Like any major city London can be daunting, loud, historic, busy, overwhelming and most importantly – exciting! London is also one of the biggest cities in the world and life, scenery, culture and architecture can change almost on a street by street basis. Offering a guide to every aspect of London would require a book (indeed we recommend some at the end of this section) but, for now, here is a guide to several parts of life in the UK’s capital city.
Rooms in shared houses are by far the most popular choice for students living in London and studying at Qantm. They start at around £70 per week, rising to £120 or more depending on size, quality and location. In order to stay in a shared house of flat in London or any part of the UK, make sure you have a tenancy agreement.
This is a legally-binding document that sets out the rules of your tenancy including the costs and what you get in return for the duration of your stay. If you run into difficulties during your stay then this could be the crucial document to help resolve issues, so make sure you have one and that you understand all its clauses before you sign it. The tenancy agreement usually runs for a specified period (usually six months) during which time either party will be able to terminate the agreement only by giving an agreed period of notice (usually a month).
Rents are normally paid weekly or monthly. If you pay weekly, make sure you remember that there are 4.333 weeks per month when you budget. Rents will be quoted as inclusive or exclusive of bills. If your rent is exclusive, you will be expected to pay water, gas and electricity on top of your rent which could be anywhere between £7 and £15 per week. Full time students will not be required to pay Council Tax in most Council areas. Other extra costs that you should factor in are a TV license which costs around £100 a year (with heavy fines if you get caught without one) and laundry costs if your accommodation is not fitted with a washing machine. You will normally also be expected to pay a deposit, often one month’s rent, up front before you move into a property. This will usually be refunded at the end of your stay although Landlords may deduct the cost of repairs or cleaning if they need to.
London is not cheap but, like most cities, costs vary enormously. Eating out can be expensive so it is always advisable to buy food at supermarkets to prepare lunches and evening meals at home. If not, a light lunch out, such as a sandwich, normally costs around £3 and an evening meal anything from £5 upwards. Pubs can be great places to socialize but drinks can be expensive costing anything from about £3.
There are several ways of getting around London from hiring a car to walking. We’d certainly advise newcomers against hiring a car, as novice drivers in London can easily get lost. Taxis are an option but quite an expensive one. We advise all students to make the best use of London’s public transport system as buses and tube trains go almost everywhere and day passes on either can be as little as £3 (with weekly passes even more affordable). Routes might seem initially confusing but learn the stations and stops local to your college and accommodation and you will soon be using public transport like a seasoned local. Full time students can also apply for Railcards to enjoy significant discounts. If you don’t want to use public transport then try walking or riding a bike – there are some great sites to see and it’s great exercise!
London, confusingly, has a number of airports associated with it including Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton and Stanstead, although none of these are in central London but actually a few miles away. (Only City Airport is close to the centre of the city.) The cheaper flights tend to go from both Luton and Stanstead although the larger airlines, such as BA and Virgin also offer discounts flights from the other airports. All the major airports have overground rail and bus services and Heathrow is serviced by both the tube and Heathrow Express trains.
We’ve already touched on drinks prices (above) but cheaper ways to fill your spare time include museums (plenty on offer, most with free admission), cinema (tickets cost between £4 and £10 depending on time, film and venue) or joining local sports and fitness clubs (costs start at £30 per month).
These can vary enormously but one rule of thumb is to never use a hotel’s telephone system, as this could be prohibitively expensive. A much better way is to buy phone cards from several outlets. STA Travel (www.statravel.co.uk) offer a card with up to 70% discount on international calls and other options include VoIP (Voice over IP) and Skype which requires a computer but can be free.
There are several student cards available including the International Student Identity Card (ISIC at www.isiccard.com) which offers discounts on a whole range of products and services for just £7. You can get discounted travel, food and MP3s – in short, everything a student needs!
Full-time students are covered by the UK’s National Health Service which entitles people to free treatment during their stay, but you must register with a doctor at a medical centre to get this and it does not entitle you to dental treatment which costs upwards of £30 for a check up.
If you were to add up all the average costs for living including rent, food, bills and socializing we estimate that students will need around £700 a month to live comfortably, although a word of warning: expensive purchases or particularly lavish nights out will increase this!
Yes. Of course one way to supplement your studies is with a job while you are in the UK. Any person holding a student visa is usually allowed to work for 20hours per week, although it is not advised to work full time while studying at Qantm London, as the courses are very intensive.
The Rough Guide To London
ISBN-10: 1843534614
Time Out: Bars, Pubs and Clubs
ISBN-10: 1905042043
www.cassandclaredale.co.uk
Cass and Claredale offer affordable student accommodation at several locations in London. For information on availability and costs call 0207 739 7440 or email
claredale@cassandclaredale.co.uk
www.accommodationforstudents.com
A free services for those looking for student accommodation within the UK.
Students can search properties, post notices of accommodation requirements, find estate agents, get advice about accommodation and read up on many other useful resources for students.
uk.easyroommate.com
This is a free site that allows students to search for rooms available or for roommates. Students may also place postings on the site of what they are looking for or what they can offer to other students.
www.intolondon.com
Offers a search service for students looking to rent a room in London. This site is a paid service with fees starting out at £2.50 per day. Registration is required to contact potential roommates.
www.studystay.com
This is a comprehensive site with information about student accommodation as well as information on student visas, insurance, health, safety and finances. It offers information on short-term accommodation (such as hostels or short stay facilities) as well as long-term student accommodation.
www.loot.com
Loot offers information on available accommodation for students as well as the general public. It also has listings for travel, motoring, music, hobbies and so on.
www.black-katz.com
Black Katz is London’s largest letting only agent and they have offices throughout London. They provide accommodation for students and have an online property search available.
Olivers - www.findaproperty.co.uk/olivers/index.html
An estate agent that specializes in the North London area. They offer an online property search of available flats.
http://www.saeuk.com/london/faq_lon/X69.php
http://www.saeuk.com/london/faq_lon/X68.php
http://www.britainexpress.com/London/living1.htmhttp://www.allinlondon.co.uk/life/index.php?fid=17&page=1
www.visitbritain.com
www.londontown.com