Unofficial Welcome Week events pop up online every year and may not be legal or safe. Here are top tips to ensure your Welcome Week is the best start to Uni life and to avoid fake events!
Every year, unofficial Welcome Week events pop up across the web. These events are not necessarily legal, safe, exclusively built for students, or even real.
We want to make sure your Welcome Week is the best experience to kick off your time at the University. Here are some ways you can protect yourself and tell if something is a real Welcome event or not:
Tip 1: Ask yourself a few key questions!
- Does it refer to ‘Freshers’ or ‘Freshers Week’? If so, it’s not an official Welcome event; in line with the University, you won’t see us using the term ‘Freshers’.
- Are they trying to panic you into buying tickets? Are they saying the event is ‘Almost sold out’... if so, it could be fake.
- Does it look too good to be true? Trust your instincts. If someone promises huge global performances from major artists that seem too good to be true, they probably are!
- Does the event have a specific time or location? If not, it could be fake. We will always make sure events are local to campus and give you the time and location in advance.
- Does the event feature either the Goldsmiths University or Goldsmiths SU official branding? If it doesn’t, it’s not an affiliated event with the University. Official events will always follow University and SU brand guidelines.
Tip 2: Avoid sharing personal information via DMs
The Students’ Union won’t communicate with you before Welcome Week via DMs, Snapchat, or WhatsApp without your prior permission, so be cautious about providing personal information to companies on these platforms, especially if they have reached out to you first.
Always double-check before sharing your personal information, including signing up for events. There are rules around the collecting and sharing of data, but not everyone will stick to them. Stay alert and protect your personal data.
Tip 3: If you’re unsure, reach out to us!
If you’re unsure, don’t buy tickets unless the event has been verified - you could end up paying for nothing! You can always reach out to a member of the Students’ Union team, and we’ll let you know whether the event is officially University-affiliated.
Just contact comms@goldsmithssu.org or sabbs@goldsmithssu.org
You can find the official SU Welcome event schedule here: goldsmithssu.native.fm/event/welcome-2026-1/284770