Newsletter sent to new postgraduate students on 4 September

Hello and welcome!  

 We’re excited for the new academic year and are looking forward to welcoming you to campus over the coming weeks.   

We will be with you throughout your time at Leeds, bringing you the latest news and updates, and reminding you of the important things you need to do throughout the year. We’ll share details about activities to help you meet new friends along your journey and tell you more about the resources and support available to help you make the most of your time at Leeds.   

Over the next few weeks, we’ll use this newsletter, our current students Facebook group and Twitter account to help you feel settled and ready for the year ahead. If you’re not already following us on social media, click on the links above and follow us!  

If you do come across something that you think would be useful for your fellow students – whether it’s an article you’ve read or perhaps you’d like to share your experiences of your first few weeks – send it to studentcommunications@leeds.ac.uk and we’ll include it in our next newsletter.  

We look forward to welcoming you to Leeds.   

Best wishes from the Student Communications Team.  


Preparing for Leeds 

We can’t wait to welcome you! We hope you are looking forward to starting something new, meeting new people and all the excitement that comes from exploring new places, cultures and food! We know you may also be feeling a little nervous about moving to a new place. But don’t worry, you'll soon feel at home.   

Once you have your University username and password and you’ve registered as a student, you’ll be able to access our online Prepare for Postgrad guide, designed to help your transition to Masters level study. You’ll also have access to our Getting Started at Leeds resource which will be available to you soon.


International travel and arrival support  

If you’re an international student, download our International Welcome Guide for advice on what to do once you arrive, tips on settling in, opening a bank account, and where to get help. If you have questions about preparing to travel to Leeds, or what to do when you arrive, please email internationalwelcome@leeds.ac.uk  

If you are coming to Leeds from outside the UK you’ll find useful travel and arrival information on our Preparing for Leeds webpages, including how to book our arrival services and how we can support you if you need to self-isolate. Please complete our international arrivals booking form to let us know your travel and arrival plans as soon as possible.   


Chat to current students  

Current student ambassadors from our Link to Leeds team can help you prepare to come to Leeds and settle in. You can chat to them online before you travel and when you arrive. They'll also be running online welcome events and social activities where you can meet other new students.    


Preparing for your first few weeks at Leeds  

Our student website – students.leeds.ac.uk – is designed to help you throughout your student journey. From joining Leeds and registration through to graduation and everything in between, there's lots to find out about while you're studying with us.  

As well as the welcome section for all new students there’s an online international orientation with lots of information to help international students get started, feel at home in Leeds, and make the most of your international experience.   


Completing registration   

One of the first things you’ll need to do as a new postgraduate student is complete registration. Registration is the official process of becoming a student of the University. We’ve got a step by step guide on how to complete registration. This includes details of the documents you’ll need to complete the process and who you can contact if you have any questions.  

If you’re an international postgraduate student, Ttake time to read through the process and understand which documents you’ll need to bring with you when you travel to Leeds as that will help you complete the registration process quickly and easily.   


Asking for help   

From 14 September, we’re introducing a number of student information points on campus where our friendly and knowledgeable team can help answer the questions you may have on any aspect of your student life. This includes answering questions or signposting you to where you can find information about teaching locations, welcome and induction, and Faculty or School information.   

In the meantime, you can contact the team Monday to Friday:  

  • Email the student information helpline: studentinfo@leeds.ac.uk    
  • Call +44 (0)113 343 7000 (from outside of the UK)  
  • Call 0800 915 0402 (from inside the UK. This is free phone number, and you won’t be charged for calling this from your mobile or landline).  

Find contact details of other teams that can help.   


What will life on campus be like?  

Although the COVID-19 pandemic means some things will be different, we’re committed to providing you with the student experience and learning that you expect. Next week, we’ll be sharing three videos with you about what life on campus will be like, including information about the safety measures that will be in place and more details about what learning and teaching will be like this year.  

We’ll tell you more about this in our next newsletter! Until then, take care of yourself and stay safe!   

Best wishes from the Student Communications Team