The lifeblood of London: The Tube

If you want to get around London, the fastest and most organized way is via the 'Tube': aka the London Underground. No matter how far your want to go within the city, there is always an Underground station within reach. From the Circle Line to the Jubilee Line, the tube ensures you can get to any direction within London city as quickly as possible.

Finding an Underground station is fairly easy. Look out for the iconic red and blue circular symbol that marks the entrance to a station. Signs along the streets also point out the nearest station and how far they are walking distance.
                                              

To pay your fare, you can choose one of three options: pay for a ticket at a machine, use an Oyster Card, or use your contactless credit card. During my months in London, I primarily used an Oyster card to get around the train system. For many students, the Oyster card is the best choice for London public transport. Not only can you pay for the Underground, but all of the London buses take Oysters as payment too. In addition, as a student, you can apply for a student Oyster card that can save you on travel fare, which may be beneficial to you if you plan on commuting to school or going to town daily via the Underground. It is also very easy and quick to top up your card if you are running low: just insert it into a marked add-value machine, choose how much you would like to add (minimum 5 GBP), and pay via card or cash.
                           
You might also want to download CityMapper: a free city-navigation map that is far more helpful than Google Maps off the shelf. With CityMapper, you have the entire London Underground system map stored on your phone. Furthermore you can even plan out your trip to work out how long will it take you to get to the destination, which carriage is best to get on to avoid getting into a jam, what lines you need to take (including transfers), and get an estimated time of arrival (based on my experiences, fully accurate). It is very useful due to the fact that it will notify you when you need to get off.  Do be aware though that in most Underground lines, there is no phone service or data available due to the lack of phone reception unlike some cities; therefore if you do need to rely on Citymapper: activate your phone carrier's Underground wi-fi service so you can continue using data-reliant apps while on the train.

Here are some more tips and advice when it comes to using the Tube:

• If a transfer between lines requires you to tap in or out your Oyster card/credit card, ensure you do it before you leave the line. Same goes for entering a paid area of a station: ensure the scanner reads the card. If you don't, you could be charged the full fare of 80 GBP as a penalty! 
• There are no trash cans along the platforms. Following the terrorist attacks on July 7, 2005, the Transport for London removed all trash cans to eliminate any possible threats from hidden devices. So ensure you take your trash, or throw it away before getting on the train. 
• Especially in the hotter periods of the year, it can get very stuffy and hot in the Tube. Ensure to bring plenty of water to hydrate yourself and wear loose clothing. 
• You can bring food or drink onto the train, but be considerate and don't make too much of a mess in the carriage. 
• While the risk of pickpockets is still present, currently the threat is minimal. But be vigilant of any unsavoury or suspicious passengers around you, especially if you are taking a late-night train or going to the outskirts of town. 
• Most lines run until 1 or 2 AM, though there are night lines operational on some, that will keep going until the early morning. 
• As the TfL reminds everyone: "If you see something, say something." Report any suspicious activities or possible dangers to a Transport police officer or Underground staff.