Your Campus Guide - East 15 Acting School, Loughton Campus 2015-16

YOU’RE IN Your guide to living and learning* at Loughton Campus

*and sharing biscuits

2015-16

YOU’RE IN. And part of our incredible community at East 15 Acting School. So what now?

Time to get your head around all the help, guidance and advice that’s here for you – with one aim in mind: that you get the best out of your experience at East 15. (While having the time of your life, of course.)

Your time here will fly by. So get sorted, plan ahead… Start by making a cup of tea, putting your feet up, and reading every scrap of information we give you before you begin your studies.

Because, what you grasp now will set you up for the best living and learning experience any student could wish for.

“A university should provide an experience of living as well as an opportunity for learning.”

Sir Albert Sloman, founding Vice-Chancellor, Reith Lectures 1963

But you’re just not any student. You’re an East 15 Acting School student.

Ready? Excellent.

Then we’ll begin.

“Since I was a student I’ve been fascinated by East 15’s extraordinary legacy and its reputation for rigorous and inspired teaching. The students consistently display an unusual degree of courage, vision and versatility.”

CONTENTS

Our East 15 Acting School is self-contained, offering everything you need for your studies and to help you unwind after a hard day’s rehearsals.

STARTING YOUR COURSE

u www.essex.ac.uk/students

1. LEARNING 03 08 10 16

2. LIVING Where you live Money matters Getting around Enjoy yourself

Maps and media Essex forever

Study facilities

Our registration team will welcome you at our Loughton Campus at the start of your course, to register you, and provide documentation, support and guidance on a full range of academic matters. This includes giving you your registration card and guidance on transcripts. Our student services team also provides proof of study for council tax and UK banks examination results and evidence of sponsorship for overseas student visas. In addition to our extensive student webpages you can carry out online transactions and order important documents online.

Colin Firth CBE

Study facilities Tech world Staying healthy and happy Future career starts here

1. LEARNING

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u https://www.essex.ac.uk/studentdocs u www.essex.ac.uk/esf

DEPARTMENTS, SCHOOLS AND CENTRES The University of Essex has 25 academic departments, centres and schools, within three faculties – Humanities, Social Sciences, and Science and Health. East 15 Acting School belongs to the Faculty of Humanities. Each department is responsible for teaching and research within a defined subject area, and there are also academic centres conducting teaching and research on a smaller scale. All are strongly committed to research and this underpins the design and teaching of all Essex courses.

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LIBRARY SERVICES

UNIT 4

Our library facilities, on the first floor of Hatfields House, are provided jointly by the Albert Sloman Library based at our Colchester Campus and by the library at East 15 in Loughton. Books and other materials on reading lists for courses at East 15 are available from the shelves of the library at East 15. All library materials at East 15 are included in the Albert Sloman Library catalogue.

Unit 4 is the home of the East 15 Technical Department and also students undertaking the Technical Theatre Course - and is home to the new Stage and Production Management course that started in September 2015. The unit has a fully-equipped construction workshop, for both wood and metalwork for productions, a scenic painting workshop, and a props workshop which has a production workshop and a separate fibreglassing room. Unit 4 also contains a fully-equipped sound studio and a separate sound booth for live recording. PCs offer specialist software for technical student training such as Vector works, AutoCAD, WYSIWYG and Photoshop. There are also a number of well-equipped teaching spaces with interactive projectors and a props and furniture store.

u http://libwww.essex.ac.uk/Users/east15.htm

HATFIELDS HOUSE Our main student offices are based in Hatfields. On the ground floor is the computer room, teaching rooms, including the music room, Income Office and Student Hub (home to Student Support, Reception and the Accommodation Office.) On the first floor is the library, Directors’ offices and Administration and Admission offices. The Marketing department and tutor offices are on the second floor.

HATFIELDS STUDIO The Courtyard Studios provide six large rehearsal spaces, a radio studio equipped for the recording of radio plays and voice-over work, and a screening room. The NB (new build) Studios offer four rehearsal spaces with shower facilities whilst the CP (car park) rooms offer two further spaces. The Dance Studio provides facilities for ballet, jazz, Laban and other movement work along with further shower facilities.

CORBETT THEATRE Our on-campus theatre is based in a historic barn conversion at the Hatfields Campus. It has full technical facilities, tiered seating for 125 people and fitted dressing rooms plus a newly refurbished bar and café which is run by the Students’ Union.

RODING HOUSE Roding House is a short walk from Hatfields, near Debden underground station. Access is gained using an electronic key fob which can be rented from the Income Office. The site contains ten rehearsal rooms of varying size, each room is named after theatre practitioners which on your timetable is shortened to initials. There’s also a computer room which has 14 PCs and a printer, a green room/café which is run by the Students’ Union and a sound recording studio/film editing suite.

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SECURITY AT RODING HOUSE AND UNIT 4 Entry to Roding House and Unit 4 is controlled by use of entry fobs which are issued to students on payment of a £10 deposit which is fully refunded when the fob is returned. Please inform the Campus Supervisor immediately if your entry fob is lost or stolen so that it can be cancelled from the security access system.

COSTUME DEPARTMENT Based at Roding House, your course has access to this facility in your final year. It has a large costume store as well as a work room, maintenance wardrobe room and a separate costume fitting room. You are personally responsible for seeing that all the props, costumes and equipment that you use are returned to where they came from at the end of a project. You must book an appointment for both taking and returning costumes. If you arrive without an appointment you will be turned away.

PIGEONHOLES Student pigeonholes are located by Reception at Hatfields House - we will use these frequently to communicate important information, so check your pigeonhole regularly. External student mail that arrives at the School will be put in the student pigeonholes for collection. You must check your student pigeonhole once a day during term-time.

YOUR MOBILE NUMBER Where you provide a mobile telephone number, we may use this number to contact you by text message with relevant, University-related information. Please keep this number up-to-date.

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OUT-OF-HOURS ROOM BOOKINGS

PERSONAL AND LOST PROPERTY

If your tutor has suggested you rehearse out-of-hours on evenings and Saturdays you can book a studio via the Campus Supervisor, based in the Administration Office, first floor of Hatfields House. You should complete a risk assessment form at least three days before your booking, ensuring it’s signed by your Head of Course for each booking you make. Please book your room as far in advance as possible and always check that the room you want has not already been allocated. You must complete a risk assessment form. Rehearsal spaces are not usually available during teaching hours. If you are asked by Security to leave a room you are using out of hours because it has already been allocated for something else or because the building is closing please do so promptly and courteously.

Please be aware that the University cannot be held responsible for the security of your property. You are advised to make use of the lockers.

School insurance policies do not cover items brought onto campus by students. You are strongly advised to ensure that valuable items such as laptops, phones and musical instruments are covered by your own insurance policy.

Due to the sheer volume of property that is left lying around campus, we no longer have the facilities to contain it. Please take good care of your things and mark all items with your name accordingly. Any valuables found (phones, wallets, glasses) will be held at Reception at Hatfields.

FIRE SAFETY If you hear a fire alarm, leave the building at once. Do not stop to collect personal possessions or to locate other people. Close doors behind you.

The sound of the fire alarm is a consistent loud bleeping. The muster point for staff and students is the grassed area known as the football pitch in front of the pond at Hatfields House.

TAKE CARE IN STUDIOS AND PUBLIC SPACES It is an important part of your professional training that you become accustomed to treating your own and others’ working environment with respect. You are required to clean up studios after your classes and rehearsals and to leave them in a fit state for the next user. This discipline should also apply to the public areas of the building. Please be considerate of other students and staff working in adjacent areas when you are entering and leaving classrooms and studios and using the public areas of the buildings.

LOCKERS Lockers are available for students throughout the Loughton Campus, on payment of a £10 key deposit. The deposit is fully refunded when the key is returned. If you lose your key, £5 of the deposit will be retained to cover the cost of providing a replacement. Lockers are large enough to hold a laptop and holdall or rucksack and are available to rent from The Income Office.

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Tech world

name appears on your Registration Card, and your email address is username@essex.ac.uk. For further information about the use of email at Essex including FAQs and access queries visit:

YOUR IT ACCOUNT AND PASSWORD

u www.essex.ac.uk/it

It’s the key to your IT world at East 15. Once you’re set up, you can access email, log on to lab computers, connect to eduroam wi-fi and much more. If you haven’t got your login name and password yet, go to: www.essex.ac.uk/it/getaccount. You must change your password within four weeks of starting, and then once every four months after that. The easiest way to change your password is online at: u www.essex.ac.uk/password

COMPUTERS ON CAMPUS At Loughton we have two PC labs that students may use during opening hours. All PCs are connected to the high-speed university JANET network. The IT room at Hatfields House has 19 PCs, a scanner, a printer and a monitor arm. At Roding House the Gerry Raffles Room has 14 PCs and a printer. An extensive range of software is available and supported on the University’s lab PCs, from Adobe Reader to Zoomtext. For a full list of what’s available visit www.essex.ac.uk/it and check availability of PCs at: u www.essex.ac.uk/it/labs/usage

GET MICROSOFT OFFICE FOR FREE Save money on software. You can download the latest version of Microsoft Office, for free. You can install it on up to five PCs and Macs, and up to five phones and tablets. Get your free Office at: www.essex.ac.uk/it/office (note: download links usually appear one week before your official start date). u www.essex.ac.uk/see/software

USING EMAIL If we receive messages for you from agents and casting directors about auditions we will email it to your University email address. It’s therefore essential for you to check your University email account regularly or you may miss vital messages about auditions and other information. All registered students are given a University email account that you can access at: https://email.essex.ac.uk using a lab PC or remotely using the Essex webmail portal at: www.essex.ac.uk/students. Your IT user

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UNLIMITED CLOUD STORAGE SPACE Never worry about storage space again. As part of your Office 365 email account you get OneDrive which gives you unlimited cloud storage space for all your documents. OneDrive lets you create, edit, and share documents online. You also get at least 300 MB of local network storage, known as your M: drive. Access this by going to ‘My Documents’ on any lab computer.

WIFI ACCESS Our campus wifi network is called eduroam and provides free internet access for all students. To connect to eduroam, enable wifi on your device, enter your university email address and password and select connect. More detailed instructions for connecting your device are at: u www.essex.ac.uk/it/network/wifi

EMAIL LISTS As a student, you’ll be on a number of University email mailing lists. Some are mandatory and reflect your current course, modules, department, year, and so on. You cannot unsubscribe from these lists but they will primarily be used to send out important information relating to your studies. You will also automatically be subscribed to a small number of opt-out lists, again, based on your course. These will be used to send useful information and, while some of this may be about events, marketing or other opportunities, we try to avoid sending too much. To opt in or out of such lists, visit https://www.essex.ac.uk/it/groups-lists/.

We do not send out marketing information unless you have opted in to it.

DIGITAL SIGNAGE Our digital signage is used to show the timetable including any room changes. Please check your class location as changes may occur. A change in class location is not sufficient excuse for being late and will result in a breach of the Professional Code of Conduct.

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Staying healthy and happy You’re living with people who (at first) you don’t know, and soon you’ll be juggling things like rehearsals, a social life, and setting aside enough time for your studies; you may have health issues, too. With all this on your plate, it’s fair to say an East 15 student’s life isn’t always easy! So just remember, if you need some help to succeed, and stay healthy and happy – that’s fine. Just find us, and ask. (*We also share biscuits.)

If you’re having problems registering or your postcode is not IG10, then please visit www.nhs.uk to find out which surgeries are taking on new patients in your area.

ABOUT MENINGITIS As a new student, you’re particularly vulnerable to the risk of meningitis because you’re living communally and meeting new people from all over the world. You should be vaccinated against Meningitis C, ideally before coming to University, whatever your age. Symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia include a high temperature or fever, violent sickness, severe headache, neck stiffness and joint or muscle pains, If you haven’t been immunised before you arrive, please speak to your doctor and get immunised as soon as possible. The vaccination is free and won’t make you unwell. Remember this vaccine does not protect against all strains of the disease so make sure you know the symptoms and look out for your friends: u www.meningitisnow.org

GET SUPPORT IF YOU NEED IT REGISTERING WITH A LOCAL DOCTOR While studying with us, many students find they need medical care. Make sure you register with a local doctor. If you haven’t registered with a local practice, this can delay any treatment you need if you become unwell.

This may not feel like a priority at the moment, but it’s important to be organised in case of any future problems. You can register once you have a local address but please be aware that there may be many students wishing to register at the same time and so it is advisable to telephone ahead, rather than just turning up and expecting to register. To register with a doctor you will need to provide your student card that’s given to you on registration day, along with proof of your local address – such as a utility bill, or housing contract etc.

LOCAL DOCTOR’S SURGERIES At present there are three doctors’ surgeries in Loughton that take new patients with an IG10 postcode only. They are: Forest Practice, 26 Pyrles Lane, Loughton, IG10 1SZ T 020 8508 4580 Loughton Health Centre, The Drive, Loughton, IG10 1HW T 020 8502 5000 Traps Hill Surgery, 25 Traps Hill, Loughton, IG10 4NX T 020 8418 1340

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Most students need support or guidance from time to time and Student Support is a good place to start. We offer confidential advice to help you through your time at East 15 on a full range of issues – such as on tuition fees and student funding, disability support including dyslexia, counselling, emergency hardship funding, council tax exemption letters, and registering with a doctor. Advice is confidential; however, there are some circumstances when we are required to disclose information, and you will be informed if this is the case. You can either visit Student Support during the advertised ‘drop-in’ times, or email: E askthehub-lc@essex.ac.uk

VISA INFORMATION Visa information for international students is available at our Colchester Campus. If you would like further advice please read our online information and, if you don’t find the answer you need, please complete our online immigration enquiry form. For full details about pre-arrival guidance, visas, useful information on living in the UK, and additional information and support for international students, please read the international students’ webpages. Face-to-face support is available at our Colchester Campus and via Skype to Loughton students, just ask our Student Support team at Loughton. If you would like further advice please complete the online immigration enquiry form at: u www.essex.ac.uk/students/new/international/default.aspx u www.essex.ac.uk/immigration

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DISABILITY AND DYSLEXIA Our University has a strong tradition of encouraging and supporting disabled students or students with specific learning difficulties, long term medical conditions and temporary conditions for example, broken limbs. We aim to create an accessible and enabling environment. Student Support can offer advice and guidance regarding needs assessment; advice on Disabled Students’ Allowance and other funding; study strategies tuition; mentoring; learning support and parking. If you require further information on services visit our website or e-mail: disab@essex.ac.uk or askthehub-lc@essex.ac.uk. The disability service in Student Support co-ordinates support for autistic spectrum disorders, dyslexia, hearing impairment, physical impairment, visual impairment and other disabilities. We can also provide information about assessment of need, financial support and learning support. u www.essex.ac.uk/students/disability/default.aspx

The assessor will be friendly and helpful and you should not worry about going to see them. The University will receive a copy of the report, usually within a couple of weeks of your assessment. You will then be offered a feedback appointment to discuss the findings of the report and any support that has been recommended.

HARASSMENT ADVISORY NETWORK As an international community that’s home to students from more than 135 countries, the University of Essex is multicultural and diverse, and we encourage a culture of dignity and respect. To that end, we’re committed to upholding an environment that is free from any form of harassment or bullying. Though rare, these incidents can occur and if they do, our network of trained harassment advisors is on hand to help.

To find out more, and to contact one of our trained and confidential advisers, visit: u www.essex.ac.uk/equality/harassment/network.aspx

DISABILITY SUPPORT ARRANGEMENTS Please be aware that support arrangements do not happen automatically - even if you were assessed at school, the school will not pass that information on, so you need to notify us of your needs as soon as possible. We may need to assess you if you do not already have evidence of your diagnosis and we will also need some time to put suitable support in place. To ensure you have the help you need to be successful in your studies, you should make contact with Student Support before you arrive or as soon as possible after the start of the academic year. Once we have evidence of your disability, reasonable adjustments and learning support can be put in place. If you have dyslexia, you will also be entitled to coversheets for your assignments.

These advise what consideration you are to be given for your written work in light of difficulties. You can attach them to your coursework when you hand it in. If you’d like us to notify your tutors of your needs, please complete and sign a confidentiality agreement. We can then make them aware of any reasonable adjustments they should make for you.

STUDENTS’ UNION ADVICE CENTRE

ASSESSMENT FOR SPECIFIC LEARNING DIFFICULTIES

RELIGIOUS LIFE

If you have not already been assessed and if you have reason to believe you might be dyslexic, you should visit Student Support to discuss this. If after the discussion it is felt you would benefit from a formal assessment, the University will often be able to arrange this for you. A formal assessment is very thorough and usually takes about two hours.

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The SU Advice Centre, based at our Colchester Campus, offers free, confidential, independent and impartial advice on any issue that might be affecting you.

T 01206 874034 E suadvice@essex.ac.uk u www.essexstudent.com/advice

NIGHTLINE Nightline is a friendly help and support service run by students during term-time from 10pm to 8am, you can call Nightline on the Freephone number 0800 326 5454 or for more information is on the Nightline website. u www.essex.ac.uk/students/health-and-wellbeing/nightline.aspx

We’re a secular community. We recognise and support the many different religions and beliefs on campus. We will seek to ensure the availability of facilities and opportunities for worship for staff and students.

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ALCOHOL AND DRUGS ON CAMPUS

SAFE STORAGE

University life’s about discovering new social opportunities, some may involve alcohol, and many won’t. We encourage students to act responsibly when using alcohol and acknowledge that using illegal drugs on our campuses is not permitted. Our wellbeing team offers confidential, oncampus support if you have concerns about alcohol or drug use. Meanwhile, get the facts.

If you need to leave props and equipment in a room whilst preparing for a production ensure they are stored away to leave sufficient room for other groups to work safely in the space when you are not there. Use the proper equipment as specified by your tutors, including footwear, crash mats and protective clothing, at all times, including during periods of unsupervised rehearsal. Do not light candles or put paper over the lights in any of the rooms.

u www.essex.ac.uk/students/health-and-wellbeing/alcohol-and-drugs.aspx u www.drinkaware.co.uk u www.talktofrank.com

YOUR HEALTH AND SAFETY The School seeks to create a supportive, healthy and safe environment, which encourages students to learn and apply skills to a professional level of achievement. All students will at some time during their training be working on tasks and skills that are physically demanding and it is important that the highest standards of safe behaviour are maintained at all times.

ACCIDENTS AND FIRST AID Accident report forms are available from the Campus Supervisor in the Administration Office on the first floor of Hatfields House. If you require first aid assistance please contact a first aider via the main reception or the Administration Office at Hatfields House. If you are at Roding house please visit the café area on the first floor.

ELECTRICAL SAFETY Your safety is our priority and to keep you safe from fire and electric shock, we have rules on the use of certain electrical items. Please read our electrical safety guidance online. u www.essex.ac.uk/accommodation/safety/electricalsafety/default.aspx

LOOKING AFTER EQUIPMENT Do not leave props, costumes or equipment lying around for people to trip over. All rooms are intensively used throughout the day by large numbers of students. It is essential that you leave every room you use in a safe condition at the end of the class or rehearsal. Do not leave personal items such as shoes, props, costumes or equipment outside rooms, in corridors, by exits or under stairwells: to do so contravenes fire safety regulations and may prevent people from evacuating the building during an emergency.

Anything left in such an area without prior agreement with the Campus Supervisor may be disposed of without notice. Cycle stands are provided at each site and should be used, securing bikes with a padlock or D-lock. They should not be left anywhere else on campus and may also be removed if left inside any buildings.

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Future career starts here We’ve trained countless leading actors, directors and technicians over our 50-year history. Our alumni include Alison Steadman, Blake Harrison, Arsher Ali and Oscar-nominated director Stephen Daldry.

REQUESTING A REFERENCE At East 15 you will probably know the staff well enough, and have sufficient daily contact with them, to be able to ask them directly for references if required. You will also cover this in your professional preparation when you prepare your Spotlight entries, photographs, CVs and auditions material. Staff would normally be expected to provide references for students for a minimum period of up to three years after they have graduated. You should always ask staff before listing them as referees because staff can refuse to provide a reference on the grounds that they would be unable to provide a positive reference. Factual references confirming period of enrolment and results achieved can be provided by the Administration Office. All references must be compliant with our guidelines and the Data Protection Act.

CAREER HUB If you’re looking for part-time or seasonal work as you study, a good place to start is our online Career Hub. u www.essex.ac.uk/see/careerhub

OTHER JOBS ON AND OFF CAMPUS On Campus there are several job opportunities available. Students can work in the school library on an evening or weekend, the Corbett Theatre box office during productions, and in the Students’ Union (SU) bar. There are lots of other places that you might want to explore to find part-time or seasonal work as you study – such as the local job centre, Jobseeker Direct, and local recruitment and employment agencies. Look online at: u www.essex.ac.uk/careers/job_hunting/default.aspx

SU JOBS Essex Students’ Union is recognised as a world-class employer and is the first Students’ Union to be awarded the Investors in People Gold Standard. The SU employs more than 400 permanent, part-time and student staff and invests heavily in helping them to make a real difference to the student experience. Working for the Students’ Union provides a fantastic opportunity to excel in a vibrant, professional and fast-paced environment. All SU jobs are advertised online at: u www.essexstudent.com/jobs

FRONTRUNNERS Frontrunners is the on-campus work placement scheme, and one of the best ways to enrich your experience and get noticed. Get meaningful, paid work around campus and boost your skills. Open to all University of Essex students, Frontrunner placements are between one and three terms in length and up to eight hours per week during term time, and 18 hours per week over the summer. An incredible 100% of past Frontrunners told us they’d recommend the experience to a friend.

Enough said. u www.essex.ac.uk/frontrunners

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2. LIVING Where you live Although we don’t have student accommodation on campus, we work closely with local landlords and letting agents to ensure all our students have somewhere pleasant to live that’s not too far away.

ACCOMMODATION SUPPORT Our Accommodation Officer will provide impartial information, advice and support if you want to find rental accommodation in Loughton and the surrounding areas. While overall responsibility of finding accommodation rests with you – and East 15 Acting School cannot be held accountable for any issues that might arise – our Accommodation Officer will support you in making an informed decision. Once you’ve found somewhere to live, our Accommodation Officer will be on-hand throughout your studies if you have any difficulties or need housing advice. You can book an appointment by email: askthehub-lc@essex.ac.uk or telephone 02085085983. Our accommodation guide with tips and a useful checklist based on other students’ experiences is available from the Accommodation Officer.

COUNCIL TAX EXEMPTION Council Tax is charged by the local authority on properties in England, Scotland and Wales to help pay for local services. As a full-time registered student, you will not be required to pay council tax, however you are not entitled to this exemption until you register as a student with us. If you move into your property before your course begins, then you will have to pay for the time that you are not a student. This is unavoidable. We have had students who, mid-term, get court summons from the council for non-payment. Please avoid this stress happening to you during the term! During the start of Induction Week you can collect an exemption letter from Student Support, and you will be given a time to do this. Towards the end of Induction Week the local Council Tax office will be visiting East 15 Acting School and each group will be scheduled an appointment time with them. This is your opportunity to inform them where you are living and submit your exemption certificate. Do not miss this appointment, details will be on the Induction Week planner. If you require other letters during your time at East 15, please visit: u https://www.essex.ac.uk/studentdocs

E askthehub-lc@essex.ac.uk

FINDING ACCOMMODATION When looking for accommodation, keep in mind that no matter how well you think you know someone, it is not until you live together, day in and day out, that you really discover how compatible you are in sharing your living space. So take your time and try to think about the type of person you are, and what type of environment would best suit you. Initially, you may like the idea of sharing with other students who are on the same course as yourself but sometimes, due to the nature of the course, this can become too intense. Are you a party person and happy to live with others who might want to stay up late into the night playing music? Or would you be more suited to living with students who like their own space and will respect your privacy? Take time to decide, put your safety first and don’t agree to pay any money or sign any tenancy agreement until you fully understand the terms and conditions.

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Money matters Part of being a student means looking after your money and spending it wisely – as chances are you won’t have a lot of it! There are some simple steps you can take to budget wisely, and there’s help if you get into financial trouble.

ONLINE MONEY MANAGEMENT To help you plan your finances you can register online with your Essex email address for free interactive student money management and budgeting modules from Blackbullion.

TOP CASH TIPS Read these 50 top tips from the Money Saving Expert aimed specifically at students. u www.blackbulliononline.co.uk

PLAN A BUDGET Getting a huge wad of cash in your bank account at the start of the year isn’t the easiest way to plan out your finances for the months ahead.

The National Union of Students advises that you plan your budget very carefully. Make sure you remember all your outgoings and be realistic – include: nn rent nn food nn going

out

CHECK YOUR ENTITLEMENTS Student finance can get rather complicated but it’s important to make sure you’re receiving any monies you’re entitled to. Advisers in the Student Services Hub will be able to talk you through what’s available and there is information online. You can also check the NUS website for information about benefits and entitlements. u www.essex.ac.uk/students/money u www.nus.org.uk/en/advice/money-and-funding

nn books nn other

u www.moneysavingexpert.com/students/student-guide

bills

nn events

like Christmas and birthdays

A good place to start is by looking at average living costs for a student on the NUS website. There are also some further good money management tips on the NUS finance pages. You’ll also find ‘top ten tips’ for better budgeting online. u www.nus.org.uk/en/advice

SEEK HELP IF YOU NEED IT

MAKE IT GO FURTHER As well as funds you’re entitled to, there may be other ways of generating income, such as charities and trusts, part-time employment and discretionary hardship funds. We’ve produced a lot of useful information on this, take a look. u www.essex.ac.uk/students/money

LATE LOAN?

u www.essex.ac.uk/studentfinance/money_matters

For most UK undergraduates your first payment will be released a few days after you register with the University, so make sure you have enough money to see you through the first week or two. If you haven’t had your first instalment within a week of registering, first contact your funding provider to see if there’s a reason why your funding is delayed.

An Adviser in the Student Services Hub may be able to help explain what needs to be done and offer some short-term financial assistance until the problems are sorted out.

u www.essexstudent.com/services/advice_centre/money

u www.essex.ac.uk/students/contact

A specialist adviser will be available to answer questions during your induction week at Loughton Campus. If you get into financial difficulty get help and talk to someone as soon as possible. The sooner your problem is identified, the sooner it can be solved. If you need advice, telephone our Student Information Team on 02085085983 or email askthehub-lc@essex.ac.uk for further advice.

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NUS EXTRA You can save large amounts of money when you shop by using the NUS Extra student discount card. You can also do the same with a contactless bank card. This card is available to all students and offers amazing discounts on clothes, food, music, entertainment and travel from national and local companies including Amazon, Odeon, Pizza Express, Superdrug, Easyjet, ASOS, and Spotify. The sooner you apply the sooner you’ll start to save money! u www.essex.ac.uk/students/contact

Getting around Travelling around outer London is easy – when you know how! The best place to start is by looking at the London Underground map or bus routes.

LONDON TRANSPORT Buying a student Oyster card, which you can use on the tube or buses, will save you money if you use public transport regularly, and the London Underground Tube app will also help if you have a smartphone. You can also pay in the same way using a contactless bank card. The easiest way to get to our Loughton Campus is to use the London Underground – take the Central line, which is red - to the Debden stop. Alternatively, you can get a bus from central London. Find out more about the tube, buses, maps and routes at: u www.tfl.gov.uk

STUDENT DISCOUNT SCHEME The scheme provides a discount on travel cards for the bus, tube, Croydon Tramlink, Docklands Light Railway and National Rail in London for students aged 18 or over. Apply online at: u www.tfl.gov.uk

CAR PARKING ON CAMPUS Due to the size of our campus and the number of students, we cannot offer parking facilities to students. If you need to drive to East 15 please park on the road outside. If you have a blue badge or you have a medical condition which you believe entitles you to disabled parking, please contact our campus supervisor to find out if you would be eligible for a permit. Any cars parked on the campus without a permit will be clamped.

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Enjoy yourself In between rehearsals, studies, line learning – make sure you relax on campus and explore central and outer London, Essex and beyond.

With London’s transport links offering you so much choice, take the opportunity to get out and about.

CORBETT THEATRE CAFÉ BAR The Corbett Theatre café bar is a relaxing space to unwind and socialise.

During the day the café serves a range of hot and cold snacks, a changing lunchtime menu, and serves tea and coffee all day. By night, the bar is fully licensed and a great venue for an evening out, from open mic nights and live student bands, to quizzes and live sports events. The Corbett Theatre Café Bar is run and managed by the Students’ Union.

EPPING FOREST Near to Loughton is the beautiful Epping Forest. The forest is a site of national and international conservation importance with two thirds of it being designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a Special Area of Conservation. Epping Forest is a wonderful place to go walking, cycling, horse riding, or to play football, golf, cricket or go boating. There are three visitor centres in Epping Forest, at Epping Forest Gateway incorporating The View, Queen Elizabeth’s Hunting Lodge, and Butler’s Retreat Café is at Rangers Road, Chingford.

BESIDE THE SEASIDE You might want to get away from the hubbub of outer London and explore the 350 miles of Essex and East Anglian coastline for fresh air and inspiration. Seaside resorts are at Clacton-on-Sea, Walton-on-theNaze, and Frinton-on-Sea and Southend-on-Sea. All offer the traditional fun of the British seaside experience and are easily accessible by train.

Beautiful Suffolk and Norfolk lie further north along the east coast, but are easily accessible by rail from London Liverpool Street station. u www.visitessex.com u www.visitsuffolk.com

LONDON LIFE

u www.visitnorfolk.co.uk

As the writer Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) said, “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.” Assuming that goes for women too, you’ll know that London has so much to offer it’s more than we could include in this guide. But, as a starter, why not take a look at a few websites on the Visit London portal. Time Out London also lists what’s on, including listings and reviews of bars, films, theatre, art exhibitions, gigs, and eating out. u www.visitlondon.com u www.timeout.com/london

SHOPS AND BANKS Debden Underground station is just five minutes’ walk from our Loughton Campus. Debden has a Natwest, Lloyds and Santander bank – as well as Sainsbury’s and Iceland supermarkets, and other local shops. Loughton is a five-minute drive away which has many more shops and places to eat. 15 minutes on the tube towards London you will find Stratford, the home of the 2012 Olympic Games. In Stratford you will find Westfield Shopping centre which has all major shops as well as the Olympic park.

The centre of London is accessible from Debden by traveling on the central line tube for 45 minutes.

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Maps and media

ESSEX SPIRIT

D F

Keep up-to-date with all the news and events from across our three campuses with Essex Spirit. Our regular student newsletter brings together the latest stories, blogs and videos to make sure that you know what’s happening at Essex. Essex Spirit - the newsletter for rebels with a cause, will land in your inbox every fortnight. u http://bit.ly/essexspirit u http://blogs.essex.ac.uk/essexspirit u www.essex.ac.uk/it/groups-lists

C G

SOCIAL MEDIA Follow us on social media to find out evrything that’s going on at East 15 Acting School and the wider University.

1 Main entrance 2 Corbett Theatre and visitors’ entrance A Hatfields House B Corbett Theatre and Café C Dance studio D Courtyard studios E John Hartley studio F New Build (NB) studios G CP Rooms

Staff Car park

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twitter.com/e15actingschool www.facebook.com/East15 www.facebook.com/UoEstudentnews

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B

Pond

Visitor car park

USE YOUR VOTE If you’re eligible to vote in UK local and general elections, make sure you’re on the electoral register once you’ve settled into your accommodation, using your new address. Don’t miss your chance to have your say – you can join the UK electoral register online. u www.gov.uk/get-on-electoral-register

STUDENT SURVEYS Major undergraduate and postgraduate student satisfaction surveys – some of which feed into national university league tables – go live each academic year from January to June.

Rectory Lane

A1168 Chigwell Lane

1

2 Rectory Lane

Westall Road

Rectory Lane A1168

This is when our Students’ Union and the University invite you to have your say. We always want as many students as possible to take part, and great prizes are always up for grabs – so make sure you read all the campaign publicity and follow the link from your University e-mail account. Find out more at: u www.essex.ac.uk/students/experience/surveys

Roding House and Unit 4: a 15-minute walk Car parking Accessible parking

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Follow Rectory Lane towards Chigwell. Keep walking past the Underground station and under the railway bridge. Once you've passed the railway bridge, you will see an alleyway on your right. Turn down the alleyway and Roding House will be on your left with Unit 4 in front and to the left. If using satellite navigation, please use postcode IG10 3TZ.

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Essex forever Your time will fly by. But Essex is forever, not just for a few years. You’ll be part of this place for life – with benefits to show for it.

GET THE CARD When you graduate, you’ll get an alumni card, which gets you access to all alumni events, like our popular Sports Weekend, and allows you to keep using the library.

GET THE GOOD STUFF Being a University of Essex alumni gives you: nn JSTOR

– free access to thousands of academic journals and books

nn Discounts

– apply for your first period of postgraduate study here and get up to 33% off your first year tuition fee

nn Careers nn A

support for three years after you graduate

fabulous, irreverent alumni magazine to keep you up-to-date

nn A

great range of events – held in venues from the House of Commons to the London Eye, in cities from Madrid to Kuala Lumpur

nn NUS

Extra – at £12 for 12 months, this gets you over 160 different discounts

We’ll help you stay in touch. u www.essex.ac.uk/alumni

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www.essex.ac.uk/welcome

Š University of Essex 2015 Second edition Produced by the University of Essex

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All information in this guide was correct at the time of printing.

For updates visit www.essex.ac.uk.