Mortha Halls of Ivy will be holding several events and induction sessions to welcome you into the College and onto your new course. We hope that you will attend as many of these sessions as possible as it is a great way to be introduced to your new classmates and lecturers.
When you arrive we would encourage you to look around the local area of Spark Hill and the Birmingham City Centre and become familiar with the local facilities such as the libraries and shops and places to eat and drink.
Within the College it’s a good idea to find out where your lessons are going to be, ahead of schedule, so that you turn up on time in your first week – start as you mean to go on! You should also use this opportunity to speak with your lecturers and teachers to find out if there are any reading materials you will need ahead of your lessons starting.
Familiarise yourself with the VLE and its interface. There are lots of valuable resources on there that you should maximize. Your program lecturers and teachers will be using the VLE extensively throughout your course and so it will be best to understand how it works as early on as possible.
We will be informing you of the key contacts you will need to be aware of whilst studying at the College and how we will keep in touch with you throughout your studies. Make sure you are checking your VLE account messages and College emails daily to ensure you don’t miss anything important.
On registration with the College, you will be issued with your ID card that you are required to keep with you at all times whilst in the building, this is to ensure your safety and the safety of others on campus. If you are found not to be wearing your ID badge whilst in the building; a member of staff may request you to put it on. We take this matter very seriously as we must know who is in the building at all times.
Advice will be given on how to apply for Bus, Rail or Oyster Card. Bus or Rail Passes can be used for Travel throughout the West Midlands. The Oyster card is the travel card you will need to get around London on the busses and the underground network and could be used for students traveling from London into Birmingham. Student welfare will also be showing you how to register your Oyster, in case of loss or theft, and explaining how to get a discount as a student on travel.
We will discuss with you the procedure that you will be required to follow in the event of a fire. For information, should the fire alarm sound you should evacuate the building, without going back to collect your bags and coats and assemble at the fire assembly point, at the Barclays Bank Car Park. For more information, you can refer to the Student Handbook made available to you. More briefing would be done on the day of Induction by one of our staff members.