Support and wellbeing
UCL takes the physical and mental health of its students seriously, and is committed to providing support where possible.
Transition successfully to student life
UCL’s Transition Mentor Programme is designed to help you settle in and adapt to university life, providing you with a mentor and information and social sessions to help you find your feet.
When you arrive you will be assigned a mentor from your teaching programme who will provide help and advice and facilitate informal first-year discussion groups.
UCL also offers a dedicated team of department-specific Student Advisers who are on hand to support first-year undergraduates with wellbeing and settling in at UCL, through workshops, meetings and discussions.
Support with disability, mental health and wellbeing
The Disability and Neurodiversity/Mental Health and Wellbeing team is made up of specialist advisers that sit within the wider Student Support and Wellbeing Services. They can support you by providing information and advice on issues around disability.
Disability and Neurodiversity/Mental Health and Wellbeing Services
Take care of your mental health
The Student Support and Wellbeing Services team has a preventative strategy in place when it comes to student wellbeing, and runs a lively programme of regular events that give students the chance to try something new and make friends.
Counselling Services is a dedicated team of experienced staff, supporting students experiencing any emotional or psychological difficulties.
After an initial appointment, you may be offered short-term individual counselling, cognitive behavioural therapy, a personal development workshop or psychiatric consultation. You may also be given advice on how to access specialised psychological services outside UCL.
It is also important to ensure that you have access to healthcare through your doctor (GP) so you can get medical care if you need it. All students are encouraged to register with a GP upon arrival in London.
Get to know your personal tutor
You’ll be assigned your own Personal Tutor who can give you academic guidance and steer you towards any help you might need on practical and personal matters.
Widening Participation
If you’re applying to higher education from a care background, we know that you can face additional issues. We are committed to supporting young people from a range of backgrounds (e.g. care-experienced students) and offer specific events, tours and visits.
Support for international students
Around 53% of our students come from outside the UK and we strive to give all our teaching a global perspective.
Orientation activities
UCL hosts online orientation activities before your arrival, giving you information on a wide range of topics such as accessing healthcare, opening a bank account, accessing academic support, finding a job and much more.
Every September and January before and during the first week of the academic year, UCL holds orientation activities focusing on topics such as making friends, personal safety and course information, helping you settle into life at UCL and in London.
In-person orientation activities
UCL Academic Communication Centre
The UCL Academic Communication Centre (ACC) supports UCL students to develop their academic language and literacies.
Whether you are working on your writing, reading, speaking, or research skills, we offer tutorials, webinars, workshops, and courses to enhance your academic language and literacies.
Learn more about the UCL Academic Communication Centre.
Throughout your time at UCL
International Student Support will always be available to help with any individual issues you have relating to your time at UCL and in London, in the form of drop-in sessions and through UCL’s enquiry management system askUCL.
Additional support in times of crisis
Some students, prior to their arrival in the UK, or during their studies, may be impacted by events in their home countries, such as war, conflict, civil unrest and disasters. These events can be highly distressing for students, even if they are not physically present themselves. To support these students, a dedicated team was established in 2022; a collaboration between Student Support and Wellbeing Services, the Department of Psychology and Language Sciences (PALS), and the University Clinic. Members of the team aim to support affected students emotionally and with problem-solving by offering sessions of Psychological First Aid (PFA). More information regarding the support team and the services they provide can be found on our website. Student Support and Wellbeing Services have also recruited into a specialist casework role who provides dedicated support to students with refugee or forced migrant experience, and they will be supporting UCL with its University of Sanctuary submission.
Support in times of crisis: The War, Conflict and Disaster Service
We also provide a range of specialist support, such as:
Support for Students with Refugee, Asylum-Seeking and Forced Migration experience
