Welcome Week

A group of students chatting in Marconi building

Welcome Week gives you a taste of student life at ARU. You’ll receive essential information about your university course, meet staff in your faculty and get the chance to spend time with your course mates and make new friends.

If you're starting your course in May 2025, your Course Induction and Welcome will take place between 12-16 May.

Looking for information about Writtle College induction events? See our page on Induction Week.



Your induction will take place online and in person, so you’ll receive all of the information you need to get started including:

  • School and Course introduction. You'll meet other students and your Course Director
  • meeting with staff in your Faculty and having the Personal Development Tutor system explained to you
  • meet your Welcome Buddy. Your buddy is here to support you as a new student at ARU. Find out more about Welcome Buddies.
  • join a ‘Student Life’ session where you’ll have the opportunity to ask current students questions, learn from their experiences, and find out where to go for help throughout your time at ARU
  • introduction from the ARU Students’ Union about student-led clubs and societies, as well as other opportunities and experiences outside your course.

There will be activities on campus throughout January, including our Welcome Fairs, so come on to campus and join in if you can. Look at the ARU App and Students’ Union website to find out what’s on when you arrive. Download the app now from the App Store (Apple) or Play Store (Android).

Take a look at the course induction section below to find out when your first day on campus will be.

Chelmsford: iCentre, Ground Floor Queens Building – 8.30am-4.30pm

Cambridge: Ground Floor, Lord Ashcroft Building – 8.30am-4.30pm

Peterborough: Ground floor, University House – 8.30am-4.30pm

Complete the e:Vision registration task, including adding a photo, then come to our registration hub on campus during welcome week to collect your card.

When you collect your ID card, we also need to scan your personal identification documents. Please ensure you bring one of the following:

  • a passport
  • European Union residency card
  • driving licence
  • birth certificate
  • a valid visa (if applicable).

If you were not born in the UK you should ensure that you bring with you either your British Passport, UK Visa or be ready to provide a Sharecode to evidence your permission to study in the UK. This is a government requirement and we thank you in advance for your assistance with this.

If for any reason you didn’t manage to upload a photo during your e:Vision registration, you can do this now on the the Student ID Card photo upload page.

If you're studying at ARU London, or a partner institution, you'll be contacted directly with information regarding Student ID Cards.

Maintenance loans (SLC)

If you have a maintenance loan agreed by the Student Loans Company (SLC), we will confirm your loan when you collect your Student ID Card and complete the Right to Study checks. You should receive your first loan instalment within five working days after confirmation, but not before your scheduled SLC payment date.

If you have any questions about your SLC, please contact us at [email protected]

If you need to apply for funding, do so as soon as possible.

If you have any questions about registration, please contact us at [email protected]

Staff will be there to help you through the process on campus.

Once you’ve completed your registration task, you’ll be able to access a module designed to help you transition into studying at university called ‘Into ARU’. The module will guide you through our values, teach you about the support that’s on offer and show you the different resources you can access outside of your studies which can help develop the skills you need to graduate successfully and achieve your career ambition.

If you’re an international student, you’ll need to have come to campus to complete your registration and your Right to Study check before you can start work on this module. Don’t worry, you’ll still have plenty of time to complete it.

The module is designed to help you make the most out of your studies and to welcome you into ARU.

Your course induction takes place during the first week of teaching, from Monday 12 May.

It's important you attend as you'll learn about your timetable, course materials and assessments, collect your ID card, meet your classmates and course tutors, and meet the teams who are dedicated to supporting you throughout your studies.

You can find the full programme on your teaching timetable, which will be available on e:Vision and the ARU App, five working days after you've registered.

You're expected to attend all the events included in your Course Induction Programme, but if you can't make it don't worry.

Collect your Student ID Card

Please collect your ID card from the iCentre in Cambridge and Chelmsford, the Student Support Desk in Peterborough, and the Student and Library Helpdesk in Writtle.

The UK Government requires us to make sure you are eligible to study in the UK (often referred to as a right to study check). When you come to the Registration Hub to collect your ARU Student ID card, you will need to bring a form of identification with you. If you’re an international student, you’ll need to bring a passport and visa.

Contact your faculty

Your faculty will be able to assist you with accessing and understanding your timetable, will notify relevant staff members of your arrival and answer any questions you may have about joining your studies late.

Please contact your faculty using the relevant email address below:

ARU Peterborough: [email protected] 
Faculty of Business and Law: [email protected]
Faculty of Health, Medicine and Social Care: [email protected]
Faculty of Arts, Humanities, Education and Social Science: [email protected]

Faculty of Science and Engineering:

Catch up on your induction

Your main induction sessions were recorded and are hosted on Canvas so you can catch up on all the key information that you missed. These sessions are relevant whether you are studying on campus or online only. If you get stuck or have any questions, please contact your faculty.

Get in touch with your Welcome Buddy

If you’re an undergraduate student, make sure you respond to your Welcome Buddy (a current student matched with you for your first trimester to help you settle into university life). Check your ARU email account for an email from the Welcome Buddy team with a link to your chat space. For students in Writtle, the Welcome Buddy scheme will start in September 2025.

If you have any questions, please contact: [email protected]

Before your course begins, it’s useful to familiarise yourself with what studying at ARU looks like.

On our starting your course page, you'll find useful information about how to access your timetable, the different systems that you’ll be using to support your studies, and some of the services that are available to help you improve your academic skills.