Imperial College
二零二 夏 2021 Summer edition
Public Awareness and Social Service Society
PASSTIMES
Message To all current members and freshers, welcome to Imperial College Public Awareness and Social Service Society (ICPASS). Under unprecedented circumstances caused by COVID-19, 2020-2021 has been a remarkably tough period, with significantly fewer face-to-face events. However, we remain optimistic and believe that more activities such as Famine 24 and New Year’s Mentoring High Tea could be held in person.
Content 1-2 Message from our President Committee members 3-4 Public Awareness To leave or to stay Smart cities
5-6 7-9
Social Service When Social Service 10-12 meets Technology Events timeline Survival guide Promotions
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13 14-34 35
Established in 2008, ICPASS is a society run by a group of dedicated Hong Kong students. Our underlying objective is to promote public awareness (PA) and provide social service (SS) opportunities to give back to the community. By working closely with other HKPASS organizations, we hope that students attending our events can gain a sense of social responsibility and help spread our beliefs during their university years and beyond. To ICPASS, public awareness is not merely about politics, but also about environmental, ethical, and technological issues, etc, and it has always been one of our targets to let students learn and cultivate their interest in current affairs. In the past year, ICPASS held numerous joint-U discussion forums with topics such as "The Impact of the Coronavirus in Global Politics" and "海外香港人的身分矛盾", and during these forums, students are encouraged to assess social issues critically through discussion.
In the following academic year, we wish to continue spreading this core value of ours in the greater community around us, and events such as the LSE forum, the Birmingham Public speaking competition will be held once again. Providing social service opportunities is also of paramount significance to ICPASS, and we would like to encourage more students to get involved in volunteering and exploring our society firsthand. Last winter, ICPASS, KCLPASS, QMPASS, and UCLPASS jointly form a Winter Volunteering Team and volunteered to work with various charities (Food Angel, Soap Cycling, and Feeding Hong Kong). The team gathered like-minded people to fulfill PASS's mission of giving back to the underprivileged and allowed students to socialize. This year, ICPASS will continue to make use of the SS platform to provide students with a fulfilling university experience, so that you can complete your studies while contributing to the community. Moreover, this year we would like to resume our flagship event Famine 24, which was cancelled last year because of the pandemic, and it is certainly something worth looking forward to if you would like to meet new friends from different universities.
Moreover, ICPASS also aids members in building connections and offers networking opportunities with other PASS and Hong Kong societies over the UK. In particular, the mentoring program that we have organised in collaboration with ICAAHK allows mentees to network with people, receive career advice from experts, and are each paired up on a one-to-one basis with a mentor. I am looking forward to meeting you all in the upcoming events that we have lined up for you in the upcoming year. Joining the ICPASS family would help you make tons of new friends and enjoy a rewarding university life. I guarantee that you will be benefitted in more ways than you could ever have expected! I wish you all a fruitful year at Imperial, and I can't wait to meet you all! PASS Love, Kelvin Mang
from our
President 2
Civil Engineering
Alexis Lam
Vice President (Public Awareness)
Adrian Adrian Wong Wong
Treasurer Joint Maths and Computing
Electrical & Electronic Engineering
Vice Pre (Social S
Venus L
President 3
Kelvin Mang
Medi
Committee 2021-2022
Amy Amy Yau Yau
gg
Social Officer
Electrical & Electronic Engineering
Civil Engineering
Mark LuiSecretary
esident Service)
Leung
ical Biosciences
Publication Officer
Brigid Wong
Biological Sciences
Visit our website to find out more about ICPASS!
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To leave or to stay (Joint HKPASS online forum)
The
Identity Crisis of Overseas Hongkongers
Immigration has always been something to be discussed among Hong Kongers wary of the city’s future. However, recent political crackdowns have intensified the conversation as immigration has become a matter of urgency. As such, it is more important to address the challenges of settling outside our home, especially what it means for the Hong Kong identity and the obligations attached to it. With that in mind, we organised a joint-University panel discussion hosted on Facebook Live alongside the PASS societies of KCL, University of York, McGill University and University of Toronto in June this year. We are also honoured to have well-known scholar Professor Simon Shen and columnist Mr Lewis Loud as guest speakers to provide their insights on the topic.
A false dichotomy According to Professor Shen, the “leave or stay” debate is a false dichotomy. While to leave or to stay may be a matter of individual choice, these choices do not
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Simon Shen
oppose each other. During the 1997 immigration wave, people believed that they would not see their friends and family in Hong Kong again once they leave. This is not the case now. On the other hand, we see that many people have gotten closer to Hong Kong after they have left. Secondly, on the question of contributing to Hong Kong, Professor Shen said that we are all individuals, no rule can apply to everyone within the Hong Kong collective. When it comes to leaving or staying, it ultimately depends on one’s strengths and abilities. Some may benefit more from staying and some otherwise. During the Cold War, Czech and Polish activists may find it easier to mobilize the populace by staying in their local communities, while scholars may find it safer to express their views abroad. Thirdly, he said that during the early days of localist thinking, there was a question of trying to combine the belief that Hong Kong and its people are inseparable and the fact that many proponents of such thinking are outside of Hong Kong. It turns out that, with the help of the internet, it is possible to do so. Furthermore, the internet has helped overseas Hong Kongers grow closer to and develop a sense of belonging to their local communities.
Act
On th for p that m surviv have less p we se to be fected anger ute w becom peop in br immi way o can a ment sure what gratio some comm decis ation
Mr L deba exam that s portin tax do nipul such pone es a Kong ment finan claim throu China
ting on survivor’s guilt
Loud stated that the immigration ate has been over-politicized. For mple, he saw people online claiming staying in Hong Kong means supng the government through one’s ollars, which is a very harsh and malative statement. He also said that rhetoric is very inhumane, as proents of immigration for such purposare essentially using other Hong gers as tools for a political experit, disregarding their background or ncial ability. He has also fired back on ms that hollowing out Hong Kong ugh a mass exodus would lead to a’s containment and hasten the
CCP’s demise. He claimed that this is a fantasy, citing how academics predicted that the CCP would collapse by 2010. The process would be very slow, and most of us would not have control over it.
Lewis Loud
Mr Loud has no issue with immigration in general, he is perfectly fine with people immigrating after considering for themselves. He thought many people have treated immigration as an outlet to deal with the anger and stress they felt in the past two years, and that emotional impulse trumped rational thinking. Instead of guilt-tripping ourselves and others into thinking that we are mere political tools, he is more concerned about the mental well-being of Hong Kongers.
Public Awareness
he question of people immigrating political purposes, Mr Loud claimed many such propositions come from vor’s guilt. In these few years, we witnessed the government’s relentpolitical crackdowns. As bystanders, ee many get arrested, yet we seem e going through this period unafd. There is no outlet to vent their r, and seemingly no way to contribwithin Hong Kong. Immigration has me such a heated debate because ple have endured failure after failure ringing political change at home, igration seems to be the only viable of “fighting back”. We think that we accelerate other countries’ realignt against China, which would presthe Chinese government to give us we want as a result. As such, immion has become a moral crusade, ething that one must do if they are mitted to democracy, instead of a sion made out of personal considern.
To listen to the entire discussion, including questions on the differences between the 1997 immigration wave and now, please find the live recording of the event on our Facebook page.
@ImperialCollegePASS
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y? t i c t r a m s a What is smart city is
2),) A kıcı et al. (201 at a B to g in rd anced city th v (Acco d a d n a e city intensiv tion and a high-tech a rm fo in , a eople gies to create connects p lo o n h c te w e noing n petitive and in elements us m o c , y it c r e n ree lity. sustainable, g ased life qua re c in d n a , e erc vative comm 012)) i et al. (2 rd a b m o L to smart city: a to (According ts n e n ix compo There are s omy Smart econ ple Smart peo ernance Smart gov ility Smart mob onment Smart envir g Smart livin te’s Top 50 tu ti s In y g te Eden Stra Hong Kong , 1 2 According to 0 2 ts n Governme d her neigh in h e Smart City b is e h y 2021. S u (36). The cit o h ranks 41st in z g n a u G er (19) and pared to oth bours Taipei m o c n e h w ew ehind ndon and N is further b o L , re o p a g 3rd s. Sin , ranking 1st, financial hub 0 1 p to e th all in York City are ectively. and 6th resp
Comparing Hong Kong to Singapore and London Why is Hong Kong falling so behind its competitors? We can largely categorise the issues into two aspects: the technological aspect and the human aspect.
Technological aspect Ever since the introduction of their Smart Nation strategy in 2014, Singapore has launched a series of initiatives that have overhauled all aspects of urban life. This includes government-led initiatives to digitize small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the LifeSG app that lets citizens access more than 40 government services 7
under a unified ID, and a successful contact tracing system that facilitated the city state’s fast and decisive response to the coronavirus pandemic. London’s Smarter London Together roadmap, which is an update to the Smart London plan first launched in 2013, takes a collaborative approach to make London the world’s smartest city. For example, the Mayor’s Civic Innovation Challenge bridges technology firms with local councils, public sector agencies and large corporations to tackle the city’s many social challenges. City Hall has also launched the London Office for Data Analytics (LODA) which facilitates data sharing and collaboration across London’s public service offices. All these initiatives alongside the city’s track record with innovation dating back to the Industrial Revolution have made it the tech capital of Europe. Hong Kong had first released its Smart City Blueprint in 2017, but the rollout of the initiatives listed has been slow. This is most likely due to the government’s hands-off approach, in contrast to the governments’ leading roles in Singapore and London. The government has poured a lot of money into the expansion of Cyberport and Hong Kong Science Park, as well as setting up a Data Technology Hub and Advanced Manufacturing Centre in Tseung Kwan O, they have also given a lot of financial incentives for local enter-
Human aspect While Singapore’s smart city plan has been mainly focused on technological improvements, certain aspects like the LifeSG app have resulted from, and six months of public consultation. The Singapore government has also shifted its efforts to more citizen-centric efforts. Singapore is also able to rely on an increasing number of highly skilled Indian and Chinese workers to sustain their smart city developments. London’s city government has introduced many public participation platforms over the years. Talk London is an online platform where Londoners can engage with City Hall and express their views on policies affecting the city.
Crowdfund London is the city’s local crowdfunding platform where anyone can propose an idea and receive financial backing from their local community to turn these ideas into reality. Hong Kong, however, seems to be going in the opposite direction. Recent political tensions have deepened public mistrust of the government. Smart lampposts, a staple infrastructure project in other smart cities, have been met with suspicions of excessive surveillance, with protestors sawing off and taking down one of those lampposts during the height of the protests in 2019. Hong Kong’s contact tracing app LeaveHomeSafe has been met with similar security concerns, those fears have
Public Awareness
prises and universities. However, there are not enough support programmes or smart policies and infrastructure in place to promote an entrepreneurial culture, on the other hand, recent political developments have caused many companies to move their offices out of Hong Kong. Most recently, a proposed law targeting doxxing has caused the Asia Internet Coalition, an industry group backed by Facebook, Google and Twitter, to warn the government that foreign tech companies may stop investing in and providing services for the city. While the government launched a new open data policy in 2018, Hong Kong is still far behind international standards in terms of open data. According to the Hong Kong Open Data Index, there are critical gaps in some datasets and the formatting standards are inconsistent between departments. The fact that it only took a team of volunteer developers and open data advocates two days after the first confirmed case of COVID-19 to create the “COVID-19 in HK” website, which is still more user-friendly than that from the government, shows that the Hong Kong government still has a lot of catching up to do.
Smart Cities Hong Kong falling behind 8
only worsened when more than 400 email addresses were disclosed when a poorly formatted email was sent out. As a result, the app never reached widespread adoption among the population. The National Security Law passed last year did not only crack down on political rhetoric, but it has also led to difficulties in criticizing the government in the area of smart city development. G0v.hk, an open data advocacy group whose convenor sat on the advisory committee for the Open Data Index, disbanded on 30th June this year, citing changes in the recent atmosphere, restrictions on freedom of expression and access to information. This has led to a decrease in public participation. Recent political tensions and underlying issues like the housing crisis and ageing population has also led to a shortage in high-skill labour. Hong Kong’s population has declined for the first time since 2003, with migrations out of the city being a major contributor. Similar issues also mean that Hong Kong is struggling to import foreign high-skill workers to offset such a shortage despite loosening visa requirements for such workers. We may be witnessing the beginning of a brain drain in the city.
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Smart cities are not just about technological advances The Hong Kong government published the Smart City Blueprint 2.0 last year, promising 130 new initiatives to bring Hong Kong back up post-COVID and position itself as a leading smart city. However, the blueprint only tackles technological advancements. If the Hong Kong government does not tackle the city’s underlying social issues and regain public trust, it is only inevitable that we see Asia’s World City fall out of the Top 50.
Soap C
ycl
when
Social Service meets Technology Technolo-
Social service provides help and support to different parts of the community, in particular the underprivileged and the underrepresented. We hold events with various non-profit organisations, hoping to make an impact socially and environmentally. Despite the pandemic, we have been very lucky to be able to organise some social service events in the past year. Under the pandemic, personal hygiene has never been more important and it has been especially meaningful to spend a morning at Soap Cycling.
Through volunteering at Soap Cycling, many of our volunteers had an eye-opening and meaningful experience, which gave us an insight into the difficulties when trying to achieve personal hygiene in less developed countries. It also reminded many of us to be more conscious of how much resources we are wasting in daily life. Many volunteers found it a fun and valuable experience as it is a very special sector of the recycling industry.
Social Service
ling
Soap Cycling works with many charities across Asia to reduce preventable hygiene-related diseases by recycling soaps from hotels and redistributing them to areas in need. Through recycling soaps, Soap Cycling aims to contribute to the MDG4 target of reducing the under-five mortality rate. Other than making a social impact, it also helps the environment by eliminating thousands of pounds of chemical wastes from our landfills.
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Although the pandemic has brought lots of challenges to our daily lives, it did not stop us from helping the community. During 2021 Spring, we volunteered with Action tutoring by tutoring younger students through online sessions. Action tutoring is an organisation that supports students with socio-economic disadvantages, and their vision is a world in which no child’s life chances are limited by their socio-economic background. Having volunteered for around 2 months, we have enjoyed the sessions a lot as we have gained a lot of experiences through the insightful training sessions from Action Tutoring while supporting younger year students under these difficult circumstances. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, we have not been able to organise our flagship event, Famine 24, in the past year. However, we hope the event could take place safely again in the near future as the situation improves.
We appreciate that the aims of any kind of social service require a lot of time and effort to achieve and it would be difficult to make a significant impact without any collaboration. We value highly the importance of teamwork and cooperation. Therefore, we have organised a couple of events in collaboration with other universities in London, for example the Winter Volunteering Team and Heng On Virtual Social Service. The Winter Volunteering Team gathered students from IC, KCL, QM and UCL and planned to work with different charities, which includes Food Angel, Soap Cycling and Feeding Hong Kong, to provide our participants with a variety of opportunities and experiences. However, due to an outbreak in Hong Kong, we only volunteered with Food Angel. Although we missed out on some of the opportunities, it has been particularly meaningful to volunteer as it allowed us to understand the difficulties of organisations and the underprivileged community during these difficult times. Other than helping others, it has also been a great opportunity to socialise and make connections with other universities, which we enjoy very much as well. Other than the Winter Volunteering Team, Heng On virtual volunteering sessions were also organised with KCL, QM and UCL, where students from different universities came together and created some interactive sessions to teach primary 1 to 4 students English.
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Collabo other u
Technology in Social Service Technology has been evolving rapidly in this modern world. Other than bringing convenience to our lives, it has also made social service opportunities more accessible to the public. Social service can now easily be done in our daily lives, especially with the help of technology. For instance, there are a lot of apps that aim to help our community and here are some examples: 1/3 of food produced in the world is wasted every year, which is also responsible for 8% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Too Good To Go connects its users to stores and restaurants that have unsold food, which allows them to purchase delicious meals at a reduced price. Why not act against food waste alongside a scrumptious dinner? Bon appetit!
Too Good To Go
Be My Eyes
If you would like to have some interaction with people, this app would be great for you! Be My Eyes is an app that connects blind and low-vision people with sighted volunteers. Through the app, volunteers receive video calls from blind or low-vision people and help them with daily activities, for example checking expiry dates and navigating new surroundings. If you are multilingual, Be My Eyes need your help to translate their app to make it more accessible for people all around the world. Doing something simple could already be a great help to others!
oration univers with ities
Want to stay focused on your studies and help the community at the same time? Forest would be your choice!!! Forest is an app that helps users to stay away from their phones and focus on their daily activities. With the partnership with Trees for the Future, users are able to earn virtual coins in the app, which could be spent on fighting deforestation and planting trees in reality. According to the statistics on the website of Trees for the Future, there have already been 1 million trees planted!
Forest 12
Sep Freshers volunteering events Oct Freshers Fair - Imperialogy Sub-com Recruitment Sub-com dinner
Nov Famine Birmingham Public Speaking Sub-committee Dinner Cambridge Quiz
Events timeline Dec Christmas party and dinner 4U Christmas Forum
Feb UCL Amazing Raise (4U) CNY Social Dinner LSE Forum Mar Election Briefing AGM(Election)
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Survival Guide Covid precautions and Restrictions Campus guide Food and Daily necessities Transportation Financial issues and Expenditure Student support Visa Application Travelling and Entertainment 14
Coronavirus in the UK Overview, (restrictions) and advice In Hong Kong, it is common and often obligatory to wear a mask during covid. However, in the UK, where mask-wearing is not considered a social norm, it was optional to wear face-covering in outdoor areas. Now face coverings are no longer compulsory in most public places, but the government is still recommending them in crowded areas. Here we list out some of the major differences to bear in mind before your travel. It is important to appreciate and respect the cultural differences, but health and safety should always be our top priority,
Exemption rules
Major differences
Before the “Freedom Day” on 19th July, some people might be exempted from wearing face coverings due to age, health, or disability reasons. They might carry an exemption card or wear an exemption badge, but this is not required by law.
Types of face coverings Cloth face masks and homemade masks are more popular in the UK, whereas Hongkongers tend to use single-use surgical masks. However, after the spike in cases in winter, more British are seen using surgical masks.
Protests Some people believe that the mask mandate is an infringement of personal freedom, which is one of the triggers for large-scale anti-mask, anti-lockdown and anti-vaccine protests.
Compared to tighter measures in Asian countries, covid rules are indeed looser in the UK. However, there are more approved vaccines in the UK, namely Pfizer-BioNTech, Oxford-AstraZeneca, Moderna, and Janssen. These vaccines are accessible to international students. For more details please refer to the latest UK covid restrictions at https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus 15
Before your travel Hong Kong is on the Green list, that means Complete a passenger locator form Take a COVID-19 test Book and pay for a day 2 COVID-19 test to be taken after arrival in England Since face masks are generally more expensive in the UK and sizes run big, we would advise you to bring your own face masks
Arrive into UK You must take a COVID-19 test on or before day 2 after you arrive. You do not need to quarantine unless the test result is positive, or when NHS Test & Trace informs you that you travelled to England with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 Take weekly covid tests if attending campus regularly. Asymptomatic PCR testing scheme is available at all student accommodations and selected locations https://www.imperial.ac.uk/about/covid-19/testing-scheme/pcr-testing-scheme/ Alternatively, you can order an LFD test kit for twice-weekly testing https://www.imperial.ac.uk/about/covid-19/testing-scheme/lfd-collect/ If there are any symptoms, please take a test via the NHS. Students must report all positive results to the COVID-19 Contact Tracing Hub.
What if... If you are unfortunately infected with the virus, stay calm. You will have to self-isolate, and free food will be provided in student accomodations.
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South Kens Imperial College Union
Imperial College Union
Camp
Beit Quad
Union Bar
Roy
Prince Consort Road
Sherfield Building
High Street Kensington
K
Union Shop
Sherfield Building
Central library
Junior Common Room Deli
Queens Lawn
Queen’s Tower
Imperial College Road
Senior Common Room
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Outlook
Panopto
Blackboard
Receive and send emails to people within the College
Access recorded lectures and tutorials
Access course materials and assignments
Imperial
One-stop a all online
sington
Ethos Sports Centre
pus Guide
Swimming pool
Gym facilities
Hyde Park yal Albert Hall Ethos Sports Centre
Knightsbridge
Other sports facilities Eastside
Prince’s Garden
Eastside
Essentials convenience store Exhibition Road
Southside
Science Museum V&A Museum Natural History Museum
Study rooms and printing services Central Library
Mobile
access to services
CELCAT
Library Search
eHalls
Check your course’s timetable and College calendar
Check availablility of books in all College libraries, access digital versions of library
Access information about your hall Report hall defects 18
Places to EAT at Imperial With over 29 cafes, restaurants and shops across 4 campuses, Imperial College's Catering team provides a range of food and drink for us! Due to COVID-19, most of them were unfortunately closed last year… However, we are delighted to announce that the majority of the outlets are planning to reopen in the new academic year! As long as we all adhere to the social distancing rule, getting everything back would be within our grasp! Make sure you have already downloaded the NHS COVID-19 app in order to access all the nice food around. The latest Government guidelines require all the restaurants to display NHS QR code and allow customers to perform the NHS Test and Trace service.
FiveSixEight, Metric and the Union BAR If you think Imperial students are all science-geeks that won’t spare time in terms of extra curricular and parties, you are completely wrong. Imperial has much more than laboratories and league tables, and the most frequent questions I heard from the people studying here is “anyone going to the union tonight?” - Being a student here, you should go to the union bar at least once during your uni life! Don’t be confused by the names, FiveSixEight, Metric and the Union Bar are just next to each other. FiveSixEight is named after the number of millilitres in a pint, it’s claimed that the bar itself is one of the longest student union bars in the UK. Food is served between 12:00 15:00 and 17:00 - 21:00, and the bar is open to the public 7 days a week! Whereas the Metric nightclub is a totally different area that makes you party and dance. 19
Click HERE to discover all school catering outlets!
Food & Dail Necessitie “Anyone going to the union tonight?”
(source from Imperial College Union website) Metric features a superb sound system, state of the art lighting and great value drinks prices. If you have the talent or interest in DJing, you might even get the chance to perform in the Metric! We promise you would be addicted to the earsplitting din of music here! Last but not least, the Union Bar is the best place to chill out. It has been open since 1957, so surprisingly it is historical. Small events are often held here including quizzes, bar n i g h t , bingo and even karaoke!
Sainsbury’s
ly es
Essentials
Since I lived very near to the main campus last year, the most frequent supermarket I went to is the Sainsbury’s Cromwell Road Superstore. Sainsbury is the second largest chain of supermarkets in the UK. It only requires about 15 mins walk from Beit and is open from 07:00 to 23:00 on weekdays. It also offers home delivery - one of the features that I like is they would provide you different recipes to choose from and by just a few taps, all the ingredients in the recipe are in your shopping basket. (There is a Sainsbury local in Kightbridge, 15-20 mins walk from Exhibition Road, smaller and more expensive in contrast) Opening hour: Mon - Fri 07:00 - 23:00, Sat 07:00 - 22:00, Sun 11:00 - 17:00
Of course Essentials is also a decent place to buy your essentials. There is an Essential Convenient Store right opposite to the main campus. If you still can’t find it, it is on the ground floor of the Eastside Halls of Residence in Prince’s Gardens. Think about it as the 7-11 convenience store in Hong Kong, it’s mini but stocks mostly everything you need. All the products are relatively expensive, so if you are not urgent in buying them, I would recommend going to the large supermarkets and buying everything at once since they are always offered for purchase at a reduced price. Opening hour: Mon - Fri: 09:00 - 18:00, Sat & Sun: 10:00 - 16:00
Places to BUY YOUR ESSENTIALS Waitrose Next to the Gloucester Road Tube Station you would see a Waitrose supermarket. In my opinion, Waitrose has an overall higher quality in fresh products than that in other supermarkets, which means that their food lasts longer and tastes fresher, but you have to afford the slightly higher price. For this reason, Waitrose has always been “decried” as posh.
Opening hour: Mon to Fri 07:30 22:00, Sat 08:00 - 21:00, Sun 12:00 18:00
Tesco There isn’t any big Tesco around the South Kensington Campus, but Tesco Express does exist just opposite to the Gloucester Road. If you live in Wilson, there is a Tesco near you as well. Tesco is also a well-known supermarket in the UK, and their products are cheaper. If you have decided to go to Tesco in a weekly basis, you should get yourself a clubcard. You can collect points, get vouchers and enjoy all the rewards from there.
Opening hour: Tesco Express 06:00 23:00
Westfield Since Imperial is introducing a new campus in West London - the White City Campus, I would also like to recommend a large shopping centre in White City - Westfield London, don’t mess it up with another shopping mall called Westfield Stratford, they are two totally different shopping malls! Westfield London has a fabulous food court spreading on the first and second floor that you should try out when you’re free. If you only want to buy some essentials, there is also a Waitrose supermarket waiting for you. Opening hour: Mon - Sat: 10:00 21:00, Sun 12:00 - 18:00
Image by Westfield Group - WDC Annual Financial Report for Westfield Group, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11569095
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Use
College Catering Apps... Dill
Yoyo Wallet
Download Dill to pre-order, pre-pay and pick up meals from campus catering outlets! Remember to register with your Imperial email address. Dill is currently only available in the following outlets: The College Café, Eastside, Senior Common Room, The Bakery and Wolfson.
Yoyo is now working in partnership with Imperial! Just hold your QR code to the cashier, pay with your yoyo wallet and earn rewards every time you make a payment! What is even better is that you can keep track of your spending and get a digital receipt right away!
Get as many student discounts as you can here!
Karma
Amazon Prime
Do you know we throw away 1/3 of all the food we produce globally? Using Karma is one of the simple ways to do good for the environment, and your wallet! Just save food with a tap and get delicious food at half price.
Start your 6 month free trial of Prime Student to get access to exclusive student discounts and free delivery! Even after free trial, you can enjoy Prime at half price which only costs £3.99. Don't forget that you've got two college emails!! (@imperial.ac.uk and @ic.ac.uk)
Unidays & Studentbeans (2 separate apps)
Why not live your student life to the max? Unidays and Studentbeans both offer exclusive student discounts for your favorite brands, from fashion to food & drink, from technology to sports & media.
Craving for Asian food but not a chef yourself?
Alta Foods Ordering frozen food from Alta Foods could be an economical and delicious choice for you. On Alta Foods, you could find a large variety of exotic Asian food, delivered door-to-door at a reasonable price. By inviting family and friends to Alta Foods, you could receive £20 credit for the next order and they could get a 20% discount.
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eful APPS for food and daily necessities
r o
Takeaway... Although we are all expected to cook for ourselves in a self-catered hall, you would gradually realise you don’t have much time to cook everyday. Many students would prep their food for the week during the weekend, but not everyone would spare time getting prepared for the week, like me. Sometimes, I do need to rely on food delivery apps.
Just Eat
Uber Eats
Just Eat is probably one of the most well-known food delivery apps in the UK. You could search for a top-rated restaurant just using your postcode. The app is quite user-friendly, if you want to explore different takeaway apps, you could try out Just Eat.
You might have already known Uber as a popular taxi app, but their food delivery app is very handy as well! Uber Eats offers a good choice of restaurants and cafes and provides a useful option for order scheduling. Not to be excluded, when you share your promotion code with a friend that uses Uber Eats for the first time, you both get £10 off a £30 order.
Delivery time: 3/5 Price: 4/5 (the cheaper the higher the rating) Choice of restaurants: 3.5/5 Service coverage (in London): 4/5 Service coverage (in the UK): 5/5
Deliveroo According to some people, namely me, deliveroo is one of the best food delivery apps in London. It offers a huge variety in restaurants and cafè, and it even applies machine learning algorithms to find the best route for the rider to reach you, so it often takes less time than you thought! If you really do come across the following (late orders, cold food, wrong items, missing Items, spilled or damaged items), you could request for a refund/ credit (usually £5 if I’m not wrong). Delivery time: 4.5/5 Price: 3/5 Choice of restaurants: 4/5 Service coverage (in London): 4.5/5 Service coverage (in the UK): 3/5
Delivery time: 4/5 Price: 5/5 Choice of restaurants: 3/5 Service coverage (in London): 3/5 Service coverage (in the UK): 4/5
Zapp Order essentials, drinks, groceries and snacks through Zapp, it opens for order all day long and guarantees you would receive the delivery in less than 20 mins. Only groceries! Delivery time: 4.5/5 Price: 3/5 Choice of items: 3/5 Service coverage (in London): 4/5 Service coverage (in the UK): 2/5
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The elaborate urban transportation system has made London one of the busiest cities in the world, there are always multiple ways to go from place to place. Depending on factors such as travel expenses and convenience, the transports you take vary from the underground to bicycles.
Transportation in London
Underground
Accessing the underground could be rather vexing, but there are still ways that can improve your overall travelling experience. Oyster cards are used as a way to pay for tube journeys, and they are used in a similar fashion as Octopus cards in Hong Kong. If you are a full-time student in the UK and over 18, a Student Oyster photocard offering 30% discount period tickets are available within the area of the M25 motorway, an area slightly larger than Greater London, for £20. Your Oyster card can then be topped up using the app TFL Oyster. If you are having trouble planning your tube journey, the app Tube Map London Underground app can be used to set up the most appropriate route, it also provides estimates of arrival and departure times.
1/3discount Tube, Tfl, National railway: Zone 1-2 monthly pass (tube and railway) - £99.1 Bus: Pay as you go - £1.55 Monthly Bus & Tram Pass for 18+ students - £58.8
Cycling
£2
If you do not like travelling underground, cycling could be a nice way to travel. You can either use your own bike, or hire a bike from the self service app Santander Cycle. This bike-sharing scheme offers a minimum of £2 a day, or you can also get a yearly membership with a 25% off discount. To access these bikes, you simply need to use the app to get a code which unlocks a bike at your preferred docking station; and to return these bikes, you simply have to return them at any docking station. However, be aware that once you’ve paid the £2 bike access fee, you get unlimited journeys of up to 30 minutes during the next 24 hours. Longer journeys cost £2 for each extra 30 minutes.
Useful apps
London Live Bus Countdown 23
Citymapper
Financial issues and expenditure Traditional Banks HSBC HSBC is a Hong Kong-based bank with many branches in the UK. HSBC One account provides interest-free transfer to HSBC UK account. No minimum deposit is required. Branches near the College include High Street Kensington, Gloucester Road and Knightsbridge.
Santander Registration could be completed entirely online, simply by uploading all the documents required. A debit card is issued along with the ATM card. The basic current account is recommended as it could satisfy all the services a student would need. The nearest branch is Kensington High Street. P.s. Student account of Santander is only eligible for permanent UK residents.
Documents to prepare when opening a bank account: Passport (with a valid visa)
BRP (if you have collected from the college)
Virtual Banks Monzo Opening an account is simple and convenient. Download its mobile app and follow the instructions. You will be required to input your personal information and scan your passport (or your BRP), followed by taking a short selfie video to confirm your identity. The process could be finished within 10 minutes and the debit card will be mailed to your address in a few days. Monzo is a great tool to split bills and record expenses.
Wise Wise is a virtual bank allowing convenient currency exchange. HKD could be converted to GBP in the app at an instant conversion rate with little administration fee. Upon your arrival, you could transfer HKD to your Wise account and convert it to GBP to support your online payments before your UK bank account is ready. It is useful for traveling to Europe and places using other currencies too.
Registry Letter (as the proof of address and student identity)
Registry letter could be requested in “My Imperial > My document > Registry Letter > Request eDocument” The request button will change to “view eDocument” when it is ready. Don’t forget to allow one to two weeks for the College to process. 24
Under 18s You are not yet eligible for opening a bank account in your name. To support your expenses in the UK, you could consider the following options: Using a supplementary card from your parents. Credit and debit card payment is common in London so the supplementary card should satisfy all of your essential expenses. If you are using a supplementary card from HSBC, you could activate overseas ATM withdrawal in ATMs in Hong Kong to get some cash just in case.
Daily • Breakfast £3.5 • Lunch £6 • Dinner (self-catered) £3 (dine out) £8
Opening an overseas account in joint name with your parents. ATM card will be issued to you for cash withdrawal in London. Hong Kong banks like HSBC and BEA offer services for parents to set up a UK bank account in Hong Kong.
Bring more cash. If you are almost 18 (in 1-2 months), preparing £1500-2000 cash should be able to support your expenses before you can open a bank account.
Typical expenditure
Monthly • Sim Card Plan £10 One-time payment • Zone 1-2 monthly pass • ICPASS membership £5 (tube and railway) £99.1/ • ICCS membership £5 • Monthly Bus & Tram • Registration fee with the Weekly Pass £58.8 police £34 • Hanging out £40 • Groceries £20 • Laundry £3.6 Mobile Services
Voxi If you are an active social media user, Voxi would be the best choice for you. By joining Voxi’s mobile service plan, you could get unlimited data for browsing social media such as Whatsapp, Instagram, Facebook, etc. in addition to the data limit of your plan. For example, if you join a 10GB plan, data spent on specific social media would not be counted in the 10GB limit.
3UK 3UK is suitable for students traveling frequently between Hong Kong and the UK. By joining one plan, you could enjoy mobile service in both Hong Kong and the UK with the same sim card and the same number. You could buy a ‘Pay as you go’ sim card in 3HK stores to support communication after arrival and join a plan with the number of that card later on.
Giffgaff Giffgaff provides free sim card shipping service internationally. If you need a UK phone number before your arrival, you could order a sim card from Giffgaff’s website and the sim card will be delivered to you in about a week. Simply activate the sim card on their website and choose a plan to start using the number. You get £5 extra credit if you join a monthly plan of £10 or more. 25
S
Studying abroad could be a daunting experience, especially if you cannot get imminent support when you require desperate help. Fortunately, different organisations provide student support at Imperial and there is no need to be afraid to seek help from them.
t r o p p u S t Studen
The first organisation that you could seek support from is your
own academic department. Within your department, aid can be given from 5 distinct groups of people: personal tutors and supervisors, senior tutors, faculty senior tutors, student representatives, and professional services staff.
Senior tutors
Personal tutors and supervisors They are academic members of staff in your department who are responsible for your development academically, personally anf professionally and all students have scheduled meetings with them regularly. They can always offer you support or signpost you to a specialist in the college if you are experiencing any specific difficulties. The difference between a personal tutor and a supervisor is that a personal tutor is assigned to each undergraduate and only some postgraduate (taught) students; whereas a supervisor is only assigned to each postgraduate.
Student representative A student representative is elected per degree course by students, and they work with College staff to help improve your learning experience by acting as a bridge between students and academic staff. If you have any feedback about your studies you can always discuss with your student representative, and they will provide your feedback to departmental staff.
If you are a Year 1 student, there are members in each
accommodation hall that can provide support to you within your hall regarding your hall life, and the following individuals are the ones you should seek help from: hall seniors, hall social committees, wardens, sub-wardens, and assistant wardens.
Senior tutors are academic members of staff in your department who have an overall responsibility for the pastoral care of students in your support. They provide supporting actions to your personal tutors/ supervisors by giving additional guidance and oversight in more complex situations.
Faculty Senior Tutors They are academic members of staff in your faculty who are responsible for ensuring that support is delivered in a consistent and high quality manner for students within the faculty. They work closely with the College’s support services and support Senior Tutors in fulfilling their roles. They are also able to provide support directly if students have more complex/ unusual concerns. Each faculty should only have 1 faculty senior tutor.
Professional services staff Professional services staff, including undergraduate/postgraduate administrators, office managers, and liaison officers/student wellbeing advisers are also able to provide information, signposting and support students who are experiencing difficulty.
Hall Seniors are undergraduate students who have lived in accommodation halls for the past year. They usually partner with social committees in halls and help organise social events and are always happy to answer questions about student life at Imperial, getting to know and settling in London.
Hall Seniors
Hall Wardens, assistant wardens, and sub-wardens are m a i n l y responsible for the safety and welfare of residents.
Wardens 26
Apply for a
Tier 4 Student Visa
Start
Indicated in your CAS
Does your course require ATAS? Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS) is used for preventing the transfer of information, knowledge or technology which could develop, advance or support an Advanced Conventional Military Technology (ACMT) and Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) programme or their means of delivery. With effect from 21 May 2021, if you are going to undertake research activities at PhD level or above, in one of the Academic Subjects/ Fields of Research relevant to ATAS, you will be required to apply for government clearance by obtaining a free of charge ATAS certificate no more than 6 months before the date you will apply for your visa.
Yes - you are going to stay in the UK for at least 6 months - you are resident of the countries listed here For a TB certificate, a chest X-ray is required to check that there are no radiological features of tuberculosis infection.
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Do you need to take a Tuberculosis Test
Bank statement - start preparing the money in a bank account in your name / your parent’s name You would be required to have a bank-slip, bank statement or certificate of deposit that shows you have held enough money to cover your course fees and your monthly living costs for up to 9 months. They must show that you have held the required money for (at least) a consecutive 28 day period which ends within the 31 day period before you paid your visa fee online.
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3
Accept your offer, complete all your offer conditions, and obtain CAS number Imperial will send you a reference number through email (called a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS)) once they’ve offered you a place on the course. You need a CAS before you can apply for your visa. You must apply for your student visa within 6 months of receiving your CAS.
No - you are a diplomat accredited to the UK - you are a UK resident and haven’t been away for more than 2 years - you have lived in a country where TB test is not required (including UK itself), and haven’t been away from that country for more than 6 months
Make online application through the UK government website
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Website: https://www.gov.uk/student-visa When filling the application form, indicate that you are willing to collect your BRP in Imperial College using the code 2HE497. You will have to pay for £348 to apply for a Student visa from outside the UK.
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t u m
Source from GOV.UK and Imperial website
Document checklist Passport TB test certificate (if required) ATAS certificate (if required)
Collect BRP
Finish!
You would either collect your BRP at Imperial or a post office named in your visa decision letter.
Scholarship letter (if applicable) Bank Statement Birth certificates and letter from your parent(s) if you are uploading your parents’ bank statement Original evidence (final transcript / certificates) of previous qualifications (English language only if on a pre-sessional course) If you have any questions regarding visas, please contact International Student Support (international@imperial.ac.uk) or simply ask one of our committees!
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Book appointment at visa application centre and attend the appointment
You will have your fingerprint and photograph taken at the centre as part of the application of your visa (they will be used for your BRP). You will submit your supporting documents and passport there.
Collect supporting document and passport and check the details on Your supporting documents will either be returned by post or awaiting collection at the Visa Application Centre (collect in person would be quicker in most cases). Check that all the details on your visa sticker and visa decision letter are correct. Please note that your entry clearance visa sticker will only be valid for 30 days.
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Visa is Granted! Scan and upload to your imperial student e-service. (MyImperial)
1. Printout of the Appointment Confirmation letter confirming the details of your appointment 2. Valid passport or travel document (with at least 1 page that is blank on both sides) 3. Printout of your checklist (from your completed application on GOV.UK) 4. Supporting documentation If you have not uploaded your documents online, you will need to bring them with you to the Visa Application Centre. (we highly recommend you to upload your documents beforehand)
Visa is rejected Contact International Student Support (international@imperial.ac.uk) and email them your refusal notice
Don’t give up! 28
Attractions and Activities Victoria & Albert Museum • The world's leading museum of art and design • Houses the greatest resources for the study of architecture, furniture, fashion, textiles, photography, sculpture, painting, jewellery, glass, ceramics, book arts, Asian art and design, theatre and performance ⵚ Wednesday to Sunday, 10:00 – 17:45 (last entry 16:45)
Science musem Dive into a world full of science and technology but isn’t called the Imperial College! ⵚ Term time: Wednesday to Sunday, 10:00 - 18:00 (last entry 17:15) ⵚ School holidays: Monday to Sunday, 10:00 - 18:00 (last entry 17:15) ⵑ Galleries start to close 30 minutes before the museum closes
u M t r e lb A & ia r Victo Science Museum
Natural History Museum • There are 4 zones in total, uncovering the history of different parts of nature, from the smallest insects to the largest mammals. • A great opportunity to find out more about dinosaurs, nature’s giants, anthropocene, oceans, space, human origins and architecture • The NHM ice rink would be open to public on the east lawn in this coming winter if circumstances allow, with a cafè bar for spectators ⵚ Monday to Sunday, 10:00 - 17:50 (last entry 17:00) Closed on 24 - 26 December
t e k c i t r u o y k o o b Remember to in advance!
Natural Histor y Museum
Thorpe Park
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ark P e p r o Th
• One of the most thrilling amusement parks in the UK • Located in the village of Thorpe between the towns of Chertsey and Staines-upon-Thames in Surrey, England • Since 2016, Thorpe Park is zoned into eight 'island territories' including Port & Basecamp, Amity, The Jungle, Angry Birds Land, Old Town, Lost City, Swarm Island and the Dock Yard with over 25 rides and attractions • It has reopened since May 2021 due to COVID-19
Primrose Hill • Grade II listed public park located north of Regent's Park, and known for the stunning panoramic views of the London skyline from the top of the hill • Walking around its surrounding streets is a highlight in itself as well, everything around gives out special vibe that is unlike any other in Central London ⵑ Can even visit the Regent’s Park and Camden Town, not to be excluded the Primrose Hill Market
Richmond Park • The largest royal park in London that houses around 650 deers • Kew Gardens is 1 stop away along the District line • During the deer birthing season (May to July) dogs must be kept on leads throughout the park • The free minibus (RP1) around Richmond Park will resume service from 21st July to 27th October 2021
useum
-
' s d
ill Primrose H
Richmond Park
ⵚ Opening time: Richmond Park is open to vehicles from 7:00 am in the summer and 7:30 am in the winter. Vehicle gates close at dusk all year round. Pedestrian gates are open 24 hours except during the six week deer culls from November to early December and February to early March. During these months, pedestrian gates open at 7:30 am and close at 8:00 pm
Kensington Gardens • Kensington Gardens plants with magnificent trees and flower beds • Once the private gardens of Kensington Palace, the peaceful Italian Gardens • Home to the stunning Albert Memorial and the Serpentine Gallery and the Peter Pan themed Princess Diana memorial playground
Kensingt on Garde ns
Hyde Park • Created in 1637, a typical historic royal park in London with numerous pathways and cycle routes • There is a lot to do here, for example, you can learn about the various memorials, fountains and statues that are located in Hyde Park • There is a spectacular Rose garden in the middle of the park, but the flowers usually blossom during summer • Winter Wonderland is an annual Christmas event held in the heart of Hyde Park, from thrilling fairground rides and ice skating to charming Christmas markets and family shows
Hyde Park
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Even if you haven’t yet be en to the UK, you should have already he ard of the London Chinatown
The nearest stations are Leicester Square, Piccadilly Circus and Charing Cross
Chinatown • Home to a very large East Asian Community • Also home to some wonderful, authentic Chinese food shops and bakeries, as well as shops selling Asian cosmetics and Chinese-inspired trinkets and gifts • The things that I buy every time I go there are Bubble Tea and Pineapple Bun, tell me if you are going to do the same next year!
Don’t miss out on their Chinese New Year Celebration between mid-Jan and Feb! And don’t miss out the chance to binge shopping in Japan Centre just beside Chinatown!!
The nearest stations are London Bridge, Borough and Southwark
Chinatown
Borough Market • London’s best yet oldest food market (perhaps) • It is believed that Borough Market has been around already since 1014 • You can find all sorts of street food, spices and cooking ingredients • If you want to avoid the crowds, try to visit on a Wednesday or Thursday afternoon, or as soon as it opens on a Saturday • During Christmas, be sure to try some eggnog and mulled wine at the market ⵚ Opening times: Mon to Thu 10:00 – 17:00, Fri 10:00 – 18:00, Sat 08:00 – 17:00, Sun 10:00 – 14:00
Borough Market
The nearest stations are Camden Town (5 mins), Camden Road (8 mins) and Chalk Farm (10 mins)
Camden Market • Over 1000 shops and stalls selling fashion, music, art and food next to Camden Lock • Some stalls only open during the weekends ⵚ Opening times: 10:00 to around 18:00 including bank holidays, except on Christmas Day (25/12)
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Camden Mark et
Oxford
The City of Dreaming Spires
90km north-west of London, Oxford is well-known around the world as the home to the University of Oxford. Visit Oxford to explore its history and all those elegant architectures, including some of the world leading museums, such as the Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology opened in 1683, or wander at the anthropology collections at the Pitt Rivers Museum. Chilterns at the east of Oxford is known as the wooded wonderland. It offers a wide range of shops, bars and restaurants within easy reach. For a bit of sightseeing, you should take a trip on a traditionally crafted flat-bottomed boat - punt. You can hire punts at Magdalen Bridge Boathouse.
1 hour from London Paddington by train Cambridge Cambridge
Collegiate Cityscape
As the home of the University of Cambridge, the city has inspired many great minds from the likes of Stephen Hawking to Charles Darwin. Aside from visiting the University’s many colleges, with some dating back 800 years, Cambridge also houses vast collections of antiquities in Fitzwilliam Museum and seasonal art exhibitions in Kettle’s yard. If you prefer some sightseeing, I would suggest paying the Cambridge University Botanic Garden a visit or just a simple walk along River Cam, the river that started it all. Don’t forget to grab your lunch at the market square, I personally recommend the Hong Kong street food and Thai food stall!
48 minutes from London Kings Cross
by train via Great Northern line/ 1 hour and 13 minutes from London Kings Cross by train via Thameslink line/ 1 hour and 22 minutes from London Liverpool Street by train/ National Express coaches run from Stratford in 1 hour and 35 minutes
Getaways from London Plan a weekend trip! Brighton Brighton
Not just simply a typical British Seaside Resort
Brighton would be the best place to go during summer. It has everything you are looking for during vacation: an outlandish Royal Palace, fascinating museums, a beautiful beach, superb shopping and late-night pubs. The icon of Brighton – Brighton Pier isn’t just a pier itself, but also an amusement park! You can expect loads of exciting rides and invigorating ocean views from there. In the heart of the city, Brighton Pavilion exists to feast your eyes. It was built for King George IV, and reimagined into the domed Indian Style palace by John Nash. Then you can have a wander in the colourful shopping streets known as The Lanes, or cycle to the Marina Square. If you are not interested in shopping, I would recommend exploring the South Downs National Park, which is home to the Seven Sisters cliff.
1 hour from London Victoria by train/ 1 hour 10 minutes from London Blackfriars by train The Lake District
Take a Break to Embrace a Regiment of Evergreen
The Lake District would be the right destination for you if you want to choose somewhere totally different from Central London - A place to escape from the hustle and bustle and be encompassed with verdant meadows. Everywhere you look are undulating hills and every breath of air is rich with fragrance of leaves, loam and damp. The most popular tourist checkpoint is The Lake District National Park established in 1951. It is the most visited national park in the UK, the largest of the 13 national parks in England and Wales, and the 2nd largest in the UK after the Cairngorms National Park.
2 hours and 40 minutes from London Euston to Oxenholme by train
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The The Peak Peak District District
The Lake District’s slightly gentler cousin
The Peak District has the purest natural mineral water in the world, and is famous for brands such as Buxton and Ashbourne. The water is naturally filtered through hundreds of metres of porous rock. It also has a park known as the Peak District National Park. There are many things you can do here including cycling, trail walking, caving and horse riding. If you want to know more about the Park, you can have a visit at the 4 visitor centres – Bakewell, Castleton, Derwent and Edale. Stanage-North Lees is located close to Hathersage in the Dark Peak including moorland, rock edges, woodland and farmland. Stanage-North Lees affords opportunities for visitors to be actively engaged in energetic pursuits or for quiet enjoyment.
2 and a half hours from London St Pancras by train
Knowing that we are studying in the capit why not spend some leisure time discoverin capital in Europe? Norwich
The only city in a National Park
Norwich is a wonderful fusion of the modern and historic. Like any great city its centre is easy to walk around and has a river at its heart. It is the only English city in a National Park called the Norfolk Broads. The city is also being called as the shopper’s paradise because there are 2 shopping centres and 4 department stores, many independent stores and boutiques in the quaint Lanes and Timber Hill, which turns out unsurprisingly that it’s rated in the Top 10 UK shopping destinations! If you have friends studying in the University of East Anglia, you can call him/her out and show you around the city!
1 hour and 50 minutes from London Liverpool Street by train
Bath Bath
There is a reason why this place is called “Bath”
Bath, as its name implies, is a place related to water baths. Start with a tour of the baths the Romans built before making a splash in the Thermae Bath Spa – the rooftop pool has stunning views of the city. Once you’ve dried off, make like a particular author, a one-time Bath resident, Jane Austen and stroll along the Royal Crescent, then try on some reproduction Georgian garms at the Fashion Museum. If you spare some time appreciating the city, you would agree with me that Bath is one of the most beautiful cities in the whole UK. You can even get a bird’s eye view on a hot air balloon ride!
1 hour 30 minutes from London Paddington by train
York York
The Original City Adventure
York is unlike any other English city. There are 30 museums you can explore, the best racecourse in the country and a thriving cultural scene… and most importantly, York is voted as the best place to live in the UK by the Sunday Times! The rooms there are surprisingly stylish – some have been designed by a British hotelier and interior designer Olga Polizzi and as you would expect, it is a tranquil place to lay your head. For something a little more secular, Hotel Indigo on Walmgate ticks all the boxes. And don’t forget to buy a York Pass if you are going to have your first visit. York Pass is a sightseeing card which gives you free entry to top attractions, museums and monuments in York. Each York Pass comes with a free 24 hour hop on hop off bus tour plus a choice of 3 pasta or pizza at ASK Italian Restaurant in York.
1 hour 50 minutes from London King’s Cross by train 33
Tra upc and for trav
Stansted
tal of England, ng another Typical budget airlines Ryanair: All over Europe EasyJet: All over Europe Wizz Air: Eastern Europe Jet2: Beach and Snow destination Vueling: Spain and Southern Europe
Central LondonLondon city center
There are currently 6 major airports in London: London City, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, London Luton, London Stansted and London Southend. The London airports map indicates the time required to travel to Central London by Express train.
Heathrow Airport
There are a few ways to travel from South Kensington Campus to London Heathrow: • Take the London Underground from Gloucester Road station (not South Kensington station due to its closure to Piccadilly line trains until Spring 2022) to Heathrow Terminal stations. (Travel time: ~1 hour, Cost: off-peak £3.30 on-peak £5.30)
Most people travel through Heathrow Airport simply because it’s the nearest and the most convenient one among all. It is believed that London Heathrow is the busiest airport in Europe and the seventh busiest in the world.
• Take the London Underground from South Kensington Station to Paddington station via Circle line, then take the Heathrow Express train to Heathrow. (Travel time: ~1 hour, Cost: ~£25) • Take the London Underground from South Kensington Station to Victoria station via Circle and District line, then take the National Express bus service to Heathrow. (Travel time: ~1 hour, Cost: ~£12) • If you have a lot of massive luggages, I would recommend taking the black cab despite the expensive price...
If you are still unsure about your route, you are also advised to use the Journey Planner in their website. Due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19, some bus, coach and train services may be operating to a revised timetable.
ainline UK: Research coming train journeys d buy tickets, perfect those who’d enjoy velling around UK.
Skyscanner: Explore anywhere you like and get loads of suggestions on what to do based on other travellers’ reviews. Book great deals on flights, hotels & car hire.
Booking.com: Search for different hotel, motel and holiday home travel deals and find a stay for your holiday, weekend getaway or business trip, literally anywhere!
Fun facts
Passengers voted Heathrow Terminal 5 sixth time in its 11 year history as the best in the world at the Skytrax World Airport Awards Heathrow Terminal 2 also made it into the Top 5 globally, coming in at no. 4 ahead of Dubai’s Terminal 3 and Singapore Changi’s Terminal 4 Heathrow ranked among the world’s top 10 airports overall and won “Best airport in Western Europe” and “World’s Best Airport Shopping”
Trivago: Discover top deals nearby, compare hotel prices, search for accommodation deals by destination and save money on your next holiday or trip!
Airbnb: It offers the opportunity for you to plan your stay well in advance, it would be a good choice for accommodation during trips.
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Editor in Chief Brigid Wong
Creators and writers Kelvin Mang Adrian Wong Venus Leung Brigid Wong Alexis Lam Mark Lui Amy Yau 36
Contact us! Email: hkpasssoc@imperial.ac.uk Facebook: @ImperialCollegePASS Instagram: @icpass Website: www.icpass.org
