Starting university is an exciting time and we hope you are looking forward to an incredible journey of development, learning and discovery with us. We are eager to welcome you to the University of Plymouth community but appreciate that you may be feeling a little nervous about what lies ahead. This is completely normal and university life can take a bit of getting used to, so we have developed our Head Start day to help you get to know us better while getting some tips and ideas to help you advance smoothly into university life.
Who is it for?
Head Start is for new students on any undergraduate degree programme, who feels they would benefit. Priority for places will however be given to you if you are:
- the first in your family to go to university
- you live in an area where few people go to university
- Black, Asian, or from another minority ethnic group, including Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities
- a mature student or returning to study after time away from education
- disabled, neurodiverse or if you have a mental health or physical health condition
- care-experienced
- without parental support (estranged)
- a young carer
- in receipt of the
Sanctuary Scholarship .
What can I expect?
You can join us for as much of the day you as you like. Guided by talks from staff and small group discussion, you can expect to be:
- sharing hopes, fears, expectations and concerns with the people who understand them most – your fellow new starters and current students
- taking a tour of the Library, Student Services and Students' Union and getting to know the staff there
- getting pointers from our Learning Development and Wellbeing specialists on studying effectively and being happy and well at university
- discovering easy ways of getting your career off the ground
As well as understanding the jargon, looking around and settling in to your new life as a student.
What the Head Start is not
This isn’t a formal induction (induction starts the following week) nor is it course-specific, so you will be meeting students from a range of subjects. This will be an informal and relaxed get-together with the opportunity for you to meet and potentially make friends with other students.
We look forward to meeting you!
Can’t make Head Start?
If you would like a short visit to take a look around, you may be interested in our hour-long
'Behind the Scenes' campus tours for new students taking place on 21 and 28 August and 4 September instead.