Finding your faith community in a new place

If faith or a set of values shapes your daily life, the first weeks away from home are when routines are easiest to lose and easiest to rebuild. A little research before you arrive means you know where to pray, reflect or meet like-minded people from day one.

Research before you arrive

• Search your university's website for words such as 'chaplaincy', 'multifaith', 'faith and spirituality', 'prayer room' and 'quiet room'. Most universities have a page like this, even if it is buried under student support.
• Look at the Students' Union list of societies and filter for faith and belief groups. The University of Birmingham, for example, lists student-led societies for Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism based at its chaplaincy.
• Note down the address of the prayer or worship space nearest to your main teaching buildings, and its opening hours, so you are not searching on your first busy day.
• If you follow a smaller tradition, email the chaplaincy before you arrive. The University of Exeter says its chaplaincy can, on request, give details of faith and worldview activities and places of worship at the university or in the community.
• Save everything in one note on your phone: chaplaincy email, society social media accounts, prayer room locations and the nearest places of worship off campus.

What a chaplaincy actually offers

• University chaplaincies are usually for everyone. Birmingham describes its Multifaith Chaplaincy as open to students 'of all faiths and none', and Exeter's team says it is there to listen to students and staff 'of all faiths and none'.
• Many have chaplains from several traditions. Birmingham has chaplains from Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu and Buddhist traditions, among others; Exeter's volunteer team includes Bahá'í, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Humanist, Muslim, Jewish and Quaker members.
• Chaplains are not only for religious questions. Exeter lists anxiety, bereavement, stress, isolation and homesickness among the reasons people come to talk, and offers 'discreet and confidential listening'.
• Spaces vary: Birmingham's chaplaincy has two large worship rooms, a small room for quiet prayer, a lounge and kitchen facilities. Check what your campus has rather than assuming.

Joining a faith or belief society

• Go to the society stall at the freshers' fair, sign up for the mailing list and attend at least two events before deciding whether it suits you.
• UKCISA notes that joining a faith community can give you a familiar setting in a new country, and that religious student societies may exist alongside the chaplaincy.
• Societies are also practical: older members know where to buy familiar food, which local places of worship welcome students, and how to manage practice around the timetable.
• You do not have to join the society that matches your family's background, and you can join more than one. Choose the community that genuinely helps you live by your values.

Finding places of worship off campus

• Ask the chaplaincy or the relevant society for recommendations: they usually know which local congregations welcome students and which have services or talks in languages you speak.
• In big cities there may be directories. The LSE, for example, points students to a directory of London mosques published by the Islamic Cultural Centre.
• Visit once at a quiet time first, introduce yourself and ask about student activities, weekly gatherings and volunteering.
• Check the route and journey time, especially for evening or early-morning visits, and plan to travel with a friend after dark (see the Personal Safety module).

Building practice into a new timetable

• Print or screenshot your weekly timetable and mark the gaps where you can pray, reflect or attend a service. Then mark the times that clash.
• If you have regular prayer requirements, tell your personal tutor. The University of Surrey's procedure says students with special prayer requirements should inform their personal tutor and the university will make reasonable efforts to meet them.
• Keep a small kit in your bag if your practice needs one, for example a travel prayer mat, a pocket scripture, or a compass app, so a 15-minute gap is enough.
• Review your routine after two weeks. A plan that looks perfect on paper often needs adjusting once you know real walking times between buildings.