The time to start university is finally here, after months of waiting you are now getting to move to a new city, where you will meet loads of new friends, all whilst studying a course for your future career. This is one of the most exciting times in a students life, but there is also added responsibility. Almost overnight you are suddenly responsible for paying tuition fees, finding somewhere to live, and having to register with the university doctor. To help you start university right, here are all the ways you may need help, and all the people you may need to contact for help during your time at the University of Bristol…
For Help
Accommodation
Email: accom-office@bristol.ac.uk
Phone: 0117 95 46640
Childcare
Email: university-nursery@bristol.ac.uk
Phone: 0117 927 6077
Disability & Dyslexia
Email: disability-services@bristol.ac.uk
Phone: 0117 331 0444
Faith & Spirituality
Email: multifaith-chaplaincy@bristol.ac.uk
Phone: 0117 954 6600
Fees & Finance
Email: student-fees@bristol.ac.uk
Phone: 0117 954 6372
Health
Phone: 0117 330 2720.
International Students
Email: international-office@bristol.ac.uk
Phone: 0117 39 40229
Student complaints & Academic appeals
Complaints
Email: student-complaints@bristol.ac.uk
Appeals
Arts Email: arts-exam-appeals@bristol.ac.uk
Engineering Email: engf-fem@bristol.ac.uk
Health Sciences Email: fhs-fem@bristol.ac.uk
Life Sciences Email: fls-appeals@bristol.ac.uk
Science Email: sci-exam-appeals@bristol.ac.uk
Social Sciences and Law Email: fssl-appeals@bristol.ac.uk
Volunteering
Email: volunteering@bristol.ac.uk
Wellbeing
Email: wellbeing-access@bristol.ac.uk
Phone: 0117 456 9860
Accommodation
There are two main options to decide between when you are looking for accommodation, which is university-managed accommodation or private student accommodation. The University of Bristol has a range of university-managed accommodation available, and you can also let the university know if you would prefer single-sex, alcohol-free, kosher, LGBT, or mature students only accommodation.
Bristol is a very popular city to live in, which can make finding private accommodation in the city very hard to find. So it’s best to start looking as soon as you apply, students should also read the universities guidance on finding privately rented accommodation.
To get in touch with the accommodation team you can email accom-office@bristol.ac.uk or call them at 0117 95 46640.
Childcare
The University of Bristol knows what childcare is really important for their staff and students, which is why they have a day nursery on campus for children 3 months to 5 years old. The nursery is split into four rooms based on ages (Baby room, Toddler room, Cub room and Lion room) and is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm, although this does not include bank holidays or staff training days.
The day nursery charges different prices depending on how old your child is, as well as if you are a student, member of staff, or the general public. For a student, it would cost £199.60 for a week, £42.71 a day, or £19.96 per session for a child aged 0-2. If the child is 2-3 it would cost £180.70 for a week, £39.02 a day, or £17.88 per session. Whereas if the child is 3-5 it would cost £171.00 for a week, £37.13 a day, or £16.84 per session. Sessions are available as 8:30 to 12:30 and 12:30 to 17:30, both of which include lunch. A session is also available as 13:30 to 17:30 but this does not include lunch.
To get in touch with the nursery you can call them on 0117 927 6077 or email them at university-nursery@bristol.ac.uk.
Disability and Dyslexia
The disability team at the University of Bristol support students with all sorts of disabilities and learning difficulties, as well as physical and mental health conditions. They also help students with temporary conditions, such as if they are ill, have a broken arm, or are pregnant. They can also help students apply for the disabled student’s allowance, which can pay for specialist equipment.
To get in touch with the disability team you can email them at disability-services@bristol.ac.uk or by calling them on 0117 331 0444.
Faith & Spirituality
There is a multifaith chaplaincy at the University of Bristol, which is open from 11 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday. The chaplaincy is a safe space on campus for all students, no matter their beliefs, and the chaplaincy also run regular and annual events throughout the academic year. They have a chaplain available specifically for most religions, all of whom can offer advice and supports to students.
To get in touch with the chaplaincy you can email them at multifaith-chaplaincy@bristol.ac.uk or call them on 0117 954 6600.
Fees and Finance
One of the main drawbacks of the university is the cost, as students are responsible for paying tuition fee’s, accommodation rent, as well as other living expenses. This is why most students apply for a student loan to help them cover their costs. With a student loan, the government will loan you the money for your tuition fees, which they will pay directly to your university on an annual basis. You can also apply for a maintenance loan which covers most of your living costs, such as accommodation, bills, food, etc.
If you would like some financial guidance and advice you can email the finance team at student-fees@bristol.ac.uk or by calling 0117 954 6372
Health
To use the student’s health service at the University of Bristol you must first register with the student health service. It’s important to do this as soon as you start your studies as each year there are 6000 new registrations which can take time to process.
To get in touch with the health service you can call them on 0117 330 2720.
International Students
The University of Bristol is one of the most popular universities in the UK, and it was placed in the worlds top 60 universities by the QS world university rankings for 2021, so it’s no wonder they have a large international student community filled with students and staff from over 150 countries. There is also an International Students Network at the university, which runs forums, social events, and campaigns. It is free to join the network and it is for all international students.
To get in touch with the international team you can email them at international-office@bristol.ac.uk or call them on 0117 39 40229.
Student complaints and academic appeals
Although most students have the time of their life at university things can go wrong, which may result in a student wanting to make a complaint. There are three steps students must follow to make a complaint, with the first being to informally raise the complaint with an appropriate member of staff. If the issue is not resolved students can fill in a complaint form and the complaint will be investigated. If students still are not happy with the result of their complaint they can ask for a complaint review panel to be made up to deal with the complaint.
To get in touch with the complaints team you can email them at student-complaints@bristol.ac.uk.
Students may also wish to make an academic appeal during their time at university if they are unhappy with a grade/result. However, you can only appeal if you can prove there were extenuating circumstances or if there was an irregularity in the decision making progress.
To get in touch with the appeals department you can email them through one of the following depending on your area of study. To contact the arts department email arts-exam-appeals@bristol.ac.uk, email engf-fem@bristol.ac.uk for the engineering department, email fls-appeals@bristol.ac.uk for the life sciences department, email fhs-fem@bristol.ac.uk for the health sciences department, email sci-exam-appeals@bristol.ac.uk for the science department, and fssl-appeals@bristol.ac.uk for the social sciences and law email.
Volunteering
If you find yourself having some free time and want to boost your cv then volunteering could be a great option for you, as you will get to help a worthy cause whilst also learning new skills. The University of Bristol has a variety of volunteering opportunities for their students, as well as an Outreach Team that organises awareness activities to areas of the community.
Some of the ways you can volunteer include volunteering in schools, with the elderly, on environmental projects, or for a specific cause like homelessness or health charities.
To get in touch with the volunteering team you can email them at volunteering@bristol.ac.uk.
Wellbeing
It is really important to remember to look after yourself whilst your studying at the University of Bristol, as even though your course may seem like the most important thing in the world, your mental and physical health is just as important. The university has a wellbeing service available 9 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday, which offers students advice and guidance on all issues that are negatively affecting their time at university.
To get in touch with the wellbeing service you can email them on wellbeing-access@bristol.ac.uk or call them at 0117 456 9860.
