I AM YOUR HANDY GUIDE #1. Your first guide and handy checklist for starting life at the University of Gloucestershire

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1 I AM YOUR HANDY GUIDE #1 Your first guide and handy checklist for starting life at the University of Gloucestershire

2 What you need to do before you arrive Before you go through the checklist, just make sure you ve got the following things to hand: A photo of yourself. A passport-style head and shoulders photo of yourself, saved on your computer/phone and ready to upload. A head and shoulders selfie is fine, just ensure it s appropriate. Your seven digit student number. It starts with an s and can be found on the letter sent with this booklet. Your password. Your password is the one you created when you accessed our Applicant Portal to view your offer, upload documents or book onto an Applicant Day. If you did not do this then your initial password is your date of birth (DDMMYYYY). Essentials checklist Don t forget to tick! UNIVERSITY ID CARD Apply for your University ID card online anytime from 24 August, but before 7 September at by following links from Before you arrive. You do not have to be enrolled to do this. ENROL From 2 September, you should complete your online enrolment at by following links from Before you arrive. Please enrol as soon as possible a delay may impact on the release of any financial support to which you may be entitled. FUNDING Sort appropriate funding for your tuition fees and living costs, and set up a student bank account. ACCOMMODATION If you are still looking for somewhere to live, accommodation@glos.ac.uk for upcoming house-hunting events or visit for more information. INSURANCE Ensure you have appropriate insurance arrangements if you ll be living away from home and not in halls of residence (where contents insurance is included in your rent). COURSE INDUCTION Check your Course Welcome Meeting time and Course Induction Timetable at and pop it in your diary or phone. HELPZONE Contact our Helpzone staff if you have any queries. Visit or call You may also want to: APPLY FOR AN NUS CARD Apply for an NUS (National Union of Students) Extra card, which enables you to access hundreds of discounts both online and in store: DOUBLE CHECK Double-check if you need to buy any kit or do any course-specific reading. Some courses require a DBS check. PACK Check out our top tips for what to pack on the following pages. CHECK OUT Check out the Students Union website for a taster of the events, clubs and societies you can get involved with and for details about Freshers Fortnight, which will take place between Saturday, 19 September and Sunday, 4 October.

3 Top tips on what to pack - the place you make home To help you start life at University we ve put together some top tips on what to bring with you. After all, you ll want to have all the essentials and make it your home. Essential Bed linen, towels and hangers and a few spares You ll need to bring your own duvet, pillows, bedding and towels. Freshly washed sheets need a bit of time to dry, so bring a spare. Don t forget hangers for your clothes! Don t forget your toothbrush Make sure you bring some essential toiletries, including toothbrush and toothpaste. A few cold and flu remedies, some ibuprofen and a plaster or two they re sure to come in handy. Plates, cutlery and kitchenware but don t go crazy! If you re going to live in halls, you ll need your own eating and cooking utensils. There s no need to buy an entire kitchenware range, just a few essential items (pots, pans, crockery and cutlery). See what your flatmates arrive with and maybe you can pitch in together for any extras. Washing up liquid, a kitchen cloth/brush and a tea towel will be useful. Once you re settled in and get to know what else you might need, you can visit a local supermarket to top up on items such as cleaning products.

4 Useful Extras But don t bring! Identification Make sure people know who you are! Bring at least two forms of ID (such as your passport, driving licence or University acceptance letter). These will be useful if you haven t opened a student bank account before you leave home. Laptop or mobile devices Bringing your own computer, laptop or tablet is useful as it ll probably become your portable study, administrative and entertainment centre all in one. However, it s not essential, as we operate a 24-hour computer suite on each campus during term time. STATIONERY Lectures can run at a fast pace, so you ll need a set of pens to take notes and keep up. Get organised, get yourself a couple of folders or go the whole hog with plastic wallets and file dividers. Feel at home Your favourite personal possessions such as posters, photos, cushions and throws can help you feel more at home in your new room. Food to share Having sweets, chocolates or biscuits to share is a nice way to get chatting to people. Chocolate digestives go well with a nice cup of tea. Games Bring a pack of cards or a game or two that you have at home they re great for cheap, but fun, nights in. Door stop It s good to have an open door policy in the first few weeks as it s a fab way to make new friends. A door stop (or a heavy text book) will do just the trick. Extension lead A simple extension lead equals more sockets and the flexibility to have your room how you like it. But remember, don t overload them! Fancy dress If you ve got any fancy dress outfits, you ll have plenty of opportunities to wear them, especially during your first two weeks! We know it s obvious, but just to be sure, please don t bring large electrical appliances (such as a fridge or microwave), your car (there s a no motor vehicle rule for students in halls of residence), large musical instruments (such as drums) or your pet hamster (or any other pet)! What do we provide? All new students living in halls of residence will get: All heating, electric, gas and water 24 hour wireless internet access Contents insurance Use of a vacuum cleaner, a mop and bucket and a dustpan and brush

5 Moving into university halls of residence? All students move in on Saturday, 19 September. Please check your room offer or Halls Portal for arrival times. There will be a host of University staff and students (Students Union Freshers Volunteers) on hand to assist, welcome you and make you feel at home. Our Freshers Volunteers are returning students who remember how it feels to move in and can answer your questions or direct you to someone who can. There will be a welcome BBQ the evening you move in followed by evening activities in the Students Union bars on each campus. You will receive a halls induction talk over the weekend to introduce you to life in halls and there are other fun activities planned for the Sunday afternoon. You can find details about the moving-in day and your room in the Halls Portal where you accepted your room offer. If you have any questions regarding halls of residence accommodation please accommodation@glos.ac.uk

6 Moving into private rented housing? If you re moving into an external house you are invited to a housing welcome talk at 4.30pm, Francis Close Hall campus on Saturday, 19 September. Already living locally? If you are joining us but already live locally, you are also invited to the welcome talk at 4.30pm, Francis Close Hall campus on Saturday, 19 September. You will have the chance to meet other students, enjoy the welcome BBQ and Students Union events with further social activities on Sunday. Students who are living in halls, in town, or living locally are all encouraged and welcome to attend. For details please visit or join the conversation on fb.com/uniglosclassof2015 On this day you will also have the opportunity to register with the medical centre, enjoy the welcome BBQ and Students Union events. You will be able to speak to student services staff and meet fellow students. If you have any questions about housing please housingsupport@glos.ac.uk

7 Look out for handy guide #2 We don t want to bombard you with too much information just yet, so look out for handy guide #2 which you will receive in a couple of weeks time, before you join us. This will include: A checklist of what you ll need to do when you arrive Some fab top tips on what to cook More details on Your Future Plan and Degreeplus Information on facilities and services available to you such as student Helpzones, libraries and ICT, sport, refectories and bars Did you know? Our students consistently say the support they get here is outstanding. In fact, based on student reviews on What Uni? (2015) we re in the Top 10 for student support. Money and Advice Finance advisers in our money advice team (they re award winning!) can help you with your student finance applications and ensure you are getting what you are entitled to. They can offer guidance on all aspects of student funding and advice on budgeting. The team can confirm your attendance at University to Student Finance once you have collected your ID card. Remember: You will not receive any loan or grant payments until you have collected your ID card so the payment date will be at least 3-5 working days from the date published on your payment schedule from Student Finance. If you have any queries please moneyadvice@glos.ac.uk or visit Cars and parking on campus Parking facilities at the University are extremely limited. If you re living in halls, you aren t allowed to bring cars as a condition of your tenancy (or any other motor vehicle). If you re not in halls, we d rather you didn t use use a car for travelling to and from the University. The University bus and flat cycle routes make it easy to live locally without the need for a car. However, if you are travelling from home or private rented accommodation and you do need to drive, you will need a permit to park on the University grounds between the hours of 8.30am and 5.00pm, Monday to Friday. Fees are as follows: Student permits: 50 per annum. Person with disability: Blue Badge holders can apply for a free permit per day: either using prebought scratch-cards from the online store or the pay and display machine. You can apply through the online store: Our Student Helpzones are here for you. Get in touch if you have any queries. All-year round opening hours Monday to Friday: 9am 4.30pm Tel: For more information about student support, including Helpzone contact details for your home campus, visit:

8 NATIONAL SPORTS VENUES Home to the Cheltenham Racecourse and Gloucester Rugby s Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucestershire s got a strong sporting heritage. You ll also find an exciting range of activities you can try out yourself, from snowboarding and water sports, to mountain biking and paintballing. In the thick of it Discover Gloucestershire Take a look beneath the stunning Cotswolds landscapes and you ll soon discover a whole new side to Cheltenham and Gloucester. All of our campuses are within easy reach of local shops, supermarkets and cinemas. From quirky outlets and vintage boutiques, coffee shops and restaurants to giants of the high street, Cheltenham and Gloucester have got it all. THE FESTIVAL COUNTY If it s events and festivals you re after you ll find no shortage here. In fact, we hold over 45 festivals every year that s nearly one every week! We also hold our very own Festival Fortnight, at the end of the academic year. There are plenty of clubs, bars and pubs in Cheltenham and Gloucester, along with a number of venues known for their live music or student nights - not forgetting your very own Students Union bars on each campus. Check out for more information. All information is correct at the time of going to print. For the latest updates visit glos.ac.uk/classof2015

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