Hundreds of new students have descended upon Kingston this week as Freshers Week 2021 begins.

Kingston University's student union is putting on a range of activities to welcome students to the town from 20 to 26 September.

The menu of events include many outdoor ones and students are strongly encouraged to wear masks and socially distance to stop the spread of covid.

Freshers may also be asked to show proof of double vaccination, a negative covid test or natural immunity to gain entry.

Last year the Union of Kingston students moved its Freshers Week to be fully online.

This was common at institutions across the UK but left many new arrivals disappointed.

Kingston first-year student Lauren Timms told student paper The River last year that "Missing Freshers' was really upsetting and isolating."

"For the first two weeks of university I have been completely alone and haven't experienced much of university life at all," she added.

This year the university's Freshers Week has returned to semi-normality.

A planned beach party, pop-up bar and Przym club night wouldn't be out of place before the pandemic.

But capacity at these events will be limited and students are likely to need proof that they are covid-free to enter.

There are also more outdoor events than usual such as a trip to to Thorpe Park, a laser-tag game on campus and a Sunday arts and crafts market on Old London Road.

The Sunday market hosted on 26 September by student-run creative hub Not My Beautiful House, will be open to local businesses and the wider Kingston community.

The student union's annual Freshers Fair has also been split in two this year.

The 2021 event will take place over two days with stalls on both the Kingston Hill and town centre campuses.

Students are encouraged to attend both fairs to get the most out of the event.

Find out more about Kingston Freshers week HERE

Are you a fresher at Kingston University? Welcome to our town! We'd love to hear what you think about Kingston - and how freshers week is going. Email [email protected] or DM @elliejbrown on Twitter with your comments.