Freshman Hub features
Everything inside the Freshman Hub app, explained: program browsing, campus navigation, accommodation, checklist, dates, reminders and a results calculator, all responsive from phone to computer.
One tap to personalise everything
Pick your university
The first screen you see is a university picker. It is the only setup step: pick your university and the whole app (programs, campus map, accommodation, dates, guide and grading) switches to that university's information. There is no long sign-up and no need to choose a program up front.
- Choose your university once and the app remembers it next time you open it (you can switch this off in Settings).
- Change university any time from the welcome screen with the Change button.
- Universities that are not yet available are marked as coming soon, so you know what to expect.
Your first-year hub
Home dashboard
After you pick a university you land on the welcome screen: a friendly hub with a photo banner, your First-Year Progress card and a grid of tiles that take you to every section. On a phone the banner runs full width with the progress card overlapping its lower edge; on a tablet or computer the photo and the greeting sit side by side and the tile grid adds columns as space allows.
- A First-Year Progress card that shows how much of the time before your final exams has passed (for example, “You've used up 42% of the days till your final exams”).
- Tap the progress card to open the full Important Dates timeline.
- A tile for every section: My Program, Campus Guide, Accommodation, My Checklist, Freshman Guide, Important Dates, Results Calculator and My Profile.
- Navigation adapts to your screen: a bottom bar on phones (Home, Campus, Program, Housing and a More menu for the rest) and a side rail or sidebar on larger screens.
See what you'll study before you register
My Program: schools, programs and courses
My Program is a research tool for the question every applicant asks: what does this university actually offer? Drill down from School to Program to Course, then open any course to read its details. It is separate from your profile, so you can freely explore programs you are only curious about.
- Browse faculties and schools, the degree programs inside each one, and the first-year courses in each program.
- Each program shows quick facts such as the qualification, how many years it takes and how many courses are listed (for example “BSc • 4 years • 12 courses”).
- Courses show their code and name (like CSC101 — Introduction to Computing) and a course detail page.
- Search everything at once: type in the search box to search faculties, programs and courses together, then jump straight to a result.
- On phones you drill down one level at a time, and the back button steps up a level. On wide screens all three panes (Schools, Programs, Courses) show side by side, so the whole hierarchy is visible without hopping between screens.
- A clear note above every course list explains that the app covers year-one courses, so you do not go looking for second-year material.
Find any lecture hall, library or office
Campus Guide
The Campus Guide lists the places you need on campus and shows them on an interactive map. Pick a category, sort the list, and tap any place to see a photo, how to get there and exactly where it is.
- Seven categories: Academic Buildings, Libraries, Laboratories, Student Services, Administration, Hostels & Residences and Cafeterias, each with its own colour-coded pin.
- Filter by category with one tap, or show All. Sort places by category or by name.
- An overview map shows every pin. Switch the map style from the round button on the map when more than one style is available.
- Each place has a detail page with a photo, a “How to get there” description, its location and a Get Directions button.
- Maps are credited to their tile providers, as they require.
Official residence information in one place
On-campus accommodation
The Accommodation section has two sides. On-Campus is official, admin-managed information about the university's own residences and hostels, so it is shown without an “Ad” label. Each residence has its own page with everything you need to plan an application.
- Photo gallery for each residence, with the first photo as the cover.
- Fee per semester and the number of beds available.
- A numbered application process, step by step.
- A list of requirements and the application deadline.
- A what to bring list for that residence.
- On wide screens On-Campus and Off-Campus sit side by side. On phones they are tabs.
Boarding houses and rooms near campus
Off-campus marketplace
Most students end up renting off campus, so the Off-Campus Marketplace lists boarding houses, rooms and flats posted by landlords and providers. Every listing carries an Ad badge so you can always tell a paid or provider listing from official university information.
- Each listing shows the area, distance from campus in km, price per month and beds available.
- Open a listing for photos, an About this place description and the facilities (for example Wi-Fi, water, electricity, security).
- The landlord's contact name and phone number are on the listing, and you can copy the number with one tap.
- Sort by price (low to high), nearest to campus or most beds available.
- Get an optional alert when new places are added for your university (turn it on in Settings, mobile app).
Landlords and students can help others
Tell the admin about a free space
Know a landlord with a spare room, or a student with a free bed space? Contact admin lets a verified student send the details to the Freshman Hub admin, who reviews every submission before anything appears in the app.
- Three simple gates keep it trustworthy: sign in, verify your email, then fill in the form.
- Each person can send up to 2 messages in any 24 hours, which keeps spam away.
- Nothing goes live automatically: the admin reviews each message first and only approved places are published.
- Browsing accommodation never needs an account. You only sign in when you want to send something.
Never wonder what to do next
My Checklist
A tap-to-check list built around the three stages of starting university. It turns the long list of things nobody tells you into small steps you can tick off.
- Three stages: Before arrival, First week and First semester, each showing how many items you have done (like 3/8).
- An overall progress bar fills as you tick items.
- Ticking works without an account. Sign in to keep your progress safe and pick it up on any device.
- The university's own team manages the checklist items, so they match your university's process.
Practical articles for settling in
Freshman Guide
Short, practical articles grouped by topic, covering campus life, studying and settling in. Pick a topic, then read the articles inside it. On a computer the topics sit in a sidebar next to the reading pane, so the whole guide is one screen instead of one long scroll.
- Topics (categories) containing articles, written for your university.
- Quick tips boxes pull out the key points.
- Responsive reading layout: single column on phones, sidebar plus article on wide screens.
Registration to final exams in one timeline
Important Dates
Every key date for your university on one timeline, colour-coded by type, so you stop missing deadlines buried in notices and group chats.
- Six categories: Deadline, Registration, Orientation, Lectures, Exams and Accommodation.
- On phones it is a clean vertical list. On wide screens it becomes a centre-line timeline with cards alternating left and right.
- Dates are managed by the university's team and update in the app, so you always see the latest dates we have. Always confirm with your university's official notices too.
See how far you've come
First-Year Progress and exam countdown
A progress card on your home screen reads your university's dates live and shows how much of the time between the start of lectures and your final exams has gone. It turns a long year into something you can see.
- Shows a percentage and a progress bar, for example “You've used up 10% of the days till your final exams”.
- Tap the card to jump to the Important Dates timeline.
- If you prefer less movement, the bar can be shown without animation (Settings → Reduce motion).
Get nudged before it's too late
Reminders and notifications
Turn on reminders and the app schedules notifications on your phone from your university's dates. They are delivered even when the app is closed.
- Important dates: a reminder a week before, the day before and on the day itself, at 8am.
- Exam countdown: progress milestones and a countdown to your final exams.
- New accommodation alerts and announcements from the Freshman Hub team for your university, each with its own switch.
- Every switch is optional and can be changed any time in Settings.
- Reminders and push notifications work in the Android and iOS apps (coming soon), not in the browser version.
Check a grade, plan for exams, work out your GPA
Results Calculator
Understand how your university turns marks into grades and GPA points, and use calculators to check where you stand. The grading rules come from your university's own scheme, so the numbers match what your university uses.
- How it works: see how your final mark is made up (usually continuous assessment, or CA, plus the exam), the pass mark and a full table of grades, mark ranges, GPA points and remarks.
- Check a grade: enter your CA mark to see the exam mark you need for each grade, or enter CA and exam to see your total, grade, GPA points and how many more marks you need for the next grade.
- GPA: add each course with its CA mark, exam mark and credits to get your semester GPA. Add your previous GPA and credits to see a cumulative GPA too.
- A clear reminder that results are for guidance only: your official results are issued by your university.
- If your university's scheme has not been added yet, the app tells you it is coming rather than guessing.
Optional: sign in only if you want to save things
Profile and account
You can use almost everything without an account. Create one to save your profile and checklist progress, and to message the admin about accommodation.
- Sign in or create an account with your email and password. Sign-in is handled by Google Firebase Authentication, so we never see your password.
- Save your name, university, program and intake year. Only you can read or change your profile.
- Email verification status and sign out are on the same screen.
- On wide screens the account summary sits beside the form. On phones they stack.
You stay in control
Settings, privacy and accessibility
Device settings work whether or not you are signed in, because none of them depend on an account.
- Text size (Small, Default, Large or Extra large) and Reduce motion to turn off animated progress bars and other movement.
- Remember my university on this device.
- Switches for reminders, new accommodation alerts, announcements and location access.
- Clear saved offline data (saved university, cached photos and offline data) and Reset settings back to defaults.
Built for real-world connections
Works with patchy internet
Data and signal can be unreliable on and around campus, so the app is designed to cope. It keeps a saved copy of what you have opened so you can keep reading when the connection drops.
- Saved copies of your university's data and photos so pages still open offline.
- An offline banner tells you when you are not connected.
- On-campus walking routes use the campus's own footpath data and do not need internet.
One app, every screen
Responsive on phone, tablet and computer
Freshman Hub is designed to work well from small phones to large monitors. Layouts change shape to use the space you have, not just stretch.
- Phones: bottom navigation bar with a More menu, one-level-at-a-time drilling, tabs for On-Campus and Off-Campus.
- Tablets and computers: side rail or sidebar, three-pane program browsing, side-by-side accommodation, a timeline for dates and a sidebar-plus-article guide.
- Open it in any browser at app.freshmanhub.app. Android and iOS apps are coming soon.
Feature questions
Is Freshman Hub free?
Yes. You can use Freshman Hub for free and browse without an account. Creating an account is optional and is only needed to save your profile and checklist progress or to message the admin.
What can I do in the Freshman Hub app?
You can explore your university's schools, programs and courses, find places on a campus map and get walking directions, browse on-campus and off-campus accommodation, follow a first-year checklist, read freshman guides, see important dates with reminders, track an exam countdown and use a results and GPA calculator.
Does Freshman Hub work offline?
Partly. The app keeps saved copies of what you have opened and shows an offline banner when you are not connected. On-campus walking routes use the campus footpath data stored in the app, so they do not need internet.
Does the campus map give directions?
Yes. Tap a place on the campus map to open live walking navigation with a route to the building's entrance, the distance left and the next turn. Allow location access when asked; you can turn it off any time.
Can I calculate my GPA in the app?
Yes. The Results Calculator explains your university's grading scheme, lets you check a grade from your CA and exam marks, and works out your semester and cumulative GPA from your course marks and credits. It is for guidance only; your official results come from your university.
Are reminders available on the website version?
Reminders and push notifications work in the Android and iOS apps, which are coming soon. The browser version covers everything else.
Start your first year with confidence
Open Freshman Hub, pick your university and see what's waiting for you.