Pre-Arrival Information
University Offer
If you have received an unconditional offer to study at the University of the West of Scotland, and wish to accept your offer, you should complete and return the acceptance slip that accompanies your offer letter.
If you have received a conditional offer, please follow the instructions detailed in your offer letter to enable us to confirm your unconditional offer of a place.
Please note that you can only arrive and enrol at the University once you have been made an unconditional offer.
applying for accommodation
The University has furnished accommodation in its halls of residence at the Ayr, Hamilton and Paisley campuses. For more detailed information on our accommodation and to apply online please visit www.uws.ac.uk/about/Facilities/accommodation.asp
If you are going to be studying at our Dumfries campus and wish to apply for accommodation there, please telephone +44 (0)1387 702 003 or email Natalie Anderson at n.anderson@crichton.gla.ac.uk
What to Bring
Documents
Necessary:
For immigration and for your
enrolment at the University:
- Original Degree/Diploma/Qualification Certificate
- Original University/College/School transcript(s)
- University of the West of Scotland unconditional offer letter
- All of the information that the University and your School has provided, e.g., accommodation information, enrolment information, Welcome schedule.
For travel to the UK:
- Passport (it is advisable to bring a photocopy and to also leave a photocopy with a relative/friend at home)
- Valid visa (if necessary)
Highly Recommended:
- List of emergency telephone numbers, e.g. the international telephone number required to cancel your credit/bank card (it is advisable to also leave a list of emergency telephone numbers with a relative/friend at home)
- Travel Insurance Document (it is advisable to also leave a photocopy with a relative/friend at home)
- Printed itinerary, if travel ticket is an 'e-ticket'
- Prescriptions/note detailing the medical name of any prescribed drugs
- Information from your doctor about any medical conditions you have
- Prescription for glasses/contact lenses
- International Student I.D. or University Student I.D.
- Drivers License/International Drivers License if you intend to drive whilst living here
- Extra passport photographs
Money
- Credit Card/ATM Card (Cirrus/Maestro)/Source of finance (internationally recognised)
- Travelers' cheques or pounds sterling for your first few weeks in the UK. Please note: it can take time to open a UK bank account and it is not possible to do so until after you have enrolled at the University. It is not advisable to carry unnecessarily large amounts of cash with you into the UK. If it is lost or stolen, it cannot be replaced. For information on opening a UK bank account, please refer to the UKCISA website.
- If you intend to bring cash in your home currency, please check first that it can be changed in the UK
- If you intend to pay your University tuition fees and/or accommodation fees by bankers' draft, please ensure that the bankers' draft is made payable to the University of the West of Scotland
- If you intend to pay funds into a UK bank account by bankers' draft, please ensure that the bankers' draft is payable to your own name
- If you have obtained a new credit card in your country of origin, please ensure that you have activated it prior to coming to the UK
IMPORTANT: You should travel with vital documentation and cash/travellers cheques/bankers’ drafts in your hand luggage. You may require your University documentation at Immigration.
Clothing
To enjoy Scotland fully it is best to come prepared for variations in temperature from day to day. We recommend that you bring clothing for both warm and cool weather. Dressing in layers is a good tip, as it creates added warmth but also allows the flexibility to remove clothing when the temperature rises or when going inside to a heated classroom. For colder days we recommend a warm coat, a scarf, hat and gloves. A raincoat/jacket with a hood or an umbrella is recommended for wet days. If you are staying in Scotland over the summer months, you may wish to bring a sunhat/baseball cap and sunglasses.
On a day to day basis, students dress casually around the campus. There is no dress code. However, students are expected to dress smartly for their Graduation Ceremony, e.g. white blouse and black skirt/trousers for females and white shirt and black trousers or kilt for males. Students who intend to work part-time may also choose to bring smart clothing.
On a night out students may wish to 'dress up' for the evening. Saturday night in particular is a more 'dressy' occasion! Please note that some nightclubs do not allow entry if wearing trainers/tennis shoes or steel-capped boots.
You may also choose to bring clothing/equipment for different activities depending on your interests. For example:
- A tracksuit, shorts, t-shirt, trainers and sweat towel for the gym.*
- Swimwear, thongs/flip-flops, a spare towel and goggles for swimming.
- A day pack, hiking boots, lightweight trousers, waterproofs, fleece, gloves, a walking pole, and hat for walking/hiking.*
- Badminton/tennis equipment, etc.*
- Appropriate clothing for martial arts.
* Please note that
there is a Fitness Suite and facilities for racket sports,
ball games and martial arts located at the University's Robertson
Sports Centre, situated next to Thornly Park Residences, in
Paisley. The University also has a Hill walking Club, which
operates out of Paisley. The following clubs and societies are operated by the Students' Association, Paisley Campus: Aikido, American Football, Badminton, Basketball, Cheerleading, Football, Netball, Tae Kwon Do, Volleyball, Anime, Christian Union, Debating Society, Enterprise Society, Film Making, Gaming Society, Research Society, The Hobbits (role playing society), Trading Cards Society .
There is a Fitness Suite and facilities for indoor sports located at Hamilton Campus. The following clubs are operated by the University, Hamilton Campus: Tae Kwon Do, Badminton.
The following clubs and societies are operated by the Students' Association, Ayr Campus: Football, Film making.
The active clubs and societies are subject to change depending on interest. Please visit the Students' Union for further information.
Bedding
If you will be living in University accommodation, you will be provided with a bedding set. The bedding set will be included in the cost of the rent. The bedding set will include the following:
1 Pillow
1 Pillow Case
1 Duvet
1 Duvet Cover
1 Flat Sheet
Electrical Items
If you are planning to bring electrical items into the UK, please bear in mind that the electrical voltage in the UK is 240V 50Hz. Electrical sockets use 3-pins. An adapter should be purchased in your own country. Most large stores and airports sell adapters.
What to Bring Checklist
To assist you with your packing and preparations, you can download and print the following What to Bring Checklist.
What Not to Bring
There are certain things that it is illegal to bring into the UK. These items include certain foods, animal products, plant products, and illegal drugs. There are also restrictions on the amount of other substances that you may bring into the UK, e.g. cash, tobacco and alcohol. For further information please visit the following web site: HM Revenue and Customs Information for Travellers