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Support and services for students during the spring break

23 March 2022

Support and facilities available to students throughout the UCL closure period, from 5.30pm onTuesday 12 April to 9am on Tuesday 19 April.

Group of students smiling, sitting in the Quad

Every year, many of our students remain in London for the spring break and continue to come to campus to study and revise for upcoming assessments. We have now published information about the support and facilities available to students throughout the UCL closure period, from 5.30pm onTuesday 12 April to 9am on Tuesday 19 April.

Services and support on offer are summarised below. For full details, see the student guidance on Spring break 2022 - support and services. We suggest adding a signpost to this information to your email 'out of office' reply during the closure period. 

On this page:


Mental health and wellbeing support

Phone and online counselling

UCL 24/7 Student Support Line offers free, confidential wellbeing support, available for students in the UK, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. 

Same-day appointments

Disability, Mental Health and Wellbeing will be closed for pre-booked and same-day appointments during the closure period (from 5.30pm on Tuesday 12 April until 9.00am on Tuesday 19 April). During this time, the team will be checking and responding to urgent enquiries sent via askUCL at a reduced capacity. For crisis support, please see our crisis support page and Care First for online and telephone counselling. To inform us of a student of concern, please complete our student of concern form.

Pre-booked appointments will continue up to and including Tuesday 12 April and resume on Tuesday 19 April. Same day appointments will be available up to and including Friday 8 April and resume on Tuesday 19 April. Students can book a same-day appointment by phoning +44 (0)20 7679 0100 or contacting the Disability, Mental Health and Wellbeing team in Student Support and Wellbeing via askUCL

To book a longer pre-booked appointment, contact the team via askUCL

Student Space

However a student's feeling, help and guidance is available. Explore a range of trusted information, services and tools to help with the challenges of student life.

There are three ways that Student Space is here to help:

  • Access to dedicated support services for students, by phone or text
  • Information and tools to help them through the challenges of coronavirus
  • Helping find what support is available at their university

Student Space is run by Student Minds, the UK’s student mental health charity. It has been developed collaboratively with services, higher education professionals, researchers and students to complement the existing services available to students.

Visit Student Space to find out more.

External and emergency support

The Samaritans can be contacted in the UK on 116 123 at any time and everything discussed is confidential. Students can find similar listening and support services wherever they are in the world through the Befrienders Worldwide network.

In an emergency, including a mental health crisis, always phone 999 (or equivalent number overseas) or make your way to the accident and emergency (A&E) department at their local hospital. The closest A&E to UCL is at UCLH, while you can also contact Camden and Islington's Mental Health Crisis Assessment service by calling their support line on 020 3317 6333 or visiting their hospital site in St Pancras, both open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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Students' Union UCL activities 

Connect with others through events

Throughout the spring break, the Students’ Union and its clubs and societies will continue to host events to keep you connected and entertained over the break. Project Active sessions will also continue throughout the break, so there are sessions for seasoned sports people or beginners!  

See all the events happening over the break.

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Facilities and support on campus 

UCL halls

If a student is staying in UCL halls over the spring break, they will have access to the same support as usual from their team of Student Residence Advisers (SRAs). Someone from the team will be available throughout the closure period if they need assistance. They can contact their SRAs by visiting reception and asking to speak to them or by phoning or emailing their local hall office. SRAs will also continue to offer their daily open-door sessions.  For hall events and activities, students should keep an eye out for posters, speak to their SRAs, or visit the Flourish calendar.

Further information on the spring break provision for our students in halls can be found on the UCL Accommodation website

Library services

The Student Centre will remain open 24/7 throughout the spring break. All other library sites will close by 17:00 on Tuesday 12 April 2022, and they are planned to reopen on Tuesday 19 April 2022. Please check the Library Opening Hours for the most up to date information.

Students can continue to access a wide range of online resources 24/7. If they have any questions or need more support with using online resources, they can access our Library Frequently Asked Questions or our online Library Skills training

Bloomsbury Fitness

Bloomsbury Fitness is UCL's on-campus gym. Visit their website for up-to-date opening hours. Students can join in with free Project Active sessions running through Students’ Union UCL.

Security

Security officers will continue to be present on campus 24 hours a day throughout the spring break period. Please speak to them for any security-related issues.

Find out more about UCL Security.

Food and drink

A limited number of food and drink outlets will be open on campus.

Wilkins Refectory will be open offering hot and cold drinks, confectionery and snacks. We will also offer our ever-popular pizzas which will be made to order to reduce wastage. Opening times will be confirmed shortly.  Find out more about UCL's catering and hospitality services

For information on Students' Union UCL spacesvisit this page

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Travel, testing and immigration

Travelling abroad

It’s important students check the rules and regulations of the country they will be travelling to. It is their responsibility to find out the testing requirements for their journey. They should check regulations regularly for both their destination and England, as these can change at short notice. If they are travelling abroad to a destination that requires a negative COVID-19 test, they will have to get this through a private provider. Students are advised to follow the UK Government guidance for entering England. More helpful information can be found on the UCL Travel Advice webpage and the Government's foreign travel advice webpages

In the unlikely event that either their passport or BRP document is lost or stolen, students should follow the guidance on the Students' website

Getting tested on your return/arrival to campus

Upon return to England, students are advised to ensure they follow advice on how to stay safe and help prevent the spread of COVID-19, and not to come onto campus if they feel unwell. More useful information is available on the UCL Coronavirus information pages.

Returning or remaining home during Term 3 if your programme has no face-to-face activity

All home students can continue to complete their studies via blended learning for the remainder of the academic year. This means that if their programme does not require them to attend any face-to-face activities during Term 3, they may return home at the end of Term 2. PGT students must check with their dissertation/project supervisors if remote supervision is possible before making plans to leave London. 

Tier 4/Student Visa holders should read the specific UKVI guidance for visa holders before making any travel plans as they may impact their visa status. 

Important:  ALL assessments are scheduled in UK/British Summer Time (BST). Depending on their home timezone, students may be required to sit assessments at unsociable hours if they choose to return or remain overseas during Term 3. 

For any questions about their education in Term 3, students should visit Your UCL Education 2021-22 or contact their department. For general questions, contact askUCL, our self-help centre and student enquiry system.

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Health care

Connect to Protect

Students should report their status through UCL Connect to Protect tool (requires UCL login) to let UCL know if they have symptoms or a positive COVID-19 test result, and follow the guidance for what to do if you have COVID-19. If they need any support at this time, they can contact UCL via askUCL.

GP support 

GP surgeries may be operating different hours over the spring break period. Students should check with their local surgery if they are unsure. 

UK students returning home for the spring break should remember that they may need to complete a temporary resident form to visit their local GP.

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Other support and services 

Student Psychological and Counselling Services 

Student Psychological and Counselling Services will be closed during the spring break and will open again from the start of Term 3. If a student already has an appointment scheduled with the service during this period, they should attend as scheduled. For more information about the service, please visit the webpage. 

Study Abroad

If you a student currently studying abroad requires emergency assistance, they should contact their travel insurance provider on the emergency number +44 (0)1273 400 850.

Students staying in their placement over all or part of the spring period can contact the Global Student Assistance Programme for advice. The service, which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, provides independent, impartial support and guidance on a wide variety of legal, financial and personal matters. 

askUCL

Staff in the Student Enquiries Centre team will continue to respond to enquiries submitted through askUCL during the spring break. Please note, however, that this will be at reduced capacity, so it may take slightly longer than us receive a reply.

Visit the Student Enquiries Centre webpage for more information about our available services. 

Money matters

For information regarding financial support, visit the UCL Fees and Funding website.

Faith services

The UCL Chaplain and Interfaith Adviser has written a message to students of faith for the Lent period. Members of the Christian faith can find more information on places of worship over the Easter period. 

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