Before You Arrive

Before you arrive at Warwick, there are a number of things you will need to do to prepare.

The most important of these is enrolment and photo submission for your University card. Enrolment is your official registration as a student at the University. Once you have enrolled you can apply for your IT Services account and submit your photo for your University Card.

Once you have done these essential jobs, there are a number of other things you may want to think about:

Students Union Membership

The Students’ Union is the main democratic body representing the students and is part of the National Union of Students (NUS). The Students’Union building at the University of Warwick is one of the main social hubs for all students, running an active programme of live events and offering societies and sports clubs to meet all interests. Students registering with the University of Warwick automatically become a member of the Students’ Union unless you choose not to become a member (see below). Your University card will also act as your NUS card.

Under The Education Act 1994, Part II: Students’ Unions, students have the right not to be a member of the Students’ Union if they so wish. If you wish to exercise this right, you can opt-out of Students’ Union membership when you complete your online enrolment. Alternatively, refer to your Student Handbook.

Joining Warwick Sport

If you think you would like to use the extensive sports facilities and get involved in the many sporting opportunities that the University has to offer then you might like to consider joining Warwick Sport.

For a small annual fee, membership of Warwick Sport provides you with access to the sports facilities on campus (excluding premium rate facilities) and allows you to join University sports clubs for a small additional fee per club. Access to the well-equipped Fitness Suite and Performance Weights Room, the Climbing Centre and the Indoor Tennis Centre is available at extra cost on top of your Warwick Sport membership.

If you are not yet sure whether membership of Warwick Sport is for you, then why not sample some of the sports club taster sessions taking place during the Festival of Sport from 3rd – 7th October 2011. Access to the sports facilities on campus will also be free between these dates.

You can also find out more about the sports clubs by visiting them at the Sports Fair in the Sports Centre on Tuesday 4th October 2011.

Applying to join Orientation for International and EU Students

If you are joining the University of Warwick from overseas you should consider attending the Orientation programme, a series of events and activities specifically designed to help you familiarise yourself with life in the UK and meet new friends.

Meet new friends online

Why wait until you arrive at Warwick to start making new friends? Through a variety of social networking sites, you can start connecting right now with other new students of the University.

There are a number of other unofficial Facebookgroups and profiles set up by companies or individuals advertising events and services to members of the University community. Please use your discretion when joining any groups purporting to be part of Warwick, as the information you may receive from these groups is not official and should be treated with caution.

Disclaimer: the University of Warwick is not responsible for the content of any external websites.

What to pack

Some of you will spend weeks packing your belongings in preparation for arriving at Warwick; others might throw everything together the night before you leave home. Regardless of how you choose to pack, deciding what to bring isn’t always as easy as it might sound, so here are a few tips on what you should and shouldn’t bring. For those joining us from overseas, there is further information in the International Guide and on the International Office webpages about what not to bring through an airport when arriving in the UK.

Security and Insurance

In the excitement of coming to University, the last thing you will want to think about is falling victim to a crime or foul play during your time here. Warwick is a relatively safe campus and our Security team operate 24 hours a day 365 days a year. However, occasionally unfortunate events such as thefts do take place. Thinking about your security before you arrive at the campus can help in the long-term.

Buying a strong 'D' lock for your bicycle and marking it with your home post code, registering it with the campus police officer, marking other valuables with a UV pen, investing in a security cable attachment for your laptop and taking out adequate insurance cover are just some of the things that you can do before you arrive.

The University also has an excellent relationship with the local Police and has its own dedicated campus Police Officer. West Midlands Police have produced a special website providing information on student safety at www.saferstudents.co.uk. We recommend that you take the time to visit this site and take a look around.

Insurance

Although theft of your belongings is unlikely on the University campus if you follow some simple security measures such as keeping your room and window locked and not allowing strangers into your block, it is still important that your valuables are insured against such an unfortunate occurrence. Because we recognise that many students wish to insure the contents of their room, all campus accommodation (excluding staff and family accommodation) comes with personal possessions insurance provided by UK & Ireland Insurance Services (Online) Ltd.

You may wish to consider taking out additional insurance cover for items such as laptop computers taken outside of your room, mobile phones, bicycles and accidental damage. You can review the level of cover provided by the University through the UK & Ireland Insurance Services website and on the Warwick Accommodation website.

We recommend that international students purchase travel insurance to cover their journey to the UK. Further information can be found in the International Guide and on the International Office website.

Photos for Residential Registration

Please note that these photographs are separate to the one that you will upload as part of the enrolment process.

When you arrive at your campus accommodation you will be required to provide two passport sized photographs of yourself. You will also be asked to complete an Emergency Contact form, including details of any medical conditions that the residential team ought to be aware of. The photographs and emergency information help residential staff to look after your interests and respond accordingly in the unlikely event of an emergency. Please make sure that you have your two passport photographs to hand when you collect the keys for your accommodation.

Opening a Student Bank Account

The University has three banks on campus so for convenience you might wish to open a student bank account with one of those. Almost all other major banks have branches in nearby Coventry, Kenilworth or Leamington Spa. Campus banks include branches of Barclays, Natwest and Santander.

Many banks offer student accounts, most of them with ‘giveaways’ or special deals to attract you. Make sure you do your research before you come to University to find out which bank account is best for you. Don’t let the offer of fancy gadgets or free gifts sway you into signing up for an account that might not be right for you in the long-term.

Be aware that the campus banks can be particularly busy during the first weeks of term so do consider opening an account with a local branch before you arrive at the University. If you experience delays in opening an account, we recommend that you speak to the Student Finance team so that they can advise on late payment of your fees.

To open a student bank account you will generally need to provide:

  • Personal identification (such as a passport or EU identity card)
  • Proof of student status (offer letter, including your address, or certificate of student status. International students can collect this certificate from the Student Services Reception in University House or from the Panorama Room during Arrivals Weekend and Week One. You will need to show a copy of your online Certificate of Enrolment)
  • Proof of UK address (certificate of student status or tenancy agreement)
  • Proof of overseas address if applicable (International students can use their offer letter including their home address or certificate of student status)

Further information for international students can be found in the International Guide and on the International Office website.

Please also be aware that it is not safe to carry large sums of cash with you or to store money in halls of residence. If you must bring large sums of cash with you, please contact Security who will be able to help arrange temporary secure storage of your cash.

Health Centre Registration

The University has a National Health Service (NHS) HealthCentre located at the heart of campus and we encourage all students living on campus and in the off-campus catchment area to register with a doctors’ practice in the HealthCentre. To make registration with the Health Centre a little easier once you arrive, you can fill in the registration form as much as possible before you arrive. Find out more here.

    TV Licence

    If you are not living at home when you come to University and you plan to use a television (or anything else to receive and broadcast television services) you will need a TV Licence. Television reception is not guaranteed in all of the bedrooms on campus, however there is an aerial in each communal kitchen. Once you arrive at University, you may agree with your housemates to share a television - that way you can all share the price of the licence too. If you choose to do this, make sure you come to a sensible arrangement about whose television to use and what happens if it breaks etc. The owner of the television will still be responsible for buying a TV licence, although many students do come to an arrangement by which the cost of this may be shared.

    If you do decide to keep a television in your room, remember that you are responsible for obtaining your own licence. The licence requirement also covers set-top boxes, PCs fitted with TV cards and any other TV receiving equipment.

    You will need a TV Licence regardless of the channels you plan to watch, including all BBC channels, ITV, Channel 4, Five, satellite, cable, freeview and digital television. Further information is available from the TV Licensing Authority at http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/ or by telephone at 0300 7906131.

    Transport (green travel, car parking)

    Local public transport provides an excellent means of accessing the campus and nearby towns and students are strongly advised not to bring cars onto campus. There are severe pressures on car parking on the University campus and parking restriction schemes are in place in the residential and commercial areas surrounding the campus. Please note that there is no dedicated parking for students. Only in exceptional circumstances will resident students be allowed to apply for permission to park on campus, for example if they have a disability. Details of the application process can be found on the student pages of the car parking website. Regulations governing car parking on campus can also be found in the University Calendar.