International Arrivals Guide Your handy guide to arriving in the UK and living in Cornwall
(This is the Cornish flag)
Welcome to the University Campuses in Cornwall! You have chosen one of the most exciting universities to study at and one of the most beautiful places to live as a student. We know you will have lots of questions about your arrival at the Penryn campus and student life here in the UK, so we have developed this guide to help.
Contents Falmouth & Penryn
4
Arriving at Heathrow
6
Arriving at Campus
8
Food and Drinks on Campus
10
Campus Maps
14
Local Travel
16
Falmouth University Students
17
University of Exeter Students
20
Useful Information
23
Events
28
Falmouth & Penryn The Local Area Falmouth and Penryn towns Falmouth and Penryn are two towns that are almost joined together. Falmouth is slightly larger with more facilities (banks, shops, cafes). It takes 30-45 minutes to walk from the centre of Falmouth to Penryn, but there are subsidised buses for students and a train link as well (see local travel section). There are two university campuses: Penryn campus, where both the University of Exeter and Falmouth University students study and Falmouth campus where only Falmouth University students study.
Penryn Town
Falmouth Town 4 | Hello and Welcome
Penryn Campus Penryn campus is shared by Falmouth University and the University of Exeter, and is where many students live in the first year. It is on the top of a hill on the edge of Penryn town. Facilities and buildings on the campus are either shared, such as lecture theatres and seminar rooms, or they are institution specific, such as drama spaces for Falmouth and laboratory spaces for Exeter. There are also shared services such as Library and Academic Skills, IT, and Student Services. An organisation called FXPlus delivers all the shared facilities, including the student accommodation. Falmouth & Exeter Students’ Union (FXU) is also on the campus.
Falmouth Campus Falmouth campus is a smaller campus in Falmouth town, and is used by students studying in Falmouth University’s Schools of Art; Communication Design; and Architecture, Design and Interiors. Most 1st year students studying here live on the Penryn campus.
Hello and Welcome | 5
Arriving at Heathrow After you have landed The Arrivals Team will be based at the Mercure Hotel, which is a short shuttle-bus journey from the airport terminals. When you arrive at Heathrow Airport, there will be a member of staff or a student ambassador to meet you. When you have completed customs and airport security, and collected your luggage, please look for our team at the arrivals gate. They will have university signs and be wearing bright yellow t-shirts or tops. They will direct you to the shuttle bus to get to our main arrivals team. There will be representatives from both University of Exeter and Falmouth University as we are sharing the bus service to Cornwall.
Arrivals Team You will be taken by shuttle-bus to the Mercure Hotel. The Arrivals team will register you for the coach trip to Penryn campus in Cornwall. Refreshments will be available at the hotel before your journey.
6 | Arriving at Heathrow
Travel to Cornwall We have four buses leaving at different times on Thursday 8 September. The buses will fill as everyone arrives from around the world. Buses will leave at approximately: 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:30 – last bus to leave the Mercure Hotel
please note The last bus will leave the Mercure Hotel, Heathrow at 14:30 If you are going to arrive later, email thecompass@fxplus.ac.uk or call the main Arrivals Team on +44 (0) 7824837403.
The travel time to Cornwall is approximately 5 hours 30 minutes.
Arriving at Heathrow | 7
Arriving at Campus When you arrive The first bus will arrive at the Penryn campus in Cornwall at approximately 4:30pm depending on traffic. The Welcome Team will meet you and help with your luggage. They will direct you to The Compass, where you can collect your accommodation pack and find out what you need to do next. There will be a chance to have some refreshments and ask any questions.
8 | Arriving at Campus
Moving into your accommodation Glasney Student Village Collect your accommodation keys and information pack from our team in The Compass. The Welcome Team will help you in to your accommodation and direct you to some of the campus facilities. Glasney Lodge is open 24 hours a day to deal with all enquiries and problems. Off-campus accommodation: Go to The Compass who will direct you to a minibus, which will take you to your accommodation, whether it is a university-managed site or a private house.
Regardless of which accommodation you are staying in (on/off campus), if you should require any support whilst living at your residence, please contact Glasney Lodge on 01326 253503.
Arriving at Campus | 9
Food and Drink on Campus When you arrive, you will be given a food voucher to use in one of the campus cafes. Please find below the opening times of the food outlets on campus over arrivals weekend.
The Shop This is located at the centre of the Penryn campus, between the Heart and the School of Film & Television. The Shop sells: groceries and fresh products, snacks (sandwiches etc), newspapers and magazines. Opening Hours (during arrivals weekend) Thursday – Sunday: 8am – midnight
10 | Food and Drink on Campus
The Stannary Bar The Stannary Bar is in the Upper Stannary and serves a variety of soft and alcoholic drinks and snacks. It will be open throughout the evening on Thursday 8th September and members of the FXU team will be there to answer any questions and to explain what is going on over the weekend. Opening Hours (during arrivals weekend) Thursday – Sunday: 10am - 2am
Food and Drink on Campus | 11
The Stannary Restaurant The Stannary Restaurant located in the Lower Stannary and serves hot breakfast and lunch. Tea, coffee and snacks are available throughout the day. Opening Hours (during arrivals weekend) Thursday – Sunday: 8am-3pm hot food, 3-5pm hot drinks and snacks
12 | Food and Drink on Campus
Koofi Koofi café is next to Glasney Student village, behind Glasney Lodge. It sells tea/coffee, and freshly made food – soup, salad boxes, toasted panini’s and pizzas.
Opening Hours (during arrivals weekend) Thursday – Sunday: 10am – 10pm
Food and Drink on Campus | 13
Local Travel Subsidised Buses (U1, U2, U3) U3 – Direct service from the Penryn campus to the Falmouth campus. Approximately every 30 mins. U1/U2 – Between the campuses, but are not direct. They stop at various places in Penryn town and Falmouth town. Good for going to Falmouth Town Centre (The Moor). Approximately every 15 minutes. To use this bus service between Penryn and Falmouth, it will cost you £1 each way.
Train There is a train between Falmouth and Penryn towns, with stops near both campuses. Trains go approximately every 30 minutes. Penryn station is at the bottom of Penryn campus (10 minutes walk). Falmouth town station is at the bottom of Falmouth campus (5 minutes walk).
16 | Local Travel
Falmouth University Students Enrolment All Falmouth students must enrol online before the first day of term. You will be emailed two weeks before the start of term with your own personal username and password in order to enrol online. Before you start, please check your email and make a note of your username and password. You will need these to log in. Visit: myfalmouth.falmouth.ac.uk to complete your enrolment.
Collecting your Tier 4 BRP (Biometric Residence Permit) If you have a Tier 4 Student Visa, you will be issued with a 30-day vignette sticker in your passport to allow you to travel to the UK, but you will need to collect your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) within 10 days of entering the UK. Your decision letter will confirm where you should collect your BRP from, and when it will be available. If you have completed the entire visa application process (including submission of your biometric information) and have nominated Falmouth University as your Alternative Collection Location (ACL), you can collect your BRP from the Falmouth University Student Administration desk at the Penryn campus. You must take your passport with you for identification. Your passport will be scanned and documented by the Student Administration team to release your BRP card.
Falmouth University Students| 17
The table below indicates where the Student Administration desk will be based and when it will be open: Date
Time
Location
Thursday 8th September 2016
10am to 6pm
Lower Stannary
Friday 9th September 2016
10am to 6pm
Lower Stannary
Saturday 10th September 2016
10am to 6pm
Lower Stannary
Sunday 11th September 2016
10am to 4pm
Lower Stannary
Monday 12th – Friday 16th September 2016
10am to 4pm
The Compass, The Exchange Building
Under 18’s will need to collect their BRP card on Saturday 10th September between 10am – 6pm.
If you have not nominated Falmouth University as your ACL, or have not submitted your biometric information as part of the visa application process, you will need to travel to Truro Post Office to collect your BRP. The Compass desk in The Exchange Building will be able to advise you on how to get there. You must collect your BRP within 10 days of your arrival in the UK. Please check the UK Visas and Immigration website for more information about obtaining your BRP: www.gov.uk/biometric-residence-permits/collect 18 | Falmouth University Students
Student Mentors Falmouth students, you have a Student Mentor! Your Student Mentor is a trained second year student from your course who is your friendly face and point of contact for any questions you have about being a student here at Falmouth. The Student Mentors are volunteers and give their time to help new students settle in and support them to have the best possible student experience throughout the first year. They can help you connect with other students on your course and advise and guide you.
I found the advice and experience of Student Mentors who have been through the first year extremely valuable and having someone there for me was very reassuring. Look out for the email from your Student Mentor over the summer and reply to them, they are waiting to hear from you. You can find out more about the Student Mentors here: www.falmouth.ac.uk/mentors You can find our Student Mentor International Facebook group here: www.facebook.com/groups/internationalfalmouth16.19 For Student Mentor queries please email: studentmentors@falmouth.ac.uk Falmouth University Students| 19
University of Exeter Students BRP Card Collecting your Tier 4 BRP (Biometric Residence Permit) If you are coming to study for more than 6 months, you will be required to collect a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) once you have arrived in the UK. We recommend that you request that your BRP is sent to the University for you to collect.
If your BRP is sent to Truro Post Office or any other location for collection, please contact Nik Farrant or Caroline Simons for further guidance.
Name
Phone Number
Nik Farrant Caroline Simons
+44 (0) 1326 254187 +44 (0) 1326 371816
N.R.Farrant@exeter.ac.uk C.Simons@exeter.ac.uk
Alternatively, for more information you can visit: www.gov.uk/biometric-residence-permits/collect Remember: • You must collect your BRP card from the University within 10 days of arriving in the UK. • You must collect it in person. • You will need your original passport and decision letter, so make sure you keep them in a safe place. A decision letter is the letter the visa application centre gives you when collect your new visa and documents in your home country. 20 | University of Exeter Students
If you arrive during Welcome/Freshers’ Week (12th – 18th September) BRP cards can be collected from the Admissions Team at the Student Information Desk in Peter Lanyon Building. From 18 September onwards, you can collect the BRP card at Student Information Desk from 9am – 5pm Normally, students collect their BRP and then complete the Student Clearance process. So bring the certificates for all the qualifications listed on your CAS. These should be the original documents and certified translations if they are not in English. You will be able to officially enrol on your course once you have completed your Student Clearance process.
Enrolment New international students as well as international students returning to study may not be able to complete their University registration until they have completed their International Student Clearance, as detailed in the Welcome email from admissions.
Welcome!
University of Exeter Students| 21
Global Chums Global Chums is a mentoring scheme which matches incoming international students with current Exeter students. A Global Chums Mentor can help you settle into life at Penryn, answer any questions you have and introduce you to societies and clubs. There will also be social events for all mentors and mentees, giving you the opportunity to meet students of all nationalities and try new activities.
To apply for a Global Chums Mentor, please fill out our online form at: www.exeter.ac.uk/internationalstudents/prearrival/orientation/globalchums/
22 | University of Exeter Students
Useful Information Supermarket trip On Friday 9th September a minibus service will be running to the nearest supermarket, ASDA, leaving from the bus stops on the Penryn Campus. The minibus will be leaving at the following times: - 12:00 - 15:00 You do not need to book onto the service; just meet at the bus stops. If you have any questions about this service please email george.perry@fxu.org.uk
Registering with a Doctor Healthcare for international students enrolled on a full-time course at University is provided via the National Health Service (NHS). At Penryn campus, there is a Doctors Surgery that you are advised to register with as soon as you begin your studies. You can register with Penryn Surgery by visiting The Compass Student Information Service and filling out a simple form.
Useful Information| 23
Police Registration Students of some nationalities are required to register with the Police within a time frame stated on their visa. During Welcome/Freshers Week, in The Compass, students will be able to bring their passports and relevant documents for registering with the police.
Money and Shopping English Money When you arrive in the UK, it will be useful to have some Pound Sterling for any essential items. At Heathrow Airport, you will be able to purchase food/essential items using any currency but as soon as you leave the airport, Pound Sterling will be the only currency accepted. Banking Most banks in the UK offer accounts specifically for international students. In order to open a bank account in the UK, you will need a letter from the university confirming your enrolment details and your address. Representatives from a selection of different banks will be in The Lower Stannary during Welcome/Freshers’ week (12th–16th). You will be able to find out about the bank accounts available and the information required to open an account. The British Banking Association’s (BBA) online guide ‘Opening a UK Bank Account’ gives information about money transfers, opening accounts etc www.bba.org.uk/international-students 24 | Useful Information
Weather in the UK The weather in Cornwall is very variable but the temperatures are rarely extreme. Average winter temperatures are 4 - 10°C sometimes dropping to 0°C, average summer temperatures are 14-21°C sometimes reaching 30°C in a heatwave. Cornwall is at the far west of Europe and sticks out into the Atlantic so it does get windy, and quite often rainy. You might experience beautiful sunshine, blustering winds and drizzling rain – all in one afternoon! You will need to bring winter clothes (long trousers, jumpers, coats, scarves) as well as summer clothes (shorts, t-shirts). A waterproof coat and footwear is a good idea too. But, remember you can buy these things in the UK and save space in your luggage.
Internet and phone You probably already have a mobile phone and contract in your home country but this will be expensive to use in the UK. For further information and advice about phone networks, contracts and payments visit: www.educationuk.org/global/articles/choosing-uk-mobile-phone-plan/
Useful Information| 25
Chaplaincy The Multi Faith chaplaincy team provide pastoral care and support for students. They can provide a quiet space for prayer or reflection but are also there should you wish to talk to someone. All conversations are completely confidential. Email: chaplaincy@fxplus.ac.uk Phone: 07770803550 or (01326) 370744
English Language Courses There are Academic and Social English language courses for any students whose first language is not English. They aim to develop and improve your language skills no matter what level your English is. There is a Welcome English course running Monday – Friday evenings during Welcome/Freshers’ week and the week after (12th – 23rd September). This is a great way to settle in, ask any questions and meet other students from around the world. Details of all the language courses and how to enrol are available online: languages.fxplus.ac.uk Or, visit the Languages and ASK: Academic Skills office in Tremough House, Penryn campus Email: languages@fxplus.ac.uk
26 | Useful Information
FXU Activities Falmouth and Exeter Students’ Union want to make sure that every student has the highest quality of education and best student experience possible during their time studying in Cornwall. There are many sport and recreation activities available through FXU. Activities are open to all Falmouth University and University of Exeter students based at the Penryn or Falmouth campus. By being involved in activities outside your studies you get the most out of your time at university. It’s a great way to meet people, try out new activities and gain useful experience, which looks great on your CV and enhances employability. It can also help to combat the stresses and strains studying. Most of the sports clubs and societies offer free taster sessions in Welcome/Freshers’ week and the week following. See the Freshers’ programme you will receive for all the details on these and how to join at www.fxu.org.uk
FXU Sports Clubs Hayley Curtis FXU Sports Manager
FXU Societies Rose Hitchens-Todd FXU Societies Manager
Hayley.Curtis@fxu.org.uk
Rose.HitchensTodd@fxu.org.uk
+44 (0) 1326 255966
+44 (0) 1326 255710
Useful Information| 27
Events Cornish Cream Tea Friday 9th September | 19:00 | ESI Café area Relax and meet other international students whilst enjoying a Cornish tradition – the Cornish Cream Tea.
Cornish Cream Tea
Visit Falmouth Saturday 10th September | 10:30 | Meet at Campus Shop FXU (Students Union) organise a trip to beautiful Falmouth – eat fish and chips on the pier, go to the shops, bank, post office or even the beach. (Remember to bring some money).
Falmouth Harbour 28 | Events
Welcome to Penryn Campus Monday 12th September | 16:00 – 18:00 | Peter Lanyon Staff Room, Lecture 5 The University of Exeter and Falmouth University Formal Welcome Reception. Followed by a British Culture and Tips session delivered by the FXU Presidents.
FXU Presidents 2016/17
Mid-Autumn Festival Thursday 15th September | 14:00 – 15:30 | Exchange Seminar Red FXU are celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival and all are welcome. There will be lantern making, riddle games, tea and maybe some mooncakes. A chance to celebrate this very special family festival with new friends.
Mid-Autumn Festival © Helen Yang www.flickr.com/photos/saltwater_helen/20934003311/in/photostream/
Events| 29
FXU International Society: Potluck Welcome Meal Friday 23rd September | 18:00 – 21:30 | Peter Lanyon Staff Room A ‘Potluck’ meal to welcome all new members to the International Society, everybody is to whip up one of their local dishes from home. A good opportunity to make new friends and experience international culture!
International Society logo
30 | Events
Useful Contacts Question Problems at Heathrow Airport
Who to Contact
Accommodation
Glasney Lodge
Falmouth University Enrolment and BRP Cards
Jeni Thomas
University of Exeter Enrolment and BRP Cards
Nik Farrant Caroline Simons
Language Support
The English Language Team
Contact Details
The Arrivals Team +44 (0) 7824837403
Julie Tucker
+44 (0) 1326 253503 +44 (0) 1326 255826 jeni.thomas@falmouth.ac.uk +44 (0) 1326 254529 julie.tucker@falmouth.ac.uk +44 (0) 1326 254187 N.R.Farrant@exeter.ac.uk +44 (0) 1326 371816 C.Simons@exeter.ac.uk Languages & ASK: Academic Skills office, Tremough House Languages@fxplus.ac.uk
If your question does not relate to the above, please contact The Compass, our Student Information Service, who will be happy to help. thecompass@fxplus.ac.uk
Remember to check out and get involved with the international events going on throughout September at www.fxu.org.uk