The following orientation notes relate to the Fall 2005 semester and is tailored for University of Evansville students. Other than dates most of the information is current and relevant to all Harlaxton College participants.

Address

Your name
Harlaxton College.
Harlaxton,
Grantham, Lincs NG32 1AG
ENGLAND

Add your box number after arrival; you will receive mail without the box number, but it moves faster with.

Air Arrangements

Air arrangements are your responsibility. The Harlaxton Office will provide you with an optional group bid at the February OR March Orientation meeting. You are under no obligation to use it. You may also use the group bid and modify it by originating elsewhere or returning a different time. All questions about air arrangements should be directed to your travel agent. For example, if you lose your ticket, call your travel agent, not the UE Harlaxton Office. You will find that you must buy a new one and wait six months for a refund for the lost one. This is standard procedure with airlines and the Harlaxton Office cannot intervene. Likewise, if you want to change your return date home, call your travel agent and expect a charge from the airline. It is your responsibility to know the rules for the air arrangements you select.

Feel free to check the web for bargains - but be careful of the restrictions.

YOU ARE ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR NOTIFYING THE HARLAXTON STAFF OF YOUR ARRIVAL PLANS - WHETHER OR NOT YOU AVAIL YOURSELF OF THE TRANSPORT SERVICE WHICH IS PROVIDED THE MORNING OF AUGUST 29 THE WAY YOU NOTIFY HARLAXTON OF YOUR AIR ARRIVAL IS BY ENTERING THE 'LION NET' WEB SITE.

Please be precise in providing all flight numbers and include all connecting flights. Ask your travel agent to provide this information since you will not receive your ticket until August.

Alcohol, Drugs

You are expected to obey the law. Drug offences will be dealt with harshly. Familiarise yourself with the University policy in the Student Handbook (available before departure).

Arrival

If you arrive before 10:30 am at either London airport (Heathrow or Gatwick) on Friday, August 29 (you will leave August 28), Harlaxton will meet you and transport you to Harlaxton. Students arriving at any other time will need to make their own way to Harlaxton. Directions for Independent Travel will be provided in the last packet. If you do not use this service, there is no refund.

Attendance Policy

If a class meets twice a week you may pre-arrange two absences for the semester with no penalty. Beyond that your letter grade for the course will drop one grade for each absence. Courses meeting three times a week are allowed three absences. Only legitimate medical excuses accepted - no malingering allowed.

Bank Statement

If you plan to move money by ATM, take a copy of a checking account or a savings account showing you have funds in the US to support you while you are at Harlaxton. Carry this bank statement with your passport and Letter of Intent. It is not necessary to show it unless it is requested. The bank statement may be in your or your parents' names. Note: no one has even been asked for this. We are just being careful. Someone could! It's within the Immigration Officers' rights.

Camp Followers

Camp followers are students who do not make reservations for Harlaxton's field trips yet feel entitled to bunk in with a friend and/or help themselves to free breakfast. Camp followers and their hosts will be fined.

Classes & Class Days

Bring your class registration form to the Study Abroad Office the week of March 17.

You are paying to take 12-18 semester hours. Most students take 12-16 hours. The required British Studies (ID282/382) satisfies three hours UE general education requirement in International Persectives and may substitute for three hours requirement in one of three categories: the Creative Dimension, the Philosophical/Spiritual Dimension or Human Behavior and Society - it is not subject to Pass/Fail. It is your responsibility to discuss Harlaxton courses and how they will affect your graduation plan with your academic advisor. Try to avoid Independent Studies; they require preliminary paperwork and many approvals. You must take 12 Harlaxton hours and independent studies must add on to the 12 hours. When you go to Harlaxton, carry a list of the courses you want to take next spring because you will register for Spring 2009 while you are at Harlaxton.

There are Class Days scheduled for Friday, Sep 12, Fri, Sep 26 and Nov 21, 2008. These are 'make up' days to compensate for the lost class days as a result of the Long Weekends. The normal Thursday class schedule will apply on these days and they are subject to the normal attendance policy.

Computers

There are currently 37 workstations (10 in the Carriage House) all with Windows XP and Microsoft Office 2003, e-mail (web based) and high-speed Internet access (Internet Explorer 7/Firefox 2).

Harlaxton has a campus wide wireless network and you are encouraged to take your own laptop if you already have one. Remember: England operates on 240 volts, so be careful using converters and adapters. Click here for information on bringing your own portable computer.

Customs, Immigration

Most students do not declare cameras before departure. You will have nothing to declare upon entering England; follow the green line. You we allowed to bring $400 back to the US tax-free. Consult the US Customs and Border Protection website for procedures and fees .

Carriage House

Your room may be in the Manor or in the Carriage House, a few yards away. While you may think now that you want to live in the Manor, keep an open mind. Many returning students preferred the Carriage House.

Culture Shock

Culture shock is quite real and many are affected by it. The stages are:

• All is wonderful - a euphoric feeling
• All is awful - just as far down as you were up. Recognise this for what it is and get busy - that's the best remedy. Don't give up at this point!
• Adjustment - Takes longer for some than others, but in this stage, you accept the new culture for what it is, become tolerant - and regain your sense of humour.

Documents

To enter England, you will need a passport, a Letter of Intent. (See Bank Statement for further recommendation). To go to Harlaxton provide two sets of information: hard copies and web entries.

Hard copies: you must come to Orientation 2 (February) with the following:

• 2 photos
• 1 copy of your wallet medical insurance card - both sides - after checking that you are covered for emergencies in Europe.
  YOU MUST HAVE AMERICAN MEDICAL INSURANCE.
• British National Health physical form if you did not leave it at the Health Center.
• A copy of the photo page of your passport.

Web entries: On April 1, you will enter required travel information including your passport number, emergency phone and fax numbers, your doctor's name and phone, etc. You will also enter your air arrival information.

YOU WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO RESERVE FIELD TRIPS UNTIL YOU HAVE COMPLETED BOTH STEPS ABOVE. BE FOREWARNED: THE ITALY TRIP USUALLY SELLS OUT THE FIRST WEEK.

E-mail

Harlaxton no longer gives students a '@harlaxton.ac.uk' email address since most students have preferred to use their existing home based email addresses which can be accessed remotely via a web browser.

Therefore, you should give your normal email address to friends and family E-mail accounts will be activated upon your arrival.

Electricity

Try to be the first group not to darken Harlaxton! It's on 240 volts. If your hair dryer has dual voltage, you'll just need a new plug. But if you have an appliance which operates on only 110, you will need a converter (to change it to 240) and an adapter (to change the plug). Shavers are normally OK as they are. Converters and adapters are available from Service Merchandise. Some say it's easier to buy a new hair dryer there; a few have been left behind. Butane curling irons are good idea too.

Exchange Rate/Money

Information is widely available. One source is the BBC News Finance Pages. It has been in the range of £1 - $1.95 for quite some time. If something, costs £10.00, that means you're paying $19.50. The rate fluctuates daily. Always endeavour to exchange money in banks as you are likely to get a better rate than elsewhere. When you exchange money, expect to pay about 2% commission for the privilege. Exchange larger amounts and place some in the Student Affairs Office safe to reduce your exchange costs. Many students recommend moving money by ATM's or taking money in British Pounds Traveller's Cheques - available at Triple A and some banks.

You may also wire money (bank-to-bank transfer, telegraphic transfer using Harlaxton's bank account), and you may cash personal cheques until thirty days before departure.

Expenses

If travel is part of what you want to do at Harlaxton, you will spend more than those who are content to travel only occasionally will. Approximately $3500 - $4000 after airfare will allow you to have a great time - but you'll still need to budget. This is an average; some spend less; others spend more. This figure includes field trips, independent travel, books and personal expenses.

Fees

(2008/2009 rates)

UE will add $400 on to your bill the semester you go to Harlaxton. It will be for ID282 (British Studies) course fee, London airport transport to and/or from Harlaxton, and unlimited use of the shuttle from Harlaxton into Grantham (3 miles). A Health and Wellness Fee ($100) and a Technology Fee ($95) will also be added.

Harlaxton offers only the 19 meal plan.

Transport charges will be collected by UE before departure for nursing ($250.00) and Ed 200 ($80.00) students. These charges will appear on your UE bill.

Field Trips

The On-line Booking System will open on April 1. Reservations are on a first come, first served basis. Read the rules and follow the deadlines. Check out the Harlaxton Travel Booking Web Page.

YOU MAY NOT RESERVE FIELD TRIPS UNTIL YOU HAVE SUBMITTED ALL REQUIRED DOCUMENTS.

Financial Aid

Don't leave campus without checking in with the Office of Financial Aid; be clear on any forms you need to submit before and during the time you are at Harlaxton. The Office of Financial Aid can help you with information on additional loan sources. (Also see Scholarships).

Food

The Harlaxton cooks work hard to please you, but it's not like home. You may request a vegetarian option (but you can't be a vegetarian one week and a carnivore the next!)

Free Fridays

Just because you do not have a class on Friday do not assume you are free every Friday. Check the semester calendar for your Friday obligations.

Guest Rooms

There will be one guestroom available (and limited) to your parents. The cost is approximately £60 to £120 a person per night with or without food. They should email reception@harlaxton.ac.uk with up to three specific dates in mind (three days maximum stay in an effort to accommodate as many as possible) - first come, first served. Should you have friends, siblings who want to visit you, clear it first with the Dean of Students at Harlaxton. Cost is approximately £20, three day stay rule prevails. Do not obligate yourself to a guest without securing permission first, you can imagine Harlaxton cannot have every UE student on Fall Break suddenly descend on Harlaxton.

Health Care

Harlaxton has a nurse, counselling, and a fitness centre. You will have the services of a local doctor and Grantham Hospital. Be advised that England does not give allergy shots and takes a different approach to some treatment. It's best to try to exercise good common sense, i.e. don't get over-tired and eat well.

Homesickness

It's perfectly normal to be homesick. It strikes at different times - not always during the first week. Some students report that they felt homesick right before mid-terms, later to realise that they just were worried about exams. Get busy - take a walk, help someone else, stop to realise where you are and how lucky you are to be there. Try not to burden your parents with this.

Honour Code

UE students have signed the honor code before enrolling; all others must sign off via the web site before attending Harlaxton. "I will neither give or receive unauthorised aid nor will I tolerate an environment which condones the use of unauthorised aid."

International I.D. Card

Not a legal document, the international i.d. card provides discounts for students in some museums, monuments, etc. It also provides supplemental medical insurance. Students booking their air flight through Haynie Travel should also get their i.d. card through Haynie Travel. Others may request information from the Harlaxton Office.

Independent Arrivals

Please use the on-line Flight Arrangements Page to give us your flight details and any special requirements.

Independent Travel

Travelling alone or with a few friends is very popular. There are good travel agencies in Grantham to help you find a bargain. If you choose to travel independently rather than go on one of the school sponsored trips, Harlaxton will still bring your luggage to a designated spot in London on Dec 16 so you do not have to carry it with you.

Inoculations

You do not need additional inoculations to travel to England or Europe. However, you should discuss hepatitis and meningitis vaccines with your physician.

Jet Lag

You're too young to be affected too much by jet lag. Set your watch six hours ahead of Evansville time and forget about it!

Letter of Intent

You will be provided with a letter from the UE president affirming that you are entering England as a full time student. This is an important document; keep it with your passport. You will receive your Letter of Intent in 'Big Bertha', the last packet with all kinds of treasures in it. It will be mailed to your home in early August.

Location

Harlaxton is located (Click here for a map) three miles west of Grantham in Lincolnshire. Grantham is 110 miles north of London and 23 miles from Nottingham. It was the home of Isaac Newton and Margaret Thatcher.

Luggage Restrictions

Most carriers restrict your luggage to 2 checked through pieces weighing not more than 70 pounds each, with total dimensions of 62 inches for one bag and 55 for the other. Total dimensions refer to length + height + width. You may take only one carry on - and it must not weigh more than 12 pounds and must fit in the overhead compartment or under your seat. Most carriers also allow you to take a purse, so call your backpack a purse and put your actual purse and/or lap top inside the backpack which must still fit in the overhead locker. Read luggage restriction information on the back of your airline ticket or check with your travel agent. If you violate these restrictions, expect to pay big time. The plane may well be full and the staff will restrict you, so plan ahead.

Manor

Nothing can really prepare you for its beauty. With a new furnace and roof, you will be comfortable. Rooms are plain at first, soon remedied with posters and your personal touches. Showers and toilets are down the hall - and there should even be hot water - just for you!

Medical Insurance

As you know, you are required to have US medical insurance which covers you in Europe. If you have an HMO, be careful. The Harlaxton Offiice has a few brochures for people whose current insurance is not valid. Also explore local insurance agencies for a plan. Expect to pay for hospital services and to be reimbursed by your medical insurance carrier.

Medication

If you rely on medication, it is best to take the whole semester's supply (in original, labelled, unopened containers) with you along with a letter from your doctor explaining what it is. If it is not possible to take four months' supply, it is better for your parents to mail you the medicine from the states than to try to get your prescription filled in England. Remember: no allergy shots in England!

Meet-a-Family

Local families will host you and a few friends. It is best for people not travelling every weekend. Take along a few local gifts for hostess gifts (calendars, tea towels, etc. make nice gifts). Be sure to write a thank you note afterwards. If there are more students than families, there will be lottery.

Notification of Safe Arrival

Your fans must wait until noon, Evansville time, on Aug 29, then call 800-UK MANOR for the safe arrival message on voice mail. They can also check the main Harlaxton web site for updates.

Packing

When in doubt leave it out! Take a basic black dress for evenings or a dress shirt and tie. A sports coat is good if there's room. Take jeans, sweats, comfortable walking shoes, an umbrella, a warm coat and some spiral notebooks. Nurses need navy pants and white oxford cloth shirts and dark street shoes. Equestrian studies students need loose fitting trousers and shoes with a small heel. Riding hats will be provided. Teachers need dressy pants or dresses.

You will also need to take towels and face cloths (flannels), but not sheets for Harlaxton. However, two twin sheets and a pillow case are recommended if you plan to stay in youth hostels.

Passport

To get one you will need 2 passport photos, your official birth certificate, another piece of government issued photo i.d. and a check for $85. Good for ten years. If you already have a passport, make sure it doesn't expire before January 2009. If so, renew now (English rules, not mine!)

Paying the Bill

If you are on a payment plan, contact Margaret Donovan in Student Accounts (812-479-2276) to make arrangements to be exempt from rule which requires 1/2 payment before departure.

Photos

You'll need two for your passport; one for an international i.d. card; plus two others which you must hand in during the Feb Orientation. You should also take any extras with you to Harlaxton.

Physicals

Dates for physicals at the Health Center are Feb 8-10 and 15-17 by appointment only. These are the only days for physicals. After that, you must make your own arrangements elsewhere.

Please leave your health forms at the Health Center.

If you have your physical done elsewhere,the BN Health form is due at the Feb 22 Orientation.

Rail Cards

Most students recommend that you do not buy a Brit Rail or Eurail pass before Harlaxton. You can buy a Young Person's Rail Card at Harlaxton for approximately £20 which will entitle you to 1/3 discount and turns out to be cheaper. Youthrail is part of the Brit Rail System. Eurail is for the Continent only, and you would want one of them only if you intend to stay two weeks or more after you leave Harlaxton.

Students not intending to go on any Harlaxton field trips may want to discuss a Brit Rail pass with a travel agent. They may be purchased before departure or your parents could mail one to you.

Residence Assistants

Residence Assistants are chosen at the beginning of each semester. Take a letter of recommendation along with you. Duties similar to US, with some restricted travel. You'll be paid at Harlaxton. Remuneration is approximately $500 and a private room, if possible.

Residence Halls Back at UE

If you want to return to university housing at UE, speak to Residence Life before departure.

Refunds

See fees and field trip booklet.

See Student Handbook for tuition refund policy

Room Assignments, Roommates

Students may not request roommates. Harlaxton will assign you a room and roommate, and will purposely place students from different schools together to promote integration of the whole student body. Rooming assignments are made with the intention of maximizing the number of opportunities for meeting new people, thus enhancing the total Harlaxton experience. Most past students have left Harlaxton feeling enriched by their new friendships as well as their old ones.

Scholarships

Most UE students find their financial aid packages remain relatively the same. There are 20 $500 scholarships awarded to UE Harlaxton students each year. Scholarships are awarded by determining which students with the most need have the highest grade point averages. There is no application process.

Smoking

Harlaxton is now non-smoking throughout.

Student Handbooks

Take them with you and read them well for up to the minute information.

Telephone

To reach a receptionist (until 11am/5pm), who will post a message for you or to reach the answering machine which is monitored by Security, who will post a message for you: 011-44-1476-403000. Remind your caller to specify which time (US or UK) they should call again - or you should call them.

To reach you for a pre-arranged call: 011-44-1476-403050 and choose Option 2 for student payphones; then chouse Option 1 for the Manor or Option 2 for the Carriage House.

Fax: 011-44-1476-403030

All numbers have been 'converted' to US direct dial access. The prefixes change if dialled from within the UK.

For family and friends to call you, they should check with their long distance provider for the cheapest rate. The phone number for information on AT&T One Rate International is 800-222-0300. Press 4 then press 1. It is one rate per country 24 hours a day + $3.00 a month.

Although you may use pre-paid phone cards, AT &T Sprint or MCI at Harlaxton, most students use one of the services recommended during Harlaxton Orientaiton. For example, First Telecom; currently 7 pence per minute and can be charged in increments to a US credit card.

Time Difference

England is six hours ahead of Evansville.

Work Study/Work

UE work-study will apply at Harlaxton. Occasionally, students are asked to reduce hours so everyone can work. You will be paid at Harlaxton. No other work is legal. Only UE students get work-study at Harlaxton

Youth Hostels

Wait until you get there to decide whether or not you want to purchase a membership card. We recomend that you bring two twin sheets and a pillow case to use at the hostels for cleanliness.