News & Announcements

Welcome to UCA! Student Update for new students

Welcome to UCA! We hope you’re excited to start your creative journey with us.

All the information you need to help you get settled in is available on our Welcome webpages.

You may also wish to take some time to explore our Student Portal. These pages include more detail on how we can support you. From academic support to career advice, wellbeing and disability support to financial assistance, our teams are here to help you get the most out of your UCA experience. 

Remember to keep an eye on myUCA and your student emails. This is how your tutors will communicate with you and how we share important University notices. Within myUCA, you will find course documentation, learning materials and resources provided in your dedicated online course area. In addition, each unit of study has a separate module area in which teams provide teaching materials, reading lists, references, and assignment submission links. 

You can access all the above too via our new UCA Student App. Our app brings together access to some of our key systems, including Outlook, myUCA and SmartHub. You will also be able to use the app to easily find out what events are happening on your campus and will also get key university notifications pushed straight to your phone.  

To download the app, go to:  

Finally, look out for your regular Student Update emails from next week. These contain essential information regarding life at UCA as well as exciting news and creative opportunities that you won’t want to miss. 

Looking after your health at university

Don’t forget to register with a GP near your term-time address.  

It means you’ll have access to healthcare when you need it — from check-ups and prescriptions to unexpected illness. It is also important to register with a local GP if you require ongoing medical care.

Book your MenB vaccine at your local community pharmacy 

Vaccination is the best protection against becoming seriously unwell with bacterial meningitis (MenB). 

A one-off, time limited MenB vaccine offer is available for a select cohort of young adults to protect them against the MenB disease. If eligible, and you have missed getting a MenB vaccine before starting university, you can still get your first dose before 31 December with second doses available until 31 March 2027 at participating community pharmacies. Two doses are required for maximum protection. 

The cohorts eligible for vaccinations are: 

  • Born between 01/09/2007 and 31/08/2008 (Y13 academic year 2025/26)
  • Young adults born on or after 21/07/2001 and starting university for the first time this autumn 2026
  • Young adults born on or after 21/07/2001 and starting some residential further education for the first time as a residential student
  • International students studying in the UK who fall into the eligible cohorts above are asked to get fully vaccinated in their home country before travelling to the UK - if you have already travelled to the UK and have not been vaccinated, you can receive the vaccine at community pharmacies in the UK. 

The cohort does not include: 

  • Those who attend university or residential college in other year groups, such as second or third year
  • Postgraduate students
  • Those starting further education colleges and not studying as a residential student. 

Supporting your wellbeing  

We appreciate it can feel overwhelming starting university. Our Campus Life teams are here to support you. If you need to talk to someone out of hours, 24/7 in the moment, confidential support is available for anything big or small too at uca.spectrum.life - use the code UCAWell to register.  

If you need a quiet moment to decompress during your day on campus, each School has a designated quiet room, which can also be used for prayer and reflection. Please be respectful of other people using these spaces. 

  • Canterbury: 13 
  • Epsom: Room 124 (plus a sensory room in the Campus Life Hub) 
  • Farnham: G160c 

You will also need to complete a myUCA Safer Universities e-learning module by 16 October, which is a short online module designed to help you understand your role in creating a positive, respectful and inclusive environment for everyone at UCA. See your online enrolment task for more details.