Behind the scenes: Welcome

Find out how our Imperial staff support new and returning students.

Following on from A-level results day, the Welcome period is the next milestone event in the student lifecycle calendar. During this time, we welcome around 10,000 new students studying for undergraduate, postgraduate taught and postgraduate research degrees. We also welcome back existing students for the start of a new year of study.  

The planning and execution of this huge operational task involves colleagues from across the university, who all play a part in ensuring the success of Welcome.  

We spoke to staff who are involved behind the scenes.  

Sarah Al-Aride, Student Hub Administrator, Registry

“At the Student Hub we’re often the first point of contact for new and returning students during the Welcome period. It is a really exciting time of year, and you can see that the students are raring to go and ready for the new challenge ahead. It can be quite stressful for them though trying to navigate systems, get the documentation they need and settle into university life.  

"We are a one stop shop at the Student Hub and can help signpost students to other services such as Accommodation, International Student Support and Financial Support.  We manage queries via email, telephone, and in person, and I really enjoy the fact that we are a front-facing service. It’s so nice to be able to chat with students and reassure them in person.   

"Things can get hectic during this time of year, but our team is really tight-knit and supportive. Our students should remember that no question is too small, and if we don’t know the answer, we’ll find someone who does. Come and visit us at South Kensington or White City and we will be happy to help.” 

Vinesha Veramani, Events Coordinator, Imperial College Union

“There's something special about being part of someone's first experience at university or even the country for international students, and give them a positive impression of what their next few years are going to look like.  

"Having come to the UK as an international student myself, I am really passionate about coordinating our events for international students. This year we had lots of different activities, all designed to help students make friends. We had a great turnout!  

"Welcome Week is one of my favourite weeks and along with the Summer Ball is a real milestone in our event calendar  – it's a time when we all pull together as a team. It is when I have the most conversations and interactions with students at events, or even if they're just looking a little lost. It’s great to be able to help them get to know their students’ union, who we are and what we do for them.” 

Priya Saravanapavan, Senior Strategic Teaching Fellow and Admissions Tutor, Department of Materials

“As an Admissions Tutor and a former secondary school teacher, I understand that Welcome Week plays an important role in our students’ transition into university life. It is a time students should enjoy. They worked hard for their place at Imperial and now they are here they can take advantage of all the opportunities available to them.  

"In the Department of Materials, we held a full week of activities including icebreakers, meetings with personal tutors and an introduction to the Materials Society (MatSoc). Students even had a treasure hunt around the department and had to crack a code to get their lab coats and goggles!  

"The highlight for me was the final day of Welcome Week when we asked students to compete in small teams for a chance to win vouchers. Their challenge was to build boats to race in a paddling pool. We finished off the fun day with some boardgames.  

"I’ve been involved in Welcome Week for six years and I’m now handing over my role as Senior Tutor for Student Experience. I studied at Imperial myself, so it has been great to be so involved in shaping the start of student journeys here.” 

Jeevan Kelai, AV Support Engineer, ICT 

“The start of term is definitely the busiest time of year for us in the AV team. We’re part of the Digital Education team in ICT, and our job is to make sure all the teaching and event spaces across campuses are ready to go and all the tech is working. It is really important that the experience is consistent across our campuses, so that it is the same wherever our students are being taught.  

"We start checks in August, working with the Service Desk to test everything from microphones and projectors to Panopto and Zoom setups. If something’s not working, we step in to fix it before students arrive and teaching begins.  

"It’s a lot of moving parts, with over 900 teaching spaces to check, but the process has really been streamlined over the last few years. We work closely with departments and their AV contacts and that collaboration really helps. 

"What I enjoy most is working with our newly renovated spaces. It has been great to see the transformation of the Sherfield Building this year and being part of installing technology into those new teaching areas.”