Things to see and do in the UK

Things to see and do in the Hatfield area

Students studying at HIBT have the advantage of visiting both the beautiful countryside of Hertfordshire as well as the vibrant city of London. In and around Hatfield you can:

• Visit the shopping and recreational facilities of Hatfield town including the Galleria shopping complex - http://www.hertfordshire.com/pages/entries/show-photos.asp?id=2505
• See the famous Hatfield house, a stately historic home – http://www.hatfield-house.co.uk/
• Go to the nearby historic Roman city of St Albans and wander the age old streets - www.stalbans.gov.uk
• The Mill Green Museum and Water Mill in Hatfield are open to the public throughout the year. For further details Tel: 01707 271362

For a picture index of the picturesque Hertfordshire scenery, please check out this website: www.zippix.co.uk/shop/shop-Hertfordshire.php

For more information about Hatfield, please see the local government website: www.hatfield-herts.gov.uk/

Things to see and do in London

The HIBT staff have made some suggestions below of some of our favourite things to see and do in London:

• The British Museum – www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk (free entry)
• Buckingham Palace – http://www.royal.gov.uk/
• Hampton Court – www.hrp.org.uk
• Hyde Park / Kensington Gardens / Regent’s Park (free entry)
• The National Gallery – www.nationalgallery.org.uk
• St Paul’s Cathedral – www.stpauls.co.uk (free entry)
• Tate Gallery – www.tate.org.uk
• The Tower of London – www.hrp.org.uk
• Victoria and Albert Museum – www.vam.ac.uk (free entry)
• Westminster Abbey – www.westminster-abbey.org (free entry)
• A Night at the Theatre in London’s West End – www.londontheatre.co.uk
• Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre - www.shakespeares-globe.org
• The Royal Albert Hall – www.royalalberthall.com
• Kew Gardens – www.rbgkew.org.uk
• National Portrait Gallery – www.npg.org.uk (free entry)
• Portobello Road Market – www.portobelloroad.co.uk (free entry)
• The London Eye – www.londoneye.com
• Watch a Premier League British football game at one of the popular stadiums in London - Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham (the Marketing team’s preference), West Ham, Charlton Athletic, or Fulham – www.premierleague.com

Travelling in London

Central London is less than 30 minutes from Hatfield train station. The fastest and easiest option is to travel from Hatfield station on the fast train to Kings Cross and to get off at either Kings Cross or Finsbury Park. Both of these stations have London Underground connections. You can, for example, take the Piccadilly Line (WEST BOUND) to Leicester Square (for an evening out) or the Victoria Line (SOUTH BOUND) to Oxford Circus (for a day of shopping) from either Kings Cross or Finsbury Park. The latter is a smaller station and may be easier to navigate on your first trip. Train Times from Hatfield to Finsbury Park or Kings Cross can be searched on the following website: www.nationalrail.co.uk

We normally recommend that if you have never been to London, you should travel down and back during the daytime for your first visit. Thereafter, if you plan to go to London during the evening, you should normally try to travel with a friend, rather than by yourself, especially if you plan to travel back late at night. Please also ensure that you have checked return train times when planning your journey as trains are much less frequent late at night and the London Underground service normally finishes at about 23:30. Transport for London offer a journey planner service (www.tfl.gov.uk/tube ) which is also available on mobile phone.

Many of the HIBT staff live in central London and will be more than happy to give you more specific help or advice concerning travelling to London.

Travelling around Europe

Travelling around Europe for students based in the UK is cheaper and easier than ever before. Many nationalities of international student in the UK don’t need to get a visa before going on holiday in Europe, and if you do, we’ll assist you with the documentation and normally it’s fairly cheap and easy.

The cost of travel to Europe is cheaper than it has ever been, with flights to mainland Europe as cheap as £20 return on some of the no-frills airlines. Check out Ryan Air www.ryanair.co.uk and EasyJet www.easyjet.com BMI www.bmibaby.com to see how cheap flights can be.

Things to do and see in Europe – HIBT recommendations

• Lech and Kitzbuhel, Austria – some of the choicest downhill skiing in the World in the western reaches of the Alps
• Vienna, Austria – a city famous for Beethoven, Freud and Klimt
• Paris, France – home of the famous tower, the Arc de Triomphe, cafes, bistros and haute couture
• St Tropez – very fashionable haunt of the rich and famous
• The Greek Islands – quiet, peaceful, great swimming and fantastic food
• The Acropolis, Athens, Greece – the most important ancient monument in the western world
• Rome, Italy – great for a weekend
• Florence - the heart of the Renaissance
• Venice – Magical home of the gondola, totally different to any city you’ll have seen before – no roads and no cars!
• Café society in Amsterdam
• The Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao and the Museu Picasso, Barcelona, Spain
• Count Dracula’s Castle, Bran, Transylvania, Romania
• Icebreaker’s cruise, Kemi, Lapland, Finland
• The Ice Hotel, Sweden

The weather

The climate in the UK is moderate – summers are warm and winters are cool and mild. Contrary to international assumptions the weather is not always wet and cold in the UK. You can find out more detailed information on the weather in Hertfordshire today by visiting the BBC weather centre website - www.bbc.co.uk/weather/ukweather/southeast/

Average Temperatures

Summer 21C – 12C

Autumn 14C – 7C

Winter 8C – 3C

Spring 13C – 5C

Food / shopping

With the UK being such a cosmopolitan society, it is very easy to find shops and restaurants catering for all sorts of nationalities. Supermarkets stock a range of cuisines, including Chinese, Indian, Greek, Lebanese, West Indian, African, Italian and French. You should also be able to buy familiar products from your home country in specialist grocery stores located in London as well as from markets.

Located in Hatfield town the Galleria shopping centre has many shops and restaurants as well as a 9 screen cinema hall.

Tipping in the UK is not compulsory or expected. You may tip IF you have received exceptional service, particularly in a restaurant, however this will not be expected.

Note: it is against the law to drink alcohol or to be drunk in a public place. If you are under 18 years of age you are not permitted to purchase or consume alcohol.

Public transport

The public transport system in the UK consists of the over-rail, ferries, buses as well as the famous underground trains. The cost of public transport depends on the type of ticket you buy and the amount of time and distance that is to be travelled. The Hatfield campus is a bus ride away from the Hatfield Station from where trains can be caught direct to central London taking only 25 minutes.

Employment

International students are allowed to work a maximum of 20 hours per week under the terms of their student visa during the semester. Students should not rely on part time jobs to fund living expenses or pay tuition fees. Any income earned from part time jobs is only sufficient as a supplement.

Accommodation

HIBT offers on campus accommodation in clean well maintained halls of residence. Off campus accommodation is also available. This service has been outsourced to ‘XS’ properties. For further information please contact our manager of Academic and Student Support Services Andy Richards: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . accommodation, fees include all utilities bills. A complimentary bedding pack is provided to all students using this service.

HIBT students must reserve their accommodation prior to departing for the UK. An accommodation form can be found at the back of this booklet, filled in online at www.hibt.uk.com, or obtained from our local representative. This must be filled in and sent back to HIBT together with the deposit as soon as possible to secure a place.

Deposit - Students in HIBT accommodation have to pay £700 at the start of their accommodation contract. In order to secure a place in HIBT accommodation this must be paid in advance.

This £700 consists of:

• £300 – damage deposit (refundable at the end of the accommodation contract, as long as you have caused no damage to your room!)
• £100 – booking fee (non-refundable)
• £300 – rent payable in advance

Money will be deducted from the deposit for any damages or breakages in your room during the year; this money may also be withheld if you have been fined or are in debt to the college.

Upon receipt of the accommodation fee you will be allocated your chosen accommodation subject to availability. Housing is allocated on a first come first served basis so early booking and payment is advised to avoid disappointment.

If you have any questions regarding HIBT accommodation please contact Andy Richards at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Healthcare

The National Health Service (NHS) in the UK

The NHS (National Health Service) is the UK's state health service which provides treatment for UK residentsthrough a wide range of health care services. Some services are free, and some you will have to pay for.

As long as your course of study is for six months or more you will qualify for NHS treatment, from the beginning of your stay, on the same basis as anyone who is ordinarily resident in the UK. You are entitled to free treatment in NHS hospitals and you may register as a patient with a General Practitioner (GP) – see below. When you attend hospital or register with a GP, you should take evidence that you are in the UK as a student, for example, your passport, evidence of your address and confirmation from your institution that you are attending a course of study, or that you have recently completed a course of study, and its length. If you have to give up your studies temporarily, and you are refused free health treatment, contact your student adviser for information about how you might be able to challenge this.

What will the NHS provide for you for free?

• Consulting a GP and most other GP services (e.g. visiting a clinic)
• Treatment in a hospital (both emergency and non emergency treatment)

You may need to pay for:

• Medicines prescribed by your GP
• Some GP services (e.g. vaccinations for travel, getting a sickness certificate)- ask your GP for details of costs
• Dental treatment
• Optical treatment

Medical Treatment

The NHS provides medical treatment through three main routes:

General Practitioner's (GP's) Surgery or Health Centre

UK residents register with a Health Centre or GP's Surgery, which is usually the first point of contact for medical treatment. GPs are doctors who are trained and experienced in diagnosing a wide range of health problems. Most illnesses and other problems can be treated by the GP, but if you need to see a specialist, the GP will refer you to an appropriate hospital department (see below). As well as consultations with a GP, most health centres and GP's surgeries provide a range of community health services (for example; vaccinations, women's health clinics, services for parents of young children).

The University of Hertfordshire also has a Medical Centre, located on the College Lane Campus.

Hospitals

If your GP refers you to hospital for treatment, you will usually be given an appointment to see a specialist doctor. Depending on the medical problem, you may be treated as an in-patient (where you are admitted to a ward and stay there overnight or longer) or as an outpatient (where you visit the hospital for an appointment).

If you think you need to see a specialist, you should approach your GP first and ask her or him to refer you.

Accident and Emergency (A&E) Departments

Some (but not all) hospitals have Accident and Emergency departments. These departments are open 24 hours a day and deal with patients needing emergency treatment.

The closest A & E is located about five miles from the College Lane Campus. You should use A&E Departments only for emergency treatment for serious illness or injury. In England, Wales and parts of Scotland, you can contact NHS Direct by telephone if you are not sure whether you should go to hospital. NHS Direct is open 24 hours a day every day and can offer an interpreting service.

Do I need medical insurance?

If you are not entitled to free NHS treatment, you should certainly ensure you have adequate medical insurance to cover medical costs should you fall ill, and the additional possible costs resulting from illness. These can be substantial, and include

• Lost fees if you are unable to complete your course
• Costs of returning home if a relative is ill
• Costs of a relative visiting you in the UK if you fall ill
• Cost of returning to your home country for treatment

Even if you are entitled to free NHS treatment whilst in the UK, you should consider taking out insurance which covers the above costs which could be incurred if you or your family are unfortunate enough to become ill or have an accident. Moreover, even if you are covered by the NHS for medical treatment, you may find that there are long waiting times for some services. An insurance policy which gives you access to private medical care could give you much quicker access to the treatment you need. If you have medical insurance in your home country, check whether you can extend it to cover your stay in the UK, as well as looking at options available from UK insurers. Endsleigh Insurance, in association with UKCOSA, have produced a special health insurance policy for international students and their spouses and dependants in the UK. This gives you a choice of two levels of cover, either relying on NHS treatment, or for an extra premium also giving access to private treatment. Details of the policy can be found on the Endsleigh website www.endsleigh.co.uk

Dealing with emergencies

Emergency services: dial 999

If you need immediate medical assistance (for example, because of an accident), telephone 999. The call is free. An operator will ask you which emergency service you need (Fire, Police, Ambulance). Be ready to tell the emergency services what has happened and where you are. If someone is injured and needs to go to hospital ambulance staff will arrive and take the person to an Accident and Emergency department. If you need urgent treatment, but you are well enough to travel, you can also make your own way to an Accident and Emergency department or ask a friend to take you. Most GPs also run an "on-call" service, so that you can contact a doctor 24 hours a day. Your GP will give you details when you register.

English customs

The major difference between living in the UK and your home country is in social customs and behaviour. Some of these customs may seem strange when you first arrive. To assist you, listed below is a list of what would normally be seen as acceptable in the UK:

• Equality for all citizens. Men, women and people from all levels of wealth, authority and occupation are seen as equal in English society
• Punctuality - always be on time for appointments or let people know if you will be late. You should also expect other people to be on time for you!
• Tidiness in the community – all rubbish should be disposed of in a bin, or carried with you until you find a bin. Anybody dropping litter may be prosecuted and fined in the UK
• Waiting your turn in a queue – it is considered impolite to push ahead of someone who is in the queue before you
• Informality when addressing others – first names are used early in a relationship. A general rule to follow if you are meeting a person for the first time who is considerably older than you is to use a title such as Mr, Ms, Mrs, Dr or Professor until you are invited to use the person’s given name. Many academics/lecturers will encourage you to use their given name, It is acceptable to ask a person what they would like you to call them
• Knocking on someone’s door before opening it. Always wait for the person to answer ‘come in’
• Saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ where appropriate is highly regarded
• It is common to see people using a handkerchief or tissue to blow their nose. It is not acceptable to sniff or spit. If you need to clear your throat use a handkerchief or tissue
• One can not normally get ahead by raising one’s voice. If you disagree strongly with anything that has been said, or done, you should definitely express your point of view strongly and calmly, but try not to shout as this is generally frowned upon. Hopefully you will see that this is reciprocated
• It is not acceptable to interrupt while someone else is talking, but once they have finished their point, it is perfectly OK to say that you do not agree and to explain why – even if you are disagreeing with one of your professors. As long as you can back up your point of view seriously, this will be seen as a positive contribution to the discussion
• All of the above come under what the British refer to as ‘manners’ – Manners are held in high regard in the UK. If you are polite, on-time and generally follow the other rules of what is acceptable: this is likely to get you a long way in the UK