Foundation Welcome Guide

Arrival and your first week

We're delighted that you've chosen to join our creative community at Arts University Bournemouth. We can't wait to see what you'll create.

Arrival and your first week

Welcome to the Foundation Diploma in Art, Design and Media. We’re excited to get to know you as a creative and see what you’ll make with us as you develop through the course.

Starting at AUB

Your Timetable

It's important that you enrol as soon as we invite you by email so that we can allocate you to a group and set up your timetable.

If you enrol before Tuesday 3 September, you should receive your full personal timetables by Friday 6 September. Following enrolment your timetable will initially only show sessions for everyone on the course. In person, on campus and small group online sessions will only be added to your timetable in the weeks after you enrol.

Once you've enrolled, you'll be able to set up your student login to access your email account and more information via the myAUB portal and we'll email you to let you know the time and date for your first on-campus session.

If you have any questions about your timetable or need your timetable group changing then please contact the Foundation Office

Your first day on campus

We're looking forward to meeting you all on campus soon. We'd recommend that you make sure you're available to attend on campus or online sessions throughout the whole of your first week (when you get your timetable you will have more information about which days you will be taught and which days you will have free). At the start of this first week, you'll need to be on campus to meet your course team and fellow students.

Groups and meet-up times and locations are listed below but are subject to change so don't forget to check back!

Please note: Your group number will be confirmed once you've completed your enrolment and gain access to your AUB email account and calendar.

All students will be starting on campus on Monday 9 and Tuesday 10 September. Please refer to the timetable below of when you should arrive.

Your first day will consist of:

A 20-minute welcome session from the School Directors.
A tour highlighting some exciting places around our campus.
Face-to-face registration, where we'll check your details and complete your enrolment at AUB.
Meeting your course team.

Your course team will let you know of any other activities linked to your course for the first week and make sure you understand your timetable.

Your Welcome starts in the South House Lecture Theatre at the below arrival times and should also be listed in your timetable on myAUB.

Monday 9 September

09.00 - Groups 1, 2 and 3
10.00 - Groups 4 and 5

Tuesday 10 September

09.00 - Groups 6, 7 and 8
10.00 - Groups 9 and 10

Face-to-face registration

During your first day, you'll attend a face-to-face registration session, where we'll check your details and complete your enrolment. You'll need to bring along your identity documents. There are more details about what documents you'll need on the "Next Steps" tab.

If you received a Welcome notebook from us in the post, you should also bring along your Temporary ID card from the inside cover. Fill in your name clearly and your AUB ID number to help streamline your registration. Don't worry if you didn't get a notebook or if you've lost your Temporary ID card - we'll have some spares available for you to fill in and use on the day.

When you have completed face-to-face registration, you'll be able to swap your temporary ID card for your physical AUB student ID card. This will also be your library card for the duration of your course.

You must bring proof of ID to your registration session. Please refer to our enrolment guide for more information about accepted types of ID and get in touch if you have any problems with bringing along your ID.

We'll also be checking that you have payment set up for any Tuition, Registration or Materials fees. You can find out more about these fees including the links to make payment before you start the course on our Foundation Fees webpage.

Final note

During your foundation year you'll be encouraged to move outside your comfort zone and push beyond the boundaries of your knowledge and understanding where exciting opportunities await you. It'll be a year of intense and hard work, where you'll be genuinely challenged while expanding your abilities and refining your progression choices. You'll make friends and collaborate with others, whilst demonstrating your creative ambitions and commitment.

We would ask of you that you use this year to take risks, break creative rules, allow the chance to lead at times and above all have fun!

Getting to campus

AUB is proud to have achieved a Platinum Ecocampus award, as well as Fairtrade certification, and we have a commitment to reach Carbon Net Zero by 2030. Sustainability is very important to us and plays a big role in how we work.

We encourage you to come to the campus using the most sustainable means available to you.

Bournemouth has great public transport links, and most students catch a bus from their accommodation onto campus.

UNIBUS provides frequent services between AUB campus and our halls of residence in Bournemouth town centre, as well as the neighbouring towns of Poole, Westbourne, Boscombe and Southbourne. You can download the app to buy tickets before you hop on, follow live routes, use the journey planner and timetables.

The UNIBUS app will gain you access to the U1, U2, U3 and U4 routes, plus the Morebus services that stop at campus – 6, 6a, 15, 17 and 36.

MoreBus is Bournemouth and Poole’s main bus provider, which can get you around town and surrounding areas. We’d recommend using the Morebus website too, so that you can find bus routes outside the UNIBUS network including buses to the beach.

Digital ID card

Once you've completed online enrolment and your ID card photo has been approved, you'll be able to download a digital ID card, which can be used to purchase student bus tickets. Your digital ID card will be available through myAUB in your eVision tile.

Bournemouth has a well-established cycle community, with lanes across town making it a great way to travel safely.

Our campus and all halls of residence all have bicycle storage, and we’d recommend using a D-lock or chain lock to keep your bike secure. The Universities Police Team offers free security marking and Hope2Cycle visit AUB monthly for discount bicycles and repairs. You can get a discount at many local cycle shops with your student ID too.

Not got your own bike? Try a Beryl hire. These are available across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and they’re an easy and affordable way to get around town. Check out the Beryl app for bundles, discounts and to see what’s available.

Walking is a great way to get around Bournemouth – and it’s free. Here’s an idea of how long it’ll take you to get from campus from our most popular accommodation spots:

Winton – 25-30 minutes
Charminster – 40-45 minutes
Bournemouth halls of residence – 50-55 minutes

For more information on travel, see our Guide to Bournemouth.

AUBSU and Freshers'

AUB Students' Union (AUBSU) is here to support you and represent you whilst you’re studying with us. It's run by students, for students; the Executive Committee is made up of two full-time paid Sabbatical Officers and a group of part-time voluntary Executive Officers, elected by the student body in annual elections. When you enrol at AUB, you automatically become a member of AUBSU and you can vote or run in these elections.

AUBSU also runs a range of clubs, societies and networks, including the Green Society, Neurodivergent Society, LGBTQ+ network and more. Visit AUBSU's website for a full list.

Freshers' Week

Each year, AUBSU holds a series of events at the beginning of term for new (and existing) students. The wide range of events are a great chance to meet new faces, learn new things and settle into life at AUB – you might even make some lifelong friends!

AUBSU will begin announcing their line-up of Freshers' events in the summer. These will be revealed on the AUBSU website with bookings available on the AUBSU events site.

Most AUBSU events are free while some will have a small charge and are a great way to meet new people and make friends.