International Students House: a home away from home

Australian Peter Dowd shows off his pint-pouring muscles!

The first thing international students learn in London is that going out results in cash migrating from your wallet at a steady pace. Unlike many letting agents, travel agents, shops, bars and pubs that pretend to be on your side, the International Students House (ISH) is genuinely student friendly – both to you and your bank account.

What they do

Situated on Great Portland Street, just opposite Regents Park, the ISH is your portal to cultural events, daytrips out of London and international piss-ups, all for about half of what it costs elsewhere. How? By the unbeatable means of subsidies from the ISH Trust fund, an independent charity run by the ISH.
Since 1917, the International Students House has been a social club and a ‘home away from home’ for thousands of students from all over the world. Some have stayed in its cheap(ish) long-term and short-term accommodation, but many have just popped in for the cosy, international atmosphere and myriad of cheap treats that make ISH special: the gym, the restaurant, the bar, the internet access and the many social activities that are either free or very cheap.

Best bits

For as little as £2 (£1 on Fridays), you can enjoy a pint of Carlsberg in the plush sofas surrounding the bar or at the pool table next to the karaoke screen. Sundays are dedicated to free cinema, and there are regular culture nights, karaoke nights, pub quizzes and live music events to keep you busy during the week.
The ISH has a theatre club and a travel club, both of which are subsidised beyond recognition. The Theatre Club offers tickets to Woman in Black and Dirty Dancing, both for £20. The Travel Club offers day trips from £10 and weekend trips from £45.
If your wallet is still complaining, the ISH can probably offer you a job. The list of vacancies is often long as they need lots of friendly students to help run the place.

Our favourite barman

Australian, Peter Dowd, 23, is in London on a break from his studies and works in the ISH bar. “It’s unbelievably cheap to drink here, even for someone who earns as much as I do. Coming from Australia makes me inclined to go to the cheapest place I could find. But it’s not just the drinks – it’s a community for the people who work here and live here. They’re all students, so it can get pretty hectic in the bar – especially the karaoke nights can get pretty mad”.

Home away from home

The ISH wants to make you feel at home – even with the parental gesture of paying half your travel and entertainment costs. Many colleges are already signed up as members of the ISH, in which case you can relax and enjoy the privilege of your subsidised pint. But if your college is not signed up, you’ll have to cough up £8 for 3 months, £10 for 4 months, £14 for 6 months or £25 for a year.

For more info:

International Students House
229 Great Portland Street
London, W1W 5PN
020 7631 8300
www.ish.org.uk
www.ishevents.org.uk