England Study Abroad Program in London

Housing Options

• Queen Mary Halls of Residence
  The halls of residence are located right on the Queen Mary campus. In general, you may expect the following from the Queen Mary residences:

• Each student has a single bedroom with an attached bathroom.
• Mini-refrigerator in your single bedroom.
• Several rooms on a hall share a kitchen.
• Queen Mary halls are self-catering, which means that you will buy your own food and cook your own meals.
• Individual kitchen equipment is not provided but can be obtained upon arrival in London.
• Students are integrated with other Queen Mary students of all nationalities.
• Individual access points are available for Internet, but you are likely to incur an additional expense if your room has not been previously activated.
• Bedding pack- generally includes a duvet, pillow and sheets.

• IFSA-Butler housing at Pembridge Gardens
  If there is a shortage of on-campus housing, students may be placed in IFSA-Butler housing. The housing is located in Notting Hill and is approximately a 30-minute commute by bus or tube to the Queen Mary Campus. It is important to note that the IFSA-Butler housing will involve addional costs. If allocated IFSA-Butler housing, students will receive a supplemental bill. In general, you may expect the following from the IFSA-Butler residences:

• Single or shared rooms in a flat with other IFSA-Butler students.
• Several rooms share a kitchen and bathroom facilities.
• Rooms are furnished with desk and chair, light, bed, wardrobe and shelves.
• Self-catering (i.e., no meal plan).
• Linens and towels are not provided in most cases.
• Public coin and/or card operated phones that do not receive incoming calls.
• A commute to campus via the Tube (London's subway).
• Kitchen equipment may not be provided but can be easily obtained once in London.

What is living in London like?
London is an exciting, vibrant and diverse city. Students who study in London should be aware that housing is always in short supply. For this reason, it may be very difficult to change rooms once you arrive. Queen Mary students will be housed on campus, a rare occurrence in London! However, commuting is the nature of studying and living in a large city like London, so students should expect to take public transportation to get around London. The cost of commuting by public transportation is your responsibility. Going into your study abroad experience with an open mind about your possible living arrangement is the best way to ensure a good semester or year abroad.

Is Queen Mary's campus different than my university campus in the U.S.?
Although Queen Mary is a self-contained campus, it is located in London's urban East End. Students used to a small, self-contained college campus in the U.S. should not expect Queen Mary's campus to be exactly the same as their own. Students will find a busy, urban, cosmopolitan setting. Relocating to a new country and living in one of the fastest paced cities in the world is an exciting but challenging experience. Students interested in attending Queen Mary must be prepared for a period of adjustment as they acclimate to London and the East End.

Queen Mary's location affords students the unique opportunity to discover the multicultural and cosmopolitan side of London and British society. Because the East End of London has traditionally been a major port of entry for overseas arrivals to the United Kingdom, students will encounter people from many different ethnic and religious backgrounds. The East End is home to several famous landmarks, including the Tower Bridge, the Tower of London, Canary Wharf and the Docklands. East-Enders developed Britain's famous Cockney rhyming slang. The East End is becoming a very popular location for new nightclubs, art galleries and cafés. The East End will also be the site of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Past students have enjoyed discovering this up-and-coming cultural area of London.

In the past, London's East End was sometimes characterized solely as a commercial and industrial area of the city. However, the East End, while still very urban, has undergone major economic revitalization and is now home to many young professionals and new businesses, in addition to being home to a religiously and ethnically diverse residential community.

Queen Mary, University of London is about a 30-minute Tube (i.e. subway) ride from central London, which is home to many historical sites, museums, and the West End theatre district. This means that students interested in a social life and events outside of the Queen Mary campus will have to commute by Tube into central London.