New Undergraduate & Visiting Student Orientation Fall 2025
We are excited to welcome new undergraduate and visiting students this September for new student orientation at Chiswick Park. The week will include residential move in to our halls at Stay Club/North Acton, seminars related to life in London, an overview visa and immigration rules and support in accessing to University systems. There will also be ample opportunity for you to meet the faculty teaching your classes and chances for you to socialise with other new students on and off campus.
Here’s an overview of the week:
| Day | Session |
| Monday, 1 September | Airport collection for residential students at Heathrow (9am – 5pm), please book your place! Meet your residence life team and tour your new home “Speedmating” Evening Social |
| Tuesday, 2 September | Document checks–passport & boarding pass REQUIRED Campus and local area tours Mandatory Visa Session Visiting Student Welcome Evening Social and Cultural Activities (booking may be required) |
| Wednesday, 3 September | Accessing University Systems Sessions Meet your Major Faculty Sessions Faculty/Student Lunch Course Registration (by degree programme) Evening Social and Cultural Activities (booking may be required) |
| Thursday, 4 September | SGA Welcome Local Resources Pop-up Events Student Finance Session Course Registration (by degree programme) |
| Friday, 5 September | Drop-in appointments with staff as needed Cultural and Social Activities (booking may be required) |
| Saturday, 6 September | Social Activities, please book at store.richmond.ac.uk |
| Sunday, 7 September | Social Activities, please book at store.richmond.ac.uk |
Booking your place at Orientation
In order for us to manage crowds and offer you the best orientation experience possible, we will be organising orientation groups of about 20 people per group. You will attend sessions with your group which will have a unique time table. There are some sessions that are for specific groups of students (ie study abroad students, transfer students, students on visas, etc). These will be stand alone sessions offered for a portion of the population.
Your Pre-Orientation Checklist
Before you arrive, we are asking you to complete a few tasks that will make your arrival to London smoother. Please get started here:
- Log in to outlook.office.com and access your University email
You’ll need to change your password the first time you log in - Log in to blackboard.richmond.ac.uk to access our Virtual Learning Environment
We have set up an orientation course where you will find lots of resources to prepare for living and studying in the UK - Log on to the student portal on Rio (our student information system)
Upload a student ID photo
Confirm your living address in the UK, your mobile phone number and your personal email
Complete your health form - Join our WhatsApp communications chats and meet some new students studying in your area
- If you are a residential student, book your airport collection
- If you’re a student coming to the UK on a visitor visa, don’t forget to complete your ETA (electronic travel authorisation) before you travel. You do NOT need to do this if you are travelling on a student route visa
Questions?
Please contact us at [email protected] or contact us on WhatsApp