Supporting you

Everyone is looking to make friends at university, especially during the first few weeks, and there are lots of opportunities for you to do so. If you’re shy or feeling nervous, remember that most people will be friendly and you may just need to push yourself a little at the start.

Remember that it takes time to settle in and make friends; it doesn’t happen overnight but a little effort at the start will go a long way. If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed or homesick, you can talk to our Induction Team. You won’t be the only one feeling that way.

Before starting university

Once you’ve received your offer of accommodation from the University, why not join our halls Facebook groups and meet your housemates. These groups can be a good way of introducing yourself to your fellow students or even planning things to do in your first week. If you’re shy, communicating online can be much easier than face-to-face and can give you some things to talk about when you eventually meet.

During Induction Week

• If you’re living in halls, don’t be the messy housemate. Be considerate of other peoples’ space by cleaning up after yourself (this one is common sense but there’s always one person who forgets).
• Find a society you’re interested in. There’s a lot of choice and joining a society is a great way to make new friends with similar interests. You can find out about societies at the Freshers Fair during Induction Week, Friday 23 September.
• If someone invites you to something, make the extra effort to say yes. If you’re shy, it can be easy to think of all the reasons not to do something, but you can’t know how good something will be until you try it.
• Seek advice from other students.
• The International Students Advice Team organises events during induction and throughout the semester. It is a good opportunity to meet students from all around the world.

At University societies

• Pick societies you’re really interested in. Societies are a great opportunity to expand the number of people you know and have fun at the same time. Pick a society or two that you would genuinely be interested in joining and committing to.
• Go to the societies’ activities. Most societies have activities throughout the semester and these can be a great place to meet more people.

And lastly...

• Remember that it takes time to settle in and make friends; it doesn’t happen overnight but a little effort at the start will go a long way.
• There will be a wide range of opportunities for you to get involved in things based on what you feel comfortable with. There will also be plenty of support if you need it. 

When you start at Brookes, there will be lots of new things to learn and many students may find themselves feeling a bit anxious during their first weeks. That’s why we make sure we have plenty of support in place - from helping you access your induction events to arranging appointments with our specialist services.

If you would like to talk to someone before you start at Brookes, you can contact us at induction@brookes.ac.uk. We know going to university can be a stressful time for everybody, whether you're moving away from home or not; simply starting something new can be scary. 

There are also really useful resources for starting university on the Student Minds website.

For something that almost every student will experience whilst at university, loneliness is not something that students generally like to talk about. If you find yourself feeling a bit lonely during the first couple of weeks, then please contact the Induction Team. You can talk to a student who probably went through the same thing or a member of our welfare team.

Being at university does not inherently make you alone, of course:

• you might be living with flatmates from your first day of first year

• you will meet other students during your course induction activities

• you might be involved in societies or clubs where you meet many new and different people. 

However, loneliness can arise when you least expect it, even when you are surrounded by people.

You might be tempted to lock yourself away in a room, ignore your flatmates, and end up spending far too much time alone, thinking and worrying about your friends and family at home. So stay in touch with them and have weekly catch ups. You could even spend weekends at home or invite friends and family to stay in Oxford for a few days. These connections might keep you going until you feel more settled.

If you are moving to Oxford to study, the independence you will suddenly have might feel a bit overwhelming. You will be free to do whatever you want to do - there’s no asking your parents/carers, you just do it.

With this new freedom comes new responsibilities to your flat mates and the Brookes community - which may feel like a complicated balancing act.

Although we want all our students to enjoy the freedom university life brings and go through their own journey, there will of course be university rules and regulations. We are also committed to a community where respect is an integral part of our daily lives - we will expect you to understand this.

Contact us

If you have any concerns or queries about being the person you want to be during your time with us, then contact:

• studentwelfare@brookes.ac.uk who you can talk to, in confidence.

Alternatively, you can contact induction@brookes.ac.uk before you arrive.

The Multifaith Chaplaincy is here to offer companionship and spiritual care to all members of the University.

• Multifaith Chaplaincy

We recognise that everyone needs a bit of help sometimes and that you need the freedom to be yourself in a supportive environment that allows you space to explore your personal identity and get the very best out of your time at Brookes.

A good place to start are the Students Union Diversity networks.

We also have dedicated support for:

• Mature students
• Estranged students
• Care experienced students
• Young adult carers
• LGBTQ+ and gender identity students

Look after yourself and others

Staying healthy while at university is absolutely essential to finishing your degree and making the most of your studies. Which is why we encourage you to connect with other people, foster your creativity and get involved, but also to look after yourself. Go outside. Stretch your legs. Get some headspace.

Keep active

Whether you want to play sport competitively, try something new, or simply want to keep active, Brookes Sport offers a wide range of clubs, classes, and initiatives with high-quality facilities.

Brookes Active is a collection of initiatives, events, and campaigns, aimed at getting the Oxford Brookes community more active, more often, and enjoy a healthy lifestyle at Oxford Brookes. As part of Brookes Active, new undergraduate students can take part in our Active Start initiative, giving them free access to our gym facilities during semester 1.

Brookes Sport is documenting and sharing active travel routes to help the Oxford brookes community safely get onto our campuses without getting into a car or using public transport, whilst getting a little bit fitter at the same time!

Go Active Outdoors provides you with all the information you need to be more Active outdoors. You can also download the Local Walks App to your mobile device for walks within your area.

It’s not unusual to be thinking about how safe a new environment might be especially if you are moving away from home. 

Please read these tips and information about staying safe on and off campus and who to contact if you feel unsafe or see anything suspicious.

Each hall has an on-site residence manager and hall supervisors. There is support on-site through the night too, and our hall staff are experienced at making new students feel at home.

We also have a University-wide security team. You can find out more about staying safe by watching our security video.

Here are the security contact details - put these in your phone, just in case you ever need them.

For non-urgent incidents and general security enquiries 

• 01865 48 3060 or security@brookes.ac.uk (24 hours a day, 7 days a week)

In an emergency

• Dial 999 then contact security on 01865 48 3060

Studying as a local or commuting student can be challenging. It is a good idea to think about cycling or walking if that is possible. Otherwise, make sure you see the most up to date information about local transport and the Oxford Brookes bus.

As a local or commuter student in some ways your transition to University life may be easier than it is for students who opt to live on campus, as your home life will change less significantly. You may also benefit from having an established network of support around you. However, there can be some unique challenges associated with being a local or commuter student so here’s some tips from commuting students.

Travel and transport

• Remember that driving to Brookes will be difficult as you can’t park when you get here (unless you have an exemption) and parking fines are expensive. Find out about all the travel options.
• Get a railcard (Young Persons Railcard) or any discount card you are eligible for. If you are married to a commuter, you might be able to get a Network Partner Card. These are useful.
• Put the numbers of all the travel enquiry lines (eg National Rail, London Transport, bus company, etc), the complaints numbers for the same services, and some taxi numbers in your phone. It's useful.

Study

• You might need more books than on-site students but make sure you can access all the online resources you might need like the Library, study skills help and Wellbeing support.
• Use your journey to read, think and write. If you are having difficulty reading, thinking, writing and working on the train/bus/etc, don't. Close the book and put it away. Better to either focus on it properly or get some rest, rather than not understanding it.

Find support and advise to help make your money go further while at University.

If you are worried about money, please see our Financial Aid information.  

Looking for a part-time job while you study? Visit the Careers website to find out what help is available:

• Careers

We want to make sure student carers get the most out of their time at Brookes and have full access to all our support services. On our adult carers webpage you can also find out about the bursary for young carers who meet the eligibility criteria.

If you are an international student traveling to the UK for your studies you can find lots of information on what you need to do and what you should bring with you.  

To support your transition to Oxford Brookes we have a dedicated Induction Team made up of current students and staff members. If you have a question now about starting at Brookes please contact induction@brookes.ac.uk

If you are an international student you can also contact the International Student Advice Team (ISAT).