The new term is on the horizon, and starting at UCL is a life-changing experience. If you're feeling excited, nervous, or a bit of both, don't worry. We're here to help you start your student life in the best way possible.
What is the Students' Union?
We're here to help you meet new people, discover new things, and experience everything UCL and London has to offer. We're ran by democratically elected students, which ensures that all the work we do is driven by the needs of the student body. As soon as you start at UCL you become a member of the Students’ Union. You’ll get access to all the wonderful things we have to offer, and we hope you make the most of it.
What is Welcome Week?
During Welcome Week, we'll turn the Main Quad on campus in to a welcoming festival with two stages for live music and performance, food stalls, and more.
We'll have a whole range of events running - like trips to London landmarks, speed-friending, pub quizzes and 600 more. These events will help you to connect with other students, learn about UCL, and settle into your new community.
You can meet all of our student groups and try them out with a range of taster sessions.
There will be hundreds of things to get involved with and they're open to everyone, so you can join in with as many or as few as you like.
What else does the Union offer?
Our spaces
Our bars, cafes, shops and gym will be ready to serve you in September. Pizza in the Institute Bar, Pints in the Huntley, Paninis in Gordon’s Cafe, or pull-ups in Bloomsbury Fitness – we’re here for it all, including things that don’t start with ‘p’.
Our cafes, bars, shops, and gym work a little differently to the kind you might be used to. We live by four promises; we put every penny of profit back into your community, we’re always better value than the high-street, we choose planet over profit every time, and we're at the centre of your campus community from start to finish.
Hop on a campus tour over the first few weeks of term, and make sure to take a wander around campus yourself and explore your new surroundings. If you get lost, that's fine - it happens to everyone, and our Welcome Crew will be on hand around campus to put you back on track again. You'll know your way around like the back of your hand before you know it - or at least, you'll know where to get a good pizza for lunch.
Student groups
Student-life wouldn’t be the same without our incredible student-led groups - the clubs, societies and volunteering projects that bring people together to do amazing things.
They’ll be doing everything they can to help you make the most of your time here, and they can’t wait to get this year started. You’ll be able to join groups from Welcome Week onwards and you can get involved with taster events throughout the first few weeks.
Advice Service
There is lots of support available at UCL ready when you need it. Our friendly, professionally trained advisors can help you navigate the different options available. They're experts in housing, money, academic and employment issues. They're also the people to turn to when you just don't know what to do. Book a slot to chat to an advisor.
Volunteering Opportunities
Our volunteering service has hundreds of opportunities for you to develop your skills, meet new people and connect with your local community. Whether you only have an hour or two a month to help out or you want to lead your own volunteering project, we have the perfect opportunity waiting for you – and we’ll be here to support you every step of the way.
