Settling in

Welcome Week

Going to university is a big step, so we’ll help you to feel at home right from the moment you arrive. Surrey students voted our Welcome Week programme the best in the country in the 2010 i-graduate survey, and we’re proud of the way the whole campus community helps new arrivals to find their feet.

We realise that you may need extra support even after your first few weeks, so we have created an extended settling-in programme that continues to Christmas and New Year. You’ll also find study support and relaxation clinics in our brand-new Library & Learning Centre around exam time. And that’s only the beginning…

Pre-entry days

Pre-entry days take place in mid-September and are designed to help with the transition to higher education. Each event covers some of the key issues around studying and living at university, including how higher education differs from school or college, what is expected of you as a first-year student, and how to manage your finances. There is the opportunity to take a tour of the campus, and Student Ambassadors are on hand to provide an insight into what life at Surrey is really like. They are open to all, although one session is usually dedicated to mature students.

The Careers Service

As a Surrey graduate you will be very employable. Our Careers Service will provide you with the support and resources to help you with all of your career decisions. We also work with employers to help put them in touch with you.

Conveniently situated on campus, the Careers Service is available for dedicated help and advice. The expert staff will help you to identify your skills and strengths, and support you in finding the right career opportunities for you.

We offer a variety of services to help you become the ideal job candidate. We provide you with:

• A comprehensive careers information room
• A one-to-one careers guidance service
• Employer presentations on campus
• An annual careers fair
• Skills workshops
• Online vacancy bulletins
• A programme of careers talks
• Help in putting together your CV
• Advice on application-form completion
• Practice interviews
• Continued support after graduation

Student mentors

Court Life Mentoring is a remarkable service for all students living in our Courts of Residence.

Each Court of Residence has its own dedicated team of mentors. These are students whose job it is to provide a friendly, familiar face for all residents. They also provide special support for people living away from home for the first time, and help with the situations that can sometimes arise in communal residences. Their aim is to help their fellow students find solutions to problems before they become unmanageable.

Mentors visit each house/flat on a weekly basis. As they are often final-year students, they already have a great deal of first-hand experience, so just ask a question and they will do their best to answer it.

Your mentor will organise social events that help you get to know other Court residents, increase the University’s excellent sense of community and help make your time living in Courts of Residence as enjoyable as possible.

89 per cent of our UK/EU students and 91 per cent of our international students say that they appreciate the Court Life Mentoring programme, according to the 2011 i-graduate survey.

The Student Advice team

Our Student Advice team works hard to make your time here as problem free as possible.

Student Advice is a one-stop money advice shop with Community Legal Services Commission accreditation, offering information, advice and guidance on a wide range of related financial, legal and welfare issues.

We also administer several University hardship funds. If possible, we will help you straight away. Otherwise we can make an appointment for you to see an experienced adviser or refer you to someone else who can help.  

Wellbeing and faith

Centre for Wellbeing

Counsellors at the Centre for Wellbeing are on hand to deal with any personal, relationship or emotional concerns you might have. Staff at the Centre offer individual and couple counselling and group workshops, and are experienced in working with students from a broad range of cultures and nationalities.

Religious and spiritual support

You will be joining a dynamic multi-faith and multicultural community at Surrey. You will have the chance to meet people of every kind of spirituality, along with those who do not consider themselves religious or spiritual. Everyone is respected. A network of chaplains drawn from a range of religions and communities is available, offering pastoral care, advice and a confidential ear.

Multi-Faith Centre

We are currently planning a Multi-Faith Centre where the University Chaplaincy will be based.The project reflects the diversity that we are so proud of in our community. We are creating a space where you will feel safe and included, whatever your religion.

Other services

Student Health Care

Student Health Care is a nurse-led service providing health information, advice, support and a variety of clinics run by specialist nurses.

Medical Centre

The Guildowns University Medical Centre is an oncampus independent GP practice. Open all year, the Medical Centre provides a full NHS doctor surgery service. Confidentiality and privacy are respected at all times.

Childcare provision

Juggling your workload and family commitments can often be a difficult task. Here at Surrey we aim to take some of the pressure off by providing an on-site nursery. CampusKids is our day nursery for the preschool-age children of students and staff. It is run in partnership with KidsUnlimited, a national childcare provider with a great reputation. Students with young children should contact KidsUnlimited directly regarding the availability of places.