The New to the UK programme is a series of free events specially designed to help international students feel welcome and supported when they first join Royal Holloway.
New to the UK week commencing 8 January 2024
The New to the UK programme takes part before the start of your course. We encourage all international students to attend the event.
Our New to the UK aims to help international students in 3 ways
- Give you important information that will make your transition to studying at Royal Holloway and life in the UK as smooth as possible
- Orientate you with the campus and surrounding area
- Provide opportunities to socialise and meet other students
You will receive a full timetable in January but you can find more information about the events we offer below.
Talks and information sessions
Welcome and visa talk
Come and meet the International Advice Team and learn about the support that they offer to students.
You'll also be able to understand how to
- Register with a Doctor (GP)
- Access wellbeing services at the University
We also provide you with important information about your visa, including
- How to collect your BRP?
- How to complete your in-person course enrolment?
- What your responsibilities as a Student visa holder are?
- What your post-study visa options are?
Money and Working in the UK
Come and learn about how to make the most of your money while studying in the UK including
- Opening a UK bank account
- Getting a national insurance number
- Not paying tax in the UK
- Your working rights as an international student
- Keeping your money safe
- Student discounts and travel offers
- Support if you have money problems
Intercultural communication
Royal Holloway is a multi-cultural environment that has students and staff from over 130 countries across the world. In this session we think about how you can successfully communicate with people from a different culture, how to navigate University services and process and the expectations of the ways you communicate at Royal Holloway.
Events and activities
Bingo night
Bingo is a fun and easy to play game. We usually host this session in our Crosslands restaurant in the heart of the Egham campus where students go to hang out and socialise. A great chance to meet new and current students from all over the world and the UK.
Quiz night
Our Halls Life team run a variety of fun activities throughout the year and they start off with a quiz night. The questions are fun and cover a range of topics. Come and join a team and see if you can win the quiz.
Campus Treasure Hunt
Working as part of a team, you’ll need to solve a variety of clues while walking around our beautiful Egham campus. This is a great way to get to know people, find your way around campus and learn about many of the services the University offers. Will your team be the first to solve all the clues and win the prize?
Egham Hotspots tour
Join us on a guided walk into Egham where we’ll show you where the supermarkets, banks and other important shops and services are located.
Early enrolment
We offer an early in-person enrolment session for students on the New to the UK programme. Beat the queues and get your campus card (Student ID) before everyone else!
Events at our London Graduate School
If you're studying at our campus in central London then you are very welcome to join any of the events above which will all take place on our Egham campus.
However, we will also organise a welcome event for you in central London. The date is to be decided and we will confirm details as soon as possible.
