Supporting new students

Student studying in library

Parents, carers, social workers, family members and anyone else supporting a new Surrey student can feel confident that that University is here to support every one of our students throughout their entire journey.

On this page you can find information about our services available but also what you can do to support one of our students.

How to support a student settling in

Settling in at university can be an exciting and challenging process. Some students feel settled immediately, whilst others may take longer.

Here are some easy tips that you can follow to help a student find their way in those early days and weeks at university:

  • Phone calls at intervals that suit both you and the student can be very supportive
  • If the student is commuting and living at home you can facilitate their independence by reminding them of the extracurricular activities at the University and the study spaces available onsite, that they can use for their academic work. The Students’ Union also has a great commuting students society with events and meet ups throughout the year
  • If they have queries about their course guide them to speak to their personal tutor, programme lead or Academic Hive for further information and support.

Welcome events will be taking place throughout the early week of the academic year so that your student has the opportunity to meet and connect with others and explore everything the University has to offer. The Students’ Union, in collaboration with the University, will be hosting welcome talks and our Freshers’ Angels will be around to greet new students on moving-in weekend. 

Student support and queries

Student advice

MySurrey Hive is the central hub where students can access support, and they will often be assisted in reaching out to other support teams. These include Accommodation, Finance, Careers and Employability, Transport, Visa Enquiries and the Student Success team. It also provides a meeting and study space for students.

Pastoral support, health and wellbeing

We understand that wellbeing and academic success of students is intertwined and the support we offer reflects this. The Centre for Wellbeing serves all students, with counselling and professional wellbeing advice. A duty worker is available daily from 9am to 4pm for urgent concerns and we have a large range of self-help and guidance material on our MySurrey website.

Academic advice and guidance

Student success team

The Student Success team offer ongoing one-to-one pastoral support and guidance for all students who may be experiencing issues affecting their student experience. The team also have a particular focus in supporting student from the following backgrounds for example; care leavers, estranged students, young adult carers, refugees and mature learners as well as BME students, Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showman and Boater students, students from lower-income families, students from military families and international students. Email: studentsuccess@surrey.ac.uk.

Students' Union

Our SU can provide independent advice on academic issues, including appeals and applying for extenuating circumstances, alongside providing information about activities, events and student representation. Email: ussu.information@surrey.ac.uk.

Peer support

Peer supporters are Surrey students who can help with all sorts of questions students may have on arrival. They are familiar with all the professional services available to students too, so can point them in the right direction. View our peer support page on MySurrey for more information.

Residential Life

Our Residential Life team are here to help students make the most out of their time in University accommodation. They are available to help our students navigate any challenges that they may come across, including getting used to living in University accommodation and dealing with issues with room or flatmates. They will also be organising opportunities to help residents build a community and enjoy their time in halls.

Emergency support

If you have immediate and urgent concerns for a student you can call Campus Safety 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This includes all weekends, bank holidays and during university closures.

Campus Safety team website

How we use data: getting in touch with the University

As our students are adults, we will always communicate with them directly about anything relating to themselves or their programme of study.

If you do need to share information regarding a student, we will need written consent to share from the student’s university email address.

The student must also outline specifically what information can be shared and whether this is a temporary or permanent sharing agreement. If a safety concern is raised, we will always follow this up even if the information cannot be shared for data privacy reasons.