Guide for International Students 2011 - Cardiff Law School

studying at cardiff university2829www.cardiff.ac.uk/internationalstudying at cardiff universitywww.cardiff.ac.uk/internationalStudying at Cardiff UniversityEnrolmentTo become a student of CardiffUniversity and gain access to thelibrary and computing facilities, youwill need to enrol online before youarrive in Cardiff. To enrol onlineyou will need to either pay yourtuition fees or provide evidence ofsponsorship for each year of yourprogramme. For more informationon paying your fees see page 22.When can I enrol?You will be sent an email from CardiffUniversity telling you when and how to enrolonline 3 weeks before the start of your course.You will use your username and passwordwhich you should have received already andbe asked your student number and yourdate of birth. If you have not received yourusername and password 3 weeks before thestart of your course, please contactthe enrolment team by emailenrolment@cardiff.ac.ukHow do I enrol online?To complete online enrolment go tohttp://sims.cardiff.ac.ukYou will be guided through a series ofweb pages which will enable you to checkinformation held by the University about you,and update information where required.We recommend you enrol onlinebefore arriving in Cardiff to avoid:— delays in your Cardiff University StudentCard being issued— delays in being able to access Universitycomputing facilities— delays at School enrolment— delays in obtaining your bank letter whichyou will need to open a UK bank accountOnce you have completed online enrolmentyou will be shown details of your course andthe core modules which form part of thecourse that you are registered for on the“Confirmation of Student Enrolment” screen.You may wish to print this out for your recordsand to show that you have completed onlineenrolment (a copy will be emailed to yourCardiff University email address).After online enrolment, you need tocomplete your School enrolment and attendSchool induction activities when you arrivein Cardiff. To find out where and when theseare, see the School Enrolment Information2011/2012 web page for your School, youryear and coursewww.cardiff.ac.uk/regis/enrolment/essentialStudent identity cardYou must obtain your student identity cardafter you have enrolled. Your identity card willallow you to use the Students’ Union, sportsfacilities, libraries and IT rooms. You will needto collect your ID card from the Students’Union. Students who are based at the HeathPark Campus can obtain their NHS cardsfrom their Schools. You should keep this cardwith you at all times, it shows that you are astudent of Cardiff University and it containsyour important and unique student number.Your student card also gives you discountsin shops (see page 25).In order to comply with the UK Government’snew immigration rules, before you pick upyour student ID card, University staff willmake a copy of your visa in your passport.AcademicsupportYou may find the pace and level ofacademic work higher than you have beenused to when you start your course, butsupport is available within the Universityto help you improve your study skills.Where can I go for help if I’mworried about my academicstudies?Your Personal Tutor should be your firstpoint of contact. Your Personal Tutor willbe a member of academic staff within yourSchool who will be able to advise you onany academic, personal or health matterthat is affecting your studies. They mayalso refer you to one of the other Universityadvice staff if they feel you would benefitfrom speaking to a specialist. Your PersonalTutor should arrange to see you at least 3times each year, but you can also arrange ameeting with them.How can I arrange to see myPersonal Tutor?Your tutor or course lecturers will usuallyhave office hours when they are available tosee students. You can contact them at theend of classes or by email to arrange a timeto meet. They may have a sheet of paperoutside their office where you can sign upfor an appointment.Where can I access studyskills support?You can also access online advice aboutimproving your study skills and revisiontechniques atwww.cardiff.ac.uk/advice/academic/studyskillsWhere can I accessEnglish support?The University offers a variety of InsessionalEnglish language and studyskills courses specially designed to helpinternational students succeed. If Englishis not your first language, you may find youneed extra support understanding lectures,seminars and completing assignments.Some Schools have their own programmesof language and study skills supportfor international students which arespecifically developed to meet the needsof a particular course or subject area.Further details on the webwww.cardiff.ac.uk/elt/insessionalWill academic study at CardiffUniversity be similar to howit is in my country?You are likely to find that there are somethings that are similar but many thingsare going to be different. Many peoplefind that studying at University is a newchallenge, and they need to find differentways of working and studying effectively.As with all aspects of life in a new countryand culture it is important to keep an openmind and be flexible. If you are unsureabout anything, ask your personal tutor,or someone in your School.Semester dates 2011 - 2012 for undergraduate courses*Induction ProgrammeWednesday 21 September - Sunday 2 October 2011Semester 1 (Autumn Term)Monday 3 October 2011 -Friday 27 January 2012Christmas HolidaysMonday 19 December 2011 -Sunday 8 January 2012Semester 1 (exam period)Monday 16 January -Friday 27 January 2012Semester 2 (Spring Term)Monday 30 January -Friday 15 June 2012Easter HolidaysMonday 2 April -Sunday 22 April 2012Semester 2 (exam period)Monday 14 May -Friday 15 June 2012*The academic year dates for postgraduate students and anyone studying a health-related subject canvary according to the course you are studying but often follow a similar pattern. Your School will sendyou the academic year dates.What can I do toprepare for studyingin Cardiff?There is a free pre-arrivalinteractive website forinternational students thatprovides examples of what it islike to study at a UK universitywww.prepareforsuccess.org.uk