Pre-Arrival Guide for Students

Our support staff and lecturers are getting ready to support you every step of the way - to help you make the most of your time at Aston University.

Key dates

Arrivals Weekend: Friday 13 September - Sunday 15 September 2024

Welcome Week: Monday 16 September 2024 - Sunday 22 September 2024

Teaching starts: Monday 23 September 2024

Accommodation

All Campus Accommodation includes:

• Fridges and freezers Ovens and hobs
• Kettles or water boilers
• Microwaves
• Toasters
• Tables and chairs
• Cupboards
• Waste and recycling bins
• A bed and mattress
• Desk and chair
• Wardrobe/storage
• Curtains
• Desk lighting
• Shelving

If your room is ensuite, you will also have

• A shower and/or bath
• Toilet
• Sink
• A mirror

What to Bring

• Crockery and cutlery Saucepans and a frying pan Kitchen utensils such as a cheese grater and a tin opener
• Tea towels, oven gloves and a dish cloth
• Toilet roll
• Toiletries such as shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• A mattress cover, bed linen and pillows
• A laundry basket or bag
• Coat hangers
• Mobile phone charger and laptop charger
• Extension cable
• Umbrella

Find out more

Our experienced and trained team of Residence Advisors live in the halls of residence and are on hand to provide guidance and welfare support to our residents throughout their time in accommodation.

What not to Bring

• Large items or lots of stuff: storage space is limited so don’t bring large TVs, your own furniture or lots of personal belongings
   
• Candles, burners and fairy lights: don’t bring anything that could be a fire hazard, e.g. oil burners, a chip pan or portable heaters
   
• Ashtrays: smoking is not allowed in campus accommodation Unite Students

Unite Students

Unite Students We provide award-winning accommodation on our friendly city centre campus in partnership with Unite Students.

All new undergraduate students who meet our criteria are guaranteed a room in Aston Student Village. Off-campus accommodation is organised through Aston Students’ Union, who will help you find recommended rental spaces across the city.

Enrolment and Arriving on Campus

There are two stages to enrolment:

Stage one:

Online enrolment, which you must complete in My Aston Portal (MAP). You can use your Aston student login details which will be emailed to you.

Stage two:

Face to face enrolment, which you will do with a member of staff at Aston University. You will be able to choose your own face to face enrolment slot, and this option will be available in My Aston Portal (MAP) in early September.

What is needed for enrolment?

• Passport
• Visa documents, if applicable
• Original qualifications documents

Life at Aston

Aston University has a great location in the centre of Birmingham, one of the UK’s most vibrant cities. You’ll have so much to see and do here, experience unrivalled culture, amazing performances, competitive sport, outstanding shopping, delicious dining and much more.

Music and Entertainment

Whatever type of music you like, you’ll find something in one of the many bars, clubs and pubs. Birmingham’s eclectic mix of music venues host live music events. Or, for a night out with a difference, Ghetto Golf combines crazy golf, graffiti, cocktails, street food and DJs.

Open Spaces

Birmingham has 100s of parks and green spaces for you to discover. In addition, the city’s network of canals offer scenic routes for walking, running and cycling, while Edgbaston Reservoir has 2.5km of shoreline for you to explore.

Ultimate Shopping Experience

With over 200 shops across the Bullring and Grand Central, Birmingham is a shopper’s paradise and is home to the world’s biggest Primark! The Mailbox is the ultimate location for designer brands and Selfridges is one of the city’s most distinctive landmarks with luxury designer brands and a global restaurant offering.

Sporting Action

The city has some of the most exciting venues for watching or participating in sport including Arena Birmingham, Resorts World Arena, the Alexander Stadium for athletics and the Edgbaston Stadium for cricket.

Fantastic Food

From Michelin-starred restaurants, the Chinese quarter, street dining, Digbeth Dining Club, farmers’ markets, high street chains to independents, halal, vegetarian and vegan food – Birmingham has it all. The world famous Balti Triangle offers fantastic food from award-winning restaurants to authentic family-run establishments.

We also have some wonderful places to drink in Birmingham, with craft beers, real ales, cocktail bars or good old fashioned pubs. And if you love chocolate, be sure to visit Cadbury World!!

Key Locations on Campus
 

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Students' Union

Aston Students’ Union is at the heart of the student experience and forms the focal point for events and activities. For the second year running, the Students’ Union has achieved an EXCELLENT Green Impact Students’ Union award from the National Union of Students (NUS). Their dedication to leading a sustainable future was supported by the Student Voice to make Aston a more sustainable university for current and future students. More than 130 clubs, teams and societies are organised by the Students’ Union, as well as a whole range of support and advice services run by students for students.
Find out more.

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Library

You’ll find common study spaces on the ground floor, quiet spaces on the first and second floor, an extensive collection of books and journals. You can also loan laptops, and get expert support from our Information Specialists. Our library services are also available online.

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Martin Luther King (MLK) Building

The Chaplaincy offers pastoral and spiritual guidance, prayer, support and friendship to those of all faiths or of none. The team consists of members of different faiths and backgrounds, including Christian, Buddhist, Pagan, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish and Sikh chaplains. Whether you belong to a faith community or not, you are welcome to talk confidentially with a chaplain about any problems or concerns you may have.
Find out more.

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Sir Doug Ellis Woodcock Sports Centre

Our on-campus Sir Doug Ellis Woodcock Sport Centre offers a range of different sport and leisure activities. Sport Aston provides high quality sports facilities all on campus. Find out more information here.



 

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Food and drink on campus

Campus Food and Drink Cafes on campus serve a wide range of hot and cold food, including vegan and vegetarian options, snacks and drinks, plus an on-campus Costa Coffee. The Aston Meal Plan is a prepaid, inclusive dining package that allows students living on campus to eat at Cafe Libro, Eros Cafe and Tierra Food Court, without the need for cash. Also on campus is a Tesco Express, Greggs, Wok and Go and Ryman Stationery.
Find out more.

Support Services

Learning Development Centre (LDC)

The Learning Development Centre brings together services including advice on writing for assignments and research, a maths support centre, programming support and general study skills guidance, covering exam and revision techniques, presentations, working in groups and much more.

Find out more.

Peer Mentoring

We offer mentoring from our current students, from pre-arrival right through your degree programme. Find further information on peer mentoring.

Student Representatives

Student Reps are empowered to represent your academic interests to the University and the Students’ Union. You can volunteer to be a Student Rep from the start of the academic year. Find out more.

Advice and Representation Centre (ARC)

The Students' Union representation centre offers free, confidential advice and representation, independent of the university.

Find out more.

Student Support Services, Main Building

The Hub is a central location which brings together all of Aston University’s key student support services. It offers a friendly and welcoming environment where you can get the help and advice you need. If you’re studying online, it’s easy to access support from The Hub.

You can access a number of services here which will help and support you, such as advice on fees, funding and money management, hardship support or scholarships, general welfare support, immigration or international advice, student engagement, wellbeing, counselling, disability or mental health support.

You can also go to the Hub if you need any type of confirmation letter, for example for a bus or train pass, or to confirm you have officially enrolled.

TV Licence

If you plan on watching television while you are at university, you will need to purchase a TV licence. This will allow you to watch or record live TV, download or watch programmes on BBC iPlayer. Even if you do not watch programmes on a television but use another device (e.g. a laptop or tablet), you will still need to purchase a TV licence. This also applies to any online TV service you use, such as Now TV, Apple TV, YouTube and Amazon Instant Video.

A standard one-year colour TV licence currently costs £159. It can be paid in monthly payments and can be purchased here.

Register to Vote

If you are eligible to vote in the UK please register.

Campus Safety

Campus Safety

Our fully-trained and friendly security staff help to keep our campus safe and secure for you 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In an emergency, Campus Safety can be contacted on 0121 359 2922 or email us. Campus Safety is located in the Main Building, to the right of the main university reception.

SafeZone

SafeZone is a safety and security app designed to keep students and staff safe around campus. The app is available for Android or iOS and enables you to be easily connected with our Campus Safety team to enhance your personal safety, security and wellbeing. 

Download the App.

Report+Support

Aston University wants all members of our University community – students, staff, and visitors to campus – to feel safe. Harassment of any kind is completely unacceptable, and we seek to make our community an environment where prejudice and socially unacceptable behaviours are never tolerated. This webpage is where you can report incidents of harassment or other misconduct that you would like us to know about. If you provide your contact details, a member of staff will make contact to discuss the support available to you and what you would like to happen next.

Find out more.

Get Ahead

We want to ensure that all new students have a smooth transition into university life. Our Get Ahead programme is an engaging learning platform that helps new students orientate to life at Aston University. 

As a new student you will automatically be enrolled on the Get Ahead programme and will receive information on how to access our virtual learning environment ‘Blackboard’ for the first time. The course offers a blend of on-campus and online support to ensure that you are prepared for the change in learning style from school or college to university.

As a new student you will automatically be enrolled on the Get Ahead programme and will receive information on how to access our virtual learning environment ‘Blackboard’ for the first time. The course offers a blend of on-campus and online support to ensure that you are prepared for the change in learning style from school or college to university.

The programme will support you with your academic transition by providing information on:

• How university differs from school or college
• How to make the most of the blended combination of online and on-campus learning
• Understanding your timetable
• Being an independent learner
• Essay writing and referencing in essays
• Time management techniques
• Maths at university
• Finding your voice in class
• Getting the most from working with your personal tutor
• Connecting with others through peer mentoring 
• Looking after your health and wellbeing and student support services
• Finding your way around our city centre campus 
• Find out more to Get Ahead

Other important information

TV Licence

If you plan on watching television while you are at university, you will need to purchase a TV licence. This will allow you to watch or record live TV, download or watch programmes on BBC iPlayer. Even if you do not watch programmes on a television but use another device (e.g. a laptop or tablet), you will still need to purchase a TV licence. This also applies to any online TV service you use, such as Now TV, Apple TV, YouTube and Amazon Instant Video. A standard one-year colour TV licence currently costs £159. It can be paid in monthly payments and can be purchased here.

Register to Vote

If you are eligible to vote in the UK please register.

Proof of Age

You may find when buying age restricted products such as alcohol or tobacco, going to a bar, club or to the cinema, that you are asked to provide proof of your age. Your passport or driving licence can be used for this.

Safety

Birmingham is generally a safe place to live. There are however, a few precautions you should take as you would in most major cities. Do not display any valuables, keep purses  and wallets securely hidden from view and avoid walking down dimly or unlit streets at night. If you can, walk in a group at night time.

If you do need the police or other emergency services, call 999 from any phone (including mobiles). The 999 number is for emergencies only. If you need to speak to the police in a non-emergency situation, you can dial 101 and you will be asked which police force you would like to be connected to (for Birmingham, ask for the West Midlands Police).

Birmingham Clean Air Zone

Birmingham has launched a Clean Air Zone, charging the owners of the most polluting vehicles to drive through the central areas of the city.

This operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Charges are applied daily. A non-compliant vehicle driving in the Zone will pay once for the day, then may drive in the area without limit on that day.

If your vehicle meets certain emission standards you will not  need to pay the daily charge.  

Find out more.