UKSSC Uni Guide 2012-13

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THE$UNITED$KINGDOM$–$SINGAPORE$STUDENTS’$COUNCIL$
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Dear$Pre8University$&$Prospective$UK8Bound$Students,$
$
You$ have$ reached$ yet$ another$ crossroad$ in$ your$ life$ and$ are$ considering$
$
higher$
education,$ beyond$ Junior$ College$ or$ Polytechnic.$ We$ understand$ the$
$
difficulty$ and$ complexity$ of$ making$ this$ decision,$ especially$ when$ there$ are$ so$
many$factors$to$be$considered,$some$of$which$include$variety/types$of$courses,$
location,$cost,$and$career$prospects$etc.$
$
To$ facilitate$ and$ help$ you$ in$ this$ decision8making$ process,$ the$ United$ Kingdom$
Singapore$ Students’$ Council$ (UKSSC)$ and$ Partner$ Singapore$ Societies$ from$ the$
various$ UK$ Universities$ have$ come$ up$ with$ a$ University$ Write8up$ and$ City$ Guide.$
The$Partner$Societies$have$each$come$up$with$a$succinct$and$informative$write8up$
about$their$respective$universities$–$the$facilities,$popular$courses,$student$life$etc.$
and$ we$ have$ compiled$ all$ of$ them$ together$ in$ to$ one$ single$ guide$ for$ your$
convenience$and$reading$pleasure.$
$
The$write8ups$contain$information$about$life$as$a$Singaporean$student$in$the$UK$as$
well$ as$ the$ general$ Singapore$ student$ communities$ in$ the$ various$ universities$
which$you$would$be$looking$out$for$when$choosing$a$suitable$university.$There$are$
also$ useful$ budget$ tips$ such$ as$ student$ meal$ deals$ that$ would$ help$ stretch$ your$
every$£!$Additionally,$we$have$included$a$mini8UK$Travel$Guide$featuring$some$of$
the$major$attractions$within$the$UK$so$that$you$will$be$able$to$make$full$use$of$your$
time$ when$ visiting$ friends$ at$ other$ UK$ universities$ and$ cities.$$
$
We$ sincerely$ hope$ that$ this$ guide$ will$ be$ useful$ in$ enabling$ you$ to$ find$ out$ more$
about$higher$education$in$some$of$the$universities$in$the$UK.$Do$visit$our$website$at$
http://www.ukssc.org$ to$ find$ out$ more$ about$ us,$ our$ initiatives$ and$ what$ we$
Singaporeans$do$while$in$the$UK.$
$
If$ you$ are$ looking$ for$ other$ universities$ that$ are$ not$ listed$ in$ this$ guide,$ do$ visit$
http://www.ukssc.org/partner8societies/and$ feel$ free$ to$ contact$ us$ via$
http://www.ukssc.org/contact8us/$ if$ you$ would$ like$ us$ to$ link$ you$ up$ to$
representatives$from$any$university$or$Affiliated$Student$Organisations$(ASOs).$
$
Thank$you$and$hope$to$see$you$in$the$near$future!$
$
Yours$Sincerely,$
The$UKSSC$14th$Executive$Committee$(2011/2012)$
!
Contact$Persons:$$
Leong$Shi$Wei$(General$Treasurer)$–[email protected]$
Haikal$Yeo$(Regional$Director$8$Affiliated$Student$Organisations)[email protected]$
$
$
$
$
THE$UNITED$KINGDOM$–$SINGAPORE$STUDENTS’$COUNCIL$
Featured(Universities(
Greater(London(
University$of$Cambridge$
Imperial$College$London$
King’s$College$London$
London$School$of$Economics$and$Political$Science$
University$of$Oxford$
University$College$London$
The(South(
University$of$Bristol$
University$of$Exeter$
University$of$Southampton$
The(Midlands(
University$of$Birmingham$
University$of$Leicester$
Loughborough$University*$
University$of$Nottingham$
University$of$Sheffield$
University$of$Warwick$
The(North(
Durham$University*$
University$of$Leeds*$
University$of$Manchester*$
University$of$York*$
Scotland(
University$of$Edinburgh$
University$of$Glasgow$
University$of$Strathclyde$
University$of$St$Andrews$
City(Guides(
London$City$Attractions$
West$Midlands$&$Stratford8Upon8Avon$
Oxford$
by$London$Universities’$Singapore$Societies$
Scotland$–$Glasgow,$St.$Andrews$and$Scottish$Highlands$
by$Scotland$Universities’$Singapore$Societies$
by$University$of$Warwick$Singapore$Society$
by$ Oxford$ University$ Malaysian$ and$
Singaporean$Students'$Association$(OUMSSA)$
*$Contains$information$from$2011/2012$version$
**Most$University$Writeups$also$contain$brief$information$about$the$attractions$and$food$recommendations$in$the$respective$cities.$
University*of*Cambridge*
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*
Introduction*
The!University!of!Cambridge!was!founded!in!1209!and!is!the!second<oldest!university!in!
the!English<speaking!world.!It!is!one!of!the!most!consistently!top<ranked!universities!in!
the! world,! being! ranked! first! in! the! world! in! both! the! 2010! and! 2011! QS! World!
University!Rankings,!and!is!famous!for!academic!rigour!and!for!producing!distinguished!
alumni!across!many!fields!of!study,!both!in!the!past!and!present.!!Want!to!see!where!
the!likes!of!Isaac!Newton!and!Charles!Darwin!once!studied!in!their!youth?!Or!the!lab!
where!Watson!and!Crick!discovered!the!structure!of!DNA?!Or!just!sit!on!a!punt!and!go!
down!the!famed!River!Cam?!It!can!all!be!found!in!the!beautiful!city!of!Cambridge.!
!
Academic*Matters*
Cambridge!is!a!multi<faculty!university!offering!a!wide!
range! of! subjects,! and! the! most! popular! among!
Singapore! students! include! Natural! Sciences,!
Engineering,! and! Medicine.! That! said,! Cambridge! is!
also!popular!amongst!the!non<science!students!for!Law,!
Economics,! and! a! range! of! many! other! arts! subjects.!
The! hallmark! of! the! Cambridge! learning! experience! is!
the! supervision! system! –! it! is! not! unlike! tutorials! in!
Singapore! JCs,! but! instead! of! having! a! class! of! some!
20<odd!people,!you!will!experience!learning!in!a!small!group!of!usually!2<3!people.!
Student*Life!
*
Cambridge! is! a! university! town,! with! the!
University! making! up! most! of! the! town! centre!
and!population.!As!such,!you!will!find!that!most!
things!are!a!stone’s!throw!away.!
!
Cambridge! is! made! up! of! 31! colleges,! and! all!
students!and!most!academics!are!attached!to!a!
college.! All! faculties,! departments,! research!
centres,! and! laboratories! belong! to! the!
university,! which! arranges! lectures! and! awards!
degrees,! but! undergraduates! receive! their!
supervisions! within! the! colleges.! Colleges!
provide! accommodation! to! students,! both!
undergraduate! and! postgraduates,! with! most!
students! living! on! the! main! college! sites.! However,! alternative! housing! arrangements!
such! as! living! in! college<owned! houses! is! also! possible.! Some! colleges! have! a! higher!
proportion!of!Singaporeans!than!others,!but!generally!one!should!be!able!to!find!a!few!
familiar!sounding!Singaporeans!in!each!college.!Colleges!have!their!own!sports!teams!
and! interest! groups,! and! often! organise! many! college! events.! As! such,! college! life! is!
definitely!an!integral!part!of!the!Cambridge!student!experience!!
!
Singapore*Community*
There! are! around! 200<250! Singaporeans!
studying! in! Cambridge,! with! a! very! active!
Cambridge! University! Singaporean! and!
Malaysian! Association! (CUMSA).! CUMSA!
aims!to!provide!members!with!a!home!away!
from! home,! and! organises! various! events!
throughout! the! year,! ranging! from! a!
freshers’! camp,! end<of<term! gatherings,!
Oxbridge! games,! to! the! annual! Asian! Food!
Festival,! where! you! can! enjoy! the! taste! of!
home! despite! being! far! away.! The!
Singaporean! community! is! close<knit! and! often! get! together! for! sports,! formal! halls,!
concerts!and!festive!seasons.!
!
Things*To*Do*
It!is!definitely!true!that!the!academic!aspect!in!Cambridge!is!as!challenging!as!one!can!
imagine! it! to! be! (or! sometimes! beyond! imagination),! but! Cambridge! students! do! not!
study!all!day!–!in!fact!they!play!as!hard!as!they!work.!Whether!you!are!an!avid!sports!
person,! a! budding! young! music! talent,! or! a! skilled! orator,! there! is! something! for!
everyone.!Most!colleges!have!their!own!rowing!clubs,!so!you!don’t!have!to!be!rowing!
at!the!University!level!to!be!able!to!enjoy!Cambridge’s!favourite!sport.!The!Cambridge!
Union,! the! oldest! student<run! debating! union! in! the! world,! is! also! famous! for! the!
speakers! it! brings! each! term.! Cambridge! also! has! a! strong! music! culture,! with! music!
societies!both!at!the!University!level!and!the!college!level,!catering!to!a!wide!range!of!
players!with!different!skill!levels.!All!in!all,!activities!at!Cambridge!can!be!as!rigorous!or!
as!laid<back!as!you!want!it!to!be,!there!is!really!something!for!everyone!as!long!as!you!
want!to!be!involved.!
There!are!also!many!places!to!visit!in!Cambridge,!with!the!King’s!College!Chapel!being!
one!of!the!most!iconic!images!of!Cambridge.!Other!places!of!interest!include!the!Bridge!
of!Sighs!at!St!John’s!College!(they!filmed!a!scene!of!Harry!Potter!here!),!the!Fitzwilliam!
Museum,! as! well! as! the! Mathematical! Bridge! at! Queens’! college,! which! was! built! by!
Isaac!Newton!without!the!use!of!nails!or!bolts.!
!
In!addition,!being!a!university!town,!Cambridge!also!has!fantastic!student!offers!for!all!
sorts!of!entertainment.!Whether!you!desire!a!night!out!partying!or!simply!relaxing!in!a!
nice!restaurant!overlooking!River!Cam,!prices!are!definitely!affordable!for!the!average!
student.!
!
!
!
Food*
Most!colleges!have!a!dining!hall!that!serves!both!lunch!and!dinner,!and!having!lunch!at!
colleges! located! in! town! is! a! popular! option! for! many.! Many! students! also! prefer! to!
cook!their!own!food.!There!is!a!range!of!cuisine!available!with!well!known!restaurant!
chains!such!as!Jamie’s*Italian,!opened!by!Jamie!Oliver,!as!well!as!La*Tasca*for!Spanish!
tapas.!Local!pub!food!offers!good!and!affordable!meals.!Some!examples!are!The*Regal*
Wetherspoons!and!The* Eagle,!where!Crick!and!Watson!announced!their!discovery!of!
DNA.!Asian!food!is!also! readily!found,!with! Seven* Days* and!Hong* Kong* Fusion* being!
common!choices.!You!can!even!have!karaoke!sessions!at!Hong!Kong!Fusion!!
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Getting*Around*
Cambridge!is!50!minutes!by!train!from!London,!which!makes!it!readily!accessible!and!
convenient! for! a! weekend! down! in! London.! The! nearby! village! of! Granchester! is! also!
known! for! its! picturesque! beauty! and! is! especially! popular! in! summer.! Another!
landmark!nearby!is!the!tourist!town!of!Ely.!
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Within! Cambridge,! most! colleges! are! centralised! in! town! and! the! Cambridge! town!
centre!can!be!traversed!on!by!foot.!Cycling!is!a!particularly!popular!mode!of!transport,!
as!Cambridge!lies!on!fairly!flat!ground!and!has!minimal!traffic!congestion,!especially!for!
colleges!that!are!further!out.!Cycling!is!sufficient!to!get!you!everywhere!in!Cambridge,!
including!the!town!centre!and!most!departments!and!faculties.!
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Weather*and*Climate*
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The!weather!in!Cambridge!is!mild,!ranging!from!0!to!20!
degree!Celsius!depending!on!the!time!of!the!year.!There!
is!a!fair!bit!of!snow!in!the!winter,!but!it!is!generally!mild!
compared! to! many! other! parts! of! England.! However,!
regardless!of!the!weather,!there!is!always!something!to!
see! and! do! in! Cambridge.! The! colleges! are! beautiful! in!
different! ways,! whether! covered! in! snow! or! decorated!
with!cherry!blossoms!in!full!bloom!in!spring.!
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The$Imperial$College$of$Science,$Technology$and$Medicine$is$well9known$for,$well,$science,$technology$and$medicine.$
Quite$self9explanatory.$It’s$also$famous$for$its$lopsided$gender$ratio$and$its$geeky$students.$
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JUST*THE*FACTS*
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Total!student!population!
Total!Singaporean!population!
14,000!
400!to!500!
!
12:1!
AAA!
38!
!
£24,500!per!annum!
£27,500!per!annum!(Year!1<3)!and/or!£39,150!per!annum!(Year!4<6)!
£22,500!to!£25,000!per!annum!
Approximately!£10,000!for!9!months!
£2,800!(triple!room,!standard)!to!£9,300!(single!room,!deluxe)!for!39!
weeks!
£50!per!week!
£15!per!week!
£50!per!week!
!
Student:!Staff!Ratio!
Average!A<level!entry!grade!
Average!IB!entry!grade!
Average!School!Fees!
Engineering!
Medicine!
Mathematics!&!Sciences!
Average!Living!Expenses!
Accommodation!
!
Food!and!toiletries!
Travel!
Entertainment!
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COURSES*OFFERED*
*
Sciences$
Biology,! Biochemistry,! Biomedical! Science,! Chemistry,! Geology/Environmental!
Geoscience,!Physics,!Mathematics!
Engineering$
Aeronautical! Engineering,! Biomedical! Engineering,! Chemistry! Engineering,! Civil!
Engineering,! Computing,! Electrical! and! Electronic! Engineering,! Information! Systems!
Engineering,!Mechanical!Engineering,!Materials!Engineering!
Medicine$
Medicine!
Business$
MBA,!Master’s,!Doctorate!
!
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RANKINGS*
*
UK!Rankings!
rd
• 3 !(The!Complete!University!Guide)!
th
• 4 !(The!Times!Good!University!Guide)!!
th
• 10 !(The!Guardian!University!Guide)!
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Global!Rankings!
rd
• 3 !(Times!Higher!Education,!Europe)!
th
• 8 !(Times!Higher!Education,!World)!
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!
!
A!Student!Perspective
LIFE!AT!IMPERIAL
$
!
Life!in!Imperial!invariably!means!you’re!living!away!from!home.!While!this!means!all!the!freedom!in!the!
world,! it! also! means! more! responsibility.! Some! of! you! may! be! used! to! doing! your! own! laundry! and!
cooking!your!meals;!but!for!others,!this!may!take!some!getting!used!to.!All!Imperial!halls!of!residence!(in!
which! first<years! are! guaranteed! a! place)! are! self<catered.! While! it! seems! that! cooking! is! time!
consuming,you’ll!be!able!to!find!out!whether!you’ve!got!it!in!you!to!be!a!chef!!All!first<year!international!
students!are!guaranteed!a!place!in!the!university’s!halls!of!residences.!These!are!all!either!twin!or!single!
rooms,!with!few!triple!rooms!in!some!halls.!!
!
Most! of! the! time,! we! get! around! on! foot,! since! 30! minute! walks! in!
London! weather! can! be! very! nice.! Recently,! public! transport! fares!
went!up!and!a!round!trip!on!a!bus!or!a!train!will!cost!you!about!£4.!
The!South!Kensington!district!where!Imperial!main!campus!is!located!
at,! is! quite! a! posh! area.! So,! you! don’t! have! to! worry! about! walking!
home! at! night! as! it! is! safe.! However,! don’t! push! it! –! London! is! not!
Singapore.!
!
“But,”!you!ask,!“how!will!I!make!friends?”!And!that’s!where!the!Imperial!College!Singapore!Society!(ICSS)!
comes!in.!The!ICSS!is!one!of!the!biggest!of!its!kind!in!the!United!Kingdom.!With!a!membership!of!over!
400!Singaporeans!in!Imperial,!you’ll!never!feel!alone,!especially!considering!how!nosy!Singaporeans!are.!
The!ICSS!is!a!very!active!society;!if!you!come!to!Imperial,!your!first!few!months!in!London,!you!will!be!
chock!full!of!Society<organized!trips!and!outings,!all!planned!with!freshers!in!mind.!
!
But! the! ICSS! journey! doesn’t! just! start! in! London.! It! also! organizes! a! pre<departure! talk! in! July,! an!
orientation! in! August,! and! a! fresher! pick<up! service! and! tour! on! the! day! you! move! in! to! your! halls! of!
residence.!All!of!these!are!organized!by!your!seniors,!who’ve!put!lots!of!effort!and!time!into!the!planning!
and!executing,!and!you!won’t!find!many!better!college!guides.!
!
THE!CAMPUS!
The! South! Kensington! district! is! a! fantastic! place! to! stay! in!! There! are! affordable! restaurants! and!
convenient!supermarkets!for!grocery!shopping.!Nearest!to!the!campus!is!Essentials,!a!small!supermarket!
which! sells! pretty! much! everything! you! need! for! a! basic! meal.! There! is! also! Tesco! Express! near!
Gloucester!Road!Tube!Station.!It’s!got!lots!more!stuff!than!Essentials,!but!is!slightly!further!away!from!
Prince’s!Garden!halls.!For!those!living!in!Evelyn!Gardens,!all!you!need!to!do!is!head!to!Fulham!Road!and!
you’ll!find!a!local!Sainsbury’s,!which!is!similar!to!a!small!NTUC!Fairprice.!The!biggest!supermarket!in!the!
area!is!the!Sainsbury’s!along!Cromwell!Road,!west!of!Gloucester!Road!Tube!Station.!It’s!got!pretty!much!
everything!you!need,!including!toilet!paper,!fruit!juice,!cakes,!and!ice!cream.!It’s!the!NTUC!equivalent.!!
!
!
!
Stuff! at! the! smaller! supermarkets! is! generally! a!
bit! pricier,! but! they’re! a! lot! more! convenient,!
especially!if!you!end!school!at!5!and!just!want!to!
make! a! simple! dinner.! Elsewhere! in! the! area,!
you’ll!find!a!Waitrose!(the!UK!equivalent!of!Cold!
Storage).!It’s!a!little!more!‘atas’!than!Sainsbury’s,!
but! it’s! right! next! to! Gloucester! Road! Tube!
Station.! However,! Sainsbury’s! have! greater!
variety.!
!
!
For! those! who! are! too! lazy! to! cook,! here’s! a! list! of! restaurants! and! eateries! you! can! find:!
!
Oriental*Canteen*
Price:!£3.50<7!
Location:!Along!Exhibition!Road,!north!of!South!Kensington!Tube!Station!
This$is$a$staple$of$many$Imperial$students$dining$out$haunts.$It’s$fast,$(relatively)$cheap,$and$you$can$
get$char$siew,$siew$yok$and$roast$duck$for$about$£5$here.$Free$flow$rice$for$rice$dishes!$Except$for$the$
fried$rice.$You’ll$get$a$funny$stare$if$you$ask$for$more$free$fried$rice.$
!
Bosphorus*
Price:!£5<7!
Location:!Along!Old!Brompton!Road,!southwest!of!South!Kensington!Tube!Station!
The$best$kebabs$many$of$us$have$ever$eaten!$£5.50$will$get$you$a$chicken$kebab,$along$with$a$small$
salad$and$a$big$piece$of$pita$bread.$It$should$be$more$than$enough$for$a$normal$meal.$Don’t$forget$to$
try$the$optional$extras$(which$cost$£0.70$more)$of$garlic$mayonnaise$or$mint$yoghurt!$
!
Gourmet*Burger*Kitchen*(GBK)!
Price:!£7<10!
Location:!Along!Old!Brompton!Road,!northwest!of!the!Evelyn!Garden!Halls!
GBK$is$a$burger$chain$that$has$pretty$darn$big$and$pretty$darn$good$burgers.$Fun$to$go$with$medium9
sized$ groups,$ especially$ because$ you$ can$ sometimes$ get$ discounts$ form$ studentbeans.com$ or$ GBK$
itself$for$great$offers$like$40%$off$any$burger,$or$2$for$1$burgers.$Not$so$great$for$dates,$because$eating$
burgers$can$get$kinda$messy.$
!
Subway!
Price:!£3!or!£5!
Location:!Right!next!to!South!Kensington!Tube!Station,!can’t!miss!it!
Subway$has$daily$offers$and$lunch$promotions.$Sometimes,$you$may$get$a$69incher$and$a$drink$for$£3,$
or$ a$ foot9long$ sandwich$ and$ a$ drink$ for$ £5.$ Usually,$ we$ take$ away$ and$ have$ a$ feast$ back$ in$ college$
(then$pass$out$in$lectures$later).$
!
The*Sandwich*Shop!
Price:!£2<4!
Location:!Along!Gloucester!Road,!directly!west!of!Imperial!College!
Kind$of$like$a$ripped9off$copycat$of$Subway.$The$sandwiches$are$slightly$cheaper,$but$also$slightly$more$
dubious.$What$goes$into$your$mouth$orange$will$come$out$the$other$side$orange,$too.!
!
!
BUDGET!TIPS!
If! you’re! living! abroad,! chances! are! you’ll! need! to! watch! your! money.! Forget! about! converting! into!
Singapore!dollars!and!comparing!it!to!stuff!at!home;!life!in!London!(and!Central!London,!at!that)!is!simply!
going!to!be!much!more!expensive!!
!
The!most!convenient!method!of!travel!is!walking.!You!won’t!get!(too)!sweaty,!and!it’s!free!!You!can!also!
consider!buying!a!bike.!However,!ensure!you!get!a!good!bike!lock!and!chain,!because!there!are!people!
who! will! cut! your! lock! or! chain! and! swipe! your!
bike.!We’ve!seen!instances!where!only!the!part!of!
the!bike!(the!frame!or!the!tire)!that!was!secured!to!
a!railing!remains;!everything!else,!like!the!seat,!the!
other!tire,!the!handlebars,!the!chains,!are!all!gone!!
!
Another! option! is! to! go! for! the! Barclay’s! Cycle! for!
Hire.! It’s! quite! convenient,! in! that! you! don’t! have!
to! always! look! out! for! your! bike,! but! there! are!
other! complications! that! arise! from! it,! like! looking!
for! a! parking! spot.! Remember! that! cycling! in!
London!means!cycling!on!the!roads.!If!you’re!not!confident,!don’t!try!it!!And!always!wear!a!bike!helmet!
when!cycling.!
!
If!you’re!living!in!halls,!consider!meeting!up!with!the!other!Singaporeans!and!form!a!cooking!group!of!4<6!
people.!This!way,!you!can!share!groceries,!which!normally!ends!up!being!much!cheaper,!and!you!don’t!
have! to! cook! every! day.! It’s! very! comforting! to! have! a! family! of! sorts,! where! you! relax! and! complain!
about!your!day!and!practice!your!Singlish!with!other!Singaporeans.!
*
For$ more$ information,$ visit$ the$ ICSS$ website$ at$ http://www.union.ic.ac.uk/osc/singapore/.$ You$ may$
contact$ the$ secretary$ of$ the$ Society$ at$ [email protected]$ with$ any$ queries$ you$ have,$ or$ the$
president$([email protected])$or$vice9president$([email protected]).!
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$
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*
University*of*Oxford*
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!
!
The! University! of! Oxford! is! the! oldest! surviving!
English<speaking! university,! and! is! consistently!
ranked!as!one!of!the!top!universities!in!the!world.!
Its!organisational!and!teaching!structure!is!rather!
different! from! most! other! universities! as! it! is! a!
collegiate! university! –! there! is! a! central!
administration! as! well! as! 38! colleges! and! 6!
permanent! private! halls! that! are! self<governing.!
Issues!like!accommodation!and!catering!are!done!
at! the! college! level,! and! many! recreational!
activities! are! organised! by! the! Junior! Common!
Room! (JCR)! committee! or! the! individual! societies! from! each! college.!
!
The!academic!year!of!the!University!of!Oxford!is!split!into!three!terms!of!eight!weeks!each,!with!a!
rigorous! syllabus! cramped! into! the! short! teaching! time! available! and! continuous! preparation!
expected!throughout!the!holidays.!Lectures!are!held!by!the!academic!departments!for!all!students!
taking! the! same! course,! whereas! tutorials! usually! involve! groups! of! 2<4! students! at! a! time! from! a!
particular! college.! Most! undergraduate! degrees! awarded! are! three<year! Bachelor! of! Arts! (BA)!
degrees,!but!science!and!engineering!courses!span!four!years,!culminating!in!a!Masters!degree.!By!
tradition,!BAs!are!eligible!to!be!upgraded!into!an!MA!after!seven!years!from!
matriculation!with!a!nominal!fee.!!
!
There! are! many! unique! traditions! to!
Oxford.! Academic! dress! such! as! gowns! are!
LSE(Library(
compulsory!for!examinations!and!for!some!
colleges’! formal! dinners.! Latin! is! the!
language!of!choice!during!the!matriculation!
ceremony!as!well!as!for!grace!during!formal!
dinners.!
!
Oxford*Town*
*
Oxford!was!established!and!developed!
much!earlier!than!many!other!towns!in!the!
UK,!hence!the!architecture!of!the!buildings!
is!more!ancient!and!much!grander.!Another!unique!fact!is!that!the!town!is!built!around!the!
university!(or!vice!versa);!there!is!no!‘campus’!per!se,!but!instead!buildings!and!private!houses!
scattered!everywhere!that!are!owned!by!the!university!(or!one!of!its!constituent!colleges).!Each!
college!has!its!own!line!of!history!and!famous!alumni,!and!is!open!to!the!public!on!weekends.!It!is!
possible!to!travel!around!on!foot!in!Oxford,!but!many!students!staying!further!from!the!town!centre!
choose!to!cycle!to!save!time.!
!
Singaporean*Population*
*
The! Singaporean! population! in! Oxford!
make! up! one! of! the! larger! international!
societies,!with!around!40!undergraduates!
per! undergraduate! batch! as! well! as! a!
number!of!graduate!students!as!well.!The!
Singaporean! Society! (OUMSSA! or! Oxford!
University! Malaysian! and! Singapore!
Students!
Association)!
provides!
information! and! support! by! regularly!
organising! various! activities! to! foster!
interaction! and! bonding,! as! well! as!
opportunities! to! meet! Singaporean!
leaders! from! the! private! and! public! sectors.! While! many! Singaporeans! have! British! and! other!
international!friends,!they!typically!like!to!hang!out!with!each!other!over!a!cup!of!coffee!or!a!meal!in!
an!Asian!restaurant,!or!study!together!in!the!library.!Singaporeans!also!have!a!tradition!of!inviting!
each! other! to! their! college’s! formal! dinners,! making! it! a! point! to! try! as! many! different! formals! as!
possible.!
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A Very Brief History
!! Founded in 1826, the first in London, and
the oldest and largest constituent college
of the University of London
!! The first university in England to be
established on an entirely secular basis,
and admit students regardless of their
religion and gender
!! Known as “London's Global University”
and boasts a large proportion of
international students for a diverse
university experience
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$
The UCL Main Quad
!! Notable alumni include Mahatma Gandhi, Francis Crick, Alexander Graham Bell,
Christopher Nolan, the whole of Coldplay, Chaim Herzog and Chao Hick Tin
Academic Rankings
!! Currently ranks 7th in the world on the QS World University Rankings (ranked 4th in 2010
and 2009)
!! Individual faculty rankings are also extremely impressive
!!
Boasts a wide range of courses and faculties – you can easily obtain a free hard copy of
the undergraduate prospectus online (www.ucl.ac.uk/prospective-students/undergraduate-study/form-request)
!! UCL graduates are extremely employable, and there are numerous career and networking
events with potential employers for graduate employment and internship opportunities
Tuition Fees
Most Arts, Humanities and Social Science courses; Law; Mathematics and
Statistics
£13,410.00
Most Science and Engineering courses; Archaeology; Fine Art; Built
Environment and Architecture courses
£17,560.00
Medicine
£26,190.00
Fees quoted are the 2011/12 figures
Student Life from a Singaporean Perspective
The City
!! UCL is located in the heart of London, and it is
really as central as you can get
!! The campus consists of the iconic main quad and
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$
$
many decentralised faculty buildings which are located nearby
!! A short walk to Oxford Street, Tottenham Court Road, Chinatown, and several tube and
train stations (Euston, Euston Square, Russell Square)
!! Most students live within 5 to 10 minutes
from a good plate of char kway teow or hor
fun, which can be really good even by
Singaporean standards!
!! UCL students live where the action is, in
one of the world's most bustling cities, and
will never be bored – there's something for
everyone:
!! There are musicals for the arty, football
matches for the sporty, shopping for the
stylish, museums for the history and art
$
buffs, good food for the hungry, and you'll
UCL SingSoc batch photo of 2011
$
be hard pressed to find anything that can top what you can find here in London for any of
these categories!
!! The area of Bloomsbury (in which UCL and most student residences are located) is also
reasonably safe, and comparatively much safer than many other areas in the city
!! Well-equipped student accommodation by UCL and the University of London, most of which
are well within the vicinity of the campus
!! An unofficial student accommodation guide by the UCL Singapore Society is also available
to prospective Singaporean students
Weather & Climate
!! Approximately 12-23°C in summer, 6-18°C in autumn and spring, 0-8°C in winter
!! Really not as rainy as most people are led to believe (far less rainy than Singapore!)
!! Living in London is relatively warmer compared to other regions of the UK, as the cold
winter winds are far less treacherous in the city
UCL Singapore Society
!! UCL is notable for a very strong, supportive
and active Singaporean community
!! Singaporeans comprise the second largest
group of international students in UCL,
currently 450 in total
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$
!! An active social calendar organised by the UCL SingSoc
!!! Expect a variety of fun events such as boat parties, plays and musicals, movie nights,
dinners, sports matches, celebrations of Singaporean festivals, bar events and a Freshers'
Camp
!!
Prospective students with any queries should feel free to contact the President of the UCL
Singapore Society, Mr Ashley Ong
(E-mail: [email protected], Facebook: www.facebook.com/ashleyong)
The University of Exeter received its Royal Charter and became the freestanding
University it is today in 1955. The St. Luke’s College of Education was incorporated in
1978 and in the year 2000, the Peninsula Medical School was established, in partnership
with the University of Plymouth and the National Health Services in the region. The
University of Exeter Cornwall Campus (Tremough) was opened near Falmouth in 2004.
The University of Exeter now has three campuses (Streatham, St. Luke’s and Tremough)
with the Streatham and St .Luke’s campuses based in the city of Exeter, Devon.
Academics
The University is part of the 1994 Group of Universities, making it one of the nineteen
internationally renowned research-intensive universities in Britain. Exeter has
consistently been placed among the top-tier universities in the country, coming in 10th in
the Times Good University Guide and 11th in the Guardian league table.
It offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate courses with a diverse range of
combined and joint honours programmes as well. Majority of the courses are held at the
Streatham Campus. Medicine, dentistry, clinical science, sport sciences and health
sciences are held at the St. Luke’s Campus. The bulk of Singaporeans are enrolled in
the School of Law and Business School.
The UoE attracts applicants from all over the world, where about 25% of the students are
International students, lending to a truly global experience one can expect from their time
at this University.$
Sports
The Athletic Union (AU) is responsible for administering all aspects of Sports Club
activity at the University. There are currently 49 sports clubs, ranging from Archery to
Windsurfing. The sports societies also perform well in the British Universities & Colleges
Sports (BUCS) competitions. The University is expected to finish 6th in the overall 20112012 rankings, with strong performances by the Hockey, Tennis, Lacrosse and Rugby
Union teams.
The University has recently announced a plan for an £8
million investment in sport. The new facilities at the
Streatham Campus will include a state-of-the-art health
and fitness suite, new studios for exercise classes and
upgraded tennis and netball courts, making the UoE home to one of the largest indoor
tennis centres in the United Kingdom.$
$
Student Life @ Exeter
Getting Around
Accommodation
The Exeter city centre is just a 10-minute
walk from Streatham Campus and a 15minute walk from St. Luke’s Campus.
There are also frequent buses from High
Street to the University with stops at
different student accommodations along
the way.$
All first year students are guaranteed
university accommodation. The newly built
Lafrowda accommodation is a short 5minute walk from the main Academic
buildings. Other student accommodations
are at most, a 20-minute walk form the
main campus.
The accommodation for St.Luke’s students
is at most a 15-minute walk from campus.$
Shopping and Food
Exeter is home to the Princesshay Shopping Mall, which houses 60 shops and seven
restaurants. Top Shop/Topman, River Island, Gap and HMV can all be found within
these shopping premises.
There are also a few Asian grocery stores available in Exeter, to cater to the large
number of international students who attend the University every year. Favourites such
as Milo and Maggi Mee are readily available as well as a wide variety of sauces and
spices.
There are also many little restaurants serving Chinese, Lebanese, Thai and Indian
cuisines. at affordable prices, with a number of them offering delivery options as well.$
Places to See
The Exeter Cathedral is the city’s main attraction and is a very beautiful gothic building. It
lays claim to having the longest unbroken stone beam of any building in the world. The
Cathedral holds frequent Choir and Orchestra performances throughout the year.
The Royal Albert Memorial Museum re-opened its doors on 15th December 2011 after a
re-development project. The new museum maintains its original Victorian splendor while
adding new architectural features and is home to collections ranging from Fine Art to
Zoology.
Little towns such as Topsham and Exmouth are a short train ride away from Exeter.
Broadway House is a Bed & Breakfast located in Topsham and is known for their award
winning cream teas. Beautiful beaches can be found in Exmouth, which is a favourite
destination for students and families in Exeter during the Spring and Summer seasons.
Bigger cities like Bristol and Cardiff are also a convenient drive away from Exeter.$
!
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON
About(the(University(
The$University$of$Southampton$is$part$of$the$Russell$Group$of$universities,$a$collaboration$
of$20$UK$Universities$that$are$highly$regarded$in$research.$It$is$also$ranked$number$14$in$
the$ University$ League$ tables.$ The$ origins$ of$ the$ University$ can$ be$ dated$ back$ to$ the$
founding$of$the$Hartley$Institution$in$1862$by$Henry$Robertson$Hartley$and$is$currently$
rated$as$the$top$10$in$the$National$Student$Survey.$
$
The(Campus(
The$ University$ has$ 4$ campuses$ in$
Southampton$ and$ 1$ in$ Winchester.$ The$
main$campus$situated$in$Highfield$which$
houses$the$main$student$facilities$such$as$
the$ Jubilee$ Sports$ Centre,$ the$ Students'$
Union,$ the$ Hartley$ Library,$ a$ range$ of$
cafés$and$restaurants,$a$bookshop,$a$post$
office$ and$ four$ major$ banks.$ Avenue$
campus$ provides$ a$ purpose$ built$
environment$ for$ the$ School$ of$
Humanities$ along$ with$ the$ Centre$ for$
Language$ Study.$ The$ Southampton$
General$ Hospital$ is$ one$ of$ the$ country's$
leading$ teaching$ hospitals$ and$ the$ base$
for$ the$ University's$ School$ of$ Medicine.$
Last$but$not$least,$the$Winchester$School$
of$ Arts$ is$ located$ 12$ miles$ north$ of$
Southampton;$in$the$historic$$
$city$ of$ Winchester,$ a$ short$ journey$ by$ train$ or$ bus.$ Its$ purpose8designed$ buildings$
include$ specialist$ art$ and$ design$ studios,$ workshops$ and$ a$ library$ with$ special$
collections.$
$
The(Student(Union(
The$ Student$ Union$ is$
located$ in$ the$ Highfield$
Campus$ and$ houses$ a$
cinema,$ a$ nightclub,$
various$ restaurants$ and$
activity$ rooms.$ The$
student$ union$ is$ very$
active$with$events$taking$
place$ throughout$ the$
year.$ There$ is$ also$ a$
union$ shop$ where$ you$
can$
get$
university$
merchandise,$ food$ and$
stationeries$
at$
discounted$prices.$$
$
$
$
! Popular(Courses(
The$ top$ 3$ popular$ courses$ amongst$ Singaporeans$ are$ Law,$ Podiatry$ and$ Medicine,$
with$ a$ handful$ studying$ Engineering$ and$ Accounting.$ The$ University’s$ Law$ and$
Medicine$ programs$ are$ well$ recognized$ by$ the$ respective$ professional$ bodies$ in$
Singapore.$ There$ is$ also$ a$ strong$ international$ community$ of$ more$ than$ 5000$
international$ students$ in$ the$ University,$ allowing$ one$ to$ engage$ with$ a$ myriad$ of$
different$people$and$learn$about$their$cultures.$
$
The(Singapore(Society(
The$ Singapore$ Society$ is$ a$ closed8knit$ Singaporean$ community$ that$ aims$ to$ create$ a$
“home$ away$from$home”.$It$connects$members$through$various$activities$and$socials$
organized$ throughout$ the$ year.$ Our$ annual$ activities$ include$ a$ summer$ chalet$ and$
orientation$ program$ for$ Freshers$ to$ bond$ with$ current$ students.$ We$ also$ organize$
Christmas$ parties,$ Chinese$ New$ Year$ celebrations,$ shopping$ trips$ to$ nearby$
Portsmouth$among$others.$We$currently$have$approximately$50$members$comprising$
mainly$ of$ Singaporeans$ and$ Malaysians.$ The$ University$ of$ Southampton’s$ Singapore$
[email protected].$
$
(
$
Halls(
$
There$ are$ various$ halls$ all$
$
over$
the$
town$
of$
Southampton$ to$ cater$ to$ the$
needs$ of$ $ students.$ The$
nearest$ halls$ to$ the$
University$ are$ Glen$ Eyre$
Halls$ and$ Wessex$ Lane$ Halls$
while$ the$ furthest$ is$ Orion's$
Point$which$is$in$the$heart$of$
the$ city$ centre.$ Rooms$ in$
these$ halls$ range$ from$
standard$ rooms$ to$ premium$
rooms.$
Further,$
the$
University$
guarantees$
accommodation$ in$ halls$ for$
international$students$during$
their$full$course$of$study.$
$
Student(Life(in(Southampton((
Southampton$ is$ a$ student8oriented$ town$ with$ shops$ catering$ to$ the$ student$ crowd$
through$ special$ sales$ and$ discounts.$ The$ University$ is$ conveniently$ located$ 15$
minutes$away$from$the$city$centre$and$5$minutes$away$from$Portswood$high$street,$
which$ houses$ many$ restaurants,$ takeaways$ and$ shops$ like$ Sainsbury,$ Waitrose$ and$
Farmfoods$for$your$groceries$and$daily$necessities.$$
$
The$nightlife$here$is$always$buzzing$with$various$socials.$In$order$to$cater$to$the$large$
student$population$in$Southampton,$cover$charges$and$drinks$are$considered$one$of$
the$ lowest$ in$ UK.$ There$ is$ also$ a$ wide$ variety$ of$ clubs$ and$ pubs$ which$ are$ easily$
accessible$by$the$Uni8link$Bus.$
$
$
Getting(Around((
!
Getting$around$Southampton$is$really$easy$
!
and$ convenient$ as$ the$ University$ runs$ an$
!
award8winning$ bus$ service$ “Uni8link”,$
*
which$runs$throughout$the$day$at$frequent$
*
intervals$of$10$minutes.$As$long$as$you$are$
*
living$in$one$of$the$Southampton$halls,$you$
*
get$the$free$bus$pass$for$the$year.$$
*
$ $
! $
$
$
Southampton$is$also$well$connected$by$the$
rail$ system$ to$ other$ cities$ in$ the$ UK,$ with$
direct$ trains$ going$ all$ the$ way$ up$ to$
Newcastle.$ It$ is$ only$ an$ hour$ and$ a$ half$
away$ from$ London,$ making$ it$ a$ frequent$
weekend$ getaway$ for$ most$ Singaporeans$
who$miss$the$hustle$and$bustle$of$the$city$
life.$$
$
$
$Shopping(and(Eating(
$
Southampton's$city$centre$consists$of$a$few$shopping$malls$such$as$Westquay$and$
$
Marlands,$ as$ well$ as$ a$ few$ large$ retail$ buildings$ like$ Ikea$ and$ Asda.$ You$ can$ find$
most$of$the$high$street$labels$such$as$Topshop,$River$Island,$Hollister$in$Westquay$
and$ if$ you$ prefer$ affordable$ fashionable$ finds,$ there$ is$ Primark$ just$ round$ the$
corner.$We$often$head$to$Portsmouth,$a$half$hour$train$ride$away,$for$some$factory$
outlet$shopping$at$shops$like$Ralph$Lauren,$Ted$Baker$etc.$
$
$
$
$
Due$to$the$large$Asian$community$in$Southampton,$it$is$very$easy$to$find$decent$Asian$
food$ all$ over$ Southampton.$ Also,$ being$ one$ of$ the$ main$ docks$ on$ the$ south$ coast,$
Southampton$ has$ developed$ an$ area$ called$ Ocean$ Village$ which$ boasts$ a$ few$ posh$
restaurants$by$the$sea.$Pubs$are$located$island$wide$in$Southampton$but$one$of$our$
favourites$ is$ “The$ Cowherds”,$ a$ pub$ that$ was$ historically$ the$ Titanic$ captain’s$
favourite.$$$
$
$
! Weather/Climate$
! Southampton$has$one$of$the$best$weathers$in$UK.$Being$located$along$the$southern$coast,$
! it$ has$ relatively$ warmer$ temperatures$ and$ sunnier$ days.$ However,$ winters$ can$ still$ be$
! chilly$and$the$wind$tends$to$get$pretty$strong$at$times$so$warm$clothing$is$very$much$a$
! necessity.$
!
Places(of(Interest(
!
There$ are$ countless$ parks$ in$
!
every$corner$of$Southampton$
!
such$ as$ The$ Commons,$
!
Riverside$
Park$
and$
!
Mayflower$ Park$ to$ name$ a$
!
few.$ These$ parks$ boast$ huge$
!
areas$
for$
recreational$
!
activities$ for$ everyone$ that$
ranges$ from$ soccer$ to$
!
watching$ flocks$ of$ swans$
!
float$by.$$
!
$
!
!
!
$
!
! $
! One$ of$ the$ popular$ places$ in$
! Southampton$is$Town$Quay$where$you$
! could$watch$the$sunset$as$ferries$enter$
the$ famous$ docks$ where$ Titanic$ once$
!
sailed$from.$Southampton$is$connected$
!
to$ the$ Isle$ of$ Wight$ by$ a$ half$ an$ hour$
!
ferry$ for$ pretty$ beaches,$ quaint$ little$
! shops$ and$ beautiful$ views$ to$ be$
! enjoyed$ on$ the$ island.$ You$ could$ also$
visit$ Bath$ and$ Stonehenge$ for$ a$ day$
trip.$$
$
!
!
The$New$Forest$National$Park$is$one$
of$ the$ biggest$ forests$ in$ the$
Hampshire$ region$ which$ is$
surrounded$ by$ small$ villages.$ New$
Forest$ is$ also$ a$ common$ sight$ for$
wildlife$ such$ as$ horses,$ cattle$ and$
deer$ (to$ name$ a$ few)$ that$ graze$ the$
woodlands$freely.$You$can$never$get$
bored$ in$ New$ Forest$ with$ activities$
like$cycling,$horse$riding$and$feeding$
of$the$animals$to$engage$in.$$
$
Should$you$require$more$
information$about$studying$in$the$
University$of$Southampton,$please$
do$not$hesitate$to$contact$the$
Singapore$Society$at$
[email protected].$
$
!
University*of*Birmingham*
*
The!University!of!Birmingham!is!a!traditional!British!redbrick!university!that!is!part!of!
the! prestigious! Russell! Group! of! research! universities! and! a! founding! member! of!
Universitas! 21.! It! has! attracted! students! from! more! than! 150! countries! worldwide,!
making!up!one!of!the!largest!international!student!community!in!the!United!Kingdom.!
With!the!latin!motto!Per$Ardua$Ad$Alta!(translated!as:!Through!efforts!to!high!things),!
the! university! strives! to! push! the! boundaries! of! knowledge! and! develop! great! minds,!
moulding! youths! into! independent! thinkers! that! are! capable! of! giving! back! to! the!
society.!
!
Birmingham*City*
Birmingham! is! coined! as! the! heart! of! England<! literally! located! in! the! Midlands,! it! is!
home! to!three!universities!and!two!university!colleges.!A!buzzing!city!empowered!by!
youth,! its! vibrant! city! lifestyle! is! what! that! makes! it! attractive! to! students! from! all!
around!the!globe.!
*
Student*Living*
Housing!is!provided!for!first<year!students!and!it!consists!of!three!villages!named!the!
Vale! Village,! Pritchatts! Park! Village! and! Selly! Oak! Village;! creating! a! safe,! welcoming!
and! sociable! environment! for! students! who! are! living! away! from! home! for! the! first!
time.! Each! village! is! made! up! of! different! halls! and! is! home! to! approximately! 3000!
students! during! the! school! term.! It! is! self<contained,! and! has! basic! amenities! such! as!
the!laundry!room.!
*
*
Singapore*Society*
The! Singapore! Society! is! a! student! body! that! functions! as! a! platform! for! all! the!
Singaporeans!living!or!studying!in!Birmingham!to!gather.!It!also!provides!support!for!all!
students!studying!in!the!University!of!Birmingham.!The!Singapore!Society!aim!to!foster!
a! greater! bonding! of! the! Singaporeans! living! in! Birmingham! through! hosting! monthly!
socials!and!activities.!Activities!include!chinese!new!year!dinner!and!baking!events.!
Shopping*
Birmingham!is!also!home!to!the!Bullring,!which!
is!the!glamorous!heart!of!Birmingham.!It!is!THE!
shopping! destination! that! is! located! just! a!
mere!10!minutes!train!ride!from!the!University!
station.! It! houses! over! 160! shops! including!
Debenhams,! Selfridges! and! Hollister.! It! is! an!
absolute!shoppers'!paradise!interspersed!with!
plenty! of! cafes,! bars! and! restaurants.!!
!
Nightlife*
*
Everyday! can! be! a! student! night! out! in! Birmingham,! making! it! an! absolute! treat! for!
night!owl.!The!clubbing!scene!in!Birmingham!is!so!vibrant!that!it!attracts!students!living!
in! nearby! Coventry! and! Leamington! Spa.! Apart! from! clubs,! there! are! also! bars,!
champion! comedy! clubs,! gigs! and! classics! from! the! Birmingham! Royal! Ballet.! With! a!
wide!variety!of!selection!to!choose!from,!your!options!for!a!good!night!out!will!never!
run!out,!thus!providing!some!good!consideration!for!the!very!much!coveted!pure!and!
unadulterated!fun.*
*
University*of*Leicester!
!
!
!!
Why*Leicester**!
Leicester!!is!!a!!relatively!!small!!city!!(73km2)!!that!!we!!have!!learnt!!to!!call!!home.!!Located!!in!!the!!heart!!of!!
the!!East!!Midlands,!!it!!is!!extremely!!well<<<connected!!via!!various!!modes!!of!!transport.!!One!!of!!the!!most!!
affordable!!cities!!in! UK,! Leicester!!is! also! safe! and! has! a! multi<<<cultural!!population!!only! rivalled!!by!
London.!!You!!can!!find!!almost!!everything!!here!!–!!from!!Chinese!!groceries!!to!!high!!street!!fashion,!!any!!
trendier!and!you’ll!have!to!head!to!London.!!!
Location/Transport!!
Leicester!!is!!served!!by!!Arriva!!&!!Central!!bus!!services.!!An!!unlimited!!
term!!bus!!pass!!cost!!£140!!while!!single!!trips!!cost!!£2.!!Most!!people!!
walk!if!the!journey!on!foot!takes!them!less!than!30!minutes,!even!!
in!the!snow.!!!
Buses!ply!Leicester!and!London!(and!to!almost!every!other!major!!
city)! from! St! Margaret’s! bus! station,! which! is! at! the! edge! of! the!
city!!centre.!!There!!are!!regular!!train!!services!!linking!!Leicester!!to!
the!!entire!!UK!!as!!well,!!with!!many!!commuting!!daily!!to!!Leicester!!
from!cities!such!as!London,!Nottingham!and!Birmingham.!!!
The spanking new
David Wilson Library!!
The!nearest!airport,!besides!London,!is!East!Midlands!Airport.!You!!
can!!also!!travel!! to!!Brussels!! or!!France!! via!!Eurostar!! trains!! from!
London.!!!
Weather!!
Spring!!brings!!a!!fresh!!wash!!of!!greenery!!across!!the!!city!!until!!the!!heat!!of!!summer!!drives!!us!!outdoors.!!
Autumn!is!beautiful,!with!red!crumbling!leaves!scattered!along!busy!pathways.!The!cold!of!our!quiet!!
winters!!is!!bearable!!although!!we!!have!!had!!lashings!!of!!snow!!over!!the!!past!!two!!years!!due!!to!!the!!
changing!climate.!!!
Cost!!
With!!its!!proximity!!to!!London,!!Leicester!!is!!very!!affordable.!!Prices!!of!!some!!common!!grocery!!items!!
(Morrisons!Feb!2012):!!
2L!milk!<<<!£1.30!!
Carton!of!18!eggs!<<<!£1.50!!
500g!dry!pasta!<<<!£0.80!!
250g!raw!bacon!–!£1.50!!
!!
!!
!!
Loaf!of!white!bread!<<<!£1!!
4!Braeburn!apples!<<<!£0.30!!!
1!7<<<inch!baked!cherry!pie!<<<!£1.25!!
1!can!baked!beans!<<<!£0.30!!
Attractions!
The!! National!! Space!! Centre!! has!! been!! strongly!! recommended!!!by!! astrophysics!! students!! for!! the!
intellectual! types! while! the! New! Walk! Museum! (a! stone’s! throw! from! campus)! offers! surprises! for!
the! archaeology! aficionado.! Picnic! lovers! can! choose! from! the! picturesque! Abbey! Park! (1! mile! north!
of! city! centre)! or! Victoria! Park! (in! full! view! of! all! your! schoolmates).! For! those! craving! for! spicy! food,!
our! ‘little! India’! is! located! in! Belgrave,! where! a! golden! mile! of! colourful! Indian! shops! welcomes! the!
enraptured! visitor.!Our!nearest!castle!is!located!at!Melton!Mowbray! (a!30<<<minute!bus!ride!away).!
Youth$hangouts!
High!! Cross!! Mall!! is!! the!! largest!!!and!! most!! modern!
shopping! centre! in! Leicester! City! Centre,! although! the!
narrow! streets! house! party! gimmick! shops,! vintage!
fashion! stores! and! health! food! shops.! ! Popular! party!
spots! include!!the! multi<<<storey!!Republic,!! edgy!!MOSH!
and!!the!!on<<<campus!!O2!!Academy.!!!! London!! Road!! is!
home! to! many! trendy! youth! pubs! such! as! The! Loaded!
Dog!!! and!!! Old!!! Horse!!! Pub,!!! while!!! the!!! Dry!!! Dock!
$ (conveniently!!! outside!!!Nixon!!!Court)!!!is!! a!! favourite!
$
chilling!
venue! of! the! Singapore! Society.! Alcoholic! drinks! in! most! pubs! start! from! £3/glass! and! some!
pubs!have!a!selection! of!more!than!30!types!of!beers.!
Visitors! are! spoilt! for! choice! in! terms! of!affordable! (about! £10)! food,! as! there! are! many! restaurants!
serving!! Spanish,!! Italian,!! Chinese!! food!! or!! even!! pub!! grub!! (think!! fish!! and!! chips!! with!! peas).!! We!
Singaporeans! get! our! dose! of!Chinese! food! from! Shanghai! Moon,! Red! Lantern,! Terracotta! and! Fatty!
Wang.!
Leicester!!also! hosts! the! annual! Leicester!!Comedy! Festival! every! February,!!which! is! a! crowd<<<puller!
with!more!than!fifty!different! gigs!all!over!pubs!and!cafes!in!the!city.!
Venturing$further!
Birmingham,! Nottingham! and! London! are! only! an!hour! or!two! away.! If!you’re! adventurous,! you! can!
walk!to!Market! Harborough! (warning:! not!a!market,! but!a!quaint!town)!from!Leicester! City!Centre.! It!
takes!4.5!hours!on!foot,!and!15!minutes! on!train.!
The*University!
Diversity!
Does! the! idea! of! getting! to! know! people! from! more! than! 100! countries! (from! as! far! as! Iraq! and! Syria)!
appeal!to!you?!With!a!melting! pot!of!nationalities,! the!University! of!Leicester! puts!racial!harmony! on!a!
global!scale.!Make!friends!from!every!continent,!especially!if!you!live!on!campus!or!partake!in!university!
activities.! Students! embrace! the! vibrancy! that! embodies! Leicester,! reaching! out! to! others! from!
different! cultures! and!reiterating! our!identity! as!international! citizens!in!a!shrinking! world.!
Good$academic$standing!
The!!University!! of!!Leicester!! belongs!!to!!the!!1994!!Group!!of!!internationally!! renowned!! universities!
engaged! in! leading<<<edge!!research! and! high! quality! teaching.! Graduates! of! the! university! remain! in!
demand,!!notwithstanding!! the!!fact!!that!!it!!is!!in!!the!!top!!2%!!of!!universities!! worldwide!! (QS!!World!
University! Rankings! 2011).!
The! University! of! Leicester! is! proud! to! be! at! the! forefront! of! scientific! discovery,! especially! when! it!
was!where! DNA!genetic! fingerprinting! was!developed! by!Sir!Alec!Jeffreys.! Unsurprisingly,! it!has!been!
ranked!! 4th! within!! the!!UK!!in!!Biosciences!! and!! 7th! in!!Medicine!! (Guardian!! University!! Guide!!2012).!
Accolades!!from!!Times!!Higher!!Education!!include!!“University!! of!!the!!Year!!2008”!!and!!“Outstanding!
Contribution! to!Information! and!Technology! 2011”.!
Also! a! popular! choice! of! potential! lawyers! and! doctors! hoping! to! attain! a! recognised!!qualification,!
the!! University!!!of!! Leicester!!!is!! accredited!!!by!! the!! respective!!!legal!! and!! medical!! associations!!!in!
Singapore.!
Cost!
Undergraduate!! programmes!!start!!from!!£11,450/year!! for! arts! courses!!to! £26,515/year!! for! clinical!
(medical)!! courses,!! while!!postgraduate!! programmes!! start!!from!!£11,450/year!! for!!arts!!courses!! to!
£17,530/year! for!an!MBA!to!£23,645/year! for!a!PhD.!
Scholarships!!are!!available!!and!!students!!receive!!a! further!!£200!!discount!!for! full!!payment!!of! fees!
before!registration.!
Student$Accommodation!
A typical room in Nixon
Court (on-campus)
The! student! village! of! Oadby! is! located! 30! minutes! away! from! campus!
by!!bus!!and!!is!!close!!to!!the!!newly!! built!!sports!!complex,!! inclusive!! of!
indoor!!swimming!!pool.!!Popular!!student!!accommodation!! includes!!the!
ever<<<expanding! apartments! at! Nixon! Court! and! high<<<rise! Opal! Court.!
Those! preferring! more! traditional! British! housing! (with! no! elevators! and!
Harry!! Potter<<<like!!!environments)!!!may!! opt!! for!! Mary!! Gee!! Houses!! or!
Salisbury!! Houses.!!Off<<<campus!!housing!!is!!always!!an!!option,!!although!
rental! often! does! not! include! utility! bills! and! some! effort! is!required! to!
house<<<hunt.!
Activities!
$
The! University!!of! Leicester!!is! home!!to! many!!clubs!!catering!!to! almost!!every!!interest.!!Many!!clubs!
charge! about! £20/year,! excluding! purchase! of!equipment/kit.! This!fee!may! include! optional! entry! to!
weekly!social!events,!which!mostly!take!place!in!a!(decent!and!trendy)!pub.!Some!highlights:!
Sports:!
Lacrosse! (a!typical! British! ball!game!formerly! played!in!private! schools! using!a!net!on!a!stick),! hockey,!
fencing,!! badminton,!! rowing,!! golf,!!tennis.!! Most!!outdoor!! sports!! are!!played!! at!!the!!Oadby!! Sports!
complex.! This! stretches! all! the! way! to! Stroughton! Road,! where! the! soccer! pitches! play! second! fiddle!
to!the!landscape.! Imagine! small!undulating! hills!and!endless!fields!as!you!train.!
$
Societies:!
Cheerleading,!! anime!! club,!! astro!! society,!! finance!! society,!! criminology!! society,!! Pro!!bono!! society,!
campus!!radio!!station!!(LUSH),!!ballroom!!dancing,!!curry!!society!!(endless!!culinary!!fun),!!and!!at! least!
sixteen!different! religious! societies.!
Our*SingSoc!
A!!close<<<knit!!community!!of!!Singaporeans!! is!!the!!nearest!!thing!!we!!have!!to!!family!!here!!in!!the!!UK.!
Having! shared! much! laughter,! food! and! new! travelling! experiences! together,! the! warmth! of! this!
community! makes! the! cold! weather! ever! so! bearable.! Good! food! and! fun! is! a! staple,! and! friendship!
is! never! lacking!! We! look! forward! to! welcoming! you! here! at! Leicester! and! share! with! you! the! place!
we!have!learnt!to!call!home.!
PS:!If!you! have! any! further! enquiries,! do!feel! free! to!contact! [email protected]!!or!find! out!
more!at!!www.le.ac.uk!!
!
!
Snowboarding(in(France(
Skydiving(
If!you!still!have!questions!on!anything!about!the!university,!town,!people,!food!or!anything!at!
all,!Please!feel!free!to!contact!any!of!us!below.!!
Nick*de*Cruz!
BSc!Sport!and!Exercise!Science!
[email protected]!!
Oliver*Lim!
BSc!Aeronautical!Engineering!
[email protected]!
Justina*Chan*
BSc!Sports!Science!with!Management!
[email protected]*
Wee*Xin*Jie*
BSc!Medicinal!and!Pharmaceutical!Chemistry!
[email protected]!*
University*of*Nottingham*
!
Affectionately!referred!to!as!‘Notts’!by!the!130!or!so!Singaporeans!studying!here,!
the! University! of! Nottingham! is! highly! regarded! academically! and! professionally,!
particularly!in!the!areas!of!law,!medicine,!business,!and!architecture.!In!particular,!
the! law! faculty! is! consistently! ranked! top! 10! in! the! United! Kingdom,! and! is! very!
popular! with! Singaporean! students! and! employers.! School! fees! range! from!
£11,420!for!Arts<related!courses!to!£15,780!for!medicine.!
!
A*beautiful*university*in*the*Midlands*
!
Spanning!five!campuses!in!the!UK,!as!well!as!two!
others! in! China! and! Malaysia,! the! University! of!
Nottingham! is! located! in! the! East! Midlands! –!
approximately! 2! hours! by! train! from! central!
London,! and! a! short! ride! away! from! major!
airports!in!Birmingham,!Manchester!and!the!East!
Midlands.!
!
The! main! campus! on! University! Park! is! where!
most! students! will! find! their! schools! located.!
Trent&Building,&University&Park&
Comprising! 300! acres! of! lush! greenery! and!
rolling! hills! dotted! with! period! and!
contemporary!buildings,!halls!of!residences,!meadows!and!even!a!lake,!it!is!widely!
regarded! as! one! of! Britain’s! finest! campuses! and! the! only! one! to! be! awarded! a!
Civic!Trust!Green!Flag!Award!every!year!since!2003.!
!
Djanogly&Library,&Jubilee&Campus&
A! 15<minute! hopper! bus! ride! away! from!
University! Park! is! Jubilee! Campus,! site! of! the!
Business! and! Computer! Science! schools.! This!
smaller! campus! is! a! multiple! award<winning! site!
with! modern! architecture! and! warm! wooden!
exteriors.! Both! campuses! are! known! for! being!
filled! with! natural! beauty! –! you! can! often! see!
squirrels!darting!between!the!trees!or!ducks!and!
swans!swimming!in!the!lakes.!
!
Located! midway! between! the! two! campuses! is!
Queen’s!Medical!Centre!–!the!local!hospital!and!
the! location! of! the! medical! school.! Due! to! the!
school! being! situated! between! the! two!
campuses,!medicine!students!can!often!be!found!
staying!in!halls!on!either!one.!
!
*
*
*
*
Life*and*living*
!
Because!of!its!premier!location!in!the!Midlands,!the!University!is!privileged!to!have!
access! to! sports! facilities! you! wouldn’t! otherwise! find! in! London! or! city!
universities.! There! is! a! fairly! comprehensive! gym! and! sports! centre! (including! an!
indoor!heated!swimming!pool!and!an!artificial!rubber!crumb!football!where!we!try!
to!get!a!kick<about!on!every!Sunday)!on!University!Park,!a!scaled<down!version!on!
Jubilee!and!a!smattering!of!sports!grounds!in!the!surrounding!areas.!
!
The!University!has!plenty!of!learning!space!to!suit!your!needs,!whether!it!is!a!rustic!
wood<panelled! library! in! your! hall! of! residence,! a! quiet! spot! on! the! meadows,! a!
conducive!room!filled!with!like<minded!students!in!your!school!or!a!solitary!booth!
in!the!library!you!require,!the!University!has!it!all.!
!
The!weather!in!Nottingham!is!generally!bearable!–!it!never!goes!below!<15℃!even!
in!the!dead!of!winter!and!rarely!above!20℃!even!in!late!spring!or!early!summer.!It!
never!pours!like!it!does!in!Singapore,!and!even!when!it!rains,!it’s!barely!a!drizzle!
you!don’t!even!need!an!umbrella!for!it.!Being!a!beautiful!award<winning!campus,!
the! flora! and! fauna! of! University! Park! and! Jubilee! follow! the! seasons,! and! burst!
into!joyous!bloom!in!spring!and!fade!into!melancholy!nostalgia!in!autumn.!While!
winter! is! reminiscent! of! Narnia,! but! only! when! the! typically! temperamental! UK!
weather!decides!to!snow.!
!
Accommodation*
*
Staying!in!one!of!the!University’s!halls!of!residence!is!an!experience!in!itself.!You!
will! find! that! we! have! an! honest! and! laidback! attitude! to! hall! life,! with! most!
Singaporeans!going!down!to!dinner!in!the!typical!shorts!and!slippers,!even!when!
it’s! freezing! outside!! Each! hall! has! its! own! bar! with! cheap! drinks! (sometimes!
serving! food! as! well),! a! Junior! Common! Room! with! games! tables,! a! telly! (with!
SkySports)! and! couches! to! laze! about! on! before! or! after! a! wild! night! out! on! the!
town.! Most! halls! are! well<furnished,! and! facilities! are! constantly! being! tweaked!
with! each! year’s! feedback.! The! support! staffs! are! great,! helping! to! receive! your!
parcels!when!you’re!away!and!fixing!or!replacing!broken!stuff!in!a!jiffy.!
!
Cost!of!rooms!on!both!Campuses!range!from!£113!to!£183!per!week,!inclusive!of!
meals.!Those!who!want!to!roll!up!their!chef!sleeves!from!the!get<go!can!elect!to!
stay!at!one!of!the!private!non<catered!halls!of!residence!that!sit!right!outside!both!
the! University! Park! and! Jubilee! Campuses.! These! generally! have! you! sharing! a!
kitchen! with! up! to! 6! others,! and! start! at! £90! per! week! for! a! single! bedroom,! to!
£135!for!an!en<suite!room!with!an!attached!kitchenette!that!you!can!call!your!very!
own!!
!
*
*
*
*
*
Diverse*and*vibrant*student*population*
!
The!University!of!Nottingham!boasts!a!large!and!diverse!student!population,!with!
international! students! making! up! about! 25<30%! of! the! student! body.! Many!
international! students! are! from! China,! Malaysia,! Canada,! Hong! Kong,! Thailand,!
Japan,!Korea!and!Africa!–!there!is!plenty!of!opportunity!to!make!friends!from!many!
different!cultural!and!ethnic!backgrounds.!
!
The!University!has!a!very!active!Student’s!Union!that!supports!over!250!clubs!and!
societies! spanning! a! vast! range! of! different! sports! and! interest! groups.! Plus,! if!
there!isn’t!something!that!suits!your!taste,!there!is!always!the!option!to!start!your!
own! club! or! society!! This! is! a! very! real! prospect! with! new! clubs! or! societies!
constantly!being!added!to!the!total!tally!on!a!regular!tri<monthly!basis!!So!there!is!
no! excuse! to! hole! yourself! in! your! room! studying! when! there! are! countless!
amazing!opportunities!for!you!to!make!the!most!out!of!your!university!life!!
!
Exciting*urban*living*
!
Nottingham! has! been! dubbed! one! of! Britain’s!
most!vibrant!and!cosmopolitan!cities!–!while!it!
boasts! an! impressive! history! and! famous!
legends,! it! is! also! modern,! culturally! diverse!
and! ideally! suited! to! student! life.! The! city!
centre! is! fairly! small! but! has! everything! you!
might! need.! There! is! a! wide! range! of!
restaurants! and! most! of! the! high! street! shops!
you’ll!need!for!Boxing!Day!sales,!two!shopping!
centres,! a! theatre,! a! stadium,! several! cinemas!
Nottingham&Playhouse,&Nottingham&
and! many! pubs! and! clubs.! The! city! also! holds!
many! events! in! the! central! market! square,! such! as! mini! Christmas! markets,!
outdoor! ice! skating! rinks,! and! even! a! Ferris! wheel.! For! nature<lovers,! there! are!
beautiful! parks! and! open! green! spaces! that! make! up! over! 20%! of! the! city’s! total!
land!area.!
!
Transport! in! Nottingham! is! great.! Unlike! the! major! cities,! there’s! no! need! to!
contend! with! heavy! traffic,! strikes! or! maintenance! works! on! an! everyday! basis.!
Transport! is! largely! served! by! an! extensive! network! of! buses! and! a! multitude! of!
efficient! taxi! companies,! and! if! you! split! the! fare! six! ways! you! just! might! end! up!
paying!less!than!a!bus!would!have!cost.!Further,!certain!buses!cost!a!mere!£1!for!
students,!what!a!way!to!save!up!for!your!Christmas!shopping!budget!(the!sales!are!
AMAZING)!!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
There!is!always!something!new!to!do!in!Nottingham.!The!Goose!Fair!carnival!and!
Bonfire! Night! are! two! notable! major! events! on! the! Nottingham! agenda.! The!
former!is!an!impressive!travelling!fairground!that!sets!up!shop!in!a!field!for!several!
nights,!with!seven<storey!rides!that!allow!you!to!take!in!the!city!lights!for!a!second!
before!plummeting!you!back!down!to!terra!firma!and!greasy!finger!food.!Big!name!
music! acts! regularly! perform! at! the! Arena,! as! well! as! a! whole! host! of! sporting!
events!happening!in!between.!For!the!culture!vulture,!there!are!regular!art!shows!
and! film! festivals;! theatre! productions! are! held! almost! every! week! and! there! are!
orchestral!performances!every!few!weeks.!The!city!also!boasts!a!thriving!nightlife!
with!a!wide!range!of!bars,!clubs,!and!even!karaoke!rooms.!
!
Home*away*from*home*
!
Representing! the! Singaporean! community! is!
the! Nottingham! Singapore! Society,!
informally! referred! to! as! the! ‘SingSoc’! or!
plain! ‘NSS’.! With! over! 140! members! from!
Singapore! and! other! countries,! we! serve! as!
the! point! of! contact! for! agencies! and!
organisations!back!home!as!well!as!conduct!a!
wide! variety! of! activities! such! as! shopping!
trips,! Chinese! New! Year! dinners,! karaoke! sessions,! barbecues,! film! nights,! an!
annual!theatre!production!and!even!paintball!competitions.!Your!family!away!from!
home,! the! Singapore! Society! is! very! welcoming! and! we! look! forward! to! seeing!
more!Singaporeans!in!Nottingham!!
!
Nottingham*Games*
*
The!most!notable!of!the!events!organised!by!the!Singapore!Society!is!the!annual!
Nottingham!Games!held!in!Winter,!which!sees!Singaporean!students!from!most!of!
the! various! UK! Universities! converging! here! for! a! day! for! ‘lahs’! and! ‘lors’.! The!
Games! is! traditionally! a! major! event! featuring! a! variety! of! sports! and! games! and!
has!come!to!be!regarded!as!the!foremost!sports!and!games!competition!in!the!UK!
for!Singaporeans,!its!purpose!to!gather!Singaporeans!and!Singapore!societies!from!
around!the!UK!and!foster!strong!relations!between!them.!The!wide!range!of!sports!
and!games!participants!can!compete!in!range!from!5<a<side!football,!touch!rugby!
and! floorball! to! Mahjong,! Poker! and! even! an! adventure! game! around! the! main!
university!campus!!It!is!very!much!a!friendly!competition!where!sportsmanship!and!
participation! comes! first! and! winning! is! secondary.! The! Singapore! Society! prides!
itself! in! organising! the! Games! and! looks! forward! to! welcoming! all! Singaporean!
students!in!the!UK!at!this!prestigious!event.!
!
!
For! any! questions/enquiries,! please! feel! free! to! contact! us! at!
[email protected].!
University*of*Sheffield*
*
The! University! of! Sheffield,! founded! in! 1905,! has! since! become! a! premier! research<led!
institution!with!a!population!of!over!25000!students!from!131!different!countries.!
!
In!2011,!The!University!of!Sheffield!was!awarded!University*of*the*Year*in*the*Times*Higher*
Education*Awards.*We*have*also*been!previously!named!Sunday!Times!University!of!the!Year!
and!our!Students´!Union!has!been!consistently!ranked!as!the!best!in!the!UK.!The!University!is!
ranked!amongst!the!top!10!universities!in!the!UK!and!the!top!100!in!the!world.!
!
A! city! built! on! seven! hills,! Sheffield! tends! to! be! quite! windy.! As! with! most! of! the! UK,! we!
experience!light!showers!rather!than!tropical!thunderstorms.!That!aside,!the!weather!is!fairly!
sunny!and!pleasant!for!most!of!the!year.!
!
Every! year,! the! University! awards! a! bond<free! scholarship! to! one! student! from! Singapore.!
There!are!also!bond<free!scholarships!(essentially!discounted!tuition!fees)!if!you!have!a!sibling!
or!spouse!who!has!studied!or!is!currently!studying!in!the!University.!
!
Our! Singapore! Society! is! relatively! young! as! we! used! to! be! part! of! the! Malaysian! and!
Singaporean! Society.! Despite! that,! we! are! a! close<knit! society! of! about! 70! members! and!
organise! and! participate! in! a! variety! of! events! (e.g.! Warwick! Summer! Games,! Nottingham!
Games)!in!addition!to!organising!our!own!(e.g.!Mid<Autumn!festival!dinner,!potlucks,!picnics,!
day!trips).!
!
[email protected]!if!you!have!any!queries.!
!
Student*Life*
!
Most!freshers!choose!to!stay!in!student!villages!or!communities!–!namely!Endcliffe,!Ranmoor!
or! Opal! –! and! move! out! after! their! first! year,! though! international! students! are! welcome! to!
stay!in!student!accommodation!for!the!duration!of!their!course.!You!can!choose!between!self<
catered!(six!to!ten!students!share!a!kitchen)!or!catered!(a!kitchen!for!the!whole!floor)!–!the!
only! difference! is! that! catered! students! will! have! credit! added! automatically! weekly! to! their!
eatwithUS!dining!card.!Student!communities!offer!a!free!weekly!movie!night!and!a!fortnightly!
board!games!night!amongst!other!events!such!as!yoga!or!Zumba.!
!
Most! students! walk,! cycle! or! take! a! bus! to! their! campus.! Buses! for! students! are! 50p! for! a!
single!trip.!
!
Goodwin!Sports!Centre!is!situated!close!to!the!union!and!offers!memberships!as!well!as!pay<
as<you<use! facilities! including! a! gym,! heated! pool! and! sauna,! bouldering,!
tennis/squash/badminton! courts! etc.! Students! staying! in! student! accommodation! enjoy! free!
access!to!Goodwin!on!Friday!evenings!from!7<9pm.!
!
Our!university!has!various!cafes!scattered!around!the!campus!and!you!can!pay!in!cash!or!with!
the!eatwithUS!card!for!convenience.!This!card!can!be!bought!online!from!the!University!shop!
and!topped!up!as!and!when!needed!(credit!never!expires).!
!
The! Union! offers! a! Give! It! A! Go! scheme! where! you! can! try! your! hand! at! different! things!
without! having! to! commit.! You! can! expect! our! 250! clubs! and! societies! to! offer! a! variety! of!
activities,! such! as! snowboarding,! tap! dance,! language! classes,! pizza<making! and! coffee<
brewing.!And!that’s!just!the!tip!of!the!iceberg!!
!
*
*
*
*
The*City*
Sheffield!is!the!4th!largest!city!in!the!UK!and!we!are!one!of!the!safest!large!cities.!Living!costs!
for! Sheffield! students! are! the! third! lowest! in! the! country,! about! 10%! cheaper! than! the! UK!
average!or!25%!cheaper!than!London.!Many!restaurants,!cafes!and!shops!such!as!New!Look!
offer! promotions! or! discounts! for! students!–! just! present! your! student! card! and! ask! if! there!
are!any!student!offers!–!you!could!get!up!to!20%!off!!!!On!Thursday,!entry!to!our!ice!skating!
arena!IceSheffield!is!just!£1!for!students.!
!
Situated! in! the! heart! of! the! Peak! District,! we! can! easily! access! the! gorgeous! Peak! District!
National!Parks.!Places!to!start!your!walks!include!Derwent!Dam,!Edale,!Bakewell!and!Dore.!
!
!
Peak$District:$Bakewell$
!
Travel! to! surrounding! cities! is! also! convenient! and! fast! –! it! takes! just! 45! mins! to! travel! to!
Nottingham!and!2!hours!to!London!by!rail!–!which!is!ideal!for!weekend!getaways.!The!closest!
airport!is!Manchester!Airport.!The!Union!regularly!organises!day!trips!to!different!cities!such!
as!Cambridge,!York!and!Oxford!as!well.!
!
For!all!your!shopping!needs,!we!have!the!city!centre!about!5!mins’!walk!from!the!union!as!well!
as! Meadowhall,! Europe’s! largest! shopping! complex.! Travelling! to! Meadowhall! takes! 20! mins!
by!tram.!
!
If!you’re!keen!on!sports,!watch!a!football!game!at!our!Sheffield!stadium!–!we!have!two!local!
teams! –! Sheffield! United! and! Sheffield! Wednesday,! or! visit! Sheffield! Ski! Village,! Europe’s!
largest! indoor! ski! village.! For! those! more! inclined! to! the! arts,! you! can! go! to! the! Lyceum!
Theatre!or!to!the!Crucible!to!watch!a!play.!
!
Looking! for! Chinese/Asian! food?! London! Road! is! your! best! bet.! Don’t! worry! about! Asian!
groceries! either! –! our! Oriental! marts! will! supply! you! with! your! familiar! favourites! such! as!
Indomie,!Lee!Kum!Kee!oyster!sauce,!pak!choi!and!even!Yeo’s!bandung!!
!
As! always,! there! are! plenty! of! things! to! do! and! see! without! having! to! spend! a! single! penny.!
You! can! find! live! music! being! played! at! certain! venues! such! as! The! Bowery.! Weston! Park!
Museum!and!the!Botanical!Gardens!are!also!free!to!enter.!For!two!weeks!a!year,!students!are!
entitled! to! free! Domino’s! Pizza! (just! be! sure! to! keep! your! vouchers! from! Freshers’! Week!).!
Furthermore,!you!can!visit!the!Millenium!Galleries!and!Winter!Gardens!in!the!city.!
!
Lastly,! here’s! an! interesting! bit! of! trivia:! English! indie! band! Arctic! Monkeys! was! founded! in!
Sheffield!!
!!
!!
!!
!!
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The!University*of*Warwick!(pronounced!‘warrick’)!is!as!old!as!Singapore,!!
having! been! founded! in! 1965.! Since! then,! the! university! has! grown! to! its! current!
intake!! of!! about!! 23,000!! full<<<time!!students!! (of!! which!! 6,400!! are!! international!
students)!!across!!30!!departments!!in!!Arts,!!Social!!Science,!!Science!!and!!Medicine.!!
Warwick!consistently!fares!well!in!university!rankings,!coming!in!as!6th!in!the!UK1!!
nd
2
and!!!!the!! 2 !! most!!!!preferred!!!!university!!!!by!!!!UK!!!!employers .!!!!Full<<<time!!
undergraduate!!tuition!!fees!!for!!2012/13!!entrants!!stand!!at!!£13,800!!or!!£17,600!!
per!!year,!!depending!!on!!course.!!Full<<<time!!postgraduate!!tuition!!fees!!for!!2012/13!! $
entrants!range!from!£12,800!to!£30,000!per!year,!depending!on!course.!!!
$
!!
The!!University**of**Warwick**Singapore**Society!!
is!!a!!185<<<member!!strong!!community!!of!!Singaporeans!!
and!!!non<<<Singaporeans.!!!Warwick!!!SingSoc!!!serves!!!to!
take! care! of! the! needs! of! Singaporeans,! provide!
opportunities! for! Singaporeans! to! make! friends! from!
different! parts! of! the! world! and! to! share! all! things!
Singaporean! with! the! rest! of! the! Warwick! student!
population.!!The! events! calendar! for! Warwick! SingSoc!
is! packed! through! the! year,! with! sporting! events! like!
the!!!!!annual!!!!!Warwick!!!!! Summer!!!!! Games,!festive!
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!!
$
Warwick$Summer$Games$!
gatherings!!!like!!!Christmas!!!and!!!Chinese!!!New!!!Year!
dinners,!our!annual!theatre!production!and!a!ski!trip.!!
Being!!a!!campus!!university,!!Warwick!!boasts!!an!!array!!of!!amenities!!to!!cater!!to!!your!!needs,!!all!!within!!walking!!
distance.!Warwick*Accommodation!provides!and!maintains!6,900!beds!for!students,!with!priority!given!to!first<<<year!and!!
final<<<year!!international!!students.!!Retail**outlets!!on!!campus!!include!!cafes,!!restaurants,!!bars,!!a!!hair!!salon,!!banks,!!a!!travel!!
agency,! a! pharmacy,! a! post! office,! a! Costcutter!
supermarket! ! and! an! in<<<house! ! printing! ! company.!
The!!!nearby!!!Cannon***Park***Shopping*** Centre!!!is!
where!! you!! can!! find!! a!! Tesco!! supermarket!!!and!
Seoul! Plaza,! a! store! selling! a! wide! range! of! Asian!
foods.! The! campus! is! also! home! to! the! Warwick*
Arts* Centre,! a! professional! arts! venue! which! hosts!
performances!!! and!!! exhibitions!!! throughout!!! the!
year.! Warwick* Sport! manages! numerous! well<<<!
equipped! ! facilities,! ! including! ! a! ! swimming! ! pool,!
squash!!!!and!!!!tennis!!!!courts,!!!!a!!!!running!!!!track,!!
astroturf!!and!!grass!!sports!!pitches,!!an!!indoor!!rock!!
climbing!centre,!a!gym!and!multiple!sports!halls.!!!
1
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!According!to!The$Complete$University$Guide$(2013)!and!The$Guardian$(2012)!!
!Reported!in!The$Graduate$Market$in$2011!by!reputed!market!research!firm!High$Fliers!!
2
$
Production$2012:$Chicken$Rice$Brawl,$held$at$the$Warwick$Arts$Centre$$!
The!campus! is!constantly! buzzing! with! activity,!
and! this! is! no! surprise! with! the! 260! student* societies*
and! 76! sports* clubs* that! we! have.! Students! are! spoilt!
for!choice! with!the!variety! of!societies! and!sports! clubs!
that! you! can! join;! from! break! dance! to! curry! society,!
and!!Thai!!boxing!!to!!canoe!!polo.!!Warwick**Volunteers*
!
links! up! students! with! the! local! community! through!
volunteering! projects,! such! as! tutoring! at! local! schools!
and! environmental! conservation.! There! is! also! a! range!
$
CNY$Dinner$2012,$held$at$Birmingham$ Chinatown!
$ of!part<<<time!and!holiday!jobs*available! for!students! to!
take!up!on!campus.!
Outside!!of! campus,!!the!!neighbouring!! city!!of! Coventry!!(commonly!!referred!!to!!as! ‘Cov’)!!and!!nearby!!town!!of!
Leamington! Spa! (commonly! referred! to! as! ‘Leam’,! pronounced! ‘lair999m’)! are! places! to! go! for! Warwick! students.! Despite!
its! name,! the! University!!of! Warwick!!is! actually!!located!!nearer! to! the! city! of! Coventry!!than! to! the! town! of! Warwick.!
Coventry* city! centre! is! 30! minutes! from! campus! by! public! bus,! where! students! can! shop! at! the! popular! retailers! like!
Topshop! and! H&M,! buy! household! items! from! IKEA,! eat! at! the! many! Asian! restaurants!! like! Noodle! Bar,! or! spend! the!
night! at! the! popular! nightclub! Kasbah.! Leamington* is! 45! minutes! away! from! campus! by! public! bus,! and! it! too! has! the!
common! high! street! brands,! many! good! restaurants! and! several! nightspots! like! Saint! Bar,! Smack! and! Evolve,! which! are!
frequented! by!Warwick! students.!
With! its!location! in!the!Midlands,! it!is!also!ideal! to!travel! out!of!Warwick! and!explore! other! parts! of!the!UK.!You!
can! catch* a* train* from! Coventry! or! Leamington! Spa! rail! stations,! or! take* a* coach* from! the! Megabus! boarding! point! at!
Cannon!!Park!!Shopping!!Centre!!or! the!!National!!Express!!boarding!!point!!at! Pool!!Meadow!!Bus! Station!!in! Coventry!!city!
centre.! Birmingham! is!20!minutes! by!train!from!Coventry! rail!station,! where!you!can!have!dim!sum!at!Chinatown! or!shop!
at! the! mega<<<mall!!that! is! Bullring! Shopping! Centre.! London! is! 1.5! hours! away! by! train! or! 2.5! hours! away! by! Megabus,!
where!you!can!spend!a!weekend! exploring! the!many!things!that!the!capital!has!to!offer.!Should!you!wish!to!go!to!further!
destinations!! by!!plane,!!the!!nearest**main**airports**to!!Warwick!!are!!Birmingham!! International!! (which!!can!!be!!reached!
directly! by!train!from!Coventry)! and!the!London!airports!(which!are!slightly! more!difficult!to!get!to).!
Visit!!!www.warwick.ac.uk!!! to!! discover!!!more!!!about!!!the!! University!!!of!
Warwick,!!or!!www.warwicksingsoc.com!! to! find! out! about! the! Singapore!
Society! at!Warwick.!
If!you! have! any!queries/concerns,! please! feel!free! to!send! us!an!email! at!
[email protected],!we!would!love!to!hear!from!you.!
You! can! also! connect! with! us! on! Facebook,! through! our! page! ‘Warwick!
Singsoc’! or! dropping! the! executive! committee! a!message! at! our! account!
‘Warwick! SingSoc!Exco’.!
We*look*forward* to*seeing*you*at*Warwick!!
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$
Durham*University*
Durham!essentially!embodies!everything!that!
Singapore!isn’t!–!for!all!the!right!reasons.!The!
cobbled! pavements,! quaint! architecture,!
rivers,! bridges,! castle! and! cathedral! form! a!
picturesque! brilliance! unlike! any! other! and! it!
easy!to!see!w! hy!it!is!England’s!favourite!city,!
second!only!to!Edinburgh!in!the!UK!based!on!
a!national!poll!in!2011.!
!
Collegiate*System*
An!!exciting!!aspect!!of!!studying!!at!!Durham!!
is!!that!!it!!operates!!on!!a!!collegiate!
system,! with! 14! colleges! in! the! main!
campus.! Students! at! Stockton! are! not! left!out,! with! 2! colleges! of!its! own.! Besides!residential! purposes,!
the!college!is!a!great!support! system!for!students,! from!bonding!with! your!fresher’s!reps! and!groups!on!
your!first!week!to!the!weekly!activities!organised!by!the!exec,!there!is!not!a!moment!of!sheer!boredom.!
Such!activities!include!battle!of!the!bands!and!inter<!collegiate!sports!competitions!to!bigger!skill!events!!
like!a!night!out!to!Newcastle,!etc.!
!
Each!college!has!a!‘personality’!and!come!in!‘different!sizes’!to!fit!everybody.!You!can! opt! to! go! to! a!
cosy,! small! college! where! literally! everyone! knows! everyone!(John)!or!a!bigger!college,!which!is!bursting!
from!so!much!energy!!Of!course,!there’re!the!go<betweens!as!well!for!people!who!want!something!not!
too!small!to!be!stifling!but!also!not!too!big!so!they!won’t!get!lost!in!the!crowd.!In!short,!there!is!
something!for!EVERYONE.!
!
Moreover,!! every!! week!! or!! two,!! depending!! on!! the!! college,!! students!! get!! an!opportunity!! to!! wear!!
gowns!! and!! attend!! formals,!! which!! are!! not!! unlike!! the!banquets!seen!in!the!Harry!Potter!films!(minus!
the!floating!candles!and!ghostly!companions,!of!course).! Every!college!also!holds!a!ball!every!term,!with!
various!themes!so!it’s!obviously!a!very!exciting!place!to!be!
!
Given!the!range!of!events!to!be!involved!in,!and!the!closeness!shared!with!other!students,! belonging! to!
a! college! is! certainly! a! perk.! No! matter! what! you! do,! or! have! not! done,! there! is! definitely! something!
for!you!to!do!here,!from!dance!to!rowing,!etc.!If!there!is!no!society!or!club!(yet)!catering!to!your!hobbies!
and! interests,! feel! free! to! START! IT! UP!! The! possibilities! of! what! you! can! do! here! in! Durham! are! simply!
endless.!
!
Most! of! the!colleges! are! catered! for.! This! means! that! students! get! their! meals!in!college,!7!days!a!week!
during!term!time.!However,!there!are!some!colleges!that!are!self<catered!for!aspiring!chefs/people!who!
don’t!want!to!eat!in!college!every!day.!So!you!have!the!option!of!choosing!between!these!two.!
!
*
*
Entertainment*
Coming! to! Durham! University! provides!
an! excellent! opportunity! for! an!
unadultera!ted!cultural!experience!in!the!
UK,!away!from!the!industriali! sed!hustles!
and! bustles! of! city! life! –! which! can! be!
easily! found! in! Newcastle,! a! 20<minute!
train! ride! away.! There! you! can! get! your!
quick!fix!for!authentic!Japanese/Chinese!
cuisine!amongst!other!local!fare,!short!of!
our! classics! like! Char! Kway! Teow! and!
Nasi!Lemak.!In!Durham!itself,!Golden!Pearl,!Zen!and!Fat!Buddha!provide!the!avenues!for!satisfying!local!
cravings!if!college!meals!don’t!strike!a!chord!with!your!taste!buds!(which!is!unlikely,!but!does!happen).*
As!such,!Durham!is!a!thriving!city!which!Singaporeans!will!find!no!trouble!assimilating!into.!The!sensible!
balance! struck! between! the! rustic! and! the! urban! provide! the! best! of! both! worlds,! exemplified! by! the!
lovely!indie!coffeehouses!and!fashion!boutiques!on!one!hand;!Starbucks!and!Topshop!on!the!other,!the!
latter!providing!customary!relief!to!the!everyday!labels!we!are!used!to!seeing!in!sunny!Singapore.!When!
night! falls! the! students! come! out! to! play,! revelling! either! in! cheesy! tunes! from! Klute! or! the! more!
contemporary!flavours!of!LoveShack!and!Studio,!which!is!hardly!any!different!from!what!you’d!be!used!to!
on!a!night!out!at!Zouk!or!St!James!!
Singapore*Student*Community*
For! those! who! yearn! for! home! and! find! the! harsh! winter! winds! a! little! difficult! to! bear,! Durham! has! a!
strong! Singaporean! presence! thriving! in! a! small! university,! with! amembership! of! 50! people! in! the!
Durham! University! Singapore! Society! (DUSS)! for! the! ! academic! ! year! ! of! ! 2010<11.! ! DUSS! ! is! ! active! ! in!!
bringing!!Singaporeans!!in!Durham!together!through!organising!annual!events!such!as!Freshers!Meet<up!
over! summer,! Guy! Fawkes! Fireworks! night,! Christmas,! Chinese! New! Year,! post<! exam! activities,! with!
socials! scattered! throughout! the! school! year.! With! everyone! being! very! involved! and! welcoming,!
incoming! Singaporean! students! will! not! feel! homesick.! The! nervousness! of! going! overseas! and! making!
friends! will! dissipate! within! minutes! from! meeting! the! friendly! people! of! DUSS.! There! is! also! a! parent<!
child! system,! with! 2! seniors! attached! to! the! fresher,! who! are! always! there! to! help! through! the! massive!
adjustment.!Indeed,!DUSS!is!a!home!away!from!home.*
Coupled!with!the!internationally!renowned!establishment!of!Durham!University,!the!compact!city!life!and!
historic!charm!speaks!very!much!for!itself!and!no!words!can!do!enough!justice!to!it.!If!you’re!looking!for!
an!experience!in!a!distinct!class!of!its!own!at!an!institution!with!all!the!right!credentials,!look!no!further!
than!Durham!University!!
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Originally*founded*in*1831*as*the*Leeds*School*of*Medicine,*the*University*of*Leeds*was*established*as*an!
$
independent*institution*in*1904*and*continues,*today,*to*be*one*of*the*leading*research*universities*in*the*UK.!
The City of Leeds…
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Is!situated!in!West!Yorkshire,!in!the!North!East!of!England,!within!which!it!is!the!main!cultural,!financial!
and!transportation!hub.!It!is!also!the!UK’s!largest!centre!for!business,!legal!and!financial!services!outside!
London.!
Is!the!5th! largest!UK!city!by!population,!behind!only!London,!Birmingham,!Glasgow!and!Liverpool…although!
it!is!a!student<oriented!city,!where!the!cost!of!living!is!considerably!lower!than!in!other!UK!cities.!This!means!
that!there!are!many!services!catering!to!the!blooming!student!population.!
Provides!a!healthy!balance!between!the!hustle!and!bustle!of!a!metropolitan!city!and!the!laidback!charm!
of!a!quintessential!English!town.!
The University: Facts and Figures
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teaching*excellence
The!University!of!Leeds!is!a!member!of!the!prestigious!Russell!Group,!which!represents!20!leading!
universities!in!the!UK!which!are!committed!to!the!highest!levels!of!academic!excellence!in!teaching!and!
research.!Through!these,!and!unrivalled!links!with!businesses!and!a!commitment!to!civic!responsibility,!these!
universities!make!an!enormous!impact!on!the!economic,!social!and!cultural!wellbeing!of!the!UK.!
Our!Vice<Chancellor,!Professor!Michael!Arthur,!is!Chairman!of!the!Russell!Group!board.!
An!enormous!range!of!courses!is!offered:!560!undergraduate!and!300!postgraduate,!with!the!most!popular!
courses!being:!Accounting!and!Finance,!Aeronautical!and!Manufacturing!Engineering,!Anatomy!and!
Physiology,!Art!&!Design,!Chemical!Engineering,!History,!Law,!Medicine,!Business!&!Management!Studies,!
Economics,!Literature,!English!and!Pharmacy!&!Pharmacology.!
Our!Dentistry,!Law!and!Medicine!programmes!are!recognised!by!the!respective!professional!bodies!in!
Singapore.!
The!student!population!is!diverse,!with!33,002!students!from!over!142!countries!–!of!which!there!are!25,000!
undergraduates!and!8000!postgraduates.!
We!have!won!more!environmental!awards!than!any!other!UK!university,!including!the!2009!Green!Gown!
Award!for!Continuous!Improvement!in!relation!to!our!transport!plan.!
Development funding
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modernity*meets*heritage!
developing*futures
The!University!is!particularly!committed!to!putting!fees!back!into!building!and!improving!a!wide!range!of!
student!facilities.!
By!2015!the!University!will!have!spent!£194m!on!state<of<the!art!new!buildings!and!facilities!<!crucial!in!our!
vision!to!be!in!the!top!50!universities!of!the!world!by!then.!
Students!and!staff!<!and!Leeds!residents!<!are!benefiting!from!new!sports!facilities!including!a!swimming!
pool!and!health!and!fitness!complex.!
Fees!are!also!actively!pumped!into!providing!scholarships!and!bursaries!to!students.!Thinking!about!studying!
law?!At!Leeds!all!successful!Singaporean!applicants!receive!a!yearly!scholarship!of!£1500!for!the!LLB.!
Student life at Leeds
Getting around
Shopping
We are a single site campus, so
everything is easily within reach! If you
live in halls on campus, look forward to
getting up 15 minutes before lectures.
Leeds is identified as the principal
regional shopping centre for the whole
of the Yorkshire region. With a generous
range of indoor shopping centres and a
sprawling network of pedestrian
shopping streets in the city centre, Leeds
has nearly every major brand and store a
student will need.
The city centre is a 15 min walk away.
Hate walking? The free city bus runs
frequently to town, 6 days a week.
Accommodation
Wide range of accommodation
available to all students.
We have the modern (Charles Morris
Hall) as well as the vintage (Ellersllie
Hall and Lyddon Hall).
In addition, most accommodations are
situated on campus.
Facilities
A state of the art Sports Centre (The
Edge) was recently built. It houses a
well furbished gym, two large sports
halls as well as a heated swimming
pool. The Edge is situated on campus,
and is thus convenient for all students
to utilize.
To add, there are many places to chill
and hang out after class. These include
our two union bars (The Old Bar & The
Terrace), cafes (The Hidden Café, Cool
Beans etc) and not forgetting our
communal dining area (The Refectory).
Leisure
The Leeds University Student Union is
known to be one of the best amongst all
Universities in the United Kingdom.
Some examples of activities organized
by the union include day trips to other
cities in the UK, and give-it-a-go
sessions (Paintballing, Go-Karting etc).
There is something to look forward to
every month in Leeds! For instance,
Guy Fawkes Day is celebrated every
November in Hyde Park with a
beautiful display of fireworks. During
the Christmas period, a German
Christmas Market and ice skating rink
is set up at Millenium Square.
To add, the Singapore Society also
organizes activities which aim to make
Singaporeans feel more at home.
(Trips: Alton Towers & Peak District)
(Christmas & CNY gatherings)
(Clubbing events with other societies)
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The! University! of! Manchester!(informally!Manchester! University!or!Manchester)! is!
a!public!research!university!located!in!Manchester,!United!Kingdom.!It!was!formed!in!October!
2004! by! the! merger! of! the!Victoria! University! of! Manchester!(established! 1851)! and!
the!University! of! Manchester! Institute! of! Science! and! Technology!(established! 1824).! It! is! a!
member! of! the!Russell! Group!of! research<intensive! British! universities,! the!N8! Group!and! a!
"red! brick"! university,! its! Victoria! University! predecessor! having! gained! a!royal! charter!in!
1903.!As!of!2012,!the!University!of!Manchester!has!around!39,000!students!and!10,400!staff,!
making!it!the!largest!single<site!university!in!the!United!Kingdom.!More!students!try!to!gain!
entry!to!the!University!of!Manchester!than!to!any!other!university!in!the!country,!with!more!
than!60,000!applications!for!undergraduate!courses!alone.!!
!
In!the!2011!Academic!Ranking!of!World!Universities,!Manchester!is!ranked!38th!in!the!world,!
6th!in!Europe!and!5th!in!the!UK.!The!university!has!also!been!ranked!29th!in!the!world,!8th!in!
Europe!and!7th!in!the!UK!in!the!2011!QS!World!University!Rankings.!
!
The!University!has!invested!more!than!£400!million!in!state<of<the<art!buildings,!major!
refurbishments!and!public!realm!works;!traditional!Victorian!buildings!are!joined!by!modern!
lecture!theatres,!laboratories!and!computer!labs,!with!contemporary!study!facilities.!The!Alan!
Gilbert!Learning!Commons!will!also!offer!students!a!flexible,!ultra<modern!and!stimulating!
space!in!which!to!relax!and!learn.!
The!University!of!Manchester!is!committed!to!its!sports!teams!–!we!have!2!student!gym!
facilities!on!campus!with!the!Manchester!Aquatics!Centre!nearby.!The!Athletic!Union!is!made!
up!of!46!sport!clubs!that!mostly!compete!against!other!Universities,!while!Campus!Sport!
provides!the!opportunity!for!fun!play!with!friends!in!a!series!of!leagues!within!the!University.!
With!more!than!9200!spaces!available!for!student!accommodation,!one!need!not!worry!about!
securing!accommodation.!The!University!also!guarantees!accommodation!for!all!international!
students!throughout!their!studies.!A!range!of!accommodation!is!available,!from!collegiate!halls!
to!modern!flat!styled!halls.!
The!Singapore!Students’!Society!of!Manchester!(SSSM)!is!one!of!the!largest!Singapore!Society!
in! the! United! Kingdom.! We! organize! 4! main! events:! Dinner! and! Dance,! Chinese! New! Year!
Dinner,! Graduation! Dinner! and! Orientation! Camp.! If! you! are! an! incoming! fresher! to! the!
University!of!Manchester,!you!can!attend!the!Orientation!Camp!held!from!16<18!August!at!the!
NRSCC!Chalet.!After!arriving!in!Manchester,!SSSM!will!be!organizing!a!welcome!dinner!for!the!
freshers!to!enable!them!to!get!to!know!each!other.!There!will!be!a!series!of!other!fun!activities!
to! be! expected,! such! as! sports! sessions! at! Sugden! Sports! Centre,! or! shopping! for! at! Cheshire!
Oaks! Outlet.! For! more! details! and! to! stay! updated,! please! go! to! our! website:!
www.sssmuk.com.!
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$
Manchester*as*a*city!
The!shopping!capital!of!the!North!West,!Manchester!is!packed!with!the!high<street!brands,!eclectic!
retro!shops!and!designer!boutiques.!Market!Street!and!Arndale!Shopping!Centre!should!satisfy!
even!the!most!addicted!shopaholic!with!its!range!of!shops.!The!list!of!stores!in!Arndale!can!be!found!
on! this! website:! http://www.manchesterarndale.com/stores.aspx.Of! worthy! mention! is! Northern!
Quarter,! tucked! away! in! a! corner! of! the! city! centre,! it! is! where! bohemian! shoppers! scour! for! their!
next!statement!piece.!You!can!also!find!a!nice!place!for!tea!at!Teacup.!(http://teacupandcakes.com/).!
City!Attractions!include!the!Imperial!War!Museum,!Town!Hall,!Cathedral.!You!can!also!visit!the!Old!
Trafford!Stadium,!by!taking!the!bus!250!or!X50.!
Housing!one!of!the!largest!Chinatowns!in!Europe!and!the!‘Curry!Mile’!where!there!are!more!curry!
houses!per!square!mile!than!anywhere!else!in!the!UK,!comfort!food!is!always!at!hand.!Prices!are!
also!wallet!friendly!with!student!discounts!at!most!places.!For!gourmets,!restaurants!such!as!San!Carlo!
and!Panacea!offer!gastronomic!experiences!where!one!may!also!find!oneself!rubbing!!
shoulders!with!football!stars.!
!
Pearl!City!is!a!restaurant!that!sells!Chinese!food!and!has!a!karaoke!lounge!in!the!topmost!floor,!and!is!
a!good!place!to!have!a!gathering!with!your!friends.!You!can!either!order!rice!with!dishes,!or!individual!
dishes.!You!should!try!the!prawn!mee!at!Pearl!City.!For!dim!sum,!Pacific!is!affordable!(30%!discount!
from!12<5pm)!and!the!food!is!great.!Try!the!wanton!in!chilli!paste.!Beside!Pacific!is!The!New!Emperor,!
which!also!sells!dim!sum,!and!there!is!a!50%!discount!on!Thursdays!and!Sundays!from!12<5pm.!For!
roast!duck!and!chicken,!you!can!go!to!Happy!Seasons!where!you'll!probably!spend!about!£8.!For!good!
Japanese!food,!Yuzu!is!a!cosy!place!to!go!to.!There!are!also!restaurants!selling!Thai!food!(Try!Thai).!For!
desserts,!Wasabi!sells!ice!shavings!in!a!variety!of!flavours!including!durian.!They!also!sell!bubble!tea.!
You!can!go!to!Ocean!treasure!at!Deansgate!for!dao!huay!and!custard!buns.!For!Korean!food,!Baekdu!
at!Northern!Quarter!is!good!but!can!be!a!bit!pricey.!Seoul!Kimchi!at!Victoria!Park!is!very!affordable,!
and!I!suppose,!more!catered!for!students.!
!
Manchester!boasts!one!of!the!biggest!nightlife!scenes!in!the!UK!with!a!whole!host!of!clubs!fighting!
!
to!conquer!the!student!market.!It!boasts!the!best!club!in!the!world!–!Sankeys,!which!brings!in!world<
class! DJs! weekly.! Pure! and! Tiger! Tiger! are! also! crowd! favourites! for! a! good! night! out.! For! those! in!
search! of! a! watering! hole,! Revolution! and! Baa! Bar! provide! drinks! for! a! reasonable! price! while! The!
Rampant! Lion! hosts! a! traditional! pub! evening! with! a! weekly! quiz.! The! crown! in! the! jewel! is! Hilton’s!
own!Cloud!23!where!one!can!lie!back!and!enjoy!a!panoramic!view!of!the!cityscape!while!sipping!on!a!
cocktail.!
Home!to!The!Smiths,!Oasis!and!The!Ting!Tings,!Manchester!has!a!vibrant!music!scene!to!boot.!Gigs!
are!regularly!scheduled!at!the!Manchester!Academy!(live!music!at!the!Students’!Union!)!with!student<
friendly! prices.!The! Academy!hosts! a!wide!range! of! acts! from! Joshua!Radin!to! Explosions!in!the!Sky,!
with!Nerina!Pallot!and!Far!East!Movement!slated!to!appear!later!this!year.!The!Apollo!and!MEN!Arena!
also!host!a!whole!array!of!gigs!and!shows!such!as!the!X!Factor!Live.!
Old!Trafford!and!the!City!of!Manchester!Stadiums!are!not!to!be!missed!for!any!football!fan.!Tours!
around! the! football! clubs! and! watching! football! matches! adds! to! the! quintessential! Manchester!
experience.!There!is!so!much!to!see,!hear!and!experience!in!Manchester!that!it!is!impossible!to!run!
out!of!things!to!do.!
For!the!times!when!one!needs!a!quick!getaway!from!Manchester,!the!Lake!District!and!Peak!District!
are!nearby.!Manchester!is!connected!by!train!and!bus!to!most!major!cities!in!the!UK!–!less!than!an!
hour!away!from!Leeds!and!Liverpool,!1.5!hours!to!Birmingham,!and!only!2!hours!8!minutes!to!London!
Euston;!travelling!is!made!easy.!
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OVERVIEW
$
On behalf of the Singapore Society at the University of York, we are more than happy to welcome you
with open arms! What makes York special, you ask? Well, firstly, York is a beautiful and scenic place
with very rich history! Did you know that after London, York is the 2nd most visited tourist destination
in the UK? You will be awed by the traditional and picturesque city centre. Unlike London, York is a
refreshing breakaway from the hectic metropolitan atmosphere. So if you are one for tranquil and
serenity, York is definitely the place for you!
Since the founding of the University in 1963, York has powered its way to a consistent top ten ranking
in the UK and is one of just six post-war universities to appear in the World Top 100.
York currently has over 60 Singaporeans studying a wide range of programmes at undergraduate and
master’s level. Popular programmes with Singaporeans at York include Accounting, Business Finance
& Management, English, History, Philosophy, Politics & Economics and Psychology.
The University of York, established
in 1963 is known as “one of Britain’s
academic success stories” (The Sunday
Times).
Currently ranked 8th best university in
the UK (The Sunday Times
2011) and 81st in the world (Times Higher
Education World University rankings
2010-11)
An international leader in research,
ranked in the top 10 in the latest RAE
2008.
Offers excellent support for our
students, with over 180 religious, cultural
and sport societies including the
Singapore Society.
Located in a safe and beautiful
parkland campus, in the historic
City of York.
Guaranteed on campus accommodation for the full duration of your
studies at York.
Located only 2 hours from London by
train and close to international airports
such as Manchester and
Leeds/Bradford.
The University of
York named
University of
$
The
Year, 2010 $
$
$
$
$
$
!
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ACADEMICS
Judges recognised York’s academic excellence,
social inclusion and impressive track record in
scientific discovery, by awarding it University of
the Year at the Times Higher Education Awards
2010
Excellence in teaching and research is at the heart
of the University of York. The University
endeavors to create an environment, which is
supportive, driven by innovative teaching and
underpinned by world-class research, whilst
maintaining high standards of quality.
Internationally renowned for its teaching and
research, our students find themselves challenged
and inspired to excel their expectations,
improving their employability and fulfilling their
ambitions.
Our university is a town in itself! York's campus is
huge and contains everything from a supermarket
to restaurants to gyms and you do not have to
step out of the comfort of the university to have
fun with your friends!
The
University
offers
undergraduate
and
postgraduate opportunities in the arts, sciences and
social sciences. York provides its students with a
supportive and cosmopolitan learning environment.
International students make up around 18 per cent
of the student population across all subject areas.
By coming to York, you will have a fulfilling and
fun-filled 3 years (or more), while graduating with a
strong degree. The Singaporean community in York
is relatively small as compared to our London and
Manchester counterparts, with a population of an
estimate of 60 to 70, since we are always expecting
Singapore exchange students to join our
community midway into school term. But this is
what makes the bond between the Singaporeans in
the York community strong. We hold events on the
average of once a month. We will ensure that no
one is left out!
For any questions pertaining to anything about
university at all, please feel free to email Aaron at
[email protected] or Daryl at [email protected],
the University of York SingSoc's President and VicePresident respectively. We hope to see you in York!
Undergraduate Programmes:
http://www.york.ac.uk/admin/uao/ugrad/courses/programmesbydept.cfm
Scholarship Information:
http://www.york.ac.uk/admin/intnat/before/finance/scholarships.htm
www.york.ac.uk/international
www.york.ac.uk/admin/intnat/countries/singapore.htm
$
The University of Edinburgh
Edinburgh University Singapore Students Society
[email protected]
At the heart of Scotland’s Capital
− 13 million tourists per annum
− UNESCO City of Literature & World
Heritage Site
− Home to the Scottish Executive
− Population of 450,000
− A European financial centre
− Top-ranking city in the UK in terms of
quality of life
− Best Small City of the future 2010/2011
The University
− Founded 1583
− 4th University established in Scotland, 6th in UK
− Only Scottish University to be a member of the
Russell Group, and the League of European Research
Universities
− University campus deeply embedded in the fabric of
the city, with many buildings in the historic Old Town
of Edinburgh
Academic Rankings
− THE-QS World University Rankings 2011
o 20th worldwide, 6th in the UK
− Times Good University Guide 2012: 11th in
the UK
− The Guardian University Guide 2012: 16th in
the UK
Individual subjects (UK)
− 1st for Nursing, 2nd for Veterinary
Medicine, 3rd for Medicine
− 3rd for Geography & Environmental studies
− 6th for Anthropology, Architecture &
Sociology
Tuition Fees
Medicine: £20,600 (per year for 2 years preclinical), £34,850 (per year for 3 years
clinical)
Veterinary Medicine: £22,600 (per year for 5
years)
Science & Engineering: £14,000 - £16,000 per
year
Arts & Humanities: £11,000 - £13,000 per year
!
!
Weather
The rain in Edinburgh is often a source of complaint among
both visitors and locals. The winters can be cold with
average temperatures about 0oC in January. In general,
expect to experience strong winds, rain, hail, snow, and
occasionally sun.
Transport
Most of the campuses, supermarkets and shopping streets
are within walking distance. Students most often walk from
home to school, although cycling is also popular. A single
bus trip costs £1.40.
Accommodation
Catered accommodation is available at Pollock Halls of
Residence, where breakfast and dinner are provided for
most of the academic year. Alternatively, self-catered
accommodation, also managed by the University, is also a
good option for those who prefer to do the cooking.
Internet access and weekly cleaning is provided in all
University accommodation.
!
Support
Academic support is provided by Director of Studies and
Class representatives. The Edinburgh University
Student’s Association (EUSA) is run by students for
students with student shops and cafes around the
University. The International Office provides support for
all International students.
The Singaporean Community in Edinburgh
The Edinburgh University Singapore Students Society
acts as a base of interaction between Singaporeans in
Edinburgh compromising 200 students.
The society will have its own pre-departure guidance
and social in Singapore shortly after the British
Council pre-departure briefing so watch out for
those!
We also have a mentoring scheme where a Year 2 of
the same course will help a Year 1 in settling down,
finances, registry and any other matters.
The society also organizes orientation trips around
the city and to Glasgow, events like the Singapore
Food Festival, Chinese New Year dinner & Mooncake
Festival and short getaways to the Scottish
Highlands.
Singaporean students per year (2012)
Medicine: 6 Bio Sciences: 5
Economics: 4
Law: 3
Vet Med: 5 Engineering: 4
Linguistics: 5
Post-grad: 4
NUS Exchange: 4
NTU exchange: 5
!
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!
!
The(University(Of(Strathclyde(
(
The$University$of$Strathclyde$Singapore$Society$(USSS)$
[email protected]$
!
!
*
Introduction(
(
The$University$of$Strathclyde,$Glasgow$was$founded$in$1796$
as$ the$ United$ Kingdom’s$ first$ Technological$ University$
taking$ its$ name$ from$ the$ historic$ Kingdom$ of$ Strathclyde.$
The$ University$ of$ Strathclyde$ has$ 4$ faculties:$ Engineering,$
Strathclyde$Business$School,$Science,$Humanities$and$Social$
Sciences.$ Both$ its$ Engineering$ Faculty$ and$ Business$ School$
are$internationally$renowned.$$$
!
$
th$in$the$UK$and$
The$Strathclyde$Business$School$is$ranked$7
!
the$ highest$ ranked$ University$ in$ Scotland$ for$ business.$
(Guardian$University$Guide$2012)$
Glasgow!and!the!University!
$
By$ virtue$
of$ its$ strong$ engineering$ faculty,$ the$ University$
!
ranks$ as$ the$ Top$ European$ Technological$ University.$ It$ has$
over$ 250$ knowledge$ transfer$ partnerships$ along$ with$ the$
highest$research$power$in$Scotland$and$is$within$the$top$10$
in$the$United$Kingdom.$(6th$Research$Assesment$Exercise)$
$
!
!
!
Location(
The$University$is$situated$in$the$heart$of$the$city.$Less$than$a$five$minute$
walk$ from$ George$ Square,$ Buchanan$ Street$ (one$ of$ the$ main$ shopping$
thoroughfares),$Argyle$Street,$and$Sauchiehall$Street,$it$is$an$ideal$place$to$
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
live$and$study$at$the$same$time.$$$
Other$ popular$ attractions$ like$ the$ Gallery$ of$ Modern$ Art,$ the$ Glasgow$
Cathedral$and$Glasgow$Necropolis$are$just$round$the$corner.$$
Getting(Here(
The$University$is$a$five$minute$walk$from$Buchanan$Bus$station;$providing$
express$transport$to$various$parts$of$the$UK$as$well$as$the$Glasgow$Airport.$
The$ Central,$ Queen$ Street$ stations$ and$ the$ subway$ are$ all$ within$ walking$
distances$from$the$university.$$
$
Student(Life(
!
(
!
Since$the$University$is$a$stone’s$throw$away$from$the$city8centre,$there$
is$ a$ variety$ of$ night8life$ entertainment$ for$ one$ to$ enjoy;$ from$ the$
!
Propaganda$Music$festival$at$the$O2$ABC$for$indie$music$lovers,$to$the$
countless$other$night8clubs$for$the$more$mainstream$music$lover.$
!
$
! Glasgow$ has$ proudly$ been$ organising$ its$ annual$ music$
Since$ 1911,$
festival,$ with$ over$ 7000$ performers$ of$ all$ ages$ and$ skill.$ For$ theatre,$
!
dance$ and$ drama$ lovers,$ the$ prestigious$ Glasgow$ Royal$ Concert$ Hall$
always$has$its$doors$open$for$a$wide$range$of$shows.$$
!
$
!
Being$ a$ UNESCO$
Creative$ City,$ Glasgow$ is$ the$ chicken$ soup$ for$ one’s$
creative$soul.$$
!
$
Adding$to$the$atmosphere$the$city$has$to$offer,$the$University$has$a$ten$
!
storey$ union$ building$ with$ pool$ tables,$ pubs,$ a$ club$ and$ several$ more.$
Weekly$ themed$
parties$ and$ various$ other$ exciting$ activities$ including$
!
pub$quizzes$are$organised$by$the$union.$$
!
$
Another$great$bargain$is$the$University$centre$for$sport$and$recreation;$
!
with$ an$ £82.50$ annual$ membership,$ this$ gym$ has$ to$ offer$ spectacular$
facilities$along$with$over$twenty$different$exercise$classes$ranging$from$
!
fitness$yoga$to$Zumba.$$
Accommodation((
!
Various$ multi8storied$ halls$ make$ up$ a$ University$ Village$ within$ the$
campus.$These$halls$have$their$own$feel$and$tradition,$making$the$choice$
$
very$important.$$
$
(
$
There$ are$ plenty$ of$ hostels$ and$ hotels$ for$ non8students$ to$ stay$ at;$ from$
Collegelands$ and$ Excite$ student$ accommodation$ for$ non8students$ to$
Premier$ Inn,$ Hilton$ and$ Radisson$ for$ those$ who$ prefer$ a$ more$
distinguished$stay$in$Glasgow.$$$
$
Food(
There$ is$ no$ shortage$ of$ eateries$ within$ or$ around$ the$ campus.$ Eateries$
include$restaurants,$fish$and$chip$takeouts,$kebab$and$donner$shops$and$
even$a$local$Kopitiam$serving$Singaporean$and$Malaysian$food.$
$
Apart$from$the$range$of$restaurants$to$choose$from,$there$are$stores$like$
Aldi,$Sainsburys,$Marks$and$Spencer$and$Tesco$which$cater$to$the$$
everyday$needs$of$a$student.$$
$
Weather(
Pleasant$temperatures$of$around$19°C$along$with$light$rains$are$common$
during$ summer.$ Winters$ in$ Glasgow$ look$ like$ they$ are$ right$ out$ of$ a$
postcard,$ with$ beautiful$ snow$ adding$ to$ the$ landscape.$ Although$ sub8
zero$ temperatures$ do$ occur,$ winters$ are$ rather$ pleasant$ compared$ to$
other$European$countries.$
$
Scotland!
Lovely! music,! be! it! from! bagpipes! or! from! talented!
buskers,! the! streets! of! Glasgow! are! always! filled! with!
life.! Glasgow! and! Scotland! are! tremendously! rich! in! its!
culture! and! heritage.! ! As! one! of! the!Celtic! nations,!
Scotland! and! Scottish! culture! is! represented! at! inter<
Celtic!events!such!as!Celtic!Connections!in!Glasgow,!and!
the!Hebridean!Celtic!Festival!in!Stornoway.!
From!Glasgow,!one!is!conveniently!located!to!explore!some!of!the!heritage!sites!that!Scotland!
has!to!offer.!These!include!the!Stirling!Royal!Place,!Loch!ness!in!Inverness!and!Isle!of!Skye.!One!
can! get! to! all! these! places! easily! from! the! Buchanan! bus! station! or! Central! Station;! walking!
distance!from!the!University!of!Strathclyde.!
!
University* of* Strathclyde* Singapore* Society*
(USSS)*
The! USSS! is! a! newly! established! society! aimed! to!
accommodate! the! increasing! number! of! Singaporean!
students! coming! to! Strathclyde! and! Glasgow! Caledonian!
University.! From! full<time! to! exchange! students,! there! is!
always!a!healthy!number!of!Singaporeans!in!the!USSS.!!The!
USSS! provides! orientation! sessions! for! Singaporeans! new!
students! to! the! University.! New! students! can! also! look!
forward! to! the! Glasgow<Edinburgh! Trip! organised! by! our!
partner!societies!early!in!the!semester.!
Another!point!to!note!is!that!all!members!of!the!USSS!are!automatically!members!of!Glasgow!
University!Singapore!Society!(GUSS)!and!are!invited!to!fun<filled!events!that!Glasgow!University!
organises;!keeping!a!united!Singaporean!Diaspora!in!Glasgow.!
The! Glasgow! Spring! Games! and! an! introductory! ceilidh! (Traditional! Scottish! Dance)! party! are!
some! of! the! earmark! events! organised! by! the! society.! The! USSS! also! takes! part! in! events!
organised! by! the! UKSSC.! The! best! part! of! the! USSS! is! that! you! don’t! even! have! to! be!
Singaporean!or!even!studying!at!Strathclyde!to!be!a!member.!
!
Have!a!look:!http://www.strath.ac.uk/comms/publications/prospectus/!
!
!
!
!
!
or email us at [email protected]!
$
London$Tourist$Attractions!
!
Westminster!Attractions!
Be!sure!to!check!out!free!walking!tours!from!groups!such!as!Sandeman!
Tours!when!you!first!arrive!in!London,!which!will!probably!bring!you!to!
locations!in!the!borough!of!Westminster,!such!as!'Big!Ben',!Buckingham!
Palace,!the!Houses!of!Parliament!by!the!river!Thames!and!Westminster!
Abbey.! These! are! all! must<visit! attractions! that! are! located! within! a!
walking! distance! of! each! other,! and! no! trip! to! England! is! complete!
without! a! picture! of! you! pretending! to! make! a! call! in! the! iconic! red!
telephone! booth,! of! the! Big! Ben! and! of! you! trolling! one! of! the!
Buckingham!Palace!guards.!
!
Big!Ben!
Houses!of!Parliament!
River!Thames!
Tower!Bridge!
Trafalgar!Square!and!Nelson's!Column!
Buckingham!Palace!
London!Eye!
St!Paul's!Cathedral!
Tower!of!London!
Westminster!Abbey!
!
Markets!
Don't! dismiss! these! immediately! –! these! are! nothing! like! the! wet!
markets! you! will! find! in! Singapore!! Borough! Market! sells! the!
freshest!of!produce,!seafood,!meats!and!bakery!products,!so!head!
down!one!morning!with!an!empty!stomach,!and!be!sure!to!try!out!
the! cookies,! scallops,! fruit! juice,! hot! cider,! barbecue! grill! and!
punnets! of! fruit.! You're! more! likely! to! find! an! array! of! clothes,!
accessories! and! delightful! oddities! at! the! Camden! and! Portobello!
Markets.!
!
Borough!Market!
Portobello!Market!
Buckingham Palace
Borough Market
Camden!Market!
Spitalfields!Market!
!
Museums!
The!museums!in!London!are!renowned!and!varied.!As!far!as!free!entry!museums!go,!everyone!
should! check! out! the! British! Museum! which! is! a! stone's! throwaway! from! UCL.! The! Tate!
Modern!features!an!excellent!collection!of!modern!art,!and!the!Natural!History!Museum!is!a!
huge!crowd<pleaser!for!everyone.!
!
As!for!museums!which!charge!for!entry,!Madame!Tussaud's!at!Baker!Street!is!the$place!for!pop!
culture! fanatics! and! really,! anyone! who! wants! a! photo! with! David! Beckham,! the! Queen! or!
Britney! Spears.! If! you! have! time,! you! could! also! check! out! the! Ripley's! Believe! It! Or! Not!
Museum!in!Piccadilly,!and!the!Sherlock!Holmes!Museum!in!Baker!Street.!
!
British!Museum!
National!History!Museum!
Sherlock!Holmes!Museum!
!
Madame!Tussaud's!Wax!Museum!
Ripley's!Believe!It!Or!Not!Museum!
Tate!Modern!
Parks!
Parks!are!a!great!place!for!recreation,!jogging,!sports!and!picnics,!
especially! when! the! weather! isn't! too! cold.! Green! Park! is! located!
near! the! Westminster! tourist! attractions! and! features! a! few!
prominent! statues.! Regent's! Park! is! a! great! place! to! spend! a!
weekend!afternoon,!with!sprawling!green!spaces,!ducks!and!swans!
in! the! lake,! and! paddle<boats! are! also! available! for! hire.! Russell!
Square!Gardens!is!a!smaller!garden!situated!near!UCL,!and!is!ideal!
for!a!picnic!or!a!morning!jog.!
!
Regent's Park Boating Lake
Green!Park!
Russell!Square!Gardens!
Regent's!Park!
Hyde!Park!
!
Other!Attractions!
Chinatown!is!one!of!the!most!frequented!places!(if!not!the!most)!by!
Singaporean!students!in!London,!and!an!obligatory!stop!for!students!
visiting! London.! You! can! get! great! Chinese! food! (refer! to! the!
Restaurants! guide)! and! lots! of! familiar! local! products! in! the! many!
Chinese!supermarkets!around!the!area!(New!Loon!Moon,!See!Woo,!
etc.).! The! nearest! tube! station! is! Leicester! Square! on! the! Piccadilly!
line.!Soho!is!right!next!to!Chinatown!and!is!packed!with!bars,!clubs!
and!notable!for!its!gay!community!and!nightlife.!
!
Chinatown
Harry!Potter!fans!will!definitely!recognise!the!King's!Cross!St!Pancras!
train! station,! and! you! will! want! to! look! for! the! wall! which! reads!
'Station! 9! and! ¾'.! There! are! also! a! lot! more! Harry! Potter! locations!
around! London,! namely! Tottenham! Court! Road! (the! Muggle! street),!
Millennium! Bridge! and! even! St! Mungo's,! all! of! which! JK! Rowling!
derived!her!inspiration!from,!so!keep!your!eyes!peeled!!
!
NEW! &! RECOMMENDED:! Harry! Potter! Studio! Tour! –! The! Making! of!
Harry! Potter! organized! by! Warner! Brothers! 30minutes! away! from!
London!at!Watford!Junction!
!
Katy Perry at the O2 Arena
There! are! always! lots! of! concerts! every! month;! in! the! last! academic!
year! we! had! acts! in! London! such! as! Katy! Perry,! Britney! Spears,! the! Arctic! Monkeys,! Boyce!
Avenue,! Coldplay! and! Westlife's! final! tour.! You! might! also! be! able! to! get! free! tickets! to! live!
recordings!of!shows!like!Britain's!Got!Talent!and!The!Voice!!
!
Also,! there! are! seasonal! attractions! such! as! the! Winter! Wonderland,! which! has! a! Christmas!
market!and,!lots!of!themed!rides.!
!
Chinatown!
King's!Cross!St!Pancras!
Wembley!Stadium!
!
!
!
!
!
!
Soho!
The!O2!Arena!
!
Shopping!
You!can!really!shop!till!you!drop!in!London,!and!best!of!all,!many!of!these!locations!are!within!
walking!distance!of!UCL.!
!
Covent!Garden!
Tottenham!Court!Road!
Restaurants!
In$Bloomsbury:$
Oxford!Street!
Westfield!
!
Musicals!
You! definitely! have! to! watch! musicals! when! you! are! in!
London.!If!you!are!from!a!university!in!London,!do!check!
with!your!SingSoc!to!see!if!there!are!any!musical!outings!
where! you! might! be! able! to! get! a! group! discount.! The!
biggest! crowd<pleasers! are! Les$ Miserables! and! Wicked.!
Note:!all!students!can!get!student!discount!of!up!to!half!
price! for! best! seats! (most! expensive)! tickets! of! most!
musicals! on! the! very! day! of! the! musical! subjected! to!
availability!so!be!sure!to!make!full!use!of!this!!
!
!
Wicked the Musical !
Bubasa! –! Thai! restaurant! near! Charlotte! Street!
China! House! –! Nearby! many! of! the! halls! and! ideal! for!
satisfying!a!late!night!hunger!craving;!closes!at!midnight!
Chop! Chop! –! Cheap! and! good! food! near! King's! Cross;! their!
sweet!
and!
sour!
chicken!
is!
not!
bad!
Ecco! –! Cheap! pizza! place! near! Charlotte! Street!
Gourmet!Burger!Kitchen!–!A!whopping!40%!student!discount!
from! Sunday! to! Thursday;! one! outlet! is! in! Brunswick!
shopping!arcade.!
(
China House
Hare! &! Tortoise! –! Serves! great! Asian! food,! and! frequented! by! Singaporean! students,! most!
often!for!char!kway!teow!and!prawn!mee;!located!in!Brunswick!shopping!arcade!
North!Sea!Fish!&!Chips!–!Great!fish!and!chips,!although!a!little!pricey!
The! Japanese! Canteen! –! Quick! Japanese! food! on! Tottenham!
Court!Road!
Valtaro's!Snack!Bar!–!Cheap,!big!servings!of!tasty!pasta!between!
£3!and!£5!
Yog! –! Delicious! and! cheap! frozen! yogurt! near! Charlotte! Street,!
ask!for!a!10%!student!discount!
In$Chinatown:$
!C&R! –! Serves! great! Singaporean! food! such! as! Hokkien! mee,!
laksa,! nasi! lemak,! Ipoh! hor! fun! and! mee! hoon! kway! (only! on!
certain!days);!located!in!a!small!alley!so!do!find!out!where!it!is!
!
!
London Chinatown
Four! Seasons! –! Has! 2! branches! in! Chinatown! and! 1! in!
Bayswater;! one! of! the! 2! great! roast! duck! restaurants;!
discount!available!with!the!SingSoc!card!
Misato! –! Cheap! and! good! Japanese! food! in! massive!
portions!
Rasa! Sayang! –! Has! a! wide! range! of! Singaporean! food! but!
less! popular! among! students! than! the! other! restaurants;!
discount!available!with!the!SingSoc!card!
Wong! Hei's! –! Cheap! and! tasty! Chinese! food,! if! you're!
willing!to!let!the!dismal!service!slide$
Misato
Other$locations:$
$
Assa! –! Great! Korean! food! near! Tottenham! Court! Road! and! Oxford!
Street!
Hummingbird!Bakery!–!Beautiful!cupcakes!(try!the!red!velvet!ones)!for!
those!with!a!sweet!tooth!and!don't!mind!lots!of!icing!
Gold! Mine! –! One! of! the! 2! roast! duck! powerhouses! other! than! Four!
Seasons! and! is! arguably! the! best;! located! in! Bayswater;! discount!
available!with!the!SingSoc!card!
Kimchee!–!Great!Korean!food!in!Holborn!
My!Old!Dutch!–!Sweet!and!savoury!pancakes,!all!for!£5!on!Mondays!
Gold Mine
Shanghai!Blues!–!Dim!sum!restaurant;!50%!off!on!Saturday!lunches!and!Sundays!
!
UKSSC(Regent’s(Park(Picnic(
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
Oxford*Travel*Guide*
Places!of!Interest!
<!Colleges:!many!of!the!University!of!Oxford’s!colleges!have!beautiful!architecture!and!a!unique!history!to!
match,!making!that!one!of!the!main!reasons!why!tourists!come!to!visit!Oxford.!
<!Christ!Church:!The!scenes!from!the!dining!hall!in!Harry!Potter!were!filmed!in!this!very!location.!Other!
movies!filmed!here!include!Alice!in!Wonderland!and!Brideshead!Revisited.!Christ!Church!has!a!breathtaking!
quad!(Tom!Quad)!by!the!entrance,!and!has!other!grand!buildings!like!the!cathedral!and!library.!!
<!Magdalen!College:!Many!people!reckon!that!Magdalen!is!the!most!beautiful!out!of!all!the!colleges!in!
Oxford.!It!has!huge!grounds!which!include!the!Grove!(a!deer!park!with!deer!inside!),!Addison’s!Walk!(a!
footpath!next!to!the!River!Cherwell),!and!other!gardens!and!meadows!filled!with!beautiful!flora.!!
<!Worcester!College:!Its!sprawling!grounds!house!buildings!that!range!from!different!points!of!time!in!
history;!there!are!medieval!buildings!amongst!the!oldest!in!Oxford!known!as!‘the!cottages’.!It!also!has!many!
picturesque!gardens,!as!well!as!a!number!of!playing!fields!and!a!lake.!
<!Museums:!There!are!a!number!of!museums!in!Oxford!that!have!year<round!special!exhibitions!and!tours.!
The!Ashmolean!Museum!has!ancient!treasures!from!different!cultures!across!the!ages,!and!is!has!some!of!
the! most! important! art! and! archaeology! collections! in! the! UK.! The! Oxford! University! Museum! of! Natural!
History! (geology,! mineralogy,! zoology! and! entomology)! and! the! Pitt! Rivers! Museum! (archaeology! and!
anthropology)!next!to!it!are!also!interesting!finds.!
<!Churches:!There!are!several!churches!in!Oxford!but!the!most!popular!among!Singaporean!students!is!St!
Ebbes,! an! Anglican! church! with! a! vibrant! youth! ministry! located! at! Pennyfarthing! Place! just! behind!
Westgate!Shopping!Centre.!The!second!most!popular!would!probably!be!St!Aldates,!located!opposite!Christ!
Church! College;! there! is! an! equally! dynamic! and! active! student! community! but! the! style! of! the! services!
here,!being!more!charismatic,!differ!from!that!of!St!Ebbes’s.!These!two!churches!are!centrally!located,!as!is!
another! less! popular! church,! the! Wesley! Memorial! Church.! There! is! also! the! Oxford! Community! Church,!
which!is!slightly!farther!–!a!15<minute!bicycle!ride!away!from!town!centre.!
<!Bodleian!Library!/Gladstone!Link/Radcliffe!Camera:!The!Bodleian!Library!is!the!main!research!library!of!the!
University! of! Oxford! and! is! the! second! largest! library! in! the! England.! It! has! expanded! over! the! years! to!
receive!the!growing!collection!of!books!and!articles.!The!Radcliffe!Camera!is!a!standalone!expansion!that!
has! a! distinct! circular! architecture;! it! is! connected! by! an!
underground! passage! (Gladstone! Link)! to! the! Bodleian!
Library.!
<! Oxford! City! Centre:! The! city! is! centred! on! Cornmarket!
Street,! a! pedestrian<only! walkway! during! the! day,! and!
includes! High! Street,! Queen! Street,! Broad! Street! and!
George!Street.!You!can!do!all!the!shopping!you!want!here!
for!clothes,!groceries,!as!well!as!take!your!pick!from!a!large!
range!of!restaurants!specialising!in!various!cuisines!!
<! Oxford! Castle:! This! is! a! partly! ruined! Norman! medieval!
castle! that! sits! on! a! hill! in! the! west! of! Oxford.! The! castle!
played!a!part!in!the!Anarchy!and!was!later!destroyed!during!the!English!Civil!War!and!converted!to!a!prison.!
Today,!there!are!shops!and!cafes!and!even!a!hotel!to!be!found!in!the!surviving!parts!of!the!castle.!
!
<!University!Parks:!Fancy!a!peaceful!stroll!to!admire!the!great!weather!and!scenery?!University!Parks!is!one!
of! the! more! central! and! large! parks! in! the! area,! and! colleges! often! hold! sporting! activities! here.! You! can!
always! sit! down! on! the! grass! for! a! picnic! or! take! a!
jog!around!the!perimeter!to!clear!your!mind.!
Activities!
<! Punting:! Only! available! in! the! summer,! this! is! an!
experience! that! everyone! should! definitely! try!!
Oxford! is! famous! for! its! river! and! punting! involves!
standing! at! the! rear! of! a! punt! (a! type! of! boat)! and!
using!a!pole!to!push!oneself!forward.!Beginners!are!
often!unable!to!get!the!hang!of!it!at!the!start,!which!
results! in! many! interesting! and! awkward! situations!
that!add!to!the!fun!!
Recommended!Food!
<!There!is!a!wide!variety!of!food!in!Oxford,!including!a!reasonable!price!range!as!well,!with!anything!from!£2!
to!£15!–!be!sure!to!check!out!www.studentbeans.com!for!regular!food<related!discounts.!This!section!does!
not!take!into!account!the!option!of!cooking,!which!many!but!not!all!Oxford!students!like!to!do.!
<!Midnight!pick<me<ups:!The!only!options!available!to!those!who!are!hungry!around!midnight!are!the!
kebab!vans!scattered!all!over!Oxford;!you’re!not!limited!to!kebabs!either!and!can!get!just!about!any!
type!of!fast!food,!from!burgers!and!fries!(or!‘chips’)!to!chilli!con!carne.!Prices!are!around!£2!to!£4,!
once!again,!depending!on!what!you!order.!Literally!set!in!a!trailer!van,!these!are!not!difficult!to!spot!
at!their!various!locations:!High!St,!Cornmarket!St,!Broad!St,!towards!Westgate!Shopping!Centre,!etc.!
In!fact,!you!can!smell!them!before!you!see!them.!
<!Cafes:!Aside!from!the!quintessential!Starbucks,!Café!Nero!and!Prete!a!Manger,!there!are!a!couple!of!
other!quaint!and!arguably!better!options!for!say,!a!chat!with!a!friend!over!a!coffee!and!a!sandwich.!
Some!choice!picks!include!The!Missing!Bean!(along!Turl!St)!–!known!for!its!good!coffee!but!forever!
crowded,! Heroes! Café! (along! Ship! St)! –! which! serves! tasty! hot! food! (think! lasagne)! in! addition! to!
sandwiches! and! one! of! the! best! milkshakes! the! author! has! ever! tasted,! and! Olives! (along! High! St,!
closer!to!Magdalen!College)!–!known!for!making!healthy!and!delectable!sandwiches,!in!particular,!the!
Parma! Ham! and! Buffalo! Cheese! baguette.! There! is! also! G! &! D’s,! a! popular! homegrown! ice<cream!
establishment! that! can! only! be! found! in! Oxford,! which! serves! bagels! and! sandwiches! as! well;! this!
opens! until! midnight! every! day.! Prices! start! from! £3! for! sandwiches! but! could,! once! again,! go! up!
depending!on!what!you!order;!drinks!range!from!£2!or!slightly!less!to!£4.!
<! Italian:! We! are! spoilt! for! choice! when! it! comes! to! Italian! food;! it! appears! that! every! alternate!
restaurant!you!walk!past!in!Ox! ford!serves!Italian!but!not!all!serve!good!or!even!decent!Italian!fare.!
The!author’s!subjective!picks!for!the!better!Italian!establishments!in!town!are!La!Strada!(located!near!
St!Giles)!and!Zizzi!(located!along!George!Street).!Farther!up!in!Cowley,!there!is!also!La!Cucina.!Prices!
range!from!£7!to!£15.!
!
!
!
!
!
<!Asian:!The!Chinese!food!in!Oxford!is!decent,!although!not!mindblowing.!Some!of!the!more!popular!
options!include!dimsum!at!Liaison!(located!near!Oxford!Castle),!Koi!(along!George!St)!which!also!has!
a!£10.95!all<you<can<eat!a!la!carte!buffet!for!Sunday!lunch,!Sojo!(near!the!train!station),!Sze!Chuan!
Restaurant! (at! Gloucester! Green! Square),! and! Opium! Den! (along! George! St).! As! for! Thai,! the! most!
popular! option! would! be! Angrid! Thai! –! one! could! literally! find! a! Singaporean! there! whenever! you!
walk!into!Angrid!Thai,!and!for!good!reason!too,!as!the!food!is!good!(the!author!highly!recommends!
the! duck! panag! curry)! and! relatively! affordable.! Other! insignificant! options! for! Thai! food! include!
Chiang!Mai!Kitchen!and!At!Thai,!both!located!along!High!St.!For!Japanese,!unfortunately,!there!is!only!
one! decent! option! available! and! it! opens! at! erratic! hours! –! Edameme! (along! Holywell! St);! avoid!
Wagamama!at!all!cost.!
<! Random:! Other! popular! dining! options! include! the! Gourmet! Burger! Kitchen,! which! serves! good!
burgers!that!are!a!notch!above!those!you!get!from!fast!food!restaurants!or!kebab!vans;!they!often!
come!up!with!interesting!items!as!well,!such!as!a!chicken!katsu!sandwich.!There!are!also!little!gems!
inside!the!Covered!Market:!Browns!Café!does!a!delicious!all<day!English!breakfast!for!£5,!Moo!Moo’s!
serves! an! impressive! range! of! milkshakes! (comparable! to! the! bubble! tea! shops! in! Singapore),! and!
Ben’s!Cookies!has!delicious!huge!chewy!cookies!in!various!flavours.!
!
!
The(Scottish(Highlands(
From$sheep$shearing,$whiskey$tasting,$castle$
hunting$to$snowboarding,$there$are$things$to$do$for$
everyone$in$the$Scottish$highlands.$Those$with$a$
thing$for$Gaelic$history$and$photography$will$be$
largely$rewarded$by$its$breathtaking$sceneries$and$
Scotland’s$rich$culture.$$
‘Bad’$weather$and$its$inaccessibility$are$things$you$
have$to$bear$in$mind$when$you’re$here,$and$
umbrellas$are$generally$not$advised.$
Edinburgh$&$Glasgow$are$good$starting$locations$
Stirling(&(Linlithgow(
for$Highland$trips.(
Often$termed$the$‘Gateway$to$the$Highlands’,$Stirling$has$
been$strategically$significant$since$ancient$times$and$have$
been$one$of$the$principal$royal$strongholds$of$the$Kingdom$
of$Scotland.$$
Linlithgow$is$an$ancient$town$with$a$magnificent$historic$
attraction$–$Linlithgow$Palace,$the$birthplace$of$James$V$and$
Mary,$Queen$of$Scots,$and$probably$Scotland's$finest$
surviving$late$medieval$secular$building.$
What$to$see:$Stirling$castle,$National$Wallace$Monument,$
Linlithgow$Palace$
Getting$there:$£8$day$return$tickets$from$Edinburgh$&$
Glasgow$
Thoughts:$‘Can$be$kinda$boring$if$you$are$not$interested$in$
Scottish$history’.$‘Good$day$weekend$trips$which$can$be$
done$from$both$Edinburgh$and$Glasgow$due$to$their$
Loch(Ness(&(Urquhart(Castle( proximities.’$
Best$known$and$world$famous$from$the$alleged$sightings$of$
$
“Nessie”,$the$loch$(Irish$and$Scottish$Gaelic$for$lake)$is$the$
$
largest$by$volume$and$attracts$thousands$of$visitors$annually.$
What$to$see:$Urquhart$Castle,$one$of$the$largest$strongholds$in$
medieval$Scotland.$
“The$Loch$Ness$Centre$and$Exhibition”$at$Drumnadrochit$
examines$the$natural$history$and$legend$of$Loch$Ness,$
definitely$worth$a$visit.$
Getting$there:$By$car$(preferred)$or$buses$from$Inverness.$$
Thoughts:$‘Value$for$money,$especially$the$Loch$Ness$Centre$
which$really$explains$to$you$the$history,$sightings$and$
appreciation$for$the$Loch$and$its$monster$in$it.$Good$to$explore$
with$tours$or$small$groups$of$friends.’$
Ski/Snowboard(in(Scotland(
A$snow$sports$lover$or$an$amateur$willing$to$go$for$your$
first$snow$sports$experience?$Scotland$boosts$magnificent$
ski$slopes,$excellent$weather$conditions$and$good$value$for$
money$leaving$you$coming$back$for$more.$
Where:$Glenshee,$Glencoe$or$Cairngorm$(given$its$variety$of$
slopes$and$closeness$to$major$cities$Edinburgh,$Glasgow$and$
Inverness)$
Time$of$year:$Winter$break!$(No$snow$in$summer)$
Costs:$Approx$£350$for$5D4N$including$accommodation,$
equipment,$suits,$transport,$food$(self8catered)$
Thoughts:$‘Need$for$care$hire$and$drive$up,$self8catered,$
good$for$short$winter$trips$with$small$groups$488.$
Nevertheless,$we$had$great$fun!’$
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A$Pre8Departure$Welfare$Initiative$by:
THE$UNITED$KINGDOM$–$SINGAPORE$STUDENTS’$COUNCIL$
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in$collaboration$with$all$Partner$Societies$