Orientation for UNH London Program, Fall 2014 WELCOME!

Orientation for UNH London Program, Fall 2014 WELCOME!

Douglas Lanier (On-Campus Coordinator and Professor of English) 603 862-3796, Doug.Lanier@unh.edu Lisa Mulvey (COLA Study Abroad Coordinator) 603 862-3962, Lisa.Mulvey@unh.edu Peggy Vagts (On-Site Director and Professor of Music) Peggy.Vagts@unh.edu

London Program Facebook Pages: https://www.facebook.com/unhlondonprogram Facebook Group (for students): https://www.facebook.com/groups/unh.london.f all.2014 Facebook Group (for parents): https://www.facebook.com/groups/ parents.unh.london.fall.2014

REFUND POLICIES If you withdraw before the fall tuition payment deadline on 6 August 2014, we will refund all fees except the $35 application fee. If you withdraw between 7 August 2014 and 26 August 2014, we will refund all fees except the $2000 deposit and the $35 application fee. If you withdraw on 27 August 2014 or after, we will offer no refund of fees. If you withdraw because of health issues, we will handle refunds on a case-by-case basis. If you are sent home for conduct issues or excessive absences, we will regard this as an involuntary withdrawal from the program and will not offer a refund.

The pre-program booklet is available online as a downloadable pdf at www.unh.edu/london. Click on About the Program and look for the link at the top of the page.

Insurance and Safety Abroad Basic benefits: Health Insurance (reimbursement for minor illnesses, pre-approval for major health issues) SOS (emergency services, some information services) For more information, consult: http://www.unh.edu/cie/international-travelassistance-insurance-program

PREPARATION If you have special dietary requirements, please let us and Regent s College know ASAP. If you have special medical needs or a chronic condition for which you need a special accommodation, please let us and Regent s College know ASAP.

PREPARATION ASAP get a debit card. Get one with a 4- digit PIN number (not 6-digit). Talk to your bank about using this card in ATM machines abroad. Many banks are partnered with UK banks, which will save on fees. Notify your bank as to dates you will be abroad.

PREPARATION Book your flight to London ASAP. DO NOT PLAN ON RETURNING BEFORE 13 DECEMBER 2014. You must leave campus no later than 14 DECEMBER 2014. If you book a return flight before that time, we will require you to change it and we will not reimburse you for change fees.

Electronics: PREPARATION Do not pack hair dryers, curling irons, plug-in razors and the like. Check to see if your laptop is compatible with 110/220 current. (Consult the information on the laptop or manufacturer s website.) Purchase an adaptor or two (in the US or in the UK).

Travel adapters: PREPARATION Kensington Intl. All-in-One Plug Adaptor

Packing: UNH London Program, Fall 2014 PREPARATION Check your airline s website for guidelines regarding luggage. Use a bathroom scale to check weight of your bags. Pack what you think you will need, then cut it in half. Think layers. Bring only one winter coat. Leave out clothing that identifies you as an American: baseball caps, white sneakers, American flag logos. Do not pack notebooks or paper. The UK has a different size paper (A4).

PREPARATION Xerox the contents of your wallet and the front page of your passport. Include your driver s license, credit/debit cards (front and back), and student ID card. Leave copies with your parents or guardian. At a local bank or the airport, get at least 175. Avoid traveler s checks.

PREPARATION Online Enrollment: Four weeks before arriving at Regent s College London, you must enroll online. You will receive an email containing your user name and password as well as instructions about how to log into the Regent s College system. You MUST enroll before arriving at Regent s College, London. If you do not, you will not be registered for courses.

In addition to your passport, you will need to have three documents in hand as you pass through Passport Control in the UK. DO NOT LOSE OR PACK THESE DOCUMENTS; YOU MUST HAVE THEM IN HAND. MAKE COPIES OF THESE DOCUMENTS.

PREPARATION Document #1 for Immigration Template is in your packet on p. 15

PREPARATION Document #2 for Immigration DO NOT LOSE THIS DOCUMENT!

PREPARATION Document #3 for Immigration DO NOT LOSE THIS DOCUMENT!

ARRIVAL Passport Control (have documents completed and ready for the immigration official before you leave the plane) Luggage Claim (get a cart they re free) Customs Hall (go to the green Nothing to Declare line; if your luggage is searched, be polite, honest, and cooperative).

ARRIVAL DO NOT TAKE THE TAXIS OR TUBE. Look for Heathrow Express or Heathrow Connect. Tickets for Heathrow Express are sold in the luggage hall and at the HE station. A single ticket is 21. (Don t get the first-class ticket.) Trains leave every 15 minutes. Tickets for Heathrow Connect are sold at the HC station. A single ticket is 9.90. Trains leave every 30 minutes. Take a taxi from Paddington station ( 8-12). Ask for Regent s College in Regent s Park, Inner Circle, near Baker Street Station. There is a side entrance near Reid Hall, off the Inner Circle.

FIRST TASKS AVOID SLEEPING on the day you arrive. Get a mobile phone (at Carphone Warehouse on Marylebone Road) or a British SIM card. You MUST have a UK phone number. Get an Oyster Card (at Baker Street Station) Get an A-Z London map.

FIRST TASKS Oyster Card

SECURITY Reid Hall and Herringham Hall have swipe card security systems; attendants are on duty at all times. Carry your swipe card with you at all times. Do not use your card to admit others.

SECURITY ALWAYS CARRY YOUR EMERGENCY CONTACT CARD AND YOUR INTERNATIONAL SOS CARD. ALWAYS.

SECURITY Traveling in greater London: Travel in pairs after dark. Watch your alcohol consumption. Always travel in real taxis (not mini-taxis).

SECURITY Traveling outside greater London: Always travel with your mobile phone and passport (even in the UK). Sign out in Reid Hall. E-mail Professor Vagts with your itinerary, and carbon-copy your parents; when you return, let Professor Vagts and your parents know. Don t go off-grid.

SECURITY Penalties for not notifying Professor Vagts of your travel plans: First offense: you will lose your Culture Challenge funds. Second offense: you will fail COLA 653, Introduction to British Culture. Third offense: you will be terminated from the London Program and required to return home.

Emergency procedures: SECURITY In an emergency, check in by phone with Professor Vagts (even if you check in with your parents or guardian). Texting is preferable. Note the numbers on the contact card. Parents: Keep the emergency policies and procedures document and contact numbers near the phone.

SECURITY and TRAVEL Always learn the word for help in the country you re traveling in. Listen and be polite. This is particularly important in the UK. No car or motorcycle rentals.

COMMUNICATION Keep Professor Vagts and Lisa Mulvey in the London Program office apprised of any changes in your e-mail or phone number. Check your UNH e-mail at least once every two days. If you snooze, you lose.

CONDUCT Regent s College rules apply. UNH disciplinary procedures also apply. If you are evicted from the Regent s College dorm for conduct violations, you will be automatically dismissed from the London Program and must return home. No academic credit will be issued for any of your classes, and no refund will be available.

CLASSES You MUST maintain 16 credits of Regent s College credit to remain in the London Program (no exceptions). You can add courses only in the first week. Before making changes, e-mail your advisor and CC Professor Vagts and Lisa Mulvey. All changes in your schedule must be approved in writing (e-mail) by your UNH advisor, NOT PROFESSOR VAGTS.

CLASSES All students will automatically be registered for COLA 653 (Introduction to British Culture), a one-credit course. Professor Vagts will be the professor. You cannot drop this course for any reason. Texts are Kate Fox, Watching the English, and Craig Taylor, Londoners: The Days and Nights of London Now. Both are available on Kindle.

CLASSES: GRADES Regent s College courses do not affect your overall GPA. However, you must get a C or better for the course to count toward UNH graduation. Though the grades for Regent s College courses do not affect your GPA, they appear on your college transcript. EXCEPTION: Regent s College courses taken with Professor Vagts do count toward your overall GPA. This is also true of COLA 653.

CLASSES: ATTENDANCE Class attendance is MANDATORY. Attendance is taken in every class each meeting. See page 10 of the pre-program booklet. Attendance policies are strict. If you are not in your seat at the moment class begins, you will be counted as absent. You cannot miss class to accommodate your travel plans.

CLASSES: ATTENDANCE If you miss more than 20% of meetings of any class, Regent s will automatically withdraw you from that class. In that case, you will be automatically dismissed from the London Program and must return home. No academic credit will be issued for any of your classes, and no refund will be available. Regent s does not excuse absences for reasons of sickness. Stockpile your allowed absences to cover unforeseen circumstances like illness, travel problems, emergencies, and the like.

REGISTRATION FOR Spring 2015 KNOW YOUR ADVISOR S CONTACT INFO!!! You will register for Spring 2015 on WEBCAT. Find out your advisor s name and bring his or her e-mail address with you. Lisa Mulvey will send instructions for registration before the Time and Room Schedule goes live in the fall. You MUST e-mail your advisor to receive your RAC number for registration. If you have trouble reaching your advisor, let Lisa Mulvey know as soon as possible.

MEAL PLAN Food choices are more limited than those in Holloway. If you have special dietary requirements, please let us and Regent s College know ASAP. Use it or lose it. There are no refunds for unused meal allowances.

MEDICAL CARE Medical care is offered through the Marylebone Health Clinic (NHS). More information will be given at your Regent s College orientation. Appointments can be arranged through Reid Hall.

MEDICAL CARE If you choose to visit a medical clinic other than the Marylebone Health Clinic (NHS), be prepared to pay at time of treatment. It is possible to arrange advance payment with SOS, but this may take some time. However, you may be eligible for reimbursement through SOS. Contact SOS for more information. Our experience is that reimbursements may take some time. Lisa Mulvey is happy to help you with reimbursements, as long as you have your receipts.

MEDICAL CARE If you have a medical condition (migraines, ADHD, social anxiety, depression or the like), anticipate that you may have a flare-up overseas. If you have a medical condition that requires a special accommodation, please let us and Regent s College know, and bring documentation. Accommodations can often be made if the College is informed beforehand.

CULTURAL MATTERS Kate Fox, Watching the English Craig Taylor, Londoners: The Days and Nights of London Now Chris Rojek, Brit-Myth Culture Challenge

DON T: Assume you won t have to study. Plan trips for every weekend. Automatically book trips sponsored by Regent s College. Invite your family or friends to visit during the last two weeks of class. Assume you can leave before final exam period is over.

DO: Consider using Skype, Magicjack or Viber to call home. Pay attention to the schedule of final exams. If you have more than two on one day, please notify Professor Vagts immediately. Expect to live in a dormitory with different standards of amenities than UNH. Expect to eat some foods different from what you have been familiar with in the US. Keep a journal or write a blog of your experiences.

CHEERS and BON VOYAGE!!

Questions?