When you arrive

Your induction timetable should tell you everything you need to know about your first day at Herts. This lives in your joining instructions and will include the times, locations, and info about where to go and what to do.

Keep an eye on your emails and Canvas, and your teaching staff may also get in touch.

Don’t forget to collect your free Go Herts hoodie – perfect for keeping warm (or recovering in!) as the weather cools down, and to help you feel part of the Herts community. You’ll need to book a slot to collect your hoodie. Look out for your Go Herts hoodie invitation via email in September.

If you're a new student, don’t forget to pick up your student ID card from either Ask de Havilland or Ask Hutton. You will need a physical student ID card to use on the UNO buses, access buildings and facilities and you should have it on you when you're on campus.

If you are coming back to carry on with your course, then don't forget to bring your student ID card. It's valid for the duration of your programme. If you lose your ID card, you will need to get a replacement card.

Starting uni is daunting, but everyone feels the same way. Everyone is hoping to make friends, so take the leap and strike up a conversation with anyone and everyone – the person next to you in the queue for registration, the barista in Starbucks, your new flatmates.

We have a fantastic community of students and staff from all over the world. With over 24,000 students from 1234 countries, there’s a lot going on! How can you keep track of them? Our social media platforms are the answer!

• Follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Tik Tok
• Follow Hertfordshire Students’ Union
• Join our Facebook groups
• Subscribe to our YouTube
• Read our blogs

To be able to start your programme, whether you are a new or returning student, you must have registered with the University. You must complete Stage 1 registration 40 days before your programme starts. This bit involves setting up or updating your Student Record, uploading your documents and making sure your details including programme information is correct.

Read more about Stage 1 on Ask Herts

For new students, Stage 2 is the final bit where our Student Records and Enrolment team will check your uploaded documents, and if it’s all correct, they will mark you as fully registered. You can check this has happened by logging into StudyNet.

Read more about Stage 2 on Ask Herts

If you are a returning student, here are your instructions for Stage 2

The induction events for your course will give you a chance to meet some of your lecturers and tutors, give you important information about your programme, and is a great opportunity to meet some of your fellow students.

Make sure you don’t miss out of any of them by downloading your induction timetable from your joining instructions portal.

The best way to get to know our campuses is to take a walk around and just explore. You can also do this from the comfort of your own home, by checking out our brand-new virtual tour.

You can also download our wayfinding app so you always know where you are. It’s also quite useful for finding your teaching rooms!

If you’re heading off campus then check out the University’s bus network, Uno, for timetables and routes.

And if you want to drive while you’re here then make sure you check out our information on parking. Student parking on campus is very limited and for permit holders only, but the Park and Ride is a great alternative as it is only a short distance from the College Lane campus with very regular shuttle buses running to both campuses.

With so much happening at the start of term, it is easy to get run down and you may not feel your best. Make sure you register with our on-campus doctors’ surgery so if you do need an appointment you won’t need to go far.

With lots of students coming to campus, it can be easy to pick up illnesses. So, to get the most out of your time at uni, make sure you have had both of your COVID-19 vaccinations.

And if you haven’t had a chance to get your meningitis vaccination before arriving on campus, make sure you book yourself in during your first week or so. Remember to also book your winter flu jab if you’re eligible.

The Welcome Fair, run by our Students' Union, is where you can go and meet members from the huge range of student clubs and societies. So many interests are covered, with all kinds of social, cultural, music, dance, volunteering and political groups that you’re bound to find groups of like-minded new friends.

And if you’re keen to get involved in competitive sports and represent the University, or you’re looking for some physical activity, check out HertsSquad.

And if you want to get some recognition of the activities and groups you get involved with, check out the Go Herts Award. It’s no secret that the job market is getting increasingly competitive, so we’ve partnered with the Students’ Union to offer Go Herts Awards to students who get stuck in with extra-curricular, helping them to graduate with more than a degree.

As a commuting student, we want you to make the most of your time on campus and feel part of the Herts community. We provide social spaces for you to relax in, offer a wide variety of sports clubs and societies you can join, and ensure there are great transport links - so you can join in on campus without worrying about how you'll get home.

Find out more about life on campus as a commuting student.

Find one of our Wi-Fi Warriors around campus or head to the Learning Resource Centres for help accessing our wifi, finding out about your online learning portal – Canvas – and how to access your essential online study resources. See WiFi and wired connections for more information about getting connected. You can also get help getting connected online, or by emailing our Helpdesk or by contacting us by telephone: +44 (0) 1707 284678

Passwords are increasingly easy to compromise. They can often be stolen, guessed, or hacked - you might not even know someone is accessing your account. All Herts students will need to set up multi-factor authentication for their University account.

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds another layer of security to your online accounts by verifying your identity using a second factor and prevents anyone but you from logging in, even if they know your password. The second factor could be a push notification sent to an app on your phone or a code sent by SMS or a phone call.

If you’ve got any questions or problems with the admin side of student life then head to one of our Ask Herts hubs, and the team there will be able to direct you to the right place and get answers to your questions.

If you’re having trouble adjusting to university life and could do with some emotional support then our Student Wellbeing team have a range of resources available to help you out.

There are a whole range of other support services available to you, so you shouldn’t ever feel like you’ve got to deal with a problem or issue alone – we’ve got you!

We pride ourselves on providing a safe and welcoming environment for our students, but if a situation comes up that you feel our 24-hour security team need to step in to help with, you can call them on +44 (0)1707 281010 or extension 1010 if calling internally.

In the event of emergency please call +44 (0)1707 285555 or extension 5555 if calling internally.