Starting college is a big step, and it’s completely normal to feel a little nervous about what to expect. Whether you’re excited, nervous or a bit of both, we’re here to help you settle in and feel at home.
Most importantly, remember that everyone is in the same boat and it won’t be long before college starts to feel familiar. want you to have some of the best years of your life at Middlesbrough College and we hope you are looking forward to starting your journey with us.
What to bring
Theres nothing worse than that sinking feeling thinking you have forgotten something you need, and you will feel so much more relaxed knowing you have everything you need.
You should bring a bag with you to help you carry everything you need and take college work back home with you safely. Bring a pencil or a pen and a notebook to keep notes during your lessons. Depending on the subject you are studying you will need to bring specialist equipment or uniforms, however your tutor will discuss this with you before you start.
Through our MC Click scheme, all full-time students aged 16-19 (or 16-24 with SEND) can borrow a laptop free of charge to help with your studies.
Getting to college
Plan your journey before you start, so on your first day the stress of getting lost and not knowing where to go is completely out the picture.
Travelling to and from College shouldn’t be an issue, which is why we have teamed up with the area’s biggest travel operators to offer students free* weekday bus travel up to 7pm and REIMBURSED weekday train travel to and from Middlesbrough College. Whether students live 15 or 50 minutes away, there are several bus and train routes available to make the journey that bit easier.
Please note: The free travel offer is for Full-time students.
*Free travel for all students eligible for financial assistance and for all other students’ travel will be £60 per term fee.
If you want to travel and get fit, the College is on a few of the major cycle routes, and we provide secure cycle parking facilities so you can bike into college safely.
Don’t forget your ID
To make sure 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 can easily access the college using their college ID cards attached to their lanyards. We encourage students to always keep their ID visible within the building because our security uses it to identify a student and what specific learning zone in the college they are from.
Making friends on your first day
For some people, making friends can be the scariest part of starting at a new college. Some of your friends may have moved to different colleges and you will have to make entirely new friends, which can sound very daunting.
However, you must remember that many other students in the college will be feeling the same way.
When you start on your first day, you will meet many students on your course and because you have picked the same course you will already have one similar interest to talk about. The College has many enrichment activities to get involved in and meet new people.
Enrichment | Students | Middlesbrough College
What to do if you’re feeling unwell or are late
If you feel unwell whilst at college, please notify your tutor. You can also visit our Student Services Team if you need support.
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.
Click here to view the phone numbers for each department.
We can’t wait to meet you!
Most importantly we hope you enjoy your time here at Middlesbrough College and wish you all the best in your future here. We are sure you will do great here and take every day as it comes. If you have any issues, there will always be people around the college willing to help you out. We look forward to seeing you in September!