Krista Dupps L03 with California's Gov Arnold S.**
Housing: What about my housing on campus?
USD does not provide housing in London. It is up to the student to find housing. Housing in a foreign country is NOT like living in the U.S. Be prepared for the unfamiliar. For budget information, click here: London Budget
You should try and purchase a London Street map before you leave.
Will I have to pay a deposit for housing?
Yes. Unfortunately, USD would not be able to help you find housing. However, call the British Tourist Board (before you leave the U.S.) at 1-800-462-2748 for FREE info on London, housing, pubs, etc. or search the Internet for housing information. For more housing information go to London Housing.
What is the cost of housing in London?
For budget information, click here: London Budget
How much will this housing deposit be for an apartment?
It will vary, depending upon your landlord. Landlords usually charge the first months rent for the deposit. Sometimes you may be asked to "wire" or "mail" a deposit before you see your housing. This is normal.
Will I have to pay utilities?
Yes. In London they can run anywhere from $30-$300 depending on your use.
Do I have to bring linens?
No, everything is usually provided or can be purchased there. If you are addicted to large bath towels or washcloths (as opposed to wash mitts), you may wish to bring your own.
Do I have to bring pots, pans, silverware?
No, but check with the landlord/agent before you rent.
If I rent a room in an apartment, will I have kitchen privileges?
This will depend on the landlord, check with the landlord, but more than likely yes.
Can I have friends stay in my apartment or room with me?
This will depend on your agreement with the landlord. Some do not care; others will not allow friends to stay over. Decide what you want to do at the outset, as it may influence where you live, then check with the landlord or realtor.
Where will the apartment/room be located?
This decision will be made by you when you are out looking for the apartment/room.
Will I have access to a washing machine and/or dryer?
You will have to discuss this with your landlord.
Books: When will I receive my books or class materials for my classes?
For U.S. students: Generally books are mailed around May 1st to the temporary address you listed on your application. Should you change address, you will need to notify us of your new address ASAP. If you leave the U.S. before you receive your books, you, the student, would have to pay USD to Fed Ex it to you in Europe. Fed Ex can cost anywhere from $25-$200 depending on your classes. Casebooks are heavy! If you attend school in San Diego, you will need to pick-up your books and/or photocopied materials at our office, Law School (Warren Hall) room 310. If you fail to pick up your class materials, we will Fed Ex them to your site and bill you.
For students coming from outside the United States:If you are attending one (1) or two (2) programs, your books and/or photocopied materials will be sent to you around May 1st as well, if time permits or they will be sent to your site(s) where you can retrieve them from either the Director, or the Administrative Assistant.
Course Changes: What if I want to change classes once I have initially signed up?
No problem and no charge if you do this before April 1st. If you change ON or AFTER April 1st, then there is a fee of $50 for each law course change/switch, and you may change/switch only if we have the class materials/books for your new classes.
Thomas Cooley and Indiana Univ-Bloomington students must obtain permission to change or drop any classes from either Prof Bill Weiner or Dean Len Fromm. Then Prof Weiner or Dean Fromm will alert USD-San Diego to the approved change.
Class Additions: Can I add a class once I am in London?
Yes, but you will be charged for the new materials and the add fee. If it is only photocopied materials, and the materials have to be photocopied at your site(s), you will have to pay these charges as well. If books are not on site, you will have to pay for USD-San Diego to Fed Ex the new book(s) to you. You would pay for all extra costs via USD's on-line E-Pay system by either an e-check or via credit card only. (Visa credit cards are not accepted) No payments are to be made on-site to anyone.
Thomas Cooley and Indiana Univ-Bloomington students must obtain permission to add classes from either Prof Bill Weiner or Dean Len Fromm. Then Prof Weiner or Dean Fromm will alert USD-San Diego to the approved change. If you increase your class load, you will be charged accordingly.
Law Classes: Can I drop a class once I am in London?
Yes, however, there will be no refund of any monies paid. Be aware that if you took out loans, you may have to repay monies back to your lender. Contact the Financial Aid Office at your home school for further information.
Thomas Cooley and Indiana Univ-Bloomington students must obtain permission to drop classes from either Prof Bill Weiner or Dean Len Fromm. Then Prof Weiner or Dean Fromm will alert USD-San Diego to the approved change. If you increase your class load, you will be charged accordingly.
Payments: If my school and USD sign a Consortium/Visiting Student Agreement, do I still have to make the scheduled payments?
Yes, payments must be kept up. Once you have paid the USD Study Abroad Program a total of $800, which is due at USD by April 23rd, for going on 1 program, then your final payment of the balance due must be received at USD no later than June 18th. If any of the scheduled payments are missed then you will not be able to take advantage of the early pay discount. See Early Payment Discounts and Payment Due Dates
If you are going to 2 sites, London and then either Barcelona, Florence, or Russia then an initial deposit amount of $400 is due with your application. Then follow the payment schedule. Payment in full for both sites for tuition, and/or housing and any language courses for Barcelona, Florence, or Russia, must be received at USD no later than May 14th. (we do not provide housing in Barcelona, Florence, London or Moscow Russia; housing is mandatory in St Petersburg Russia only). Remember housing through USD is optional, except for St Petersburg Russia. You can secure housing on your own. However, USD would not be able to help you secure housing on your own.
Credit Cards accepted
USD accepts Mastercard, Discover, and American Express credit cards to pay your costs for tuition, and/or the internship (if taken) in London. USD does not accept Visa credit cards for any type of payments. Please go to Credit Card information
Also, you must initally pay through our office and NOT through USD's Student Accounts or Cashier's office or USD's e-pay system!
After your initial non-refundable payment to sign you up and you are then enrolled, have received your Acceptance Letter and have been assigned a USD ID number, you may then either pay through USD's E-Pay system, paying via e-check or credit card only (Visa credit cards are not accepted). Otherwise, if you will be MAILING or WALKING IN a U.S. dollar personal check or U.S. dollar money order, then these must be sent/brought to our office to: Ms Cindy King, USD Law School, 5998 Alcala Pk LS 310, San Diego CA 92110-2492; or you may bring into our office, Law School 310 and pay either Darlene or Cindy.
What about returned personal checks?
Should a U.S. dollar personal check be returned back to USD for any reason, there is a chance of you being withdrawn from the program for non-payment. USD puts returned checks back through two (2) times before the Study Abroad office is notified of a bad check. USD will not resubmit this check after 2 tries. Re-payment must then be made immediately and arrive at our office within 2 business days by either a U.S. Money Order, U.S. Cashier's Check only. If your check is returned back to us for any reason, there will be a $40 bank/administrative fee charged to your account.
Discounts: Will I be able to receive a discount if I pay early?
Yes, go to Early Payment Discounts and Payment Due Dates for more information.
Will I receive 2 discounts if I am taking 2 programs?
No, only one discount applies.
Refunds: If I withdraw from the program, what type of refund will I receive?
Please go to London Refund Policy for more information.
What if I am Academically Disqualified and I decide not to attend the London program, will I receive a full refund of both Tuition and any housing amount I have already paid?
Please go to London Refund Policy for more information.
What about exchanging money in London?
It is strongly recommended that you exchange at least $300 into local currency BEFORE you leave the U.S.. Check with either your Bank or Credit Union to see if they offer this service to its members. If not, then check out Thomas Cook International Money Services or contact an American Express office near you (this can be a slow site to come up. It may say "document done" but it really is not, just wait for a minute and then it will come up.) or check with the AAA (American Auto Association). Then change the rest at a bank in London - usually there is no commission charged by banks and you get good rates. But check at each bank.
Thomas Cook in San Diego is located at Horton Plaza, at 177 Horton Plaza (between 1st and 4th Streets), Plaza Level, near the Victoria's Secret store under the stairs, across from Macy's. They are open Mon - Fri from 10am - 6pm and Saturday from 10am - 4pm, 1-800-CURRENCY (2877-3629)
Another Thomas Cook in San Diego is located at UTC, (University Towne Center) at 4417 La Jolla Village Dr, #N17. They are also open Mon - Fri from 10am - 6pm and Saturday from 10am - 4pm, 1-800-CURRENCY (2877-3629)
American Express in San Diego is located at 7610 Hazard Center Rd #515, (off Friars Rd), phone # 619-297-8102 and are open Mon - Fri from 9:30am to 6pm and Sat from 10:00am - 3:00pm. Closed on holidays ( Jan 1, Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Dec 25).
Another American Express in San Diego is located at 258 Broadway, phone # 619-234-4455 and are open Mon - Fri from 9:00am to 5:30pm for Retail and Mon - Fri 8am - 5pm for Business Travel. Closed on holidays ( Jan 1, Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Dec 25).
First, estimate how much cash you will need for the program. Then add $500 in case of an emergency. This is the amount of cash you will need at your disposal.
There are three principle ways of getting the cash you need: traveler's checks, Automated Teller Machine cards (ATM cards), and credit cards.
Traveler's checks in U.S. dollars are always accepted at Banks and Exchange houses, even when traveler's checks in the local currency are not. While the standard charge for the checks is 1% of face value, it is often possible to obtain them free. AAA does this for its members, and many banks provide them free for significant account-holders. When cashing them in Europe, a better rate is often provided than when changing cash.
American Express traveler's checks can be cashed anywhere, some AmEx offices even cash them without a commission.
ATM cards are a good way to receive cash. In addition to your card, you may possibly need a PIN number valid in Europe. Check with your bank. Some banks issue special Europe ATM cards. You are limited to the same withdrawal as at home, and it can sometimes involve major math to figure out how much you will be allowed. The major problems with the ATM solution are fees and cash. There may be two fees involved, one from your bank, and another from the bank that owns the ATM machine. The fees can easily total more than $10, so it makes no sense to withdraw less than the maximum allowed, as fees are imposed on each transaction. In addition, you can only withdraw money if you have it in your account. Both the Plus and Cirrus systems are well-represented in London; check with your bank if you have only the Star system about London machines.
One should probably charge as much as possible on a credit card. Visa and Mastercharge are universally accepted; American Express and Diners less so; Discover not at all. The exchange rate is pretty good, and the bill need not be paid for at least a month. However, most credit card companies are now charging you a percentage amount based on what you charge. Sometimes it can be 1% on each transaction, sometimes more. Check with your credit card company about this extra charge. Also, using your credit card to take a cash advance will also work if you have a correct PIN number, but interest begins accruing immediately, and there is usually a fee for the loan. So this is the more expensive alternative.
Normally, the best rates for changing money are NOT found at the airport. Once settled, students exchange information about good places to change money. It is usually disadvantageous to change money at night or on weekends because the number of places open then limits the competition. Two factors determined how advantageous the exchange might be: the rate, and the commission. Many places offer exchange with no commission, but usually give less favorable rates.
ATM's at the airports: Gatwick: at Lloyds Bank, Midlands Bank, Thomas Cooke, and at Travelex in the South Terminal.Heathrow: at the Co-operative Bank, Terminal 2. These are Plus Machines and possibly Cirrus. For Plus and Cirrus customers there are MANY locations in London. Several are at 117 Great Portland St; 125 Great Portland Street. According to CIRRUS, they have over 10,000 locations, including National Westminster, Lloyd's, and Barclay's banks. But check with your bank before you leave to obtain a listing of the International branches you can use for both Plus and Cirrus.
If you use the STAR system, check with your bank for locations.
If you have American Express or Thomas Cooke travelers checks you go to one of their offices in London. American Express is located at: Victoria Station (147 Victoria St); 54 Cannon St; Knightsbridge (78 Brompton Rd); 6 Haymarket (tube stop: Piccadilly Circus); and at the British Tourist Centre. Open M-F 9:00am-5:30pm, on Saturdays from 9am-6pm and on Sundays from 10am-5:45pm.
Thomas Cooke is located in London at: 15 Shaftesbury Ave (tube stop: Piccadilly Circus) open 24 hours. So if you have either American Express or Thomas Cooke travelers checks, you just pop in there for an exchange of your money into British Pounds. There is generally NO commission charged at either of these companies if you have their travelers checks. There is also an Exchange International located also at Victoria Station which is open 24 hours. There may be a commission charge here.
Exams: What time do the exams start and finish?
Your exams start at 9 am on August 1st and August 2nd and take about 2-4 hours. Do not plan to leave on a flight before 3 pm on Saturday, August 2nd if you have an exam that morning. EXAMS ARE NEVER GIVEN IN ADVANCE.
Health Insurance: What about health insurance?
U.S. STUDENTS ONLY: All U.S. students should provide to our office evidence of medical insurance valid in England by sending us a photocopy of your insurance card showing the dates you are covered. We recommend the International Student ID Card. It costs about $25.00. It provides some medical and travel insurance and student discounts. International Student ID cards can be obtained from STA Travel or call 1-858-544-9632 or 1-800-226-8624 or at the USD UC Box Office. You should bring a passport size photo when purchasing this card. If you choose this option, please mail/bring a readable copy of the International Student ID Card to our office. Mail us a copy of your proof of insurance, (USD Law School, Attn: Ms Darlene Smith, 5998 Alcala Pk LS 310, San Diego, CA 92110-2492) or scan it as an attachment to an e-mail (no faxes) to Ms Darlene Smith darlenes@sandiego.edu. We strongly suggest that you keep any health insurance you have current.
If you do not have health insurance, the International Students I.D. Card, which provides you with some discount entrance fees and air fares to many sights, comes with some health insurance. Cost: $25. (USD students can buy these cards at the UC box office). Bring a passport-sized photo to avoid extra cost. The USD Campus Card Services office in the Bookstore (Loma Hall) now offers passport pictures - $10 for 2 pictures. Otherwise you can purchase your health insurance coverage commercially, through your parents insurance, through AAA (if you, your spouse or your parents are a member). You should double check that it covers you during your summer trip. For more general travel info contact: STA Travel or call 1-858-544-9632, or 1-800-226-8624.
Check to ensure that your current insurance covers you while you are in Europe. Ask if they will reimburse your out-of-pocket expense for doctor, prescriptions, etc. when you return to the U.S., if you provide them with receipts. A doctor's visit alone can cost $50 plus whatever medications in case you run into problems. Our USD-London office will have the names of English speaking doctors.
Medications/Glasses: What about my medications/glasses?
We also strongly suggest that you bring at least an extra months supply of whatever medications you take. FYI: If you are taking allergy shots, be aware that a doctor in London or anywhere in England cannot give them to you. A doctor is not permitted to give these shots, it is banned in England. You will either have to do it yourself or find a nurse who will give them to you. You will have to pay extra for the nurse to give you these shots. You will also need to bring a doctor's letter with you in case you get stopped by customs if your bringing in your medication and needles with you. You should also bring prescription from your doctor in case you need a refill. You should also bring a prescription for your eye glasses.
Local transport: Tell me about transportation within London.
Transportation within London by underground (tube) or bus is easy and efficient.
Underground (Tube):
Fast, efficient, and crowded. Starts at 6am; the last train runs around midnight. Buy your ticket before you board and pass it through automatic gates at both ends of your journey. On-the-spot fine of about $25 for not having a ticket. The Travelcard is a must for budget travelers. One-day travel cards can only be used after 9:30am, Mon - Fri and are not valid on night buses. Travelcards can be used on the Underground, regular buses, British Rail (Network SouthEast) and the Docklands Light Railway. The one-week and one-month Travelcards can be used at any time, and are valid for Night Bus travel. (1-week Travelcard, zones 1 and 2, cost about $35; 1-month Travelcard, zones 1 and 2, cost about $100) (for travel in zones 3 +, the cost is about another $25-$75), bring a passport-sized picture.
Buses:
The bus network is divided into 4 zones, in and around central London. One-way fares range from $1.00 to $6.00 depending on the number of zones you cross.
Night Buses:
(the "N" routes)These buses run frequently throughout London from 11pm - 6am. All pass through Trafalgar Sq. Pick up a free brochure about night buses, maps, and guides, which include times of the last British Rail and Underground trains at London Transport's Information Centres (look for the lowercase "i" logo on signs) most are open from 8am - 6pm; central London stations also have weekend hours.
Taxis:
A light signifies that they are empty. Fares are steep, and 15% tip is standard.
What about program organized legal events?
Past students have visited the Inns at Court, Westminster (Parliament), House of Lords, House of Commons, barristers chambers, solicitors firms, the Old Bailey and a walking tour of Legal London.
What about program organized tourist events?
Past students have visited Buckingham Palace, gone to Oxford, gone to a play in Stratford-upon-Avon, and had a canal boat trip. Cost was determined by how many students signed up for the trips.
Touring
London itself has many tourist attractions like the Tower of London, the Tate and National Galleries, Westminster Abbey, the houses of parliament in Westminster Hall, Buckingham Palace, and Christopher Wren's St. Paul's Cathedral.
London is near many attractions. It is within one hour by train from Cambridge, Canterbury, Hampton Court, Oxford, and Windsor. Stratford-upon-Avon, Coventry, Stonehenge, Warwick, Salisbury, Winchester, Bath, and Bristol are not much farther. Paris and Amsterdam are one-hour flights across the Channel. Both the Wimbledon tennis tournament and the Henley Regatta take place around the time of the program. Excursions depend on student interest
References: Names and addresses of former students.
If you would like names and phone numbers of previous London students, send Ms Cindy King an e-mail cking@sandiego.edu or Ms Darlene Smith darlenes@sandiego.edu and they will e-mail you back with the information.
Questions:
For more information click here London Tips - GeneralAlso send Ms Cindy King cking@sandiego.edu or Ms Darlene Smith darlenes@sandiego.edu an e-mail should you have more questions that were not answered in these FAQ's or in the London Tips - General section and we will e-mail you back.
If you find an error, please let Cindy know, cut and paste the exact address (www.sandiego.edu/lawabroad/...........) into the e-mail, so that it can be corrected right away. Thank you!
** Courtesy of Krista Dupps L03