What to expect during International Orientation

My name is Mar, I am an international student doing a BSc in Software Engineering at the University of Portsmouth. As an International Student Ambassador, I have attended many International Orientations, so here is a quick run-through of what to expect and what you can do during this week.

Important Stuff

Before the fun stuff, we always have to deal with important matters and at Orientation Week, this is no exception. There are some things you must do but do not worry: they won’t take up a lot of your time. However, they are incredibly helpful and will ease the transition to University for you during your first few weeks.

The first thing to do is pre-registration, this will give you access to your university account and enable you to better organise your life, see your timetable, email, university services, etc. It will also allow you to make an appointment to do your ID Check and receive your university student card, which will give you access to campus buildings such as the library.

Secondly, we have the Welcome Plenary, you must attend one and it’s full of useful information and guidance to get you started. Finally, you have to collect your Welcome Bag - a pack from UoP Global filled with various goodies to welcome you to Portsmouth. Plus, you can start to make some friends in our common room!

Informative Stuff

Now, let’s talk about the informative events. These are where you can learn more about Portsmouth and the UK, as well as meet other international students and get to know each other. We have some workshops that give some valuable tips for your time at university, such as British Culture and Financial Advice. Then, led by us ambassadors, we have tours. These can be Campus and City Tours - where we take you on a tour of the University campus and the city centre to help you get to know the area. We also do a Seafront Tour and a Historic Dockyard Tour - these are guided tours that will take you around scenic and historic parts of Portsmouth, and teach you more about its history. And last but not least, the Bus Tours - travel around Portsmouth on a double-decker bus, which goes as far as Portsdown Hill right outside Portsmouth to capture amazing views of the city.

Fun Stuff

After so much stuff, let’s finally talk about the FUN events! There are plenty of opportunities to have fun and socialise during Orientation! Some of them are Afternoon Tea socials - where you can get a taste of British tea, have some cake and socialise with other students. There are also the Social Nights - where there will be quizzes, karaoke, bingo, pizza and more!

The Sports Tasters are an opportunity for you to try out some of our many sports before signing up for a club - they are usually hosted in the Ravelin Sports Centre. And we also organise a Movie Night - where you can join us to watch a classic British movie in one of our big lecture theatres!

Why you should take part in International Orientation

When I arrived in Portsmouth, Orientation week was one of the most important things and helped me a lot. When we, as International Students, come from a country where we are used to knowing how everything works and where everything is, moving to a country where we don't know any of these things can be overwhelming. Our lives can start to be super difficult and sometimes it even becomes complicated to deal with everyday situations. So I believe that Orientation Week plays a fundamental role.

And, another good side of it,  we are never doing this alone because the International Student Ambassadors are always there to help us with any doubts or questions.

So, try to be a part in all (or at least some of) the events during Orientation, from the important ones to the fun ones, so that you can have a better experience in your first weeks in Portsmouth and at the University!

Written by Mar Rodrigues, Portugal