SEFY Pre-arrival Information
Everything you need to know before starting your university experience as a Science and Engineering Foundation Year student in our school.
Before you arrive
Part of the excitement of starting university is the chance to discover things for yourself and the freedom to explore a new city. We want to make your transition to university life as easy as possible so on this page, we're giving you some resources to help you prepare before you arrive in Sheffield.
Get ready for Sheffield by completing your to-do list tasks from this helpful student checklist
Make sure you’re registered
Registration is the number one task before starting your studies. You should have already received information separately about the registration process and related activities that are run centrally by the University. If you haven’t please go to the registration homepage to find out more. You must complete online registration prior to arriving in Sheffield.
You can’t start your course/attend lectures & seminars until you have registered with the University. If you haven't registered by 27th September 2024, you must get in contact with us (SEFY@sheffield.ac.uk).
The deadline for registering is Monday 21 October to start your course, and the in person appointment deadline is Friday 18 October 2024.
Welcome Week Timetables
Monday 23 September
| Time | Location | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 10am - 11:30am | Diamond Lecture Theatre 4 | Welcome to SEFY: Diamond Introduction |
| 11:45am - 12:45pm | Diamond Lecture Theatre 4 | Introductory Physics Talk |
| 11:45am - 12:45pm | Diamond Work Room 1 | Introductory Physics with Computing talk |
Tuesday 24 September
| Time | Location | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 9am - 9:15am | Diamond Lecture Theatre 4 | Maths And Statistics Help (MASH) Talk |
| 9:15am - 9:30am | Diamond Lecture Theatre 4 | SEFY - Staff Student Committee |
| 9:30am - 10:10am | Diamond Lecture Theatre 4 | Module Choice Information MAS005 |
| 9:30am - 10:10am | Diamond Lecture Theatre 2 | Module Choice Information MAS003 |
| 10:10am - 11:10am | Diamond Lecture Theatre 4 |
Introduction to SEFY and Health and Safety Briefing English Language Teaching Centre Talk Student Wellbeing Support Modern Language Teaching Centre Talk |
| 2pm - 4pm | Diamond Computer Room 2 |
Drop-in with staff Blackboard |
Wednesday 25 September
| Time | Location | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 9am - 11:30am | Diamond Computer Room 3 | Computer Science, Physics, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and Automatic Control and Systems Engineering Talk |
| 9am - 11:30pm | Diamond Structures Lab | Mechanical Engineering and Civil Engineering Talk |
| 11:30am - 2pm | Diamond Computer Room 3 | Aerospace Engineering and Materials Engineering Talk |
| 11:30pm - 2pm | Diamond Structures Lab | General Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Chemistry Talk |
Thursday 26 September
| Time | Location | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1pm - 3pm | Online - Blackboard | Race and Consent Session |
Friday 27 September
| Time | Location | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 12pm - 1pm | Diamond Computer Room 1 | Optional Drop-in to Recap Welcome Week with Q&A |
You can also view your Welcome Week Timetable through SEFY Google site.
Suggested reading
Whilst there is no need to prepare or do any specific reading, there are resources available if you would like to take a look at anything before you arrive. Everyone comes to Sheffield with different backgrounds, so you will be taught all you need relating to maths, chemistry and physics in your first year. However, if you haven't studied some of these at A Level and would like to make a head start, we'd recommend having a look at some of the materials below:
- Matlab Onramp and Matlab Fundamentals
- If you haven’t studied maths (or it was a long time ago) sections 1-19 only (20+ is taught at year 1)
If you’d like to develop your academic report writing skills:
Your guide to Sheffield
Whether you already live in Sheffield, or you're coming to us from elsewhere, there's plenty to see. From the stunning Peak District right on our doorstep to the trendiest cafes and bars all the way to Tramlines music festival, we've got it all.
We have a full guide to Sheffield, including food and drink, sports, arts and culture and how to get around.
Another guide to the city can be found here, which includes information on our festivals, augmented reality art trail 'Look Up' and an alternative LGBTQ+ guide to the city.
There are also maps of Sheffield and information on local public transport to help you navigate the city. In fact, we have a range of different maps to help you find your way around and find what you need:
IT Services
If you need support with anything IT related, there are some resources here, including information on Google Workspace, Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Drive
Here are some other helpful guides and explanations:
- Connecting to University WiFi
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
- IT Help & Support
- Self Service Portal
- UCards
Mental health support
Starting university is a huge change, and there may be times when you need some extra support.
The Student Mental Health, Counselling and Therapies Service can help you navigate your support options and agree on a tailored plan of psychological support. Any University of Sheffield student can register online with the service. Further information on the service can be found on the Student Hub.
NHS support for mental health is also available via the University Health Service or at the Sheffield Walk-In Centre Wellbeing Hub. For the Walk-In Centre, no appointment is required. However, you can call to book a video consultation, phone consultation, or an appointment slot for you to attend.
The University Counselling Service (UCS) runs a number of mental wellbeing workshops, free of charge and operating on a drop-in basis. These require no registration and are free to all students.
Togetherall is an anonymous digital mental health support service available to all students, so you can have free access to support at home or while abroad. It provides immediate access to 24/7 online peer and professional support, with trained counsellors.
The Student Wellbeing Service offers short-term, tailored one-to-one support if you’re experiencing difficulties and challenges, to help you manage your wellbeing and succeed at University. If you’re feeling down, overwhelmed or struggling to adjust to student life, your Faculty Wellbeing Advisor can assist you in improving your wellbeing and help you get back on track.