5 Ways to spend your 'New to UCL' £500 prize

That’s what the New to UCL survey is all about. It only takes 10 minutes but by sharing your experiences before 9 December, you could stand to win a perfectly acceptable £10 Amazon voucher or (drum roll please) a £500 jackpot.

All you have to do is head over to the New to UCL survey, log in with your student ID number and date of birth as password, and you’re good to go. Just share your views on joining the UCL community and you could be in with a chance to win £500. That’s the easy part; the hard part is deciding what you’re going to spend your illustrious winnings on. Never fear! Here are five (im)practical options for you to consider:
 
1.    Invest in 50 £10 Amazon vouchers. The perfect solution for those moments(?!) when you have 50 friends and very little imagination for birthday presents. Or for when you want to befriend everyone living in the 49 doors nearest to you.

2.    Procure 2,000 Freddos. As of 2018, every Brit’s favourite economic yardstick – a small, Cadbury chocolate frog you can pick up at the checkout that officially costs 25p. This little “investment” will serve you in nostalgia for years to come.

3.    Waltz down Oxford Street like you own the place. Race against Primark staff attempting to restock as you buy all of their £2 shirts; leave a void in the displays at LUSH as you run off with a crate of bath bombs; annoy everyone who shares the same shoe size as you at Schuh; the possibilities are endless! 

4.    Accumulate 166 (and 2/3) meal deals. Tesco (sometimes Sainsbury’s) meal deals are, arguably, the best things ever – especially at this time of year with Christmas dinner sandwiches lining the shelves. No harm in ensuring the next 166 days contain free lunches. Take that, economists!

5.    Pay exactly one month’s worth of London rent. I know, I know. That’s a bit ambitious – but no one can stop you from dreaming!

How does your contribution make a difference?

Thanks to students like you who completed the New to UCL survey in their first year, there's been a number of positive changes this year, helping you to settle in to UCL, including:

•    The introduction of a daily drop-in service, giving you access to a mental health, wellbeing or disability adviser for advice, information and support.

•    The reorganisation and streamlining of the New Students website, and introduction of the Welcome to UCL app, helping you to feel less overwhelmed by information and giving you essential info in the weeks leading up to enrolment.

•    The redesign of Student Support and Wellbeing services, taking multiple separate sites and bringing them together for you to effortlessly find help and support when you need it.

To learn more, be sure to check out how your feedback has been shaping UCL campus-wide.

What changes will you help implement through your feedback?

Submit before 9 December 

With the survey about to close, don’t miss your chance to make a difference! The New to UCL survey is for all new students, from undergraduate to postgraduate (taught and research).

Before December 9th, be sure to log in with your student ID number and date of birth as password and have your voice heard: you could be a winner!

Robert Vilkelis