Arriving at Southend

One of the first things you'll need to do to let us know you are coming to Essex is to complete your registration. Registration opens on 8 December and we’ll email you to let you know you can register online with us. Once you're registered, you’ll have access to our online Welcome portal where you can start exploring where you’ll be studying for the next few years and meet your department.

One of the first things you’ll probably want to do when you arrive is get settled into your home.

If restrictions are in place which mean you are required to self-isolate on arrival in the UK, we will supply up to two weeks of accommodation to new students, free-of-charge if you’re contracted to stay in university accommodation on campus. Your self-isolating accommodation will consist of a single bedroom within a cluster flat, where some facilities will be shared with other students in your household. Our accommodation allows you to walk to your lectures with ease and there are also many private accommodation options which are in walking distance of the campus, so you don’t have to use public transport.

First, you need to print off your Arrivals pass (which is available at the end of your e-induction) and have your ID, as you will need this to collect your key. When you arrive in Southend you'll need to collect your keys from University Square reception, which is open 24 hours a day. The earliest date you can move into your accommodation is the date specified on your letter of allocation. General arrival dates are here but if you have requested quarantine accommodation, a different arrival date will be provided.

Check here for more details on where you can collect your key, luggage, parking and moving into your new accommodation.

Get to know your Residents' Assistant

The Resident's Assistants (RAs) are students just like you and are employed by Residence Life to help you settle in, answer any questions you may have and organise fun events to help you meet other people. Every student living in campus accommodation is allocated to a specific RA and every off-campus student will also have the opportunity to contact an RA for support. If you live in University Accommodation, your RA will be emailing you when you arrive to say 'hello' and make sure you feel welcome in your new home.

Find out more about Residence Life services.

All our campus facilities, from eateries to PC labs will be set up to ensure there is the space to distance yourself from others.

Social distancing measures will be clear and easy to understand across our campuses. This will include markings on the ground to ensure queues remain distanced, to screens and dividers in study areas to ensure everyone can keep apart safely.  

Let us help you from A to B and explore the local area: 

• Download our Find Your Way app
• Explore beyond the campus
• Check out the cycling facilities at our Southend Campus
• Bus discounts for Essex students

Your departmental induction is your essential opportunity to learn more about your department and your course, and to talk with key members of staff like your personal tutor. You’ll also have the chance to meet the people you’re going to be studying with.

For those who are unable to join us on campus at the start of term, we’re offering a range of ways for you to engage from virtual classrooms to the use of technologies like Zoom, to keep you in the loop. The majority of departmental induction events will take place online and other essential/compulsory activities will only have on-campus elements when absolutely essential.

Your department will be in touch before you join us with more details and we’ll also be sharing everything on our events pages.

For more information please see your department pages below:

 Faculty of Humanities:

• East 15 Acting School
• Edge Hotel School
• Essex Pathways
• Department of History
• Department of Literature, Film and Theatre Studies
• School of Law
• School of Philosophy and Art History

 Faculty of Science and Health:

• School of Life Sciences
• Department of Mathematical Sciences
• Department of Psychology
• School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering
• School of Health and Social Care
• School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Science

Faculty of Social Sciences

• Department of Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies
• Department of Economics
• Essex Business School
• Department of Government
• Department of Language and Linguistics
• Department of Sociology

For students starting their degree, Welcome Week will be a big part of getting started at Essex. One of the first things you'll need to do to let us know you are coming to Essex is to complete your registration. Registration opens on 8 December and we’ll email you to let you know you can register online with us. Once you're registered, you’ll have access to our online Welcome portal where you can start exploring where you’ll be studying for the next few years and meet your department.

You will be introduced to our online Welcome Portal where you will get to know the Students' Union, how to get started in your studies and the resources available from our student services.

You will also be introduced to your department/school and receive an informative induction from them. Alongside the academic information, we are designing online Welcome activities for you to get stuck into, including useful videos for settling in and ways to help you get to know those on your course with you. There will be information about keeping you safe on campus, learning online and starting/continuing your studies, our values at the university, who to contact for student services and support. Plus, you will be able to access your online departmental induction as a resource all year round for you to refer back to whenever you need.

You will still be able to volunteer and make a positive impact on the local community with our VTeam (Volunteering Team), and we are developing a programme of open air activities which maximise the space on our campuses. We'll keep you updated with our plans!

There will also be a variety of one-off, online programmes delivered throughout the year, such as virtual photography workshops, art workshops, origami workshops, card games, karaoke, virtual celebrations of cultural events - if you can't be on campus, there'll still be plenty of things to do!  

We know keeping fit and taking part in sport keeps both the body and the mind healthy, so we want to ensure you still have the opportunity to get involved. Which is why we have been exploring a number of options for reimagined sport, recreation and green exercise programmes which comply with social distancing. We've put together some free online and socially distanced activities, to welcome you to sport on campus. From tennis to yoga and dance classes to climbing, we've found a way to help keep you active whether your able to join us on campus or not. To find out what we've got planned visit our sports pages.

Our January Fresher's Fair has been redesigned so social distancing measures can take place, whilst also still giving you the chance to meet and join our clubs and societies. If you are starting your degree online, you won't miss out, there will be an online platform so that you can sign up virtually.