Most of you have probably tried to consider all necessary expenses in London prior to your arrival in the UK. However, you may find yourselves in a situation where you need to pay another higher amount of money while you are staying in London. Perhaps it is for something that you couldn’t foresee when having planned your expenses beforehand.

For example:
* You might want to extend your course at UIC and study a bit longer
* You would like to book accommodation with us so that you can stay in London for a bit longer
* You have a lost your purse or your bag got stolen which contained all your bank and credit cards or a lot of cash

Bank transfer
If you have a bank account here, there is always the possibility of transferring money from your home country (sent by your family or a friend) into your UK bank account. Please bear in mind, your bank might charge you extra fees for international banking and it might take 3-7 working days until you receive the money.

Western Union Money Transfer
For those of you who are only studying here for a few weeks and haven’t got a bank account, there is another way to receive money from home.

You can use Western Union in order to move money from home to different countries worldwide. By phoning Western Union (please visit www.westernunion.com to find the right customer service number for you country) money can be sent within minutes or the next day to you. A given bank card will be charged and the money will then be ready for collection at any local agent in the UK. You only need to show the receipt number of the transfer (which you will be given after the transfer has been successful) to the agent and they will cash the money for you.

To find the closest location to your house, you can visit http://locations.westernunion.com

Closest local Western Union agent to UIC:
EURO EXCHANGE
107 Great Portland Street, London W1W 6QG
Tel: +44 800 833833
Open Monday–Saturday 9 am – 6pm, Sunday closed

TRAVELEX
184-188/400 Oxford Street, London, W1D 1NP
Tel: +44 08458 727627
Open Monday –Sunday 8am – 8pm

If you have any questions, please ask in Reception.

Now the weather is getting better and you might like to explore London or other countries a bit more, you should know how to request your holidays at UIC.

It is a very simple procedure and only takes 2 minutes.

How many holidays do I get?
Every student at UIC that studies longer than 12 weeks is entitled to take holidays. For every 12 weeks, you will get 1 week holiday. If you are studying at least 24 weeks, you can get 2 weeks off school. The week you take off will be added to the end of your course, so you don’t miss out on your lessons that you have booked with us.

If you are not sure how many holidays you are entitled to take, please ask in Reception.

How do I request holidays?
Please visit our website www.uiclondon.com and log onto Guided E-Learning. Go to the ‘Reception’ section and you will find ‘holiday requests’ listed in the field below. Click on ‘holiday requests’ and choose your holiday start and date on the calendar.

Please note:
* Holidays can only be taken from Monday to Friday.
* They have to be at least 5 days in a row as we don’t give 2 or 3 days.

Please fill in all the other required information and press ‘Submit’ on the bottom of the page.

What happens next?
Your holiday request will be sent to Reception, where it will be checked for approval.

Holiday letter
If you leave the UK, it might be a good idea to ask in Reception for a holiday letter. That way it is unlikely that you will have problems with your visa at the immigration in airports. If you plan on staying in London or the UK you will not need a holiday letter.

If you need assistance with planning your holidays, please ask in Reception any time!

If you are staying in London for just a few weeks or months, but you still want to continue with your regular exercise regime, there are a few good choices for you, you don’t have to commit to a year-long contract or pay a large amount of money if you choose carefully.
Here are some options:

PayasUgym.com sells pay-as-you-go passes for 1,000 gyms across the UK.
The nearest one to UIC is at the University of Westminster in Regent Street (opposite MacDonald’s):
1 day: £6.20
1 month: £42.50
3 months: £110.00

The Gym Website will help you to find a gym offering short-term membership near to where you live.  The nearest one to UIC is at 32 Endell Street, WC2H 9AG
1 month: £28.95

Harpers Fitness has a range of gyms in London which costs from £18.38 for 2 weeks, depending on where you live.

Budget Gyms
No saunas or jacuzzis here, but you can exercise cheaply.

PureGym has branches across the UK.  The nearest one to UIC is at 212 Wandsworth Road, SW8 2JU
1 month: from £12.99, including classes. You can cancel at any time.
1 session: £6.00

Gym Group has over 32 branches in England, Scotland and Wales. These gyms are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The nearest one to UIC is in Vauxhall, 6A St George Wharf, SW8 2LE.
1 month: £19.99

EasyGym has a branch close to UIC at The Plaza, 120 Oxford Street, W1D 1LT.
1 month: from £12.99

Council Gyms
Run by local councils, public leisure centres have cheap and cheerful facilities and membership is usually under £30 a month.  Also look for local universities and colleges, which often have gyms open to everyone, with good facilities at a reasonable cost.

Check on your local council’s site to see what it offers. Use local council finder.

Whatever you decide, be sure to ask if there is a fixed joining fee and read all the details about the gym deal before you sign and pay – check with us in Reception first if you’re not sure.

Living in London is great and while studying at UIC you really should take advantage of all the exciting things that this city has to offer. There is no need to get bored as London has so many traditional and modern attractions, parks, big entertainment, museums, exhibitions, shopping areas and so on…

If you have explored them all already, then here are a few websites that can help you find great value offers for activities, courses, restaurants, theatres and musicals, spas, getaways and all sorts of adventures throughout London and the UK.

Visit
www.wowcher.co.uk/
www.groupon.co.uk/
http://uk-offers.timeout.com/
www.livingsocial.com/united_kingdom/

You certainly find a bargain as you pay a much cheaper price than you would normally when booking directly on the product’s website. You would have a certain period of time to make use of the voucher, so you can choose when it is most convenient for you. Often offers are for 2 people, which could be a great opportunity to take a friend out too!

All details are usually written in the description of the offer. Please read them carefully to ensure that all terms and conditions of the voucher meet your comfort, diary and expenditures.

Happy bargain browsing !

Next Tuesday (12th February) is Shrove Tuesday, the first day of Lent in the Christian calendar – the period of 44 days before Easter.

Traditionally during this time Christians eat a more basic diet and refrain from extravagent behaviour.  Historically therefore we finished the richer foods from our kitchens – eggs, milk, butter – on Shrove Tuesday because they would not be needed during Lent.

In the UK, we also call Shrove Tuesday Pancake Day because we have a tradition of eating pancakes on this day, which use eggs, milk and butter.

You can buy ready-made pancakes in most supermarkets, but if you’d like to experience something really English, try this recipe at home – enjoy!

Makes about 8 pancakes

Ingredients
* 4oz (100g) plain flour
* Half a pint (250ml) of milk
* 1 medium egg
* Pinch of salt (half teaspoon)

Method
1. Sieve the flour and salt into a mixing bowl.
2. Make a small hollow in the center of the mixture and drop in the egg (not the shell).
3. Begin to mix while gradually adding about one quarter of the milk.  4. Continue to mix well until bubbles become visible in the mixture.
5. Gradually pour in the remaining milk while continuing to mix.
(if it’s a bit too thick – then add a little water.)
6. Pour batter into a jug for easier pouring into pan.

Making the Pancakes

1. Heat the frying pan, and place a small piece of lard/fat in the Center. Allow this to melt and spread over the pan.
2. Get the pan nice & hot and when the lard begins to smoke slightly, stir and pour in some of the batter – approx 30ml or 2 tablespoons, or enough to thinly cover the bottom of the pan (tilt the pan to help the batter spread evenly).
3. Cook until nicely golden brown on the bottom (shouldn’t take too long).
4. And now the only tricky bit of the whole operation – toss / flip the pancake to within an inch of the kitchen ceiling and position the pan to perfectly catch the pancake on the way down – cooked side up, easy (you could of course just turn it over with a big plastic spoon, but where’s the fun in that?!
5. Cook the other side until nicely golden brown.
6. Serve immediately with sugar, syrup, lemon or orange poured on top.

More topping ideas

* Strawberries
* Lemon
* Orange juice
* Honey, maple syrup, golden syrup
* Grated cheese (grilled)
* Sugar
* Raspberries
* Chocolate sauce, blueberry sauce

The winter is just beginning in the UK and there’s more to come – February is usually the coldest month of the year.  Here are some tips to help you beat the cold and stay warm:

1. Wear a hat
When your head is warm, your body also feels warm.  Your head is the largest exposed surface area of your body and hair isn’t a very good insulator.  If you cover up your head, you won’t lose much heat at all.

2. Keep your hands and feet warm
During cold weather, blood flow to the hands and feet is diverted to other  parts of your body so they’re the first place you’ll feel the cold. It’s important therefore to wear gloves and socks.

3. Hot drinks will make you feel warmer
When you drink anything, whether it is tea or soup, that has a higher  temperature than your body, the temperature will then be transferred into your  body. From here, your body will try to get rid of the excess heat through cooling  methods.  The effect will raise your skin temperature, and you will feel  warmer.

4. Exercise
Working out generates heat within your muscles and  improves your blood circulation, so hot blood gets to your fingers and  toes.

5. Wear layers of clothing
This is a tried and tested method of staying warm, and the way people stay warm  in extreme climates such as Scandinavia and Canada.  Insulating yourself with layers of clothing traps the heat within your  body, and the air between your layers warms up.  The bonus of this is that it also lets you take off layers when you get  inside.

6. Alcohol
This is not an excuse to drink in excessive amounts, but a low amount of  alcohol has been proven to dilate blood vessels in the skin.  However, excessive amounts of alcohol can be dangerous, so please be careful!

7. Keep windows and doors sealed
Keeping doors and windows shut tight can help warm up the house.  Make sure they’re sealed and weather tight, but don’t forget that  ventilation is also important.

The weather in the UK is getting colder as winter begins.  It’s the time when lots of people get sick with colds and flu.  However, if you eat well, you can avoid getting sick and missing your classes at UIC! Here are some helpful tips:

1. Drink Water
Drinking plenty of fluids, preferably water and decaffeinated drinks, gives your body what it needs to stay healthy.  If you’re dehydrated you’re more likely to catch a cold.

2. Yogurt
Research shows that eating one yogurt a day may work to keep your stomach healthier, which can help avoid colds.

3. Muesli
Eat a bowl of muesli, a whole grain oat-based cereal with dried fruit, nuts, and seeds. Whole grain foods like muesli contain more nutrients than highly processed foods, which help keep your immune system strong.

4. Oranges
Oranges have a high vitamin C content, which is a common cold-fighter.  Just one orange a day provides your recommended daily allowance of vitamin C. In fact, eating a whole orange is better than drinking a glass of orange juice, because it doesn’t have the added sugars and preservatives that processed juice often contains.

5. Garlic
Garlic contains allicin, an antibiotic that has been shown to help colds so make sure you include lots of it in your meals!

6. Green Peppers
One of the best vegetable sources of vitamin C, green peppers are great when it comes to fighting off colds.  Green peppers also contain a natural painkiller, capsaicin, that is clinically proven to be effective when rubbed on joints in a cream form.

7. Echinacea
You can buy this herb in health food stores – it’s said to be great for strengthening your immune system.

We hope you stay healthy this winter, but if you do get sick, don’t forget to call UIC Reception to let us know: 020 7079 3333

There are lots of great clothes shops in London and you can usually find something for every budget. But what if you want designer gear and you don’t want to pay designer prices?

There are at least 2 designer shopping outlet centres within easy reach of London.  Here you can find high street and designer brands at about 40% less than you’d pay for them in central London.  The clothes are usually from last season, that’s why they’re being sold at cheaper prices.

Why not have a day out and visit one of these outlets:

Bicester Village
http://www.bicestervillage.com/
How to get there: It’s near Oxford but you can take the Shopping Express Bus from Victoria Station (£25 return) – see website for details.

Ashford Designer Outlet
http://www.ashforddesigneroutlet.com/
How to get there: It’s south of London, in Kent. Take the train To Ashford International from Charing Cross, London Bridge, Waterloo or  Victoria. You can also take the National Express coach from Victoria Station.

Happy shopping!