Before you arrive checklists
These checklists are to help you to orientate yourself to the University and its various services and facilities. We hope you find it useful and that it helps you to feel at home here.
The information included covers the key things that we feel you should find out about to help you to succeed during your time at the University of Northampton. There may be other things that you also do, and you may not get through everything on the list, but we hope that it helps to direct you to the key areas in your first few days and weeks here. We’ve provided key pages of the University website to assist you further.
We wish you all the best for the start of your course and your university studies.
Our Before you Start checklist contains all the things which you may need to do prior to commencing your studies at the University.
Note: Some of the below might not apply depending on your student status and programme.
- Read all your correspondence that we, or your partner college have sent you
- Please make sure you have accepted your offer via the application portal or UCAS. Important additional communication regarding your programme will be sent to you after the acceptance of your offer.
- Meet the conditions of your offer and return any forms / information including:
- Get ready for Enrolment (once you have received your email invites) including:
- Complete Online Enrolment
- Check the start date of your programme
- Read through your programme’s Welcome Pack / Induction
- Book a face to face Enrolment if booking is required (see our Welcome and Arrival page for more details); we recommend picking a date closest to your Induction or start date.
- Attend your face to face Enrolment session to complete your enrolment and collect your Student ID card.
- View our halls information
- Complete an online application.
- Contact ASSIST if you have any additional needs including if you will need assistance during arrival relating to:
- disability,
- medical condition,
- autism,
- specific learning differences (like dyslexia)
- a mental health difficulty
- Check that your University or College Payment Advice has the correct university and programme.
- If this is not correct, then contact Student Finance England (or your local funding authority) immediately.
- If you are paying your own fees (rather than a tuition fee loan) you will need to make payment:
- Set up your University Account
- (once you have received your email invite).
- Contact admissions if your personal information or circumstances have changed since you confirmed your place at the University of Northampton.
- Read the University Rule, Regulations and Student Partnership Agreement.
- Find out more about keeping yourself safe at university with our Student Survival Guide (PDF, 2MB).
- Get ready for life at University.
- Set up your online University account (Staff will help you to complete this)
- Get your ID card – (This will be given to you at enrolment)
- Install the MyNorthampton app
- Discover your University email account details
- Login to your Office 365 account, using your University email details. (You have 1TB of cloud storage (to securely store your files) and an Office 365 licence)).
- Login to NILE and access your programme and module courses
- Set up Multi Factor Authentication on your University account
- Discover the library stock, library helpdesk (Learning Hub) and library website
- Access your personalised online timetable
- Meet your Programme Leader
- Visit the SU and decide which clubs/societies you might like to join
- Complete your Welcome and Induction Week programme
- Meet other students on your course –
- Provide any outstanding documents to admissions
- Check out the Stepping into University Guide
- Apply for a temporary job at your Students’ Union outlets. Email SU.HR@northampton.ac.uk (SU is a Living Wage Accredited Employer offering £10.90 per hour for temporary roles)
- Understand what you need to do to undertake your first assignment
- Find out about Student Futures
- Visit the the Student Futures team on the ground floor of the Learning Hub, next to LH017
- Understand the University’s main regulations and student policies, as set out in the Student Handbook e.g. Mitigating Circumstances, Academic Integrity, Visa compliance checks
- Explore support resources for your academic studies in the Skills Hub
- Explore library e-resources using NELSON
- Continue to join the SU clubs/societies that suit your interests
- Meet your Personal Academic Tutor
- Apply for a temporary job through Unitemps
- Find and talk to Student Support Services when you need to e.g. ASSIST, Counselling and Mental Health, Financial Guidance, Student Support & Advice and International Student Support – Student Services
- Get involved in or attend halls activities or events if you’re living in halls
- Complete an assignment
- Contact your programme and Faculty student rep to give feedback on your experiences
- Ensure you are on track with your Employability Award
- Provide some feedback to your module leaders on the modules you are studying