Arriving at Colchester

We know you’ll be eager to get setup, ready to begin your time at Essex. The first step in this process will be to setup your Essex IT account, which unlocks your access to key systems, such as our Online Pre-Registration portal and your University email account. You’ll receive an email to your personal email address once your Essex IT account is ready to collect.

Once you’ve completed your Essex IT account setup, you’ll need to complete Online Pre-Registration, where we’ll ask you to provide a photo for your University ID card (known as a Registration Card), as well details on where you’ll be staying during term time and emergency contact details. These are all essential in enabling us to get your Student Record setup, so we recommend you complete these as soon as possible after Online Pre-Registration opens (this will be at the start of September 2024, if you’re joining us in October 2024).

Once you've completed this step, 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.

As a new student, once you have completed Online Pre-Registration you’ll also need to attend an In-Person Registration Appointment on campus. This will include completing a Right to Study check, registering you as a student and issuing your Student Registration Card. The appointments will take place at specific Registration Hubs located on each of our Campuses and appointments will usually be managed by a booking system that you will be given access to once you have completed Online Pre-Registration.

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

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, take your Arrivals pass to one of our key collection offices.

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.

See more information about where you can collect your key, luggage, parking and moving into your new accommodation.

Get to know your Residents' Assistant

Your Resident's Assistant (RA) is here to help you feel welcome and make sure you have a positive experience of living and learning at Essex.

Register with a doctor

As a student studying on a course for more than six months, you're required to register with a local doctor throughout your period of study if you live on campus or in the local surrounding area.

Register as soon as possible after you arrive, in case you should suddenly need medical treatment.

We’re extremely lucky our Colchester Campus is based in a 200 acre award-winning parkland which provide an excellent outdoor escape where you can meet people, get some exercise or have a picnic.

Get to know your new home and the local area:

• Discover Wivenhoe Park
• Explore beyond the campus
• Check out the cycling facilities at our Colchester 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.

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

Information may be shared with you by email or Moodle (our virtual learning platform that can be accessed once you have set up your Essex email account).

For more information please see your department pages below:

 Faculty of Arts and Humanities:

• East 15 Acting School
• Edge Hotel School
• Essex Pathways
• Department of Literature, Film and Theatre Studies
• Essex Law School
• School of Philosophical, Historical, and Interdisciplinary Studies

 Faculty of Science and Health:

• School of Life Sciences
• School of Mathematics, Statistics and Actuarial Science
• 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 and Criminology

For students starting their degree, your first few weeks 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. 

Don't worry, 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 programme where you can start exploring where you’ll be studying for the next few years and meet your department.

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.

Once you arrive on campus, please book an appointment to complete your right to study check and collect your student ID card as soon as possible. You will need to bring your documents with you to complete this process.

Keeping fit and taking part in sport keeps both the body and the mind healthy.

From tennis to yoga and dance classes to climbing, there will be plenty of opportunities for you to get involved in sport, recreation and green exercise programmes. To find out what's on offer, visit our Sport pages.

You will 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 exciting activities which maximise the space on our campuses. 

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.

At Essex, we have your student nightlife completely sorted. Grab some food in the SU Bar, play darts in Top Bar, catch a film at Cine10 or party up in our very state of the art on-campus nightclub, Sub Zero.