Remerciez-le!

Remerciez @Admin pour avoir partagé cet document gratuitement, de la manière la plus simple, en partageant sur les réseaux sociaux.

YOUR WELCOME GUIDE 1 Welcome! 2 - 3 Supporting you – who are we? 4 Settling in

YOUR WELCOME GUIDE 1 Welcome! 2 - 3 Supporting you – who are we? 4 Settling in – the first things to do! 5 Settling in – your questions answered! 6 Where you live – Birmingham! 7 Maps – Birmingham & the Chinese Quarter 8 Travelling around Birmingham – transport 9 - 10 Getting to know Birmingham – things to see & do! 11 Personal safety 12 Where you live – Your accommodation – Pritchatts Park 13 Your accommodation – The Vale Village 14 Your accommodation – Jarratt Hall (Selly Oak Village) 15 - 16 Shared living – learning to live together 17 Managing your money 17 Registering with a local doctor 18 Recycling & rubbish made easy 19 Contacts – ISAS & BIA 20 Contacts – Living (Accommodation), Student Support & The Guild of Students 21 Other useful contacts 21 A final message from us WELCOME TO BIRMINGHAM HELLO & WELCOME FROM YOUR STUDENT MENTORS (INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT) & YOUR STUDENT ENGAGEMENT TEAM! We’re really excited to welcome you to the University of Birmingham and to our lovely city! You should be very proud of yourself for achieving the qualifications required to study here and being brave enough to leave friends and family to live in a different country! All of the student accommodation team, including the Student Mentors and Student Engagement Team are here to help you settle in to your accommodation and make sure you have the best first year possible at the University of Birmingham! Over the next few days, you will receive lots of information about living and studying here – this booklet can act as your reference guide if you forget anything. The following pages include information about your accommodation, campus and local area, covering everything you need to know about getting around and using local transport, to locating your nearest supermarket to stock up on those cupboard essentials! We’ve also provided some information about the types of facilities on offer at your accommodation site, such as the launderette and social space, as well as tips on handling rubbish and recycling and how to handle any shared living issues that may arise. In addition to this booklet you will also receive a handy wall planner. Not only is this a fantastic study tool, but it will also provide you with a list of events and activities, including social events and weekly drop-in sessions, taking place throughout the summer. Don’t forget, that as well as having lots of fun and socialising, it’s important to register with your local Doctor as soon as possible – in case you feel unwell during your stay. More information on how to register with a Doctor is provided in this booklet. It’s also important to know about who you should contact if you feel you need some support, sometimes just having someone to talk to can help to ease any worries you may have and this is why we are here to help. All that is left to say is that we hope you have a great time at the University of Birmingham. This day marks the start of a life-changing experience for you – we hope you are as excited about it as we are! We look forward to meeting you all! 1 SUPPORTING YOU – WHO ARE WE? IT’S OK TO ASK FOR A HELPING HAND WHEN YOU GET HERE! The first few weeks at University are undoubtedly an exciting time, but it’s also inevitable that some challenges will appear along the way. You are absolutely not alone and we are here to help. Lily, a Customer Service Manager within accommodation who specialises in supporting international students, is here to help you settle into university life and to ensure you get the best experience living in university accommodation. Lily can help you with any questions or concerns you may have. Lily is assisted by The Student Engagement Team who are a student group of volunteers who can also provide extra support and guidance to you during your stay in accommodation. Many of the volunteers are international students themselves who will understand some of the challenges you may face. STUDENT MENTORS (INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT) Student Mentors are trained to provide free advice and guidance to students living in university accommodation. They specialise in supporting international students just like you and can help you with a range of issues including: • Shared living and accommodation issues • Your academic course • Financial matters • Your general wellbeing whilst living and studying at the University Student Mentors can meet with you on a one-to-one basis, for however long you need. They can support you with settling into university life and adjusting and familiarising yourself with your new surroundings. For example, finding where your lectures will be taking place, getting to know the library, understanding your timetable, as well as finding out what events are taking place across campus and in the local area, plus much more! Student Mentors can also offer a mediation service to help you work through any flat issues, guidance on keeping yourself safe (including free personal attack alarms) and general advice if you’re worried about a friend or flat mate. There is no problem too big or too small, so whatever you need help with, and whenever you need it, your Student Mentors can help. LILY Customer Service Manager and the Student Engagement Team SETTLING IN CONTACTING US Your Student Mentors and the Student Engagement Team will be visiting you regularly and will be your main source of support throughout your time here. To contact your Student Mentors, including booking a meeting with them then please email: mentorwelfare@guild.bham.ac.uk or call: 0121 251 2395. If you wish to contact the Student Engagement Team or Lily (Customer Service Manager), please email: l.e.badger@bham.ac.uk or call: 0121 414 9022 (Pritchatts Park reception). Don’t forget to follow the Student Mentors on Twitter and ‘like’ their Facebook page too! @StudentMentors1 studentmentorscheme Other Customer Service Managers In addition to Lily (who is located mainly at Pritchatts Park), there are other Customer Service Managers within accommodation who can support you during your time here. Please find their details below: AMY CHURCH Located mainly at Jarratt Hall Email: a.church.1@bham.ac.uk Call: 0121 415 1011 (Jarratt Hall reception) CHARLOTTE BROUGHTON Located at The Vale, responsible for Tennis Courts Email: c.broughton@bham.ac.uk Call: 0121 415 8520 (Vale reception) LOUISE TWIGG Located at The Vale, responsible for Maple Bank, Elgar Court & Shackleton Email: l.twigg@bham.ac.uk Call: 0121 415 8520 (Vale reception) ANDY LEE Located at The Vale, responsible for Chamberlain & Aitken Email: a.j.lee.1@bham.ac.uk Call: 0121 415 8520 (Vale reception) JULIA COVERDALE Located at The Vale, responsible for Mason Email: j.coverdale@bham.ac.uk Call: 0121 415 8520 (Vale reception) 3 BEAT YOUR JETLAG One of the hardest things to cope with initially will be adjusting to the time difference in the UK. Firstly, make sure your watch is set to local time. We recommend you stay awake until it is night time in the UK. It may be very tempting to have a nap, but it is important to establish a new sleeping pattern straight away. FIRST THINGS TO DO! MAKE SURE YOUR MOBILE PHONE WORKS You may have to swap your SIM card when you arrive in the UK. Alternately, you may have to buy a new phone all together. It is easiest to buy a Pay As You Go phone, which means you top up credit as and when you need it. SET UP YOUR INTERNET You can connect to the internet in your bedroom for free. Most of our accommodation has Wi-Fi - please see the ASK4 leaflet in your welcome pack for more details. GET IN TOUCH WITH YOUR FAMILY OR FRIENDS The easiest, and cheapest, way to do this is by downloading Skype and getting in contact with your loved ones via the internet. However, you could also sign up to Rebtel, who offer cheap rates for international calls from any mobile or landline. Find out more here: www.rebtel.com SETTLING IN YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED! Q How do I collect my post? A Post will be delivered to your accommodation. If you are unavailable to accept your parcels, you will have to contact your courier to arrange to pick it up yourself from another location, or to arrange an alternative delivery date. There is also a service called Doddle, where you can arrange to collect your post/parcels from the University Centre. Handy when you’re in classes all day. Take a look at www.doddle.com for more information. Q How do I do my laundry? A There is a launderette on site, you will be given a laundry card for you to apply credit to and use as and when you like. You are required to bring your own detergent. The on-site launderettes are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. See the relevant ‘Your accommodation’ section for the on-site location of your launderette. Q Can I connect uploads/Litterature/ welcome-guide 1 .pdf