Your first week survival kit

We know that your first few days on campus will be both fun but also full on! So we've pulled together a quick list of useful information, places to go and contacts - save this page and refer to it throughout Welcome Week!

You may find it useful to share this guide with your parents, guardians, or anyone else who is helping you move in - let them help you get organised and settled in! 

Welcome Weekend

Welcome Weekend is not just for those moving into halls - there's plenty of activities to get the week started no matter where you will be living this year.

Transport information

Arriving by car

See information about free parking on campus during Welcome Week.

Arriving from Guildford Rail Station

We will be running a free minibus shuttle service from Guildford Rail Station between 9am - 6pm on the following dates:

  • Wednesday 16 September
  • Thursday 17 September
  • Saturday 19 September
  • Sunday 20 September

When arriving at the station, walk to the main entrance where you will find the minibus collection point.

Moving into halls? Where to go for key collection

You can find all the key information on our dedicated key collection page.

Where to eat and drink

We have a whole range of food and drink outlets open on both campuses across the weekend, most of which are cheaper than going into town and you can also bring all your guests with you!

Download the Surrey Perks app (our exclusive loyalty app) and get your first coffee free at many of our catering outlets*! 

Please note: we are in the process of updating this page with outlets open on Welcome Weekend. Please check back here closer to the date for the most up-to-date information.

Stag Hill campus

Coop supermarket - inside the Library
Meal deals, drinks, snacks and usual supermarket supplies
8am - 8pm
Find it on Google Maps

Hillside Coffee - our flagship coffee shop
Barista-made coffee, tea, Crosstown donuts, sandwiches, cakes and more
8am - 7pm
Find it on Google Maps

Food vendors on AP Piazza - right outside key collection
Hot food, snacks and ice creams available from a range of vendors
Times TBC
Find it on Google Maps

Lakeside Coffee Shop - opposite key collection
Barista-made coffee, tea, pastries, sandwiches and snacks
8am - 3pm
Find it on Google Maps

Lake Bar - a superb location by out Stag Hill lake
A great selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks plus food trucks and games
2 - 9pm
Find it on Google Maps

The Sir Ronald Wates - our on-campus Wetherspoon pub
Breakfast, lunch, dinner and a few drinks in between, all at classic Wetherspoons prices. Plus a big screen showing the weekend's live sport.
8am - late
Find it on Google Maps

Young's Kitchen - for a classic, hearty Asian-style lunch
Think classic breakfast first thing, Asian-influenced favourites for the rest of the day. A community-favourite!
TBC
Find it on Google Maps

Manor Park campus

Cafe Priestly Road - in the same building as key collection
Coffee, tea, sandwiches, hot meals, light snacks and more
8am - 6pm
Find it on Google Maps

Manor Park Social - in the heart of our Manor Park residences
Pizzas, wraps, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks
10am - 11pm
Find it on Google Maps

Pitchside - find it inside Surrey Sports Park (free parking)
Coffee, tea, snacks and bottled beers & wine
8am - 6pm
Find it on Google Maps

* Not available at all outlets. Subject to change.

Events and activities across the weekend

Your personalised Welcome Week timetable will show you all the key events throughout the week. Welcome Weekend* will include:

  • Board games nights
  • Crafting events 
  • Scavenger hunts and walking tours
  • Sports and games by the lake
  • Goat yoga
  • Comedy night

* All events are subject to change. See your Welcome Week timetable for the most up to date line-up.

Got questions or need help? Here's where to go on Welcome Weekend

These contacts will be important across Welcome Weekend. If you need a helping hand please do not be afraid to ask - it's what we are here for!

Stag Hill: Welcome Lounge - 8:30am - 8pm

Come find us outside the Austin Pearce building (Stag Hill campus, next to key collection) where there will be staff on hand to answer questions, and you may even walk away with a goody bag!

How to find the Welcome Lounge

Stag Hill: Here to Help team

You'll find our purple-t-shirt-wearing Here to Help team across both campuses, on both days, between 9am - 5pm.

Locations:

Some of the team will also be walking around the Stag Hill campus - grab them if you see them!

Both campuses: MySurrey Hive - 8am - 8pm

Our Hive Assistants will be here to help with any questions you have or challenges you encounter. You can find them both at MySurrey Hive Stag Hill and Manor Park.

How to find MySurrey Hive Stag Hill
How to find MySurrey Hive Manor Park (same location as key collection if you are moving into Manor Park)

Both campuses: Campus Safety (including lost property)

Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, our friendly Campus Safety team are just a call away when you need them.

How to contact Campus Safety

Both campuses: Maintenance issues with your University accommodation

Emergency assistance is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but you can also log other issues online and a member of our team will get back to you as soon as possible.

How to log a maintenance issue

Living in private accommodation or halls? We can't support maintenance issues with halls such as Scape and Bankside - you will find their reporting processes in information provided to you before you arrived or in your room.

Both campuses: IT issues

We have lots of useful guides and tips for most IT issues that you may come across, but you can also contact IT Services for further support and they will get back to you as soon as possible.

How to get IT support

Parking during the week

Parking in University car parks will be free between Friday 18 - Sunday 27 September in our permit holder and pay and display car parks - please ignore any signs about pay and display or permit parking. You do not need a permit or to pay on the day using RingGo / Evology.

On Welcome Weekend (Saturday 19 & Sunday 20 September) Car Parks 2 and 3 will be busy with students collecting keys and moving in - if you are not in this group then we recommend using our other car parks.

Download a Stag Hill or Manor Park car park map (all car parks are also available on Google Maps).

Outside of these dates, usual parking restrictions will apply - read all about our permits and pay and display parking.

How to connect to the internet

In your room using ResNet

The ResNet service offers fast and easy wireless internet access for several devices at once using a pre-configured router which will be in your room when you arrive. The device also includes two wired ports should you need to connect any wired devices.

See the instructions on how to connect

WiFi across campus

We have two WiFi networks, both of which are free to access:

  • Eduroam - for all students using your University username and password. Works across all buildings, including accommodation, and at hundreds of other universities across the world!

How to connect to Eduroam

  • Guest - useful for your guests to use whilst they are helping you move and settle in. Just look for GUEST_WIFI in your WiFi settings.

How to connect to GUEST_WIFI

 

How to get supplies - food, drink, homeware and medical

Supermarkets

Top tip: if you have moved in by car with family or friends then we recommend making the most of having a vehicle and driving to do a food shop - it will save you time and effort carrying your shopping back to your flat. Your first week may be quite busy with talks and events, so you don’t want to be spending money on convenience food and drink every day!

Tesco Guildford Superstore - the main supermarket for students, which is located just a 10 minute walk from both Stag Hill and Manor Park. Huge range of food, drink and other groceries. Free parking, or a short 10 minute walk from Stag Hill and Manor Park.

Top tip: get a free Tesco loyalty Clubcard now - you will save a lot of money by using it!

Coop University of Surrey - our very own Coop store on the Stag Hill campus. Find meal deals, fresh and frozen produce, cleaning supplies and more. It's located on the ground floor of the Library.

Top tip: become a member and download the app before you go for exclusive discounts.

Lidl Guildford - just a 10-15 minute walk from Stag Hill, you can find incredible value food and drink here. Free parking.

Aldi Guildford - this one is a bit further out (you would need to drive) but worth it for the superb value and the infamous Aldi middle aisle! Highly likely they will have some great Welcome Week bundles and discounts! Free parking.

Sainsburys Superstore Burpham - this one is a bit further out, so you would need to drive, but it also has an Argos inside for homeware and lots of other supplies. There is also a smaller Sainsburys in the Town Centre. Free parking at Burpham, use Town Centre car parks for the smaller one.

Top tip: get a free Nectar card which unlocks offers across 500+ brands, including Sainsburys and Argos.

Others - Tesco Express (Town Centre), Waitrose (Town Centre), M&S Food (Ladymead Retail Park)

Homeware and other stores

Ladymead Retail Park - just a 10 minute drive from both campuses, you can find Currys (electronics) and Next (clothing and homeware), as well as a B&Q (DIY), Wickes (DIY) and Lidl (supermarket) right next door. Free parking.

The Friary Shopping Centre - located in the Town Centre, you can find lots of high street clothing brands (including Primark) and a food court. Park in the Bedford Road Car Park for easy access.

Guildford Town Centre - similar to The Friary, with two streets (and cute side streets) loaded with all the stores you would expect to find. See a full list on the Experience Guildford website. Car parks are spread across town.

Argos (Burpham and High Street) - two options for you, with the usual incredible range of home and kitchenware, electronics and more. The Burpham store is not walkable from the University, but is located inside a Sainsburys if you want to do a food shop at the same time.

Our on-campus Community Hub - if you are looking for pre-loved goodies then this is the place for you! It on our Stag Hill campus, behind the Library, and stocks items from homeware to clothing, food to electronics. If you are in need of anything it is worth coming down and looking around. It'll be open 2-6pm on Moving In Weekend and during the week throughout the semester.

Ikea - we don't have an Ikea store in Guildford, but there are two click and collect points where you can have Ikea items delivered to at Tesco and Slyfield Estate. You can also find Ikea stores at Reading, Croydon and Southampton - all around an hours drive from Guildford.

Top tip: if you are an Amazon shopper we have multiple lockers across both Stag Hill and Manor Park. 

Medical supplies

We have a handy map of local pharmacies and GP surgeries so you can find one that is convenient for you.

The most convenient is the pharmacy located inside the Tesco Guildford Superstore.

Go to the map of pharmacies and GPs

Takeaways / delivery services

If you need something quick to eat, you will also find the Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat apps have many local restaurants and takeaways available for delivery to campus.

Catering outlets across campus

There's no need to feel hungry no matter where you are on Stag Hill and Manor Park - we have over 10 catering outlets to choose from, serving anything from breakfast through to dinner, barista-made coffees, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and more.

We recommend downloading Surrey Perks to get easy access to the latest discounts and promotions across campus.

Where you need to be in your first week

Your personalised Welcome Week timetable will be your bible during your first week. It will tell you where to go for your course inductions, and give you a full run down of the many social events and activities that we are hosting throughout the week, including those run by your Students' Union.

You should attend as many of the compulsory events as possible - these will help you get prepared to begin your programme. 

Find your personalised Welcome Week timetable

Useful maps to help you get around

Our top tip for getting around is to use Google Maps - our campuses are very well mapped on there, and you can type in building names and be given a walking, driving or bus route straight there.

But, we also have a Stag Hill and Manor Park campus PDF map that you can download if you prefer.

Key contacts for support throughout the week

If you need us, we are here for you. We will be supporting hundreds of students throughout the week with many different queries, so please come and find us.

  • MySurrey Hive - for any general queries about student life or your course. Come and see us, give us a call, or use the chat function on the bottom right of this page.
  • Campus Safety - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including emergencies and non-emergencies.
  • IT Services - lots of advice and guidance available online, and a live chat service for quick queries.
  • Maintenance - let us know if you have any issues within your room.
  • Centre for Wellbeing - here if you would like to talk through a personal, emotional or psychological issue.
  • ThriveWell - our team of student wellbeing advisers who provide flexible, proactive and in-the-moment support for your wellbeing
  • Religious Life and Belief Centre - our dedicated team of 25 chaplains and religious life and belief advisers offer pastoral care, faith and belief support, and a wide range of community activities

If you are in immediate need of support, we have a range of services available both on campus and locally, all round the clock.

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