Student life checklist

1. Essential administration

Complete the Journey to Joining UCL

• Once you have met the conditions of your offer, you must follow the steps to register as a UCL student and complete important administrative tasks.

2. Health and Safety

Get your vaccinations

• If you are under 25, you should have meningitis (ACWY) and MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccinations before you arrive. Find out more about vaccinations.

Register with a doctor (GP)

• It is very important you are registered with a GP whilst you study at UCL so that you have access to healthcare if you need it. Learn more about registering with a GP

Download the SafeZone App 

• SafeZone is an app available to all UCL students to make it easier for you to contact UCL Security directly from your mobile device. Download the SafeZone App. 

3. Finance

Set up a student bank account (UG)

• Set up a student bank account and think about planning your budget, especially if you will be new to studying in London. 

Explore student discounts

• All students on a programme lasting longer than 12 weeks are eligible to get a TOTUM card which gives access to a wide range of discounts and services. Other sites like UNiDAYS and Student Beans can also offer helpful discounts. 

Check for Council Tax discounts

• Check to see if you are exempt or eligible for a discount with your council tax.

4. Your UCL support network (for undergraduate students)

Meet your Student Advisor (first-year undergraduate students only)

• If you’re a first-year undergraduate, you are allocated to a Student Adviser who can help to support you throughout the year. You will be invited to meet with your Student Adviser so please keep an eye out for an email. Select your department and find out how your Student Adviser can support you. 

Meet your Personal Tutor

• Your Personal Tutor is there to help you with academic progress and personal and professional development. You should meet your Personal Tutor within your first few weeks at UCL and several times throughout your programme of study. 

Meet your Transition Mentor (first-year undergraduate students only)

• 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.

5. Your UCL support network (for Postgraduate  students)

Visit the The Doctoral School website

• The support platform for UCL’s postgraduate research community provides resources, guidance and opportunities to help you succeed.  

Meet your Supervisory Team

• Key to your academic and professional development as a researcher, your supervisors should be your first port of call for advice and support on almost any matter: if they can’t help directly, they can help you find out who can. 

Meet your Departmental Graduate Tutor (DGT)

• Each department has an experienced member of academic staff from whom you can seek independent advice on both academic and pastoral care matters if you need to talk to someone beyond your immediate supervisory team.  

Meet your Faculty Graduate Tutors (FGT)

• Each department sits within a faculty and each faculty also has an FGT, a senior and experienced academic whom you can contact if you wish to seek advice outside your.

6. Your UCL Support Network (postgraduate taught students)

Postgraduate Teaching Assistants (PGTA)

• These are Postgraduate Researchers who are current students. They can be good to seek advice if you’re struggling academically. 

Meet your Personal Tutor

• Your Personal Tutor is there to help you with academic progress and personal and professional development. You should meet your Personal Tutor within your first few weeks at UCL and several times throughout your programme of study. Your personal tutor is an academic member of staff in your department. You can find their details through Portico.

7. Additional Support

Look into your childcare options (if this applies to you)

• If you are a student who is a parent or guardian with caring responsibilities, we have support and advice available for you. 

Apply for Disabled Student Allowance

• If you are a disabled or neurodivergent student, make sure you have applied for Disabled Student Allowance for funding to cover study-related costs related to your disability. Find out more about our Disability and Neurodiversity team.

8. Making friends

Join clubs, societies and attend events with the Students’ Union UCL

• There are societies for all kinds of interests, hobbies, cultures, faiths, and causes. More than half of all UCL departments have their own society to help you get even more out of your studies.
• We also have sports teams, one off Project Active sessions and ArtsUCL to explore. You can join a society or club at any point during the year. Plus, there’s no limit to the number of clubs or societies you can join. Find something of interest in our Students’ Union UCL clubs and societies list or events calendar.  Can’t find a society you’re interested in? Make your own society! 

9. Legal things 

Apply for a TV licence 

• In the UK if you use a TV, computer, tablet or phone to watch or record BBC programmes as they are being shown, or if you download or watch BBC programmes on iPlayer, then you are legally required to get a TV licence. Find out more about TV licensing. 

Register to vote 

• To make sure your voice is heard in UK elections, you will need to register to vote. You can find out if you are eligible to vote on the electoral commission website.