Before you move to UWE Bristol and the fun begins, there’s a whole lot of life admin you can do – and before you eyeroll and leave this page, getting through some or all of this list will mean the fun can begin the second you arrive. If you love organisation, this article’s for you – and if organisation isn’t your strong point, we hope this helps you get ready for one of the best chapters of your life!

Life admin for your course 

Work out your Programme and Module Leaders' office hours 

Your Programme and Module Leaders are some of the most important people you can hit up at University. They hold the nuggets of gold knowledge that will help you excel, and they’re fountains of wisdom if there’s anything you’re stuck on. Whether it’s visiting them in-person, or speaking to them virtually, find out their office hours and visit them at every opportunity.

Explore Blackboard 

Don’t know what this is yet? You soon will. Blackboard is a virtual learning environment to support your learning, and on the platform, you can find everything from helpful academic contacts, message boards, forums, reading lists and your sacred module guide. Get to grips with Blackboard and you’re one step closer to your dream grades being a reality.

Sync your timetable to your calendar

You’ll never oversleep for a lecture if you sync your timetable to your calendar and set reminders for all those important seminars, assignment deadlines and study groups. Organisation will become your mantra the second you get savvy with tech to do this.

Download helpful apps 

We’re talking the Blackboard and GYM apps here. We usually view our phones as an extension of our limbs, so having these handy apps downloaded means you’ll be set to take on University life.

Get referencing 

A big, big one to do before you start your course is to check out what referencing system your individual course uses (as it can differ between courses) and get to grips with how to reference. It’s easy when you get the hang of it – but can feel like another language if you haven’t checked it out before assignment time comes around.

Online study groups are cool 

Group chats on social media with those on your course are the norm amongst uni courses, and chatting about academia has never been cooler than when you’re discussing quadratic equations over Facebook Messenger with highly relatable GIFs.

Your city 

Download the First Bus app to your phone

A very popular way to get around the city, download the First Bus app for paperless tickets, student deals and live timetables to make your life 10x easier.

Use a map of Bristol to mark off the locations you've visited, and where you'd like to go 

Perhaps a cute addition to the uni room and also very handy, keeping a tally of everywhere you want to go in Bristol will ensure you’re living your Bristolian life to the max during your years at UWE Bristol.

Your University life 

Research extra-curriculars you can attend alongside your degree commitments 

Did you know there’s so much more to University than your degree? Yes, that’s right – there’s a whole load of fun to be had! Joining a sports club or society – or a couple of each – will enrich your uni experience, boost your CV and, most importantly, leave you with a bunch of awesome pals. It’s important to not get too carried away and ensure you can realistically fit these in to your degree commitments, but the easiest way to do that is to check out our lists of sports clubs and societies, and to sign up to our awesome Freshers’ Fair to speak to those on the committees.

Volunteer to be a Student Rep 

Student Reps are really important people – they help be the voice of the collective student community, and play a vital role in representing students’ academic interests. Their job is to work with students and staff to create positive changes to the learning experience at UWE Bristol to become co-creators of the student experience. The best part? Anyone can become a Student Rep! You don’t need to be part of a secret club or learn a funny handshake – you just need to stand up for election at the start of term!

Work out ways you can search for jobs 

Need some part-time employment during University to up those pennies? No worries, we’ve got you covered. Check out The Students’ Union’s JobShop: a cracking portal that advertises part-time jobs in Bristol.

Find out more about The Students' Union and what it offers 

The main fact you need to know: The Students’ Union is the place to be at UWE Bristol. We might be a little biased, but we think we’re rather cool. From volunteering, sports and societies, to awesome events, second-to-none student support and, yes, The Freshers’ Fair, your Students’ Union’s got it all. Find out more on what we’re about on our website – and for Welcome-specific events and activities, find out more here.

Find out who to contact for financial, well-being and study support

We’ll give you a little helping hand here. For financial support, UWE Bristol has a great Student Money Service. For study support, you can check out your Programme and Module Leaders’ office hours and also have a research on UWE Bristol’s study support online pages. For well-being support, check out UWE Bristol’s well-being portal, and remember, The Students’ Union’s Advice Centre is impartial from the University, a confidential service, and can help advise you on all matters – everything from the financial, to the course-specific.  

Know how to access help via Disability Services 

UWE Bristol has a dedicated page on their website to help you with all your study, accessibility and well-being needs. Find out more here.  

International students, check out the support available for you 

The Global team at UWE Bristol offers the Global Cafés, events and meet-ups for international students. This is such a useful service to utilise as you can interact with people from your own and differing cultures, learn more about Britain and feel welcomed at UWE Bristol. You can find out more here.

Research how you can get in touch with the Careers Service 

With online and in-person career drop-in sessions, you can get help with securing jobs and internships, boosting your CV, cover letter advice, self-employment support, interview tips and more. Find out more on UWE Bristol’s website here.

Want to find out more about life at UWE Bristol? Check out our Welcome website here!