ask us!

I’m sure you’ll enjoy your first weeks moving into halls, and I hope to see as many of you as possible down and enjoying a BeActive session in the near future!

Alyx

Sports Participation Coordinator, King’s Sport.

Kcl.ac.uk/sport/beactive

Welcome to King’s Residences

Welcome to King’s Residences and therefore welcome to ResiLife. Our new blog is a place where you can find events and keep up to date with what’s going on at King’s Residences. Enjoying your stay at King’s is not about the size of your room or the colour of your curtains. Residence Life is all about making connections, getting involved in your residence and opening your mind to new things. Want to know how to stay connected? Here’s how to get started:

  • Join your Facebook Page and Group. Our residence Facebook pages are the best way to keep informed about what’s happening in your hall. You can also meet your neighbours before you even move in to your residence. Facebook pages can be found on the right side bar of our blog.
  •  Bookmark our events calendar. We run an events programme throughout the year that is a great way to make new friends and learn life skills that will help you make the transition to independent life. Make sure you regularly checking our calendar to find Residence events.
  • Get sharing. Use #kingsreslife on Instagram to share your journey. Your photos will be reposted to our King’s ResiLife Instagram account.

Lastly, congratulations on making it to King’s! We look forward to seeing you all at our residences.

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