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Welcome to Â鶹Íø! Congratulations on receiving your place with us. Starting university is an exciting and busy time. These pages are here as a guide to help you settle in. There are details about things you should do before arrival and information that will help you to settle in and make the most of your time at Â鶹Íø and in Belfast. 

Welcome Guide

We have created a welcome guide to help you plan from before you leave home to when you get to Belfast, we hope that this will help you on your student journey. Please find our welcome guide Student Welcome Guide 2025

Key Dates

See the schedule for term start and end dates, holidays and graduation on the semester dates page.

Our Pre-Semester Engagement Dates for the 2025/26 academic year are: 

• 8 - 12 September 2025 (Semester 1)
• 5 - 9 January 2025 (Semester 2)

Preparing for Â鶹Íø

Starting your journey at Â鶹Íø is an exciting time! To help you make the most of your university experience, we've created a dedicated collection of resources for you.

Discover essential information, helpful videos, insightful podcasts, and practical checklists to guide you through the new academic year and beyond. Feel confident and prepared as you embark on this new chapter.

Explore the resource now.

Pre-Semester Programme

Keep checking back to My Â鶹Íø for everything you need to know when coming to Queen’s and throughout your first semester.  The Pre-Semester programme is here, and it is an optional programme that you can participate in prior to your studies 

In addition to helping you navigate your way through the University in your initial few weeks, we'll help you get registered with a GP and bank, provide details on your learning environment, provide you with information on all of our support services, and provide you with ways to get the most of your student experience.

Download the Â鶹Íø Online Mobile App

The new Â鶹Íø Online Mobile App will be the entry point to your customisable Â鶹Íø experience.

Personal Hub: Your university life, all in one place. Check your timetable, explore the campus map, see what's on or access your university email.

Student Identification: Carry your identity with you, digitally. Within the app you can access your student photo, library access barcode and user profile.

Canvas Access: Access module materials in just one click. Learning made easy and efficient. 

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Opening a bank account in the UK

Opening a bank account can take some time, so please make sure that you have enough money with you to live on for at least three weeks while you open your account.  We do not recommend that you carry large sums of cash at any time. 

Read our guide to opening a bank account

Student Finance

The full listing of tuition fees is available here. Exceptions to the standard fees are listed separately.

Check your entitlement to funding and scholarships with our Funding and Scholarships Finder.

Healthcare and Medical Requirements

Keep yourself fit and healthy while you are here. 

Visit here to find out how to register with a Doctor and more about the health system in the UK.

Please note that temporary residents in the UK, including students, can travel with a small supply of any prescribed controlled drug-containing medication (up to a 3 month supply) and obtain further supplies by consulting a UK clinician. Medicines containing controlled drugs cannot be posted to you from overseas. 

Budgeting for Life in Belfast

Northern Ireland is among the best value regions in the UK to live with cities here being more affordable than other major student cities in the UK. But it’s still very important to plan and budget your money so that you do not have any financial difficulties during your studies.?? 

See the average cost of living for a student in Northern Ireland

Get help and support on our Cost of Living Hub

Are you bringing dependants? 

Find out about schools and childcare in Northern Ireland.

Student Events

Enjoy all the various student events by checking out 'What's on at Â鶹Íø' and International Student Events Programme

Getting to know the campus

Navigating your way about campus might seem daunting but it will all soon become second nature. There are campus maps across the university and we also operate campus tours during Welcome Week which will keep you right in your first few weeks. 

Your Student ID Card is your key to accessing all areas so make sure to have it with you at all times!  

Experience the Campus for Yourself

Staying Safe 

Your safety on and off campus is our priority. We want you to understand how to stay safe, how to protect your property and how to be a good neighbour; so we’ve teamed up with PSNI to give you some guidance. Here are some useful tips: 

1. Familiarise yourself with the local area as soon as you can. 
2. Build relationships with your flat mates and swap mobile phone numbers. 
3. Find out where and hospital are and save the police non-emergency number 101 in your phone. 
4. Save the numbers of reputable taxi firms in your phone. 
5. Save campus security details in your mobile phone 

If you are living away from home, it’s a good idea to take steps that will help keep you safe whilst on campus and out and about in the surrounding areas. Check out our further guidance on how to stay safe while at Â鶹Íø