Before you get here

You’ll receive details of how to register in your Welcome email from our Admissions Office once you've met the terms of your offer. You’ll need to register in order to become a student so that you can attend lectures and seminars, access our online systems sit exams, and access library facilities and other services.

You'll only be able to register as a student if your offer is unconditional and you've firmly accepted the place. Once you've accepted, you'll receive an email (your joining email) from your Admissions Officer to tell you when and how to register. International students must also have received their CAS before they can register.

How to register

Firstly, to register online you need to have set up your ARU account.

Look out for an email called 'Your ARU User Account'. This will include your ARU username and password. Check your junk folder if this email isn’t in your inbox. If you still can’t find that email visit the IT Advice page for help.

Once you've received this email it's time to complete the Registration Task on e:Vision - our student administration system.

1. Change your password and set up your account
2. Go to e:Vision
3. Enter your ARU Username and Password, click Login.

Once you've completed the Registration Task, other useful information and links will appear.

During the Registration Task you’ll be asked to upload a copy of your official ID, until such time as you are able to attend in person to complete a Right to Study Check.

During the Registration Task you'll have the opportunity to upload a high-quality head and shoulders passport style photo of yourself. This means we'll be able to get your Student ID card ready for the start of your course.

We recommend you do this as soon as you can to avoid any delays when you arrive. This photo will appear on your ID card and on your student record for the duration of your course.

Uploading your photo

1. Login using your full ARU username

You’ll need to login to be able to upload your photo. If you haven’t done this before, please watch the video below.

2. Upload your photo

Follow the link below to login and then follow the instructions to upload your photo.

Upload your photo

Not sure how you'll manage your money while studying? That's understandable. This may be the first time you'll be responsible for buying food or paying bills; you might have caring responsibilities or be a care-leaver. Our Money Advice Service can give you confidential advice about the following things, so you can make sure you arrive at university well prepared.

• funding
• budgeting and money management
• additional funding; trusts and charities
• tax credits; student entitlement to child tax credit and working tax credit
• welfare benefits; student entitlement to benefits
• council tax.

Open a student bank account

You don't need to open a ‘student’ bank account just because you are a student, but if you do, make sure to do your research and find out which bank offers the best rates and incentives for you and make sure you’ve opened your account before you apply for your student loan.

Apply for student finance

Go to our student finance section for more information about loans and grants. Log in to gov.uk/studentfinance from February of the year that you’ll be starting university to apply for financial support.

If you've already applied for funding through Student Finance England, you should track your application to make sure it's progressing. Double check to make sure they’ve got all the information they need to progress your application to avoid any delay in receiving your funding. If you've applied online, please make sure you've signed your declaration and returned it to them.

Work out your living budget

Once you’ve confirmed your accommodation and you know what your rent will be, it’s a good time to look at your loan and how best to budget to cover your living expenses. Our Student Money Advice Service can help you with this: call 01245 686700 or email moneyadvice@aru.ac.uk.

Living items

If you're living in University accommodation, there'll be items you’ll need to bring with you that aren’t included in your rent – such as bedding and kitchen utensils. There's a full list on our website. You’ll also need a TV licence if you’re planning to have a television in your room.

Possessions insurance

Make sure you have insurance for your personal possessions. It means you’ll be covered in the event of loss or theft of expensive items such as laptops, smartphones, or musical instruments.

If you're living in University accommodation that we manage your possessions will be covered up to £5,000. There's more information on our accommodation pages.

You may be able to register with a local GP before you move to university but if not, try to do so as soon as possible. Don’t wait until you’re ill! See our Campus medical services page on My ARU for more information about registering with a GP.

You may want to get a part-time job while you study.

We suggest registering with ARU Temps, our own on campus recruitment agency where you can apply for part-time paid work to fit around your studies. You can register online with ARU Temps before you arrive. By working during your studies, you'll not only earn some extra cash, but you'll also have the chance to meet new people and develop new skills to add to your CV.

If you're an international student there may be restrictions on your working hours as stated on your visa.

It’s so important to make your first day as stress-free as possible, so we recommend planning your route to uni well in advance.

There isn’t any parking available on campus, except for Blue Badge holders, so we encourage everyone to use public transport, cycle or walk to get to uni.

Travelling to our Cambridge campus

Travelling to our Chelmsford campus

Travelling to our Peterborough campus

Virtual campus tours

If you're not making it on to campus soon, you can still have a look around with our virtual tours.

Cambridge virtual tour

Chelmsford virtual tour

Have you thought about car sharing?

ARUgreen Car Share

Car sharing is a great way meet people who are going to the same campus as you. It's also a good way to save money and the environment. Our ARUgreen car share scheme is completely free to join, and you can car share on regular journeys or even one-off journeys. The more journeys you share the more you save.

Visit ARUgreen to create an account and start sharing.

Student travel discounts

Public transport discounts

We’ve negotiated a range of discounts to help you travel to our campuses by bus or train. Take a look at our Student Travel Discounts guide to get you moving.

Cycling to ARU

Cycling is one of the cheapest and healthiest ways to travel to our campuses. Take a look at our Cycling to ARU guide for all the information and support you need to get you started.

NUS travel discounts

If you have a TOTUM (NUS) card you're entitled to loads of other travel discounts. See what travel discounts are currently available on the TOTUM website.

If you’re moving into our University-managed accommodation, you'll need to pre-book your arrival slot. Find out more on our accommodation pages.

Get ready for life at ARU by taking a look at our Welcome pages. These pages are filled with all the information you could need to help you prepare for studying with us.

You’ll find key details about what happens in Welcome Week, how to collect your student ID card, what you need to bring with you to complete your right to study checks and information about how to complete your course induction.

It’s really important that you do all of the above before studying with us, so don’t delay! Take a look at our Welcome pages now to see what you need to complete.