BruKent Society: INFO PACK 04 ARRIVAL IN THE UK

Arrival in the UK

UPP Officers (Unit Penuntut-Penuntut) will be waiting for you at the arrival gates of Terminal 4, London Heathrow Airport and guide you through the immigration process.

Students will then be escorted by UPP officers from London Heathrow Airport to Brunei Hall, the central base for both Unit Penuntut-Penuntut and Brunei Students Union / BSUnion (a student-run organisation that caters for all the affiliated Brunei student societies in the United Kingdom and EIRE). Additional information such as contact details, news and events can be found on the websites below:

http://upp.org.uk/ and http://bsunion.org/

*Unfortunately, private students and BSP students will NOT be escorted and will need to find an alternative form of transportation to Brunei Hall.

Unit Penuntut-Penuntut Brunei Student Union

Once you arrive at Brunei Hall, you will be told to prepare your important documents and will also be asked to fill up several forms (e.g. ASF1 - Academic Status Form 1). At the same time, you will be given your BSU card and BSU ID number , which is required for all official use throughout the duration of your studies in the UK.

After doing so, UPP will conduct a briefing on the rules and regulations to ensure your safety and comfort in your respective universities.

The rest of the day is up to you, touring London and resting after a long flight is usually favoured. However, you are advised to stay in Brunei Hall overnight at a Transit Room (the first night is free of charge) before continuing the rest of your journey. If you wish to stay longer, you will need to ask the receptionist to extend your stay and pay an additional £1.80 per night.

You may also wish to call home when you arrive; your best option is to use the phone available on the counter of Brunei Hall’s reception (It’s free!). Ask the receptionist for a more detailed explanation on this and its procedures.

It is also advisable to get a UK network SIM Card like O2, Vodaphone and etc. You can purchase your SIM card almost anywhere so take your pick. Most networks offer contract or a pay-as-you-go plan depending on your own preferences. Ask around for recommendations.

London Travel and Shopping

Halal Food in London are easy to find. Brunei Hall is self catered with breakfasts, lunches and dinners at affordable prices. Alternatively, there are a lot of Malay Restaurants for you to try around the Brunei Hall area like Kerisik, Bonda, Tuk Din etc. As well as Halal Fast Food Restaurants like KFC, Subway and Chicken Cottage. These are all within a 5 to 15 minutes walk from Brunei Hall

When in London, you should want an Oyster Card, which can be bought at Stations or shops in London that provide Oyster Top-Up Service. It is a cheap option for London transport and can be used for bus as well as London Underground Tube travels. These public transport services do not accept cash or coins, only tickets and Oyster Cards. If this is your first time, get a tube map from any underground station (or you can download it on your phone). It’ll show you all the services available and which stations they visit.

Here are a few tips:

Each tube service/line is defined by a colour.
You may need to change tube lines to get to a specific location.
Make sure you are at the correct platform (Eastbound-Westbound or Northbound-  Southbound) or you might have just been travelling in the opposite direction from your intended destination.
Make sure the tube you are boarding calls at your station before stopping at the station it terminates at. A tube terminates at the station whose name is on the front of the train or on the  information board at the platform.
Be aware of service disruptions due to works, maintenance and repairs.

You can use the Oyster Card to get to Bayswater where there are more Halal Restaurants (ask for directions from the Brunei Hall receptionist).

Famous high-street shopping locations include Oxford Street and Piccadilly Circus and if you fancy a luxurious shopping experience you can go to Westfield in Shepherd’s Bush/ White City and Harrods in Knightsbridge. However, if you prefer touring London instead there are endless places to visit as well.

Getting to and from Paddington

These are only some examples of common locations:

Bayswater:

Tube Circle and District Line to Bayswater station
Bus no. 27, 23, 36, 7 to Queensway (Westbourne Terrace)  

Oxford Street:

Tube Bakerloo line to Oxford Circus
Bus no. 23, 7 to Marble Arch Station or Selfridges  

Piccadilly Circus :

Tube Bakerloo line to Piccadilly Circus
Bus no, 23 to Picadilly Circus

Westfield :

Tube Circle and Hammersmith & City Line to Wood Lane.
Change to the Central Line for a train to White City Station.

Below are the links to tube map and London bus services