At Christ Church we are proud of our friendly, diverse and inclusive community. Explore student stories and learn more!
To help you on your journey to becoming a Christ Church student, you can refer to this step-by-step guide which takes you through your essential and recommended tasks.
Note: to get the most out of your step-by-step guide, make sure you look at both the 'essential tasks' tab and the 'recommended activities' tab.
Step one: getting ready
- Meet the conditions of your offer: to become a fully registered student at Christ Church and begin your studies with us there may be some academic conditions and clearance checks that you will need to meet and complete.
- Look out for information for your course which will be sent by your Course Team
- Arrange your accommodation, if needed: whether you choose to stay in University owned student accommodation, or private accommodation, there’s information and support available.
Are you an international student? Make sure you look through the information on this page for details on immigration, your journey to campus, your mandatory in-person document checks with the Compliance team, support with your English, and much more.
Step two: before you arrive
- Organise your finances: by working out your budget before you arrive, you will be confident that you'll be able to manage your money while at uni and be in control of your finances.
- Complete online registration: you need to complete your registration in order to officially become a Christ Church student and start your studies. If you are a student on a Student Route Visa, in order to receive your smartcard, you will need to complete your registration in person by showing your Biometric Residence Permit, Qualifications and Passport.
- Create your Christ Church computer account: You will be invited to do this at the point of registration and you will need your account to access your student digital services. Top tip - your password will need to be 14 characters.
- Check your course essentials for useful information to help you prepare for your studies.
- Register with the Student Wellbeing Service: if you need disability or mental health support, make sure you register before your studies start. This will ensure that any additional support you may need for your learning is put in place.
- Make sure your vaccinations are up to date: we want you to stay healthy and well, so we advise you to check what vaccines you feel you may need before you arrive and make sure you register with a local GP once here. It is recommended to protect yourself and others to have the COVID-19 vaccine.
- Check your key dates - find out when you will be able to access your teaching timetable and how to do so
- Accept your accommodation offer if you are staying in University accommodation.
- International students: make sure you book your in-person meeting with the Compliance team to show your documents and complete your registration. See here for more details.
If you’re studying a course that has uniform and occupational health vaccination requirements, please ensure you refer to the A-to-Z Course Essentials listing for full details and to access the schedules to determine your appointment time during Welcome Week.
Step three: your first week
- Attend your academic course welcome sessions and induction- the best way to get settled into uni life. You can find out this information via your welcome schedule which will be available in early September.
- Discover the online Campus Map: when you first arrive, it can be a bit disorientating, but it won’t take you long to find your way around campus and feel settled in.
- Check your access to Blackboard: Blackboard is the University’s Virtual Learning Environment providing you with access to your learning materials, resources and services to support your studies. You will need to set up your Christ Church computer account to access Blackboard.
- Check our Student Code of Conduct so you can see what behaviour we expect and how we provide students a safe and supportive environment, free from discrimination, bullying or harassment of any form.
- International students: Have your in-person meeting with the Compliance team to show them your documents and complete your registration.
Step 4: settling in
- Register with a GP and to vote: we want you to be safe and well while at uni and recommend that you register with a GP Practice close to where you live, so if you are ever ill you know you can get the help you need.
- Connect with your Personal Academic Tutor (PAT): whether you’re an undergraduate or postgraduate student, your Personal Academic Tutor is here to help you to develop, grow and succeed in your studies and research.
- Explore your student webpages: your student webpages are full of all the information you need as a student at Christ Church.
- Regularly check your university email: as part of your registration, you’ll be given a computing account so you can access your canterbury.ac.uk email address.
Information for new students
Related links
Contact the i-zone
We're counting down to your arrival to Medway Campus, and can't wait for you to start with us at Canterbury Christ Church. Here's all you need to know to help you with your arrival.