Wellbeing for students

If a student needs urgent medical treatment or is in immediate danger, call:

• 999 for the emergency services (off campus)
• 4444 for Security (on campus) 

The Student Counselling and Mental Health Advice Service is a free and confidential service available to all registered students at Imperial. The service offers counselling, mental health advice, workshops and courses and webpages which signpost to further support resources.

The team of Chaplains at the Chaplaincy Multi-Faith Centre have experience of listening to people share their grief and bereavement. Students can arrange to talk to a member of the chaplaincy on any of these or other matters.

The Advice Service at Imperial College Union (ICU) is an independent, confidential, and friendly service where students can discuss navigating the university's academic policies and procedures. Students can also speak to the service if they are facing challenges during their studies that require mitigation, or if they are unhappy with something about their experience and would like to explore their opinions.

Imperial is committed to promoting a university environment where everyone is treated with respect and courtesy. No forms of bullying or harassment are tolerated at Imperial.

If a student feels harassed, bullied or victimised, they are encouraged to speak with their department’s Student Wellbeing Advisor, Personal Tutor, or Senior Tutor. They can also seek advice from the Imperial College Union Advice Centre.

Imperial uses the Report and Support tool which allows individuals to disclose unwelcome behaviours. Individuals can use the tool if they have witnessed an incident, or experienced bullying or harassment directly. They can also disclose anonymously or provide their details to be put in contact with someone.

The bullying and harassment webpage in the Student Support Zone lists the different options for students to consider, and where they can seek advice and support before they decide what you want to do. 

Settling into life at Imperial can be an exciting time, and it can bring its own unique challenges. It is important students know about the various services at Imperial which they seek support with transitions into and through.

Students can find information and links to support services for a range of common concerns in the Student Support Zone including homesickness, academic performance and wellbeing.

The Success Guide is an online resource to support students as they adjust to university life. The guide offers hints, tips and advice on a range of topics including what to do when arriving at university, settling in, effective study skills, preparing for exams and assignments, understanding feedback and links to health and wellbeing pages.

Library Services provide print and online resources, research support and workshops, and a variety of study spaces. There are seven libraries spread across South Kensington, Silwood Park, Hammersmith and White City and the medical campuses. There is also the GoStudy spaces, located on Levels 4 and 5 of the Chemistry Building.

Students will attend a library induction organised by their department, where they can learn about Library Services and meet their subject librarian. Librarians additionally run workshops for undergraduate and postgraduate students, where students can learn how to use some of the online resources provided by Library Services and how to enhance academic skills.

Attributes & Aspirations (AA) is an interactive, practical, flexible online short course designed to develop key skills that will help  students in their studies and their futures. AA introduces students to Imperial and what university learning will be like. Students can then choose from a range of skills to develop including communication, teamworking, and time management.

Settling in is challenging for any student and may be even more so for students who are getting used to living in the UK. Experiencing culture shock is entirely normal and usually unavoidable. However, there are resources to support students:

• The International Student Support team provides specialist immigration advice and runs a programme of webinars, trips and events to foster integration, friendship and community
• Advice on navigating culture shock from the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA)
• Cultural societies at Imperial College Union (ICU) 

The Fees and funding webpages are a student’s first port of call for all financial matters.

The Imperial Bursary may be available to Home undergraduate students, if their household income is up to £70k per year. Offering up to £5,000, students will automatically qualify for each year of their course that they are financially assessed for. There is no application process for the bursary. The information from an application for a means-tested loan from a regional funding body is shared with the university and used to assess eligibility for the Imperial Bursary. Students are not required to take out the maintenance loan but must be means-tested.

While students are expected to have an appropriate level of funding in place before commencing their studies, these circumstances may change. The Student Support Fund is available for current students to apply to, who face unexpected financial hardship with their costs of living (excluding support for tuition fees or visas). The Fund provides short term assistance for living costs up to £5,000.

Blackbullion is a digital financial education platform designed to provide students with money skills for life. Blackbullion is free for all Imperial students and provides access to a full range of online learning pathways and tools to help students manage their finances and build a better financial future.

The Underrepresented Students Opportunities Fund is designed to help students from some underrepresented backgrounds to access academic and extracurricular development opportunities offered though Imperial or external organisations. The purpose of this fund is to allow students to access activities which help support their overall student experience. The fund is open to students who are care-experienced, estranged from their families, young adult carers or refugees and asylum seekers, or with another forced migration background. 

Students can find lots of helpful information on finding accommodation on the Accommodation webpages. including information on university and private halls.

All new first year undergraduates are guaranteed a room in an Imperial Hall if they would like one. The In your halls webpage offers practical advice, including on amenities and safety.

Rooms are available in different halls of residence for continuing undergraduates, subject to availability. The university also has provision for continuing undergraduate students who have medical or wellbeing needs and would benefit from living in a hall of residence after the first year of study. Imperial also has the opportunity to nominate continuing undergraduate students in financial hardship for rooms designated as affordable in externally operated student accommodation.

There are Private Housing Masterclass topics around private housing, from the initial search and contracts, through to the tenancy and moving out.

The support services pages include further information on the services they provide and how they support students in housing queries. The service includes a contract checking service and rent-guarantee scheme for undergraduates.

Imperial Home Solutions is a private accommodation search engine that is affiliated with the university which provides an accommodation search facility.

The student accommodation team can be contacted:

• By email
• By phone at +44 (0)207 594 3300
• At select times by visiting the Student Hub (in South Kensington) 

The Disability Advisory Service (DAS) provides individually tailored support for all students at Imperial who have a disability or a specific learning difference. The service offers support for:

• Specific learning differences
• Enduring mental health or health conditions
• Autism spectrum conditions
• Sensory and physical impairments 

 
Students can request an appointment with the service for access to adjustments and support. Students should apply for Additional Exam Arrangements (AEA) at least six weeks in advance.

The service also offers advice to students who think they might have a disability or specific learning difference and are seeking an assessment.

Information on appointment with DAS can be found here.

Within their departments, students can seek advice and support from their Departmental Disability Officers (DDOs). DDOs help organise and facilitate the support for students within a department. Students can reach out to their DDO for help with issues such as:

• Specific questions about their course, studies or departmental facilities
• Difficulties that might arise in the rare event that there is any problem in implementing recommendations
• Mitigating circumstances
• Applying for additional exam arrangements 

Personal tutors should also consider the Inclusive learning for students with specific learning difficulties/differences course to better understand what specific learning differences are and how to make changes to support students with their learning.

More generally, personal tutors should ensure their teaching and assessment is inclusive of all students. The Educational Development Unit’s Inclusive learning and teaching webpages are designed to assist in this. 

The Centre for Academic English offers students support for their academic communication needs at each stage of their studies, even where English is a native language. The Centre hosts a suite of online self-study modules, guided activity sessions and workshop, and bookable one-to-one sessions with a coach. 

The Careers Service offers impartial, up to date information, guidance and advise to support students to explore and progress into whatever career is right for them. They support personal tutors to help students develop their career awareness and build transferable skills to allow a successful transition onto either graduate level work or further study.

The careers service offers a range of programmes including work shadowing to Year 1 students, alumni mentoring, internships, careers fairs and events alongside training on all elements of career development. The also offer one-to-one careers support to all students and to alumni, for up to three years after graduate.