Transition to Higher Education

STUDENT WELLBEING
TRANSITION TO HIGHER EDUCATION

The transition to university can be daunting and scary. The main worries for new students are around mental health support, student finance and adjusting to university life and study. New students are also keen to interact with other students, to build and sustain new lasting friendships and begin to socialise.

We always encourage our students to reach out to us if they have any questions about Stranmillis ahead of their course commencing. We have an excellent Student Support team, tutors and Students’ Union who can all provide support and answer any questions that you might have. You are never alone at Stranmillis.

Starting a university course can mean a new city for you, moving away from your established friends and family. We know that having as much information as possible about Belfast and life on campus can help make that transition a little easier. The information and resources here may be of help to you in your transition to Higher Education.

The information and resources here may be a help to you in your transition to Higher Education.

Clubs and societies

There are many clubs and societies in Belfast that can join depending on your interests, for example, book clubs and running clubs. Some of these clubs are online and others in person. However, remember to meet strangers in a public space and do not get involved in any financial transactions with any person or club unless a thorough check is done.

There are also many clubs and societies at Stranmillis. To find out more about the clubs and how to join them, contact the Students’ Union.

Christian Union
Drama
GAA/LGFA
Hockey
Horticultural
King Scholars
Ladies Rugby
Men’s Football
Music
Netball
Stran TV

Some of the popular groups and clubs in Belfast are listed below:

Local places

Belfast is a great city and there are many different places of interest, activities, museums and events taking place in and around the city.

Visit Belfast Welcome Centre has a range of guides to help you navigate the city. They provide information about the attractions and events in the city that might be of interest to you whilst you study here.

An online copy of their guides can be accessed using the links below:

Belfast City Guide

Student Guide

Walking

There are many ways to travel in and around Belfast. Walking is one of the easiest, mostly followed and cheapest ways to travel around, and also keep fit!

Here is the walker’s guide to help you find places to go walking in Belfast.

Walk-NI and Belfast City Council’s Walking, orienteering and eco-trails gives a listing of walking trails ranging from 0.25 miles to 87 miles, with details about the routes, trail type, distance, clubs/groups and other useful information.

Cycling

Cycling is another good option for a leisurely outing.

In line with the Eco Campus Action Plan, Stranmillis is promoting sustainable transport options amongst campus users for a healthy lifestyle. There are upgraded and extended cycle parking facilities available on campus.

A list of cycle parking stations on campus are as follows:

SITE	LOCATION	DESCRIPTION
Main Building	Front of Main Building	Uncovered parking
Central Building	Bandstand area, adjacent to Central Building and Stranmillis House	Covered parking
Central Building	Central Building	Uncovered parking
Orchard Building	Rear of the Orchard Building	Uncovered parking
Halls Area	Heart of the halls area	Covered parking

The Belfast Bikes public bike share scheme gives the option of renting bikes from any of their docking stations at attractive rental plans. More information can be found at Belfast Bikes , contacting customer service team at belfastbikes@nsl.co.uk or calling at 034 3357 1551. New registration information is available here. The Nextbike mobile app can be downloaded from Apple Store or Google Play.

Transport

Transport services available to travel around Belfast include taxi’s, buses and trains.

Taxis services available in Belfast are:

Uber: Booking can be done online or using Uber App (Google Play or Apple Store).

Value Cabs: Booking can be done online, by calling +44 (028) 9080 9080 or using Value Cabs App (Google Play or Apple Store).

FonaCAB: Booking can be done online, by phone +44 (028) 90 333 333 or by the FonaCAB app (Google Play or Apple Store).

Translink is the primary integrated public transport operator of bus and rail services in Northern Ireland. Online tickets can be purchased on the Translink website.

Special offers are available, which give discounts based on certain conditions like age, day of travel and so on. For instance, the Translink yLink card offers 1/3 off on bus and rail services for travelers aged between 16-23.

Check out the other special offers available Special Offers.

Bus Service:

Metro operates throughout the city.

Glider G1 is a cross-city service between the east and west of the City and G2 serves Titanic Quarter.

Ulsterbus bus services operate in main towns and cities across Northern Ireland.

Goldline express coach service operate across Northern Ireland and some services cross border.

Train Service:

NI Railways have a network of express services and trains available to different locations in NI. A train map is available at Northern Rail Network Map