Prearrival support

Preparing for the journey to Southampton is a fundamental aspect to the international student transition into a new culture and academic system.

Prearrival information can be an e-mail sent by the Admission Office; a booklet sent by the International Office; a VLE with learning objects designed to help students reflect on what experiences, opportunities and challenges they might encounter during their first weeks in Southampton; a social network where perspective students can interact with current students at Southampton.

The aim of prearrival information should be to:

• Remind students of key arrangements they need to make in respect to their visa, accommodation, healthcare, scholarships, travelling and dependants
• Inform students of induction arrangements and documents they need take with them
• Help students develop realistic expectations on what it will be like to live and study in Southampton
• Help the students in their acculturation process
• Give students the opportunity to explore their subject area by providing introductory reading lists that will help them develop a background knowledge on their subject
• Keep the students excited about coming to Southampton

The main source of information for international students during the prearrival phase is the International Office Pre-arrival Booklet and the International and EU Student Guide where students can get to know more about the offer process, money matters, visas, finding accommodation, life in Southampton, the Meet and Greet service and support available in the University. The Students' Union has also an International Student Website where students can find more information on finding an accommodation, personal finance, healthcare, education and school for dependants and social life in Southampton.

Prepare for Success, developed by Julie Watson and the e-learning team in Modern Languages with PMI funding from the UKCISA, is an interactive web learning tool for international students who are getting ready to come to the UK for study in higher education. Through a series of carefully designed learning resources the website helps international students prepare for the different educational system set up, approach to learning and academic practices that they will encounter. Students are also pointed towards key academic skills they will need to acquire to perform well in their degree.

With funding from the Transition to Living and Learning Project, Julie Watson and the Modern languages e-learning team have developed Get Ready for Southampton, a Southampton specific online course offered to all international students introducing them to living and studying at the University of Southampton. If you would like to have access to this resource please contact the Transition to Living and Learning Team.

Other useful prearrival resources for international students are:

UNIAID International Student Calculator and the UK Culture  website developed as a result of a collaboration between the University of  Loughborough and Southampton Students' Unions.

International Office Facebook Page

Via the International Office Facebook page perspective students can interact and ask question to current students and the International Office Facebook Student Ambassadors.