Well before you leave home we will provide you with all the information you need to ensure your new learning journey is a happy and successful one.
You will have all the details about how to find the person who will meet you at the airport, and about your host family or residential accommodation.
We’ll also send you information about what to do on your first day at the college.
Our Get Set guides give you all the information you need about living and learning in the UK or USA.
You can download them here before you leave home.
Download our full UK Pre Arrival Guide (4.8MB)
Or download individual sections:
Before you leave home (2MB)
Arriving in the UK (2MB)
First day and orientation (2MB)
Your learning experience at Kings (2.1MB)
Living in Homestay (2.1MB)
Facilities in a typical UK home (2.1MB)
Living in Residence (2MB)
Food in the UK (2MB)
Introduction to UK society (2.1MB)
Leisure time in the UK (2.1MB)
Practical information (2.1MB)
UK law and college rules (1.9MB)
Health and safety (2MB)
Local information: Bournemouth (2.6MB)
Local information: London (2.7MB)
Local information: Oxford (3.1MB)
Further information (1.9MB)
Download our full US Pre Arrival Guide (3.1MB)
Or download individual sections:
Before you leave home (1.9MB)
Arriving in the USA (2.1MB)
First day and orientation (1.9MB)
Your learning experience at Kings (1.9MB)
Living in Homestay (2MB)
Facilities in a typical American home (2MB)
Living in Residence (1.9MB)
Food in America (2MB)
Introduction to US Society (2MB)
Leisure in the US (2MB)
Practical information (2MB)
US law and college rules (1.9MB)
Health and Safety (1.9MB)
Local college information (2.5MB)
Further information (1.9MB)
You can read some basic pre arrival information below:
Arriving in good time
Immigration control
Weather
Food
Transport
Money
Safety
Arriving in good time
You will need plenty of time to recover from your journey and settle into your new home before your course starts.
For this reason, we recommend that you arrive in the UK or USA at least two days before the beginning of your course. This means you will arrive over the weekend before the Monday on which your course starts.
Immigration control
To clear immigration smoothly, when you arrive at immigration control at the airport, you should have the following documents with you:
- Passport
- Visa (if required)
- Travel documents
- Enrolment and accommodation documents from Kings Colleges
- Letter of Consent to Travel (if you are under 16)
The immigration officers at the airport will expect you to tell them where you are going, what course you are studying and how long you will be at Kings.
You will also need to give them details about your address while studying at Kings.
The UK has a mild climate all year round with little extremes of temperature or rainfall.
The BBC weather website has average temperature or rainfall guides.
You can see up-to-date information about the weather in Bournemouth, London and Oxford.
The weather in the USA depends very much on the region where you are living.
In Los Angeles, there is an average of xx days sunshine per year. You can see up-to-date information about the weather in Los Angeles on the Weather Channel website.
There are many different styles of food in both the UK and USA. Cuisine from Europe, Asia, America and China is particularly popular.
Every city in which a Kings College is located has a huge number of places to eat - from cheap local cafes to expensive restaurants.
There are also plenty of supermarkets selling specialist foods, including your favourites from home.
Find out more about eating and drinking in Bournemouth, London , Oxford and Los Angeles.
You may find that English or American people have different customs when eating than those you are used to. If you are staying with a host family, they will help you adapt.
Transport
Transport in the UK
Air
Each Kings College is within easy travelling distance of the main international airports:
Luton airport is also convenient for Kings Oxford.
You can also fly to Bournemouth airport and Southampton airport from certain European countries.
Rail
The rail network in England is very extensive and trains are operated by several different train companies.
As a student, you qualify for a ‘Young Persons Railcard’. This will give you a large discount on standard train fares.
Our Student Services staff will be happy to give you more information.
You can view a list of all train destinations at the National Rail timetable website.
Coach
There coach services to all major British towns and cities. These are generally good value.
The main coach company in England is National Express.
Bus
Local bus services operate in all towns and cities. The cheapest and most flexible way to travel by bus is by using weekly or monthly ‘Saver Bus Tickets’.
For local transport information in each Kings city location, visit the pages for Bournemouth, London and Oxford.
Transport in the USA
The currency in is £ sterling, unlike most of Europe which uses the Euro. In the USA, of course the currency is the US$.
You can see how much items cost in by using an online currency convertor.
If you are long-term student you can open an account at certain banks. We will help you do this when you arrive.
You should exchange money or cash travellers cheques at a main bank. Alternatively, you can use a travel agency which has an exchange desk.
Small exchange bureau usually charge a high commission or have a lower rate of exchange. We can tell you which are the best to use in the city in which you are studying.
All the cities in which our colleges are based are generally safe and secure places for international students.
It is extremely rare for any student to suffer serious problems.
However, as in every city all over the world, it is important to follow some basic guidelines to ensure you do not put yourself at unnecessary risk.
We suggest you follow these simple rules:
- Tell your host family where you are going and when you expect to come back home
- Don't carry a lot of money or valuables
- Don't carry your passport unless absolutely necessary
- Don't walk around alone late at night
- Ask for help if you’re worried
- Late at night, take a taxi home. Use only licensed taxis displaying official local plates.
- Remember, in the UK cars and buses travel on the left, while in the USA they drive on the right.
