Headstart

Want to get a headstart on university life?

Headstart gives you the key skills and knowledge you’ll need for a successful transition to life at university.

Starting with a self-guided online course and webinars led by UEA staff and current students, and culminating in an on-campus event, you’ll be exploring the differences between your former studies and Higher Education and learning more about the support available to you throughout your studies.

Here's what students have to say about it:

“The atmosphere was nice and comfortable, allowing me to take in information without feeling especially anxious, and everyone I spoke to (staff and ambassadors) were all very helpful and considerate.” – Headstart participant 2022

What will I learn?

You’ll start by enrolling on the ‘Preparing for University’ online course, a self-led programme split into four sections, covering the core academic skills you’ll need to thrive at university. This can be completed at your own pace, and you can refer back to these sessions once you start university.

You will then be invited to the following sessions:

Webinar: Supporting Transition to University

When: Tuesday 1 September 2026, 6.00-7.00pm

Where: online via Microsoft Teams

On-campus event: Headstart

When: Tuesday 8 September 2026, 9.00am-3.00pm

Where: UEA Campus

What will happen at the event?

For the webinar, we encourage you to invite anyone who may be supporting you during your time at university; this could be a parent or carer, a partner, a friend, or a relative. UEA staff and current students will share tips on how best to support you as a new student and introduce you to the services available at UEA, both within your department and more widely.

For the on-campus event, the full timetable will be emailed to you in advance. You will have the chance to:

• Meet other incoming UEA students, as well as current students and staff

• Take part in activities run by a UEA academic from your Faculty

• Chat to the many support services on offer to support your student journey

• Explore the UEA campus and facilities

Note: due to the small-scale nature of the event, the on-campus event will only be open to students studying in the following Schools: Computing Sciences, Law, Psychology, Norwich Business School, and Health Sciences.

The webinar session is open to students from all Schools.

How do I apply?

Applications will open in mid-August 2026. In the meantime, please check the eligibility criteria (listed below) and keep an eye on your emails. We will contact you closer to the time with further information, including the sign-up form.

If we receive more applications than there are spaces, then we’ll randomly select people. If you’ve not been randomly selected, we’ll place you on a waiting list and you may be offered a place if someone else drops out.

If you do not meet our eligibility criteria for Headstart, you can still sign up to the Preparing for University online course.

Frequently asked questions

Questions?

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our friendly team at schoolsoutreach@uea.ac.uk and we’ll be happy to help.