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Essential activities

The checklist below shows things to do in the first few weeks of your programme. These are essential actions that you need to complete.

Checklists for students starting in 2021

The checklists below are relevant to students starting in 2021 only.

This page was last updated on 8 February 2021.

Please note that depending on your circumstances, some of the activities below may not be applicable to you.


All students

Start your programme

Check your timetable and make sure you hit the ground running by attending all lectures, seminars and other sessions. Your personal timetable will be available along with generic departmental timetables on the site below.

View your timetable.

Meet your Personal Tutor or Affiliate Tutor

Every taught student at UCL (undergraduate or postgraduate) is assigned a Personal Tutor, who is there to help you with your overall academic progress as well as your personal and professional development. You should meet your Personal Tutor within your first few weeks at UCL and you'll then meet them several times throughout the duration of your programme.

Affiliate students have an Affiliate Tutor to help with specific issues they might face.

Find out more about Personal Tutors.

Meet your supervisory team

If you're a research student, your supervisor or supervisory team will fulfil much the same function as a Personal Tutor. You can approach your supervisors with any matter related to your research or wellbeing issues. 

Meet your Transition Mentor

If you're a first-year undergraduate student, you'll be assigned a Transition Mentor to help you adjust to university life. This is usually a second-year or final-year student from your department who's available to meet regularly to help you make the transition to university life.

Find out more about Transition Mentors.

Register with a doctor (GP)

It's vitally important to ensure that you're registered with a doctor (a GP, or general practitioner), so that you can access health care easily if you need it. 

If you're able to come onto campus and are living in north or central London, then you should be able to register with Ridgmount Practice, UCL’s partner health clinic, which is located near the main campus. If you're living further away in London or the surrounding area, then you should contact your local GP surgery to register there.

If you're on a short-term programme of less than six months, please be aware that you may not be able to register with a doctor, but should still be able to see one as a temporary patient if needed. 

Find out more about registering with a doctor.

Apply for a TV licence

If you're in the UK and use a TV or online device to watch or record programmes as they are being shown, or if you download or watch BBC programmes on iPlayer, then are you legally required to get a TV licence. 

Find out more about TV licensing.


International students 

Adhere to your visa responsibilities

If you're an international student coming to the UK on a Tier 4 Student visa, then there are certain responsibilities that you must adhere to in order to maintain your visa rights. Make sure you read and follow the guidance.

Find out more about Tier 4 responsibilities.

Apply for a National Insurance number

If you are an international student eligible to work in the UK and would like to do so, then you’ll need a National Insurance (NI) number. Your NI number allows the government to properly record your National Insurance contributions and the taxes that you should pay. You can start work without one, but you’ll have to apply immediately.

Apply for your National Insurance number.

Find out more about working in the UK as an international student.