Your first week at university: what actually happens?

There is a strange moment before university starts when everyone seems to expect you to know what you are doing. You have an email account, a timetable, and possibly three different messages telling you to be in three different places.

 Meanwhile, social media makes it look as though everyone else has already found their friendship group.

They haven't. Your first week at university is mostly about finding your feet: learning where things are, meeting people whose names you will immediately forget, working out how your course runs and realising that nobody expects you to have it all figured out on day one.

If you are starting at UEL in September 2026, Welcome Fest takes place on 21 September, Welcome Week runs from 21 to 25 September, and teaching begins on 28 September. Here is what that week is likely to feel like in real life.

Before you arrive: do the boring bits first

Before your first day of university, make sure you have completed enrolment, set up your UEL account and email, checked your timetable and looked at where you actually need to go.

UEL's enrolment guidance explains what you need to complete before you start. It is worth doing this early rather than trying to reset a password on your phone five minutes before an orientation session.

Also check the Getting Started hub. Your course page, course handbook and orientation information should give you a clearer picture of what is compulsory and what is optional.

Welcome Week is not a week-long party

At UEL, course orientation is mandatory during Welcome Week. That is where you are likely to meet your course team, understand how your modules fit together and find out about the systems you will use during the year. It may not sound as exciting as the social side of Welcome Week, but it is probably the session that will answer most of the questions you have been quietly worrying about.

You do not need to attend every event. Pick a few things that sound genuinely interesting and leave yourself some breathing room. Starting university is tiring in a way people do not always mention: new places, new names, new routines and lots of information all at once.

Your first course session will probably be less scary than you think

A lot of students imagine their first university class as a dramatic jump from school or college. In reality, the first sessions are often about introductions, expectations, module structure and how the course will work.

You may hear words such as lecture, seminar, workshop, tutorial and independent study used as though you have always known exactly what they mean. If you do not, ask. Someone else in the room is probably wondering the same thing.

Once teaching starts on 28 September, your timetable becomes more important. University usually involves fewer hours sitting in a classroom than school, but that does not mean fewer hours of work. The gaps between classes are where reading, assignments, group work and independent study start to fit in.

You will get lost at least once

This is almost a university tradition. You can check a map three times and still end up standing outside the wrong building.

If you are studying at Docklands or Stratford, spend ten minutes before an important session working out the route rather than relying on the building name alone. The UEL campus-life pages are useful for getting familiar with facilities and what is available around campus.

Do not panic if you do not feel 'settled' after seven days

The first week gets talked about as though university life begins fully formed. It does not. You might love it immediately, or you might go home after day two wondering whether you have made a terrible mistake.

Give yourself time. New routines often feel uncomfortable before they feel normal. By the end of the first month, you will probably know which train carriage gets you closest to the exit, where to get lunch between classes and which tutor to email when you are confused. That is what settling in actually looks like.

A few things worth doing in your first week

• Go to your course orientation, even if you think you already understand the course.
• Introduce yourself to at least one person in each class or orientation session.
• Find the places you will use regularly before you urgently need them.
• Check your timetable again after Welcome Week in case anything has changed.
• Log in to your university systems from your own device while help is easy to find.
• Choose one or two social events you genuinely want to attend rather than trying to do everything.
• Ask questions early. It is much easier than pretending you understand something for three weeks.

Frequently asked questions

Do lectures start during Welcome Week?

At UEL, Welcome Week and course orientation run from 21 to 25 September 2026, with teaching starting on 28 September. Your course may still have compulsory orientation sessions during Welcome Week, so check your timetable and course information.

What should I bring on my first day?

Bring your phone, charger, something to take notes with, water and any identification or documents you have been asked to provide. You do not need to arrive with an entire stationery shop in your bag.

What if I do not know anyone?

That is extremely common. Most new students are starting with a much smaller social circle than it appears. Sit beside someone, ask a simple question and give friendships time to develop.

What if I miss something during Welcome Week?

Check your course page and UEL email first, then contact your course team if you have missed a compulsory orientation activity. Do not rely only on what other students tell you happened.