Public transport?

How do you people handle the transportation-situation? I guess, I'll be using the tube quite a lot. I heard about a student-discount for the oyster ticket. How does it work? When do I apply and where? At the student's office at the Met I was told, it takes quite long to finally get the oyster card. So, I was wondering if I can already apply for it... I didn't quite understand the information on Goldsmiths' website, so could anyone pleeeeease be so kind and explain it to me??

Reply 1

santogold

You can only apply for the student discount card once you have enrolled at university. In most cases the student union or someone else will hand out the form, you fill it out (make sure you take a few passport pictures along with you all the time) and then they stamp it. If you make a mistake on the form, they will bin it (London Transport that is), but keep your £5! So make sure you enter all the details correctly.
You can get an actual Oyster card right away. If you don't mind taking busses for the first few weeks, just get a weekly bus ticket until you get your student discount card.
If you want to take the tube, you will have no choice but to buy a weekly travelcard (get this as an oyster as well) for the normal price.

It normally takes between 2-4 weeks for them to process your application. No refunds for normal price adult tickets will be given and there is no way you can get a discount beforehand.

Sorry if this is not the best news, all I can do :smile:

Oh, there may be the option of you getting a Young Persons Railcard and then buying a weekly travelcard at a discounted price. Never done it, but I think my friend did.

Reply 2

Zebrastripes

If you aren't travelling everyday, then using the oyster card will get you no student discount on single/return/day/3 days passes. But Natwest Student Account do the free Young Persons, always useful at first.

Reply 3

Cablegirl

I'm confused, could you elaborate a litte, please? First of all, what is an Oyster Card? What's the difference between a normal travelcard and an Oyster Card?
And what's that Natwest Student Account-thingy about?
Sorry, I'm an absolute beginner... :redface:

Reply 4

username9303

An Oyster card is a card which you top-up on, which you can use on the tube/buses in London at much lower prices than normal paying customers have to pay. for example if its £2.50 for a single normally, if you use an Oyster card it only knocks a pound something off your balance. and the natwest bank accounts offer a free young persons railcard which is woth £20/year, which gives you a third off all national rail tickets.

Reply 5

santogold

As she is from Germany, I don't think she will get a NatWest student account, it is for UK residents only.

Check out The Tube (London Transport) website for every possible answer regarding an Oyster card. It is simply a touch and go system, which makes the sliding in tickets and having to ask member of staff to let you in for 29 days a month, because you bent the ticket on your first day a thing of the past.

Reply 6

Cablegirl

Ah, okay, I see! Cheers! :-)

Reply 7

RummySingh

Does anyone know when/how they'd put the discount entitlement on the card if we already have one? I had one, with entitlement on it, but that ran out after i finished my a-levels, so do we need to notify them when we start our course ourselves or will the uni do that for us if we let them know?