Joining the University

Discover everything you need to know about joining the University in this detailed guide to arriving and starting your course.

Before you get here

Pack your ID

You'll need a valid passport (mandatory for non-EU students), EU identity card, UK driving licence or UK birth certificate. You won't be able to start your course without one of these.

Complete your registration

Before you begin your course, you need to register.

If you're starting your studies in October 2020, you can register from mid-August 2020. We'll send you instructions by email when registration opens.

Step 1: Get your student account details

You'll be sent your student account details by email. Your student ID will look something like this: 123456.

Your student account will give you access to your student Gmail, MyPort (our student information hub) and other essential IT services. Remember to check your University email regularly for updates.

Step 2: Apply for your student card

Make sure you apply for your student card to ensure you can access University buildings and services when you arrive. When you apply for your student card, you’ll need to upload a passport size photo of yourself, clearly showing your face, with no one else in the picture.

Step 3: Register for your course

Please log in to your student portal to complete the online registration form.

Completing the registration form gives you access to the University's services and facilities.

When you've completed registration, check your student Gmail for confirmation that you've successfully submitted the registration form. You can login to Gmail via MyPort.

Step 4: Submit personal identification (ID) and course entry qualification check

If you didn't submit your ID and course entry qualification check when applying to the University, please upload copies of your ID and relevant qualification documentation to your Applicant View. If you're unsure which qualifications are required, you can can contact the admissions team directly through the Applicant View.

ID checks take place remotely via email. You'll be advised what documents you need to send and where to send them to in your registration email.

Learning at work students

Please email scanned copies of your relevant documentation to learningatwork@port.ac.uk. If you are unsure which qualifications are required, please email learningatwork@port.ac.uk for clarification.

Late arrival

If you can't make it to Portsmouth for the start of term on 5 October, please let us know.

We allow late registrations, up to a certain point, on an exceptional basis.

Get your funding sorted

Our fees and funding pages have loads of useful information for undergraduates and postgraduates. You can also go directly to your national funding body website:

• Student Finance England
• Student Finance Wales
• Student Awards Agency Scotland
• Student Finance Northern Ireland

If you’re not sure what to do, you can reach out to our experts in the Student Finance Centre. Drop them an email via studentfinance@port.ac.uk, send a message via social media or give them a ring. The team will give you details on what you might be entitled to, how to apply for funding, how to pay your fees and what to do if you’ve left it late.

It's also important to double-check the information you have given to your student funding body. Make sure that details like the course name, university and course length are correct. Any incorrect information here may cause issues with you receiving your funding.

Find your new home

If you've applied for accommodation already, our Student Housing team will contact you. All you'll need to do before you leave home is work out where your new place is based.

If you haven't sorted out where you'll be living, contact student.housing@port.ac.uk right away. They're on hand to help.

Bring your papers

You'll need your confirmation letter and the letter we sent telling you where to go on your first day. If you're a UK student, you'll receive your Welcome Pack by email, so make sure to download it so you have all the useful info to hand.

If you're an international or EU student, bring your offer letter with you and any other important documents. To check what you need to pack, see our preparing to travel pages. For advice on everything from getting a visa to opening a bank account, see our international student help pages.

If we've asked you to give us proof of your qualifications, find and pack those too.

Have your jabs

Make sure you’ve had your injections for mumps and meningitis before you get here – it's important.

The best protection against mumps and measles is to have 2 doses of the MMR vaccination. The MenACWY vaccine protects against meningitis and septicaemia (blood poisoning), which can both be fatal.

Think about money

Financial independence is great, but it's a big responsibility too. We recommend bringing enough money with you for your first two weeks, just in case your maintenance loan is delayed.

Use our average weekly outgoings information to work out a budget. Also identify anything else you’ll need to spend your money on in your first few weeks, so you don't overspend. At least not by too much, anyway.

Follow our welcome ambassadors

Welcome ambassadors are current students, who share their own experiences of starting uni and put you in touch with other new students who share your interests.

Follow our welcome ambassadors on Facebook and Instagram.

Check your course induction information

You must attend your induction programme. Find your way around during induction week using the campus map.

You'll get your timetable during induction week.

Prepare for university learning

The way you learn at university will likely be different from what you're used to at school or college. Use our study skills guides to help you prepare for university learning.

It includes advice on lectures, seminars and techniques for effective independent study, and gets you to think about your digital presence and the importance of digital learning.

You can also find out about the academic and personal support your personal tutor gives you to help you make a smooth transition into uni life.

After you've arrived

Check your maintenance loan

Once you've registered for your course and we've checked your ID, you should get the first instalment of your maintenance loan in your bank account within 3 working days. If it doesn't arrive by then, contact your national funding body to see what the hold up is. You can also contact or drop into the Student Finance Centre and we'll be able to help you.

Tuition fees

If you have an undergraduate tuition fee loan, you don't need to do anything – it will be paid directly to us.

If you or a sponsor are paying your tuition fees, we'll send an invoice with details of how to pay – this includes Postgraduate students.

Register with a GP and dentist

Registering is simple – all you need to do is find a doctor's surgery and dentist near where you're living in the city, and pop in or call them to ask them about registering.

Explore MyPort

MyPort is a website and team of student service advisors who can answer your questions about travel, money, living in Portsmouth – or anything else.

The MyPort website has everything you need to know while you settle into university life.

If you want to speak to someone in person, you can visit the MyPort Information Hub on the ground floor of the Nuffield Centre opposite the Students' Union or call them on 023 9284 4444. They're available Monday–Thursday 8:30am–5pm and Friday 8:30am–4pm.

Discover the Students' Union

One of your first visits to the Students' Union will be the Freshers' Fayre, where you can join any clubs or societies you like. The Union will also become an important part of your university life for many other reasons too. It's where you can get your TOTUM card and where a lot of fun things will happen, of course. But it's also a place where you can get important advice and support.

Play, Train, or Compete and get active

Join over 6,000 like-minded students who stay active with our Sport and Recreation department. With unbeatable student gym memberships from £9 a month and over 26 sports clubs to join and make friends for life.

With our memberships you can:

• Play and get involved in social sport with a focus on fun
• Train and develop your health, fitness and sport-specific skills
• Compete with yourself and smash your PB
• Compete and represent the University of Portsmouth in our BUCS competitions

Engage with your studies

Research has shown that if you engage with your learning and take part in timetabled teaching sessions you'll get better grades and feel more like you ‘belong’ at uni.

To help you do this, we monitor your attendance when you:

• swipe your Student Card at card readers placed outside, or in, teaching rooms for face-to-face sessions
• log in and access modules and learning materials on Moodle for virtual learning

Any questions?

If there's anything else you'd like to know before you start with us, email myport@port.ac.uk.