University of Hertfordshire: Moving in at the start of the first year

TSR Wiki > University > Choosing a University > University Guides > University of Hertfordshire > University of Hertfordshire: Moving in at the start of the first year

So you have met your offer congratulations! Now you are starting to think about moving to university and starting. This is a brief guide to those first days at the university of Hertfordshire.

How do I get there?

I bet you guys already know how to get to herts; for those of you who don’t know, It is on junction 3 of the A1(M). There are 100s of other ways you can get there but that is the most direct route. You can get the A1(M) all the way from London via Holloway Road and Archway or you can also get it via Junction 23 of the M25. For you guys coming from the north on the M1, you will have to leave the M1 at junction 7 (the one with ropelights above the central reservation) and follow the signs leading off onto the M10 and hatfield is signposted ALL the way from the end of the M10. Those are all the major routes into hatfield.

Note: The later you arrive the longer the queue backing up towards the motorway from the university, this is because of the sheer amunt of students arriving at the same time. The earlier you come the quicker you'll get in. Do not think leaving a bit later might get you in quicker because fewer people will move in in the afternoon the queues will be long all day on both days.

What do I do when I get there?

Once you get into Hatfield, you will notice the yellow signs (courtesy of the AA) directing you to various locations in Hatfield, mainly to the university or the sports village. For you guys moving into college lane, follow the signs to butler hall on the main campus. For you guys moving to DeHavilland, follow the signs to the DeHavilland campus which should be quite easy to locate. Expect huge queues in the car parks (The queues on DeHavilland are usually massive!). Once you get to the campus, don’t be scared to ask either the student ambassadors of the SU refreshers for directions, they are there to help.

Due to the huge queues in the car park, I would advise you to leave your parents in the car and let them wait in the queue while you go and sort out your key/keycard with the accommodation office. The accommodation office for College lane guys is Butler Hall (once through the security barrier it is straight ahead, but to park you have to turn right at the mini-roundabout) and the one for DeHavilland guys is the office next to the sports village (it is simply called the accommodations help desk). If you have already received a letter with a green sticker, then all you have to do is collect your keys from the help desk (or wherever people are getting their keys from); however, if you have a red sticker, you will need to sort out payments in lieu or any other information with your respective campus’ help desks.

After you get your keys, rejoin your family in the car park queue (if they haven’t been permitted in already) and tell them where you will need to go to offload your things.

I know on de hav, cars are permitted into the halls areas for a 20 – 30 min period to offload luggage and return to the car park, so make sure you do things swiftly and get available people to help if need be.

What do I do next?

Well, MOVE IN. Make sure you claim the best kitchen cupboard space and the best fridge/freezer space because it is usually done on a first come first serve basis. Say hello to your new flat mates (if there are any around), and sort out the would be mess in your room. If you have forgotten anything, there is an ASDA in the town center where you can drag your parents to get last minute chocolates or kitchen utensils. The university provides budget beddings .i.e. a cheap duvet, duvet cover, bed sheets and pillows + cases. Feel free to bring your own to match the colour of your pyjamas.

At some point, you will have to say goodbye to your parents and shed a tear or two and let them leave you to your unpacking

What happens for the rest of the day?

Well, you make friends and unpack your things, and marvel at the gadgets in your room and your kitchen. De- hav guys will have the most fun doing that ‘cos I think they get 3 microwaves, 2 toasters, 2 freezers and all what not.

Make sure you get your tickets for the night (or a fresher’s pass if you want to go out all week, and it saves you all the queuing) and the refreshers will come round at about 8pm to help you get out of your flats and down to the font.

There will be the shuttle bus from de hav to college lane and the guys on college lane can walk there . There are events for a fortnight and you can pick and choose which ones you decide to go to. Note, if you don’t buy a fresher’s pass, make sure you get your tickets on time, because they sell out quite quickly.

What happens on Monday and where do I go?

You should have got a letter in the post telling you where to go and what to do on the Monday. If you haven’t, have no fear!! This is usually the case for the students studying business or economics on de hav, just find other people on your course, proceed to your faculty on Monday and go with the flow.. Just make sure you get to your faculty early to avoid the rush.

When do I receive my Loan?

you should receive it mid week if you applied on time, if you didn’t, don’t worry, it will come through soon enough as far as you have got your acknowledgment letter. Just make sure you let the accommodations office know, if you can’t afford to pay the rent during the start weekend. For your tuition fees, all you need to do is show your loan approval letter.

When do I get my ID + register

Once again, you will receive info about this during the induction week, they usually have a timetabled session for each faculty. You should have got your ID and be registered by the end of the week! Don’t forget to register for your NUS cards .

Internet in De Hav

You don't need to fill in a form but you won't be able to get internet untill you have registered for your course. There you will get a log-in/email which you can use to log onto the internet. There will be instructions available at registration! Alternately, if you can't wait, you can ask for a guest log in at one of the LRCs so you can log in on one of the uni computers.

Other Useful Links

• University of Hertfordshire

Transferred contect from TSR, written by dimexi