Arcadia England

Welcome to England!

You have all officially survived orientation and are right at the beginning of an exciting new adventure. Here’s a look back at some of what you got up to during Orientation… 

Faculty led tours

Our wonderful faculty members took you on walking tours all around London, from St Paul’s Cathedral to Karl Marx’s flat. You had the opportunity to learn about the history of London and how it has grown and changed socially, politically, culturally and architecturally over the years. We hope you will continue to explore this beautiful city, both in an educational capacity and just for fun, see what hidden pockets of culture you can uncover. 

If you enjoyed this…. Come along to Pub Club. Running at least once a month a Faculty member will take you to a historically significant London Pub where you can expand your knowledge whilst knocking back a pint or two. 

Greenwich Boat Trip 

You travelled along London's River Thames and got to see such iconic sights as the London Eye, the Tower of London and HMS Belfast. The boat took you down to South East London to visit the borough of Greenwich. As soon as you stepped off the boat you would’ve seen the Cutty Sark; a huge 19th Century ship and the world's last surviving tea clipper. You would then have wandered through the quaint cobbled streets of Greenwich and smelt the wafting aroma of the amazing market selling everything from churros to caricatures.  Or perhaps you walked up through beautiful Greenwich park to the Observatory home to the Prime Meridian Line, the UK’s largest refracting telescope and a 4.5 billion year-old asteroid. Greenwich is a prime example of how brilliant London is to live in, in just one tiny corner of the city you can find so much to do and see. 

If you enjoyed this…. Sign up for Hidden London events on Facebook. This semester we will be going on trips to such fascinating places as Little Venice, The London Mithraeum and The Sky Garden. 

Pub Quiz 

You guys were thrown head first into British Pub culture and you smashed it at the Pub Quiz! This year’s turnout was one of our best ever, with so many of you eager to show off your local knowledge. You had the opportunity to mingle with other students, bond over cheesy nachos and work together with some fairly hilarious team names (my personal favourite being Blood, Sweat and Beers) to win our very glamorous selection of British chocolates and sweets. We hope you even managed to learn a little something, I know I for one wasn’t aware it was illegal to wear a suit of armour in the houses of Parliament! 

Culture tip: There are over 3500 pubs in London, many of these running pub quizzes to further prove your braininess. My personal recommendation would be Boogaloo Stu’s Big Quiffy Quiz - a weekly quiz at The Four Thieves in Battersea, Every Tuesday, 8pm-10pm just £2 per person for entry, up to six people per team. Cash and Chocolate prizes (not to mention some hilarious and raunchy questions!) 

Student Fair

The student fair came to town! (aka the London Center). You came for the free donuts, you stayed for all of this there was on offer… 

• Textbooks from Blackwells

• Library cards from Senate House Library
• Registering to vote from abroad
• Discovering the Host UK  programme
• Keeping to that New Year’s Resolution signing up for the YMCA
• Learning about Nightline and how they can help you 
• Tasting fresh juice from the London Farmer’s Market. 

If you missed this…. There are still pamphlets available on each of these stalls at the London Center. Alternatively you can pop in and speak to a member of the Student Life team who will advise you and help you make the most of your time here. 

Not to mention all this other stuff you’ve gotten up to… 

Happy Orientation. We hope you love it here as much as we do!