The month before you start

If you haven't done so already, activate your Imperial account here: www.imperial.ac.uk/ict/activateaccount. This account will give you access to all essential digital tools at Imperial including My Imperial where you can access your personal information, including your student record. 

Once you have activated your account and logged into My Imperial for the first time, be sure to check all your information in 'My personal details' to check everything is up-to-date. If you don't know your term-time address yet, you can leave it blank for now, but make sure you come back to update it as soon as you know it.

If you are having any difficulty activating your account, there is more information available on the Activate your Imperial account webpage. If you need to contact someone for help, get in touch with the ICT Service Desk.

You are responsible for making arrangements to ensure that your tuition fees are paid, whether this is through government loans, sponsorship, or paying them yourself. If you have already applied for and been awarded a student loan from the Student Loans Company, you shouldn't have to do anything further. For most other students, you should have received a tuition fee invoice that must be paid within 30 days of receipt.

There are various methods and options for paying your tuition fees. You can find out all you need to know on the Tuition fees payment pages.

Uploading your photo is an important step so we can create your student ID card, which you’ll receive when you arrive. If you don’t do this at least 3 days before your course start date then there will be delays getting your ID card which you need to access your accommodation and campus buildings.

To upload your ID photo, please follow these steps:

1. Log in to My Imperial
2. Locate the “My ID photo” tile on your dashboard
3. Click on the tile and follow the brief instructions to upload your photo

For a detailed step-by-step guide, see the Uploading a photo ID - instructional manual

As a new student, you need to complete the process of online enrolment before starting your course at the university. Online enrolment opens on My Imperial 30 days before the start date of your course.

Most courses have a start date in October, so for the majority of students, this will mean that online enrolment will open in September. After your course start date, you have only 21 days to complete online enrolment.

Visit the Online Enrolment webpage for full guidance on how to enrol.

Imperial has a legal requirement to the UK government to conduct a Right to Study check on all non-UK/Irish nationals studying at the University. If you are a non-UK or Irish national, you will need to upload evidence of your permission to be in the UK before you can complete the online enrolment process. The International Students Enrolment webpage has more information about this.

Moving into first-year halls (undergraduates)

Did you apply for Imperial accommodation before the deadline? If you’ve met all the conditions of your offer, expect an accommodation offer email in September. This email will include details of your allocated hall, though you’ll only find out your room number when you arrive.

To secure your room, make sure to accept the offer by the deadline mentioned in the email. After accepting, you’ll need to complete an online accommodation induction, which will guide you through everything you need to prepare for your move. After completing these steps, you won’t hear more about your accommodation until your arrival date.

If you have any questions or want details if who to contact for help, check out the Accommodation FAQs (including information about Silwood Park accommodation).

Arranging private accommodation

If you are seeking private accommodation (non-Imperial residences), it's important to secure this as soon as possible. London has a huge range of privately rented housing, but don’t panic if you don’t know where to start your search – Imperial’s Student Accommodation Office team can provide plenty of advice and support, even before you arrive at the university.

For help with finding accommodation in London, please see our Private Accommodation website.

Wherever you are living during your studies, there are many funding opportunities you can access in order to support your living costs while studying. 

For both undergraduate and postgraduate students, there are different funding opportunities including loans, grants, bursaries, and scholarships. Many of these will have deadlines that you will need to meet to make sure you are receiving your funding in time for your course. Find out more about your different funding options on our Fees and funding.

Many students also supplement their funding by working part-time during their studies. It is recommended that no student works more than 20 part-time work hours a week. For international students on a Student Visa, 20 hours is the maximum you can legally work during term time. Check out our Part-time Work page for more information.

Your department will have things that you should do in preparation to start your course. These tasks will be communicated to you by email, so keep an eye out for emails that come from emails addresses ending in @imperial.ac.uk to make sure you are aware of what to do.

Imperial Horizons is the flagship programme run by Imperial's Centre for Languages, Culture & Communication for undergraduate students. It is offered to undergraduates throughout your time at Imperial and gives you the opportunity to study a module not directly related to your academic course. The programme includes a wide range of modules in the fields of languages, change makers and humanities and social sciences to help stimulate your personal, professional, and intellectual growth. 

Enrolment for first years starting in 2025 opens on Wednesday 10 September - find out more about the programme, modules available, and how to enrol on the Imperial Horizons pages.

Imperial's Disability Advisory Service provide support to all students who have a disability, long-term health condition, or specific learning difficulty, whether or not you already have a diagnosis. If you think you may need support - for example, if you received support while at school or a previous university - then it's important to start the process early. The service can help arrange reasonable adjustments, such as exam accommodations, specialist equipment, assistive technology or Disabled Students' Allowances.

Visit the Disability Advisory Service's new students page for a guide on how to help ensure your smooth transition to Imperial.

If there's one thing all Imperial courses have in common it's that there will be maths involved! Incoming undergraduates can access our Introductory Maths webpage and have a look at the maths catalogue to help you plan and prepare for the maths content in your course. 

This catalogue will tell you

• What maths to expect in your first-year modules
• And provide you with a range of resources to practice