University College (Castle), has a very vibrant student community filled with the ever growing prospect of new opportunities to get involved in around every corner. For all new students this could be quite daunting at first, however the International freshers’ week & general freshers’ week will leave you prepared and ready to embark on your adventure.
Always remember that as a college we are a very multinational community and chances are high you’ll be making friends from all over the globe. This, in itself, is an exciting prospect, and would always ensure that there’s something new to learn around the breakfast, lunch and dinner table, as conversations can travel thousands of miles in the blink of an eye.
Banking
During the international freshers’ week, all international students will have the opportunity to be aided and guided by international Freps on and how to open a British bank account. This will have to be done in order to pay tuition and accommodation fees and would generally make life for you as a student easier while staying in the United Kingdom.
Below are some general links which provide some pre-arrival reading with regards to the whole banking process.
http://www.prepareforsuccess.org.uk/blog/banking-in-the-uk-for-international-students/
https://www.bba.org.uk/publication/leaflets/international-students/
Furthermore, you can find a map of the banks in Durham here, which should help you in your decision.
If you are an international student, you will automatically be a member of Castle’s International Society, which is one of the main societies in the Castle JCR. The committee is an open committee, so any member of the JCR who wishes to join or be involved with it on a permanent or temporary basis – be they international students or not – is very much welcome to.
The committee are responsible for providing practical support to all internationals as and when needed, through the organisation of International Freshers’ Week, the International Welfare Officer’s drop-in sessions, and other means they deem appropriate.
The committee will work with the Campaigns Officer, the International Welfare Officer and the Welfare team as a whole to organise a variety of events, around two per term, aimed both at internationals and home students. These could include – but are by no means limited to – themed formals, cultural exchanges, events with other colleges’ International Committees, dinners and pub quizzes.
The Society is chaired by the International Society President, Vice President, and the International Welfare Officer. The President (Chiara Di Battista) and Vice President are responsible for organising International Freshers’ Week and all other international events, writing the International Freshers’ Handbook, coordinating the activities of the Committee and working with the International Welfare Officer to provide internationals with all the support they may need throughout the year. The International Welfare Officer (Ananya Nair) is a member of the Welfare Team, and will hold weekly drop-in sessions to provide advice and help students with any problems affecting their well-being and provide support wherever possible throughout the year.
Furthermore, any member of the JCR will be able to run for committee roles such as Treasurer or Events Organiser in elections at the beginning of the academic year, in our first meeting. The committee meets twice a term and organises at least two fantastic events per term. It would be great to see as many international and non-international freshers at these as possible to help us build an even stronger international community in college.