Joining us on campus

• Your passport and visa
• UKVI Decision Letter
• International Study Centre offer letter
• CAS statement
• Evidence of funding for your tuition fees and living costs
• Accommodation documents
• Four passport-sized photographs
• Insurance documents (unless you are covered by StudyCare)
• Medical certificates and vaccination records

You should bring any prescription medication with you, as well as your prescriptions translated into English. To help make your first few days as stress-free as possible you should also bring any essential toiletries for your flight and arrival with you too. You can purchase any other medications or toiletries once you arrive in Kingston upon Thames.

There is no dress code at the International Study Centre, but we recommend you bring comfortable clothes that you’ll enjoy living and learning in. Kingston experiences all four seasons, so you should bring sensible clothing for all weather conditions – including a warm coat! Kingston has plenty of shops for you to buy clothes once you arrive.

• It’s always useful to carry a small amount of British money with you – we recommend bringing £50 with you as you travel to the UK.
• Bringing your own travel adapter means you can start using your electronic items straight away.
• Even though you’ll find plenty of computer facilities on campus, having your own computer means you can study whenever is convenient for you, as well as easily contact your family. We can help you purchase a laptop that meets study requirements at a reasonable price through our trusted supplier, Plan-IT.
• If you’re under 18 years old, you should also bring your Guardianship letter.

Our expert teachers will deliver face-to-face teaching, supported by an online hub and other online resources. At the International Study Centre, you can expect classes of no more than 25 students. You will be assigned a Personal Tutor who is there to support you every step of the way to help you to stay on track to progress to the University.

You will have access to a Learning Management System (LMS) or Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), the online hub for your programme. Here you will find recorded lessons, collaboration tools, helpful materials, and more.

To access course materials on a Learning Management System/Virtual Learning Environment or platform and undertake assessments, it is important that you come prepared with the appropriate technology. While it is possible to access and interact with most course content using tablets and smartphones, such as iPads, iPhones and Android devices, these devices will not work for assessments. Therefore, you must have a PC or Mac based computer available for use. Please note that Linux and Chromebooks are not supported.

Minimum recommended specifications:

PC 

• A Microsoft Windows-based PC with at least 4gb RAM and 200mb available free disk space (laptop or desktop, preferably running Windows 10 or 11)
• Web Browser: Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge (Chromium version) 

Mac 

• An Apple MacOS 10.12 and above based laptop or desktop with at least 4gb RAM and 200mb available free disk space
• Web Browser: Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge (Chromium version) 

To support you to success, you must arrive in the UK, on campus, by your programme start date, and be ready to attend your induction programme and all subsequent timetabled classes. Please note that poor attendance that conflicts with our Attendance Policy (in accordance with UKVI requirements) will result in the termination of your studies. Visa sponsorship will also be withdrawn.

Our induction programme will introduce you to your Centre, our staff, and welfare and support services. You will also receive full guidance on maintaining your health and safety whilst studying in the UK.

You will find out about your timetable, as well as important information about how we deliver your course through a mixture of classroom teaching and online learning. There will also be events to help you get to know your fellow students.

Student accommodation is available. If you indicated at application that you would like to book through us, our Central Student Services Co-ordinator will contact you.

If you are booking private accommodation, you must live within a 60-minute commute of the Centre.

If you are coming to the UK to study for 6 months or longer on a Student visa, you will be required to pay an immigration health surcharge as part of your visa application fee.

The immigration health surcharge will entitle students in the UK under the Student visa route to access NHS care at no additional cost in the same way as a permanent UK resident. The National Health Service (NHS) provides a wide range of health care services including:

Registration with a GP practice (family doctor) for non-urgent appointments and health checks. You will receive information about how to register with a doctor when you arrive. Once you have registered with a GP you will be eligible for:

• Emergency care in local hospitals
• Referrals to specialists if and when required (waiting lists may apply depending on the urgency of the problem)
• Ongoing medical support and care for any long term medical conditions such as diabetes or asthma

Not all treatments are covered by the NHS. For example; non-emergency dentistry, orthodontics, routine eye tests and prescriptions for medicines need to be paid for.

If you are studying in the UK for less than 6 months on a short term study visa, you are not required to pay the health surcharge as part of your visa application and are therefore not eligible for full NHS support. In these circumstances, you are advised to take out medical insurance as you will be liable for NHS charges for the treatment you receive in the UK except for in a medical emergency. If you already have medical insurance in your home country, you may wish to check whether this can be extended to cover your stay in the UK.

Assuring the safety and wellbeing of our student and staff communities is at the heart of all of our planning and decision-making. We follow guidance provided by the government, public health authorities and the University, and our measures include:

• Risk assessments of all our International Study Centre buildings 
• Hand sanitisers in all our International Study Centre spaces 
• Face coverings are available to you
• Regular deep cleaning for all our buildings 

StudyCare Insurance helps to protect you from unexpected accidents and circumstances that may impact your health, belongings, or travel plans whilst you are studying in UK.

We recommend that all students take out one of our StudyCare Insurance policies or an adequate alternative. Insurance cover is available in terms of up to 12 months or 24 months fixed, allowing students to select the policy length that suits their needs.

More information about insurance is available here.