Support when you become an undergraduate student

School induction

When you start your new course, make sure you attend your school induction for important information about your new school and the support they offer. Your school will email you details of your induction during the summer.

Try to attend all of the events available and go to the induction week as that is the best way to assimilate into your new school.

Key contacts in schools

Take some time to establish yourself in your new school and build relationships with key staff who can support you, including school support staff, your lecturers and your academic personal tutor.

You will be given the details of key contacts during your school induction but you can find an initial list of helpful contacts on the contact your school page.

You can also find the contact details for the programme manager of your new course and modules on the module and programme catalogue. Your programme manager can answer questions about your new course.

Student Engagement Support Callers

As recent graduates of the University of Leeds, Student Engagement Support Callers work within schools to support your engagement with your course and the University as a whole.

They can give you information about the support within your new school, university-wide support resources, and connect you with services and staff members. 

Email the Student Engagement Support Callers at engagementcallers@leeds.ac.uk.

Your relationship with your academic personal tutor is very important.

When you become an undergraduate student, you’ll be assigned a new tutor who will be an academic staff member in your new school. 

Your new school will tell you who your new academic personal tutor is during the first few weeks of term.

In the same way as during your foundation year, your tutor will work with you to maximise your success and make sure you feel you belong at Leeds.

We recommend using your first meeting with them to share a bit about yourself and your journey through the University so far. You could share some of your successes from your foundation year and any areas you’d like to develop over the coming year.

My biggest help had to be my academic tutors, both from the LLC and Leeds University Business School (LUBS).

If you studied a foundation year taught by the LLC, you can still access the LLC’s support, even once you progress into your new school. You can also continue to access the LLC’s support if you are a mature student.

Here’s a reminder of some of the ways the LLC can help you:

• Academic skills support: the LLC Academic Skills team can provide guidance tailored to your needs, whether you need help with academic writing, critical thinking, or time management.
• Admin support and guidance: we can help with navigating university policies and handling administrative tasks.
• Social and study spaces: use our social and study spaces if you need a quiet place to study or a spot to connect with peers. These spaces are open over the summer and are a great space to use for preparing for the next academic year.
• Impartial advice and guidance: if you have questions or concerns, our impartial advisors will provide guidance and support.
• Financial information and guidance: managing your finances can be daunting. Our guidance can help you navigate financial matters confidently.
• Careers support: we provide resources and support to help you plan your future career, explore career options and develop your skills.
• Support with disabilities, mental health, long-term medical conditions, and Specific Learning Differences (SpLD): our SpLD specialist can help answer questions about whether you should take an assessment or what to do if you already have one.

If you have any questions:

• email the LLC at lifelonglearning@leeds.ac.uk
• phone the LLC on +44(0)113 343 3212
• or visit us at Level 11, Marjorie and Arnold Ziff Building, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

If you were a member of the Plus Programme during your foundation year, you’ll still be a member as an undergraduate student – you don’t need to re-register with the Plus Programme.

Read the Plus Programme pages for a reminder of the support you’ll get during your undergraduate course and beyond. If you have any questions, email the Plus Programme team at theplusprogramme@leeds.ac.uk.

They are extremely helpful and can provide you with different forms of support such as careers and financial advice.

Whether you already have disability support in place or you’re not sure you’re eligible, it’s important that you access the support you deserve throughout your time at university.

Find information on eligibility, setting up support, Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) funding and more on the support for disabled students pages. The friendly Disability Services team will happily talk through any questions you have.

Each school has their own disability contact, who is usually also your student support officer. They will help you navigate your support and adjustments along with Disability Services and your school and ensure they’re put in place. Find their contact details on the disability contacts in schools page.

Please contact your new school if you have any concerns and use your first meeting with your new academic personal tutor to discuss your individual support needs.

If you received support for a disability or medical condition during your foundation year, your foundation year school will make sure the disability contact in your new school receives your support summary.

Skills@Library can help you develop your skills, including academic writing, note-taking, referencing and time management skills. They can support you in a way that suits your learning, including one-to-one sessions, workshops and online resources.

The skills development pages also have ideas on how you can develop your academic, digital, sustainability and work-ready skills throughout your time at Leeds.

If you studied your foundation year with the Lifelong Learning Centre, you can still access support from the LLC Academic Skills team during your undergraduate course.

Experts from the Careers Service and student peer support assistants can help you with everything from career planning and writing CVs to finding jobs and getting work experience.

If you’re on the Plus Programme, you can also get one-to-one careers and employability support from Employability and Progression Assistants.

The fees and funding pages have information on how to pay your fees and the funding and grants you may be entitled to as a student at Leeds.

If you’re a member of the Plus Programme, you may also be able to access funding for personal and professional development through the programme.

LUU Advice offers free, confidential, and independent advice. Discuss anything from housing and exams to budgeting and relationships with their trained advisors. You can drop by their welcome desk or call or email them.

LUU are also here to help you get the most out of your time at Leeds and make new friends. Check out LUU’s events and clubs and societies.

If you’re a Plus Programme member, you may be able to access the LUU Clubs and Societies Fund and LUU Associated Costs Fund to help you take part in LUU clubs and societies.

Joining societies is the best thing you can do! Having a group of people that are supportive is so vital when your course gets difficult.

Your peers from the foundation year can be valuable sources of support as you transition into your undergraduate course so we recommend staying connected with them.

We also recommend engaging with students in your new school and across the University to broaden your support system.

Here are some ways you can get support from other students and make new connections:

• Attend Welcome Week and your school induction events. Contact your school if you’re not sure when these are going to be held.
• Explore peer support opportunities such as peer mentoring and the University’s Buddy Scheme. They can help you meet new people and get support from other students. Ask your school about school-specific schemes.
• Become a course representative to network, chat with and represent students on your course.
• Explore LUU’s events and clubs and societies.
• Get involved with Get Out Get Active and meet other students in the great outdoors through regular trips and volunteering opportunities. They also run indoor climbing and running sessions every week on campus. Subscribe to their monthly newsletter for the latest updates.
• If you identify as a younger mature student, you can join the Middle Ground Network. If you feel a little older than your 18–20-year-old peers, but don’t feel you relate to, or identify, as a mature student, then this network could be for you. 
• Discover lots of other ways to meet others and get involved at Leeds.

Someone from a year above was assigned to me as part of the Buddy Scheme and I’m now friends with them – it’s amazing.

If you ever need help during your time at Leeds, ask the Student Information Service (SIS). If they don’t have the answer, they’ll connect you to the people who do.

You can call, email or speak to the SIS in-person for support and guidance.

Discover all the support and guidance available to you as a Leeds student, including health and wellbeing support.