Commuting students

Travelling by bike, car, bus, train or coach? Find out how best to plan your journey: 

• travelling to campus and finding your way around campus
• travel and transport information

It may be a good idea to allow extra time for travel to take account of traffic, train/bus delays, bad weather and also finding a parking space on campus.

Parking

If you're driving to University, you can park at the Colchester Campus. You'll need to register your car and obtain a permit. Find out more about parking and permits at Colchester Campus or parking in Southend.

Discount travel

• If you’re travelling by train, you could invest in a 16-25 railcard, if you are eligible; this can save you up to 1/3 on rail fares. Also, season tickets are available from National Rail - these usually work out more cost effective than purchasing single journeys.
• If travelling by bus; First Essex offer a special season ticket price for University of Essex students.

• Look at your timetable carefully, see how often you’re required to be on campus and how best to make travel expenses as economical as possible. You may also find it cost effective to stay over in short-stay University accommodation now and then.
• Find out about a range of train and bus travel discounts.
• Council Tax exemption - students living off-campus on a full-time course of at least one academic or calendar year aren't liable for Council Tax.
• UNiDAYS and Student Beans are good ways to find the latest student discounts.
• You can bring your own food and drink onto campus to help save money – investing in a travel mug for hot drinks and a cooler bag may be really useful for helping food and drink stay fresh. Check out our social spaces where you can heat up and eat your food.
• You can use the University gym for a discounted student rate.
• The Essex Food Rewards Upay app gives you access to exclusive rewards, discounts and money off selected food and drink.
• Discounts are available in The Kitchen (on Square 3), for those who bring their own mugs!
• Essex students can benefit from reduced fees at the Wivenhoe Park Day Nursery.
• Find out more about money budgeting and planning while studying.

Places to study

The are a number of locations and types of places you can study on campus.

Food, drink and social spaces

• There are social spaces to chill out and relax between lectures, where you can also access a microwave and eat your own food. Check out your department common room too, they often have a microwave and kettle.
• You can also make use of the Communities Common Room on Square 4.
• Find where to get food and drink on campus.

Gym

You can use the University gym for a discounted student rate, which is a great way to maintain wellbeing, decrease stress and can be fitted between timetable gaps.

Lockers

• Colchester - lockers are available on campus in the Lecture Theatre Building (LTB), more information is available through the Students’ Union.
• Southend - lockers on campus should be booked online. Please visit our Student Lockers Southend page for more information

Showers

• Colchester - showers can be accessed on campus (located in the gym and in rooms 5N.3.4 and 5N.3.5).
• Southend - showers can be accessed in the Gateway Building on the 5th Floor.

Low-cost, short-term accommodation

If you live far from campus and want to avoid long commutes — or simply need a place to stay after a night out — there is short-term accommodation on campus that's flexible, convenient, and affordable.

Wivenhoe Park Day Nursery

Students with children can benefit from discounted rates at our Wivenhoe Park Day Nursery on campus.

Jobs 

Jobs on campus are available and are a great way to earn extra money, gain experience, as well as meet new people. The Students’ Union advertises available vacancies and the University advertises on Essex Career Hub.

Volunteering

• Volunteering opportunities on campus can provide you with valuable work experience as well as the opportunity to meet fellow students.
• The Students' Union vTeam is a great opportunity to meet others, and they run both weekly and one-off projects for students. 

• Try and get into good habits with studying and time management, including how to use pockets of time through the day effectively. This could be through going to a study space during breaks between classes, for example.
• The library on campus is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; perfect for fitting in studying at a time that suits you. You can also join your local public library and make use of the resources and spaces there.
• Due to less time physically on campus, it may be useful to prepare in advance for any meetings with staff members, or for when you’re meeting with a staff member during their academic support hours. Consider what you cannot leave the meeting without knowing; whether it’s guidance for an essay, or how to access a certain support service.

Societies

Students’ Union societies are a great way to meet other students and there is only a small joining fee. Societies are actively encouraged to organise non-alcoholic, daytime events.

Events

There are regular social events on campus organised by both the University and the Students’ Union:

• University events (Colchester)
• University events (Southend)
• Students' Union events (Colchester)
• Students' Union events (Southend)

When attending social events, you could check with the event organiser whether you can bring a non-student friend along for moral support.

Sport 

Sports clubs in Colchester and Southend are also a great place to meet like-minded individuals.

Course rep

Becoming a course rep is a great way to engage with others on your course, as well as staff in your department.

Other ideas

• As a local student, you are likely to know the local area really well, and can help other students settle in and get to know the best places.
• Try and maintain strong social and support networks outside of university too.
• Commuting is a great way to stay close to family and friends, and allow some downtime from campus life; it may feel overwhelming sometimes, so this is important.

• The University also provides wellbeing support if you are experiencing emotional or mental health difficulties; there are also links to external support services.
• If you want to further develop your skills in writing, maths, research, study skills and English language, you can visit Skills for Success for workshops and also individual support.
• If you are a first year student, you will have access to a peer mentor who can offer practical advice and information, and point you in the right direction to services that may be available - If you are not sure who your peer mentor is, email peermentor@essex.ac.uk.

• University is different from college; it can often feel more difficult and stressful whilst you adjust. However, it is important to remember that it is completely normal to feel this way.
• Be aware of your deadlines in advance, and don’t be afraid to ask friends and family for additional support. This could even be just a home-cooked meal, or practical help with jobs that normally take up time, such as washing/ironing etc.
• The correct study space is vital. Find a quiet and comfortable place to study at home without interruptions – considering appropriate lighting, sound levels (e.g. not where people watch TV loudly in a nearby room), as well as a suitable desk and computer set-up to avoid eye and muscle strain.
• Make sure you take regular breaks – if you are struggling to get started on a task, it may be useful looking into the Pomodoro technique, which can help. This involves setting a timer for 25 minutes, taking a break for 5 minutes, then returning to work four times in this manner. A longer break is taken (between 15-30 minutes) after four “Pomodoros” have been completed.
• Despite living at home, you can still acquire skills you would learn living away at University, if you don’t know these already. This could include cooking, household chores such as rubbish/recycling etc.

• The University has a free wifi network known as Eduroam; you can connect as soon as you get to campus with your Essex email address and password. The wi-fi how to guides can help you connect if you’re unsure.
• You can get Microsoft Office 365 software free of charge as a University of Essex student.
• The library in Colchester offers free laptop loans for up to 3 hours, which can help reduce the need to bring your laptop onto campus. This facility is also available in Southend and Loughton.
• You can also access your personalised timetable for the academic year online.