What to Bring to UK

2.1 Clothing

The British climate is notoriously changeable, and can become cold, hot, or wet at almost any time in the year.  Temperatures near Anglian College rarely go above 27ºC in the summer or below -2ºC in the winter.  The warmest time of year is from June to August; the coldest is between October and March.  It is advisable to bring warm clothing with you (e.g. knitted/woollen sweaters, gloves, shoes, waterproof clothing, etc) and a small foldaway umbrella.  Woolwich has excellent shopping areas and you will be able to buy any extra items that you may need quite cheaply.  Washing and dry-cleaning facilities are readily available, though the latter are expensive.

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2.2 Electrical appliances

The standard electricity supply in the UK is 220/240 volts, 50 cycles AC, and the standard outlet is a 13-amp square 3-pin plug.  Each room on campus is equipped with 13-amp sockets.  If you wish to bring any electrical appliances like hair-dryers or rice-cookers, make sure that they can operate on the UK system.  Some students choose to bring voltage or plug adapters with them.  You can buy appropriate plugs from the local market, where a lot of everyday items are sold cheaply.

2.3 Luggage

It is important to clearly label any luggage you bring , with the College address on the labels.  Air travel in general, and Heathrow Airport in particular, are notorious for losing luggage!  On most intercontinental airlines the personal baggage allowance is 20 kilos (approximately one large suitcase) and one item of hand luggage (approximately 4.5 kilos) per person.  Check with your flight operator.

2.4 Cooking equipment

You may need to purchase your own duvet and duvet covers (or sheets and blankets) and cooking equipment.  There are shops in Woolwich which sell these items, and you will be able to buy them during the initial quiet week.  Some students may wish to bring rice-cookers with them.  Other items to consider include a battery alarm clock, a small backpack or rucksack, a torch or flashlight, a good English dictionary, laundry bag and camera.

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2.5 Medical / Optical prescriptions

If you are being medically treated, or have an on-going condition such as diabetes, see your doctor before you leave to get photocopies of medical records and prescriptions to give to your local doctor (called a GP or General Practitioner) in the UK.  Make sure you have the full name and address of your family doctor in your home country.  If you wear glasses or contact lenses, also ask your optician for a copy of your prescription and if you wear contact lenses, get advice on what cleaning solutions to use.  Solutions can be surprisingly expensive so you may wish to bring some of your normal contact solution with you (but not in airline hand baggage).

2.6 Money

If you are on a programme or course lasting more than 4 months in the UK, you will be able to open a bank account whilst you are here.  You may wish to bring a banker's draft (a cheque from your bank at home) to pay into an account here, which should ideally be in Sterling so it will take less time to clear.  Alternatively, you can inform your home bank, before leaving, that you will need to transfer money to the UK on a regular basis and then send them your UK bank account details after you have opened it here.  If you are only here for a short duration (i.e. less than 4 months), we advise you to carry travellers' cheques.  It is very important that all international students bring sufficient money either in cash (Sterling) or travellers' cheques to cover the first week of their stay in the UK, which will allow time for cheques or banker's drafts to clear.  A suitable amount would be about GBP 400 in travellers' cheques and approximately GBP 200 in cash.

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