Students & Staff: Login
Students & Staff: Login
The City of Southampton has a population of more than 200,000 people, with the University contributing some 20,000 full and part-time students to that number. The city is situated on the south coast of England, 70 miles south of London. From Southampton you can easily visit London, as well as local towns such as Winchester, Salisbury, Bournemouth and Portsmouth. The New Forest, an area of outstanding natural beauty, is close by.
Southampton is a very green city, with seven parks in the city centre alone and a large common and sports centre close to the University. The city is proud of its sporting heritage, and provides ample opportunity for watching world class sport. It is home to the football club Southampton F.C, affectionately known as ‘The Saints’. Southampton is the regional capital for culture, and is home to theatres, multi-screen cinemas, and art galleries. It is a thriving modern city, but you don’t have to explore too far to discover its historic past. The city has a range of museums, as well as sites of historic interest.
The Highfield Campus is about two miles from the centre of Southampton with a regular bus service into the city.
The weather in Southampton, as throughout the UK, can be unpredictable! Temperatures are rarely extreme, although in during the winter months of 2010 and 2011 we experienced heavy snow and freezing temperatures for the first time in many years. The average temperature in summer Southampton is around 16 degrees Celsius and in winter it is around 7 degrees Celsius. Generally, June to September is warm, with occasional hot spells. October to May can be cold, with frost and cold winds from December to March. It rains throughout the year and it is never possible to guarantee that a day will be dry, even in midsummer! Be prepared to bring or buy warm clothing when you arrive in September, as it can seem cold, particularly if you are coming from a warm climate.
Make sure you have plenty of warm clothes which will protect you in all types of weather. ‘Layering’ is one way of doing this. This means wearing t-shirts or shirts, to which you can add sweaters, jackets or coats, depending on how cold it is. Ideally you should have a waterproof coat, strong shoes, and gloves, hats and scarves for the winter months. The coldest months of the year are January and February, when the temperature at night can fall as low as minus 4 degrees Celsius. Make sure the rooms you live and work in are warm enough and you have plenty of warm bedding. Be careful not to keep your room too hot though, as heating costs are expensive, and you will feel even colder when you go out! In the summer months the temperatures can rise as high as 30 degrees Celsius.
People of many religious beliefs live in Southampton, and you may wish to become involved in a local group or a group based at the University. There is a Christian Chaplaincy and a Muslim prayer room on campus. The Students’ Union Advice and Information Centre can provide further information on request, or you can look at the University’s website.
In the UK there are two types of public telephone, those that are operated by coins, and those that take credit cards. Most students purchase mobile phones for use in the UK, if you already use a mobile phone in your country you should check to see if it will work in the UK before you arrive. Calls can be substantially more expensive if made from a mobile network. There are many cheap international calling services around, so it pays to look around before you decide which one to use.
If you decide to buy or rent a TV you will need a licence. Even if you live in a university Hall of Residence which has a communal TV room, you need your own licence to watch TV in your room.
If you live in a shared house where you pay the rent between you and share facilities, you will normally be considered as one household, and will need only one licence. The licence will have to be in one person’s name, and if they leave the house they can take the licence with them. The licence is not transferable from one person to another. If you live in a house which is divided into bed sits or flats and you have individual tenancy agreements, each individual unit of accommodation will need a separate TV licence.
PLEASE NOTE: Even if you watch TV channels as they're broadcast through your computer, you still need a licence.
You do not need a licence for a radio.
At the moment a licence for a colour TV costs £145.50 (2011) and a licence for a black and white TV costs £49.00 but the fee changes each year on the 1st. Not having the correct licence is a criminal offence and you may be fined up to a maximum of £1000.00 if you do not have one. For more information about TV licences, including how to pay, visit the TV Licencing website or visit the Student Union Advice and Information Centre.
The Students' Union organises trips to places of interest throughout the year. You can book yourself on these trips on the Box Office website.
HOST UK can arrange an invitation for you to be weekend guests in the homes of approved volunteer hosts all over the UK. There is more information on their website
The UKCISA website and The British Council have lots of useful information for International Students about British culture.
Also, Southampton University Students’ Union and Loughborough Students’ Union have received funding from UKCISA to produce a new website for International students. www.ukculture.info is both an informative and an interactive website where International students can learn about UK Culture, but can also give their reflections to other students.
We want International students from around the UK to contribute their experiences in the comments boxes and we would also love to link to your student blogs, films or web pages.
Situated on the Highfield campus the Students’ Union Shop is there to cater for all your consumer needs. The shop has a range of everyday goods available for purchase at student friendly prices; these include freshly baked croissants, files and stationery, newspapers, magazines, greeting cards and confectionary.
For every day necessities such as groceries, there are also shops within walking distance of the Highfield campus. Portswood is 10 minutes walk away and there are a number of convenience stores and a Post Office.
There is also a hairdressing salon on-campus for men and women called 'SHINE'. It offers a 10% discount for students and is located above the Students' Union Shop. They can be contacted by telephone on 02380 595060
Many students choose to buy a bicycle as a way to get around the city. It is a cheap means of transport, and they can be purchased second-hand (from a previous owner) and sold on when you leave. If you are looking for a second-hand bike look at the notice boards around the University and in shop windows. You could also check out the small ads on SUSSED the University of Southampton’s portal for staff and students. The University provides special secure areas on campus for students to leave their bikes. You will have to pay a small fee for this service.
UniLink run many buses to the city centre, halls of residence and different campuses at the University.
The
National Express coaches run services to various London and Portsmouth from Highfield Campus.
Red Funnel Ferries run services from the Southampton Docks.
Greyhound Buses http://www.greyhounduk.com
