The academic year at the University of Surrey starts either September or February, depending on which intake you decide to join. There are two semesters, autumn, and spring, and at the beginning of each semester, there is a freshers’ week (also known as The Big Welcome), celebrating and welcoming new students to the University of Surrey. There are many events especially for new students (although all students are welcome to join them).

The most important website for all these activities can be found here. You can book library know how tours, walking tours of Guildford, Stag Hill campus tours, as well as complete your main registration to get your student ID as well. Some of the activities such as the welcome to your department event are compulsory, while some are optional. But it is important to join the optional activities as well to familiarise yourself with the University and build personal connections.

The most fun activities for me were the Freshers’ Fair and the Active Freshers’ Fair. The Freshers’ fair is your opportunity to find out more about all the clubs and societies that you can join at the University of Surrey. This is also a great opportunity to score some great freebies and food as well! Additionally, if you haven’t already, you will be introduced to the great students union (USSU) which will provide you with the support you need while completing your education. The website for USSU, which you can also use to join clubs is here.

The University of Surrey has a £60 million sports park, where you can join in many sports activities such as swimming, squash, badminton, hockey and wall climbing. It also has a state of the art gym and fitness center, the fees of which are heavily subsidised for the students of University of Surrey. The Active Freshers’ Fair is your opportunity to try out any activities you want at the Sports Park, completely free! If you are an athlete, or even if you want to learn a new sport, the Sports Park is definitely the place for you! Although I am more of a spectator than a participant, I had a lot of fun during the Active Freshers’ Fair.

I hope that the activities welcoming you to the University of Surrey helps you to build a great foundation to complete your education, as well as help you choose the extra-curricular activities that you want to partake in while you are a student at the University.

Cheers,

Shaulan