Pre-arrival information for new chemistry students

Congratulations on securing your place to study with us in the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences! On this page you’ll find useful information and tasks to help make your transition to university as smooth as possible.

Your chemistry checklist

We know it’s a busy and exciting time for you, and we want to make preparing for starting your degree as straightforward as possible. This page is just for new chemistry students. Here you’ll find information and tasks to complete that are specific to you and your course.

Complete your registration

The first thing you need to do is complete your registration.

Welcome Week timetable

There are lots of events taking place across the University during Welcome Week. Here’s a list of the events that are specifically for chemistry students. These are compulsory and will ensure you get the best start to your time at Sheffield.

Please note that this timetable might change before you arrive, so make sure you keep checking back!

Monday 21 September 2026: Welcome to the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
Time: 9am
Location: Students' Union, Nelson Mandela Auditorium
Get directions via Google Maps / Apple Maps
Welcome to Chemistry
Time: 10am
Location: Hicks, Lecture Theatre 5
Get directions via Google Maps / Apple Maps
Meet your Academic Tutor
Time: 11am
Location: Hicks, Lecture Theatre 5
Get directions via Google Maps / Apple Maps
Scavenger Hunt
Time: 2pm
Location: Students' Union, Nelson Mandela Auditorium
Get directions via Google Maps / Apple Maps
Tuesday 22 September 2026: Academic Support Services
Time: 12pm
Location: Students' Union, Nelson Mandela Auditorium
Get directions via Google Maps / Apple Maps
EDI and Wellbeing in Mathematical and Physical Sciences
Time: 2pm
Location: Students' Union, Nelson Mandela Auditorium
Get directions via Google Maps / Apple Maps
University of Sheffield Culture Training
Time: 3pm
Location: Students' Union, Nelson Mandela Auditorium
Get directions via Google Maps / Apple Maps
Wednesday 23 September 2026: Your Chemistry Community
Time: 11am
Location: Hicks, Lecture Theatre 5
Get directions via Google Maps / Apple Maps
Thursday 24 September 2026: Introduction to Labs and Lab Safety
Time: 9am
Location: Hicks, Lecture Theatre 5
Get directions via Google Maps / Apple Maps
Guided Tour of the Labs
Time: 11am
Location: Hicks, Lecture Theatre 5
Get directions via Google Maps / Apple Maps
Friday 25 September 2026: Learning Essentials
Time: 11am
Location: Students' Union, Nelson Mandela Auditorium
Get directions via Google Maps / Apple Maps
Chemistry Course Details and Logistics
Time: 12pm
Location: Hicks, Lecture Theatre 5
Get directions via Google Maps / Apple Maps

Useful information

Recommended reading

Reading lists are available through Blackboard. You can access and read books via links to the University library or read them online. Besides the four core textbooks, we encourage you to make good use of the library to read around the subjects covered in your course. The list below is only a small sample of the chemistry books available in our libraries.

Core first year text

Title: Chemistry 3

Author: Burrows et al.

Edition: 4th