Now is the time to tell use which subjects you want to study! We need to know before you arrive so that we can allocate you to appropriate peer mentor and personal tutor groups and also to make sure your timetable is visible when you start.    

There are two levels of choice you need to make – subjects and modules   

• All students need to select a stream (combination of three subjects) to study – you need to select this before you arrive. Some students will have all compulsory modules in their stream, so once you choose your stream, all of your modules can be entered into the system. 

• Some students will also need to select specialisms or optional modules within specific subjects on their stream – you will select these after you arrive in Nottingham and the process will be explained on the Monday of Welcome Week. 

There is some information below to help you decide which stream is the right choice for you. 

You need to select your stream using the online form below by Friday 1st September. 

If you are studying Biology, Cancer Sciences or Chemistry then you will have wet lab classes for which you will need a lab coat and safety goggles and we provide you with a set of these free of charge.

Find some guidance on sizing and measuring yourself.

Please complete the form to give us your details so that we can order the correct sizes. The form to request your lab equipment will be live after your A level results day, Thursday 17 August.

Submit your lab coat and safety goggle sizes (Link open after 17 August)

Other Equipment you may want to purchase 

Molecular models – Students on streams involving chemistry may find these helpful to visualize the structure of molecules (we do have a couple of sets in the common room that you can use). These are not compulsory but if you want to purchase a set and these are available from Blackwell’s ~£25. 

Calculators – Students on streams involving maths, physics, chemistry and biology will need a simple scientific calculator (which may be programmable) with logarithmic and trigonometric functions. The calculator you have used at school is usually sufficient but if you need to purchase one make sure it is a silent, self-contained calculator with single or dual-line display (to meet the restrictions for exams).   

Laptop/Computer - Computers are available on-campus in computer rooms but we recommend bringing your own laptop or similar device to university if possible. If you’re considering buying a laptop for your studies, please check our guidance on devices.

Tablet and stylus – These are not compulsory but can be useful for note-taking in graphical subjects if you prefer to make electronic notes. If you do not own a stylus and tablet, a good, affordable option is the Wacom One, which retails for around £35. This USB device is a tablet and stylus that plugs into your existing computer  

Textbooks – Textbooks are recommended at a modular level for natural sciences and we advise students to wait until after they arrive to decide whether to purchase books or not. All recommended textbooks are available from the libraries.

Recommended textbooks

We recognise that your prior learning has been disjointed and it can be difficult to feel fully prepared academically. There are a few resources which can be useful to help you prepare. 

Lighter reading/Listening – while we don’t recommend diving into textbooks it can be useful to do something in your subject area to keep your interest (and brain) working over summer. Read our list of popular science material for ideas of things that might be interesting to you.

See a list of popular science material

Isaac Physics online platform – Students studying physics on their stream can sign up for a free account and access a suite of assignments on this online platform which are good revision of the content you will need to know for your course. This is an optional activity.

Find details of how you can set up your optional account and access assignments

Introduction to mathematical methods – This free, online course was developed by the University of Nottingham to help undergraduate students studying maths in their stream. It covers most of the topics you will have covered at A-level and is a useful resource for preparing for the kind of mathematics you will encounter in the early stages of the course. This is an optional activity.

Access the intro to Mathematical Methods course

Maths problem booklet – Students studying Maths on their stream are recommended to complete this activity to help you to consolidate your knowledge, identify any problem areas and challenge yourselves with new problems. You can work through this at your own pace. The answers to these new problems will be released during Welcome Week.

Download the maths problem booklet (2021 version)

We like to give you the opportunity to get involved with the course and get to know each other before you arrive if we can and there are a few ways you can do this. 

Online chat with the peer mentors

Our mentors will be hosting a live chat online on the 13th September 3:30 - 5pm. You will get to know some of them and also ask any questions you might have and find out more about what to expect when arriving at halls and over the first couple of weeks of Welcome.

Join our MS Teams chat on 13th September 3:30 - 5pm

Connect with us on social media  

Follow us on Instagram for tips about packing for university, how to settle in and what you can’t miss in welcome from the current students.

Follow us on instagram

Join the Facebook new starters group for 2023-24 

The Facebook New Starters group is the best way that we have found to link up the students who are starting on the course in each academic year.

Join the New Starters 2023/24 group 

Preparing for university workshop

This workshop can be done in your own time and will be available from A level results day until the start of term.  

It aims to:  

• Get to know a bit more about some of the other students who will be starting Natural Sciences this year.  

• Start you thinking about some of the things which you can do to adapt to your new life in Nottingham. 

• Familiarise you with how the university is organised and some of the terminology you will encounter here.  

• Explain a few things about your relationship with the university and expectations of you as a student 

• Introduce you to some of the systems you will be using on your programme 

Complete the online workshop

Digital student on Moodle 

This resource is designed for you to interact with us throughout your time at Nottingham to assist you to develop the digital skills that you need to be successful during your studies. It allows you to benchmark your competencies in different areas and develop skills in the areas you need to develop.  

It is a good idea to start engaging with this before you arrive by having a look at the: 

• Communication section – specifically the resources on UON Communication Technology (DS1.1) 

• Information section - the bits on the MyNottingham app (DS2.1) 

• Digital Course Information (DS2.2) 

Please note: this page cannot be accessed until you have set up your IT account and this has been transferred across to Moodle (48hrs after IT account set-up). So, you will not be able to access it before the second week of September. 

The Welcome timetable will be published on our undergraduate page in September.

The Welcome schedule is designed to give you the information you need to get started on your programme at Nottingham and also to provide you with opportunities to meet key people involved with your learning including course staff, teaching staff, tutors, advisors, peer mentors, students from other years of the programme and your fellow first year Natural Sciences students.

Have a look through and familiarise yourself with the different sessions you will need to attend. Where a session is highlighted in grey it is subject specific and only needs to be attended if that is a subject you are studying. Where a session is on a white background then it is something that all Natural Sciences students should attend.