We know that starting College can be daunting and you might be feeling nervous about beginning your studies, but don’t worry. We’ve put together our top tips for starting College in this blog post to make your first day a little bit easier. We want you to have some of the best years of your life at Middlesbrough College and we hope you are looking forward to joining us!
What to bring
You should bring in a bag with you so you can take any College work home with you that you need to complete. You should also bring in a pen and pencil and some paper or a notebook. Depending on what subject you are studying, you may need to bring in specialist uniforms or equipment with you to College. Your tutor will provide all of this information for you when you start.
It may also be beneficial to bring in a remote device such as a tablet or laptop, if you have one at home. Our MC Click scheme provides eligible students with free digital loan device to assist you with your studies.
Loan laptops are for all 16-19-year-old students on a Level 1, 2 or 3 study programme, all HE students on Level 4 and 5 programmes (excluding Professional Quals AAT and NEBOSH) and Access to HE students (excluding distance learning).
Find out more about MC Click here.
How to get here
We’ve made it easy for you to get to College and have teamed up with the area’s biggest bus and train operators to offer you FREE* bus travel 7 days a week and REIMBURSED weekday train travel to and from Middlesbrough College. Whether you live 15 or 50 minutes away, there are a number of bus and train routes available to make the journey that bit easier. This includes 5 dedicated bus routes exclusively for our students! Full details can be found here.
If you want to travel and get fit, the College is on a number of the major cycle routes, and we provide secure cycle parking facilities so you can bike into College safely.
If you want to travel by car or motorcycle, you can apply for a parking permit to allow you to use the College car parks.
Where to eat
You can enjoy our famous chicken nuggets at Middlesbrough College as our canteens are open! We have a number of food outlets on campus, including Cafe 66 found opposite student services, a sandwich and pasta king bar, canteens within the Stem Centre and MC6, and our brand new outside options, Street Eats and Cost Coffee.
You’re also welcome to bring in a packed lunch to College which you can eat in any the seating area of any of our canteens or, if it’s a bright and sunny day, outside in the Campus Heart.
Don’t forget your ID
To ensure the College continues to provide a safe and friendly environment, the College has a barrier system in place at the entry to the main site.
All students are able to easily access the College, utilising their College ID cards. We would encourage students to keep their ID visible at all times within the building to allow security staff to easily identify them as a student within the learning zones of the College.
You can identity staff members at Middlesbrough College by their red lanyard. If you have any questions, don’t be afraid to ask.
What to do if you’re feeling unwell or are late
If you feel unwell, please notify your tutor and our Student Services Team, you can call them on 01642 333606.
If you are going to be absent from college on a timetabled day due to illness or if you’re running late, you must call the Attendance Officer and/or the Department Administration Team to report the absence before 10.00am on the day of absence.
Absence calls must be made to the relevant number below:
Visual Performing Arts & Computing (inc. Music, Games, Art, Fashion Retail: 01642 333307
Service Industries & Retail Skills (inc. Hair & Beauty, Catering & Hospitality): 01642 333599
Sports, Travel & Public Services: 01642 333772
Middlesbrough College Sixth Form (MC6): 01642 333816
Construction: 01642 333497
Engineering & Motor Vehicle: 01642 333555
Health & Care, Business & Education: 01642 333324
TTE: 01642 462266
Progression Studies, Life Skills and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages): 01642 333396 / 01642 333324