Student Life 2013/14 January 2014 | Page 100

LONDON TRANSPORT TIPS The daily commute in London is a skill that you need to master, but once you learn all of its secrets, you will feel like a member of a prestigious club! Make sure you apply for a student Oyster card as quickly as possible – with it, you will save up to 30% on your monthly or weekly travel cards. If you are not very good with money, I suggest investing in a monthly one so you won’t find yourself stranded without money or a Tube ticket for couple of weeks. Buses are great for short distances but can be a real pain when you want to take a longer journey (some of them have really picturesque routes, so if you have lots of time on your hands, hop on board and start your London adventure!). Always check what engineering works are planned for an upcoming weekend – some of the lines may be partially or even entirely suspended for two days! If you can, do it every time before you leave home – minor and severe delays happen all the time and you don’t want to risk being late to your classes! If you own a smartphone, the best way to know when your next train (or bus) is going to depart (or if it departs at all!) is installing a travel app for London Transport – they are 100 usually free and pretty reliable as they use information from the Transport of London’s website. And please, stand on the right. It will save you from the nasty looks of fellow commuters and you will appreciate it one day when the only way to make it to your important meeting is to run like a crazy person. HIDDEN GEMS This section is probably the most difficu