As we start 2023, we hope that you are looking forward to the start of term and a warm welcome to those of you joining King’s.
Travel guidance
We want to update you on some important travel information that has been introduced for those travelling from mainland China to England.
From 5 January 2023, anyone travelling from mainland China on direct or indirect flights to England will need to take a pre-departure COVID-19 test. Airlines will ask passengers to provide the original test result notification as a printed document or email or text message. Your test result must be in either English, French or Spanish.
Arriving for the start of term
If you test positive for COVID and therefore cannot travel from mainland China to England in time for the start of term, please let your department know and they will be able to advise you. You should also contact our Visa Compliance team to ensure you are meeting the requirements of your visa.
Exams
If you are a returning student you may have exams during the exam period which runs from Monday 9 January to Friday 13 January 2023. If the travel guidance from mainland China means there is a risk you may miss any of your in-person exams, you should let your department know and apply for mitigating circumstances.
Residences
For those of you that are staying in our residences, you must let kingsresidences@kcl.ac.uk know your arrival date and book your arrival slot. If your arrival is impacted by the travel guidance, please let the residences team know as soon as you can.
Healthy campus
We all have a role to play in keeping our campuses a healthy environment to study and work in. We encourage all students to complete the Student H&S Induction on WorkRite.
- If you feel unwell, do not come onto campus. You should stay at home and take the necessary time to recover.
- Wash or sanitise your hands regularly to help stop the spread of germs
- Wearing a face covering is a personal choice for individuals to make and should always be respected.
- If you haven’t done so already, please make sure you register with a UK GP (General Practitioner/doctor) or with King’s Health Centre located on our campus.
- We encourage you to take up the option to have a COVID booster jab and a flu jab, your GP will be able to tell you if you are eligible for these vaccinations. Information on vaccinations is also available on Student Services Online.
Looking after your wellbeing
It’s always important to look after your health and wellbeing but it can be hard to do when you are trying to balance the demands of university life. Take Time Out this January signposts the wellbeing support available and What student support services are available? gives an overview of all the services available to you.
There’s information on our website about the counselling and mental health support you can access and King’s Counselling Online is available 24 hours a day. Our chaplaincy team are also available, for all faiths and none, to support students who wish to reach out to them directly and in confidence.
Check out King’s Sport for ways to keep a healthy mind and body. King’s Food also offer a variety of healthy and plant-based food at our campus food outlets.
Cost of living
With the rising cost of living, as a student you may be concerned about what this will mean for your household bills, food and travel costs. We have a range of support on offer for you to access; from practical tips, funding and making the most of campus facilities, to specialist money advice services and wellbeing support; should money start to become a worry and interfere with your studies.
Get involved
Making new friends and having fun are all part of university life. KCLSU has nearly 300 societies, sports, and other student activity groups you can join. You don’t have to be an expert to join in, you can just try something new.
You’ll find answers to common questions and support topics on Student Services Online as well as the latest news and stories on the Student News webpage.