Life in Uxbridge and London
Brunel University is a short walk away from Uxbridge, a small town centre on the outskirts of London. It has two shopping centres and two supermarkets. From department store to post office, from stationery shop to cinema, Uxbridge has a lot to offer. Southall is only 15 minutes away by bus and is a good place to find international phone cards and halal meat specialists.
Uxbridge is inexpensive for living costs compared to Central London. For example, a room in a shared apartment can be rented for as little as £350 a month. There are big supermarkets around such as Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Iceland located in the centre of Uxbridge and easily accessible from the university by bus or even foot. If you feel too lazy to go there by yourself, you can always get it delivered straight to your door! You can also travel to the surrounding areas such Hayes and Southall, which has many South Asian (Indian sub-continent) supermarkets where you can find a wide variety of spices and other exotic groceries. There is also a Chinese supermarket called Loo Fung located in Alperton, which is easily accessible by Tube (20 min) or by car. There is also a butchers in Uxbridge which serves Halal meat.
Central London is only about 30-40 minutes away from Brunel. It has a lot of culture and events to offer in addition to the world famous tourist attractions. We recommend that you buy a guide book for London and make sure that you see as much as possible while studying at Brunel. As a student you can get a discount travelcard called an Oyster Card, and many museums, events and festivals in London are free of charge.
Staying in touch and getting involved
During your time at Brunel we will try to keep in touch with you to make sure that you enjoy your studies and your time here. There will be plenty of opportunities for you to be part of the Brunel University community and for you to contribute.
Six Degrees
Be part of a community
As an international student, you are a member of our new international student society Six Degrees. You will get the chance to apply for a voluntary post in the Six Degrees committee and be involved in shaping social events for the academic year. The society has some fantastic events lined up for you for Freshers’ Week. You can find Six Degrees on Facebook and read more about what they have been doing so far.
Brunel International Student newsletter
Student life can be busy. To make sure you don’t miss out, Brunel International will send you a regular newsletter with updates and newsflashes about life on campus, events in London, great opportunities for students and explain the weird and wonderful traditions of British culture such as Pancake Day and why the Brits talk so much about the weather. They really do talk a lot about the weather.
Facebook
Before you arrive at Brunel you can check out our Facebook page to find out what’s going on at Brunel and what current students have to say.
Union of Brunel Students
The Union of Brunel Students (UBS) is the heart and soul of student life at Brunel University. Elected by students and run by students, the UBS is a democratic organisation working for you and shaping your life at Brunel.
The UBS has its very own student bar and nightclub on campus and is responsible for all sport clubs and societies at Brunel. During Freshers’ Week you will have an opportunity to find out more and join the clubs and societies. There is something for every taste from cricket to the film society, from the dance to history society. Or if you like, you can set up your own society while at Brunel.
You can also get involved in the UBS’s very own student newspaper Le Nurb (Brunel backwards) and radio station.
The UBS offers free guidance to students through the Advice and Representation Centre (ARC) who are specialised in safety, budgeting, housing and academic issues.
Volunteering
Volunteering can give you an insight into work in the UK and can help you gain valuable skills and work experience. The Brunel Volunteer Scheme can help you to find a volunteering opportunity to suit you and can also give you accreditation for your work.
Academic support
In-sessional Academic English Programme
Our in-sessional academic English programme is designed to help you get the most out of your studies. Classes in grammar, academic writing, pronunciation, and spelling are available, as well as one-to-one consultations. All in-sessional support is free.
Personal tutors
Every student is allocated a personal tutor for the duration of their studies, who is there to support you through your course. You school will give you more information about meeting your tutor in induction week.
Modern Foreign Languages
If you would like to learn another language while studying at Brunel, we offer a range of classes for beginners or those who have already done some previous study. For more information see our Foreign language web-pages
Study facilities
The Brunel Library has comprehensive resources. It has benefited from major investment and refurbishment over the past year, and now offers an extensive collection of books, journals and other information; online databases, eBooks and over 16,000 eJournals are available through the Library website. It has 1,200 study spaces and nearly 300 PCs as well as WiFi capability throughout the building. It also offers inductions, information skills training and one-to-one support to help you find and use the resources you need.
There are also computers across the campus you can use. For example the library and Computer Centre in the John Crank building and computer spaces in the Lecture Centre. For more information please see http://www.brunel.ac.uk/life/study
Local facilities
Uxbridge town centre offers a range of facilities. You will be able to buy essential goods and food products here. Our interactive map will help to show you some of the services available in the local area,just select the area around Brunel University.
For more information about shops, restaurants and entertainment in the local area you can have a look at the Uxbridge TownTalk website.
Shopping
There are several large food supermarkets in Uxbridge town centre, including Tesco’s, Sainsbury’s, and Marks and Spencer’s. These are large chain supermarkets and offer a fairly wide range of foods and other home goods. You may need to travel into London for specialist foods and goods. All of these are easily accessible by trains running from Uxbridge underground station.
Restaurants and bars
Uxbridge has a large number of places to eat and drink. This ranges from takeaway fast food to Italian to Chinese food and pub food. Uxbridge has several pubs and bars which stay open until late in the evening, and one night club which is open until the early hours.
For more information on the facilities on campus and locally see: www.brunel.ac.uk/life/lifestyle
London
Attractions
To get into central London, where most of the tourist attractions are situated, takes approximately 45 minutes by underground train on the Metropolitan line. Around Westminster station, there are a large number of tourist attractions such as the London Eye and Big Ben.
Key events
There are thousands of events throughout the year in London and there is something for everyone. Some of these will be free. When a key event is happening, it will appear online on events websites such as those below:
Eating and drinking
There is a huge range of places to eat and drink in London and you are likely to be able to find any kind of food imaginable from all over the world. A good tip is to search on the internet and look at reviews of restaurants to compare where you want to go: www.london-eating.co.uk
Getting around
National trains and coaches
If you plan to travel around the UK outside of London, the two main forms of public transport are overground trains and coach. Taking taxis can be very costly and are is not an advisable form of transport if you are travelling a long distance.
The best way to plan your travel is in advance. If you book and buy your tickets online beforehand, the tickets are cheaper. You can often book travel tickets months in advance if you know when and where you are travelling. For example you could use websites such as those below:
Coaches can work out cheaper than trains when travelling around the UK, but they are likely to have a longer journey time. Booking in advance is cheaper, and you can do so on websites such as these:
Tube
There are lots of underground stations all around London, with different train lines running between different areas. To find your way around you can use Transport for London’s website. You can use this to plan your journey, and see how long this will take you. It's also very useful for finding out if there are any delays on the trains or problems on the lines. Please note this is likely at weekends so check before you travel.
An Oyster Card is very useful if you plan to travel around Uxbridge or London using public transport. This is a card that you use again and again instead of buying a train ticket every time. You simply ‘top up’ at a train station or online, adding money to the card and using it up as you travel.
Once you are enrolled you can apply for a student Oyster Card. This means you will receive a discount on your travel when you buy a travel card. You can also use your Oyster Card on buses around London.
Buses
Buses run very regularly to Brunel University from the town centre and surrounding area. For more information, download a PDF guide.
Driving
Nationals of all countries can use their own the national driving licence to drive in the UK in their first year. If you want to be able to drive for more than one year, you will have to obtain a UK driving licence.
To drive in the UK you must have a valid licence, insurance and a properly registered car.
In the UK, we drive on the left side of the road and other driving rules may be different from your home country. You should make sure you are familiar with all the UK road rules before setting out to drive a car.
Air
The nearest airport to Brunel University is Heathrow. There is a bus service directly from Heathrow, the A10 bus, with a journey time of approximately 25 minutes. If you plan to get a taxi from Heathrow to Brunel it could cost £25-£30. There are also a number of airports in the surrounding area; however, the travel time to Brunel is longer and we are unable to offer an airport welcome service from any airport other than Heathrow. Other airports in the surrounding area are listed below:
To get from these airports to Brunel University, you would need to get a coach or train into central London, and then to Uxbridge. To plan your journey from one of these airports to Brunel by public transport, you could use some of the following websites:
Europe
If you plan to travel to and around Europe during your spare time while in the UK, you may need to get a Schengen visa.
Working
Visa regulations
Before you try to find a part-time job, you must check your visa to be sure that you are allowed to work in the UK. Depending on the type of visa you have, there are limits on how many hours a week you can work during term-time. For more information on working regulations for students please see the UKBA web pages.
Job shop
If the terms of your visa allow you to work in the UK during your studies, you might like to find a part-time job to help with your living costs. The University Job Shop can help you with finding a part-time or temporary job either on campus or in the local area.
Information for Students with Families
If you are planning to come to the UK with your family, there are a few things you have to consider, such as immigration, childcare or local schools as well as the welfare of your family while in the UK.
Immigration
In general you can apply for a dependants’ visa for your partner and children. However, for some short term courses, this may not be possible. For further details and the application process, please check the Home Office website for the information.
Schools
Under British law all children between five and 16 years of age have to attend school. Once you have moved to the UK and have a new home address, you can go to the local council to obtain a list of all schools near your home. You will then be able to contact each school and choose the right one for you and your family. For more information on schools in the Hillingdon area please see the Hillingdon council website.
Family accommodation
Besides the regular student accommodation, the University also offers accommodation for couples. This is located in the Isambard Complex.
The University does not offer housing for students with children. Students with family will need to find their own off-campus accommodation. There is plenty of private rented accommodation available close to the University. If you would like further information about off-campus accommodation, please contact our University Housing Office by email (housing-uxb@brunel.ac.uk) or telephone (+44 [0]1895 266187). They will be able to assist you in securing local off-campus accommodation.
Brunel Family Club
If you are coming to Brunel with your partner or family then be sure to join the Brunel Family Club, which offers support and social events throughout the year, with information sessions on finding local nurseries and schools and events for children. It is also a good opportunity for parents to network, share experiences and to show your family the campus. For more information email: filiz.mcnamara@brunel.ac.uk
Links to local facilities/groups
Uxbridge cinema
ODEON Kids screenings have been chosen especially for children and are every Saturday and Sunday mornings at pocket money prices. What's more with every child ticket you get a free adult ticket - so mums and dads get to go free.
Places of interest
The local library has a children's library with
- weekly story times every Friday at 11am
- Summer Reading Challenge
- storybooks and information books suitable for ages 0-13
- story cassettes
- children's videos and DVDs
For more information see the Hillingdon Council website.
