另一年，學校開學，首屆學生有39人，共14院系，均為科學和藝術學科。只有一座教學樓（今日的Venn樓，紀念赫爾出身的數學家John Venn）。之後陸續添加了，有圖書館的Cohen樓、教職員樓等等。1948年，學聯樓Canham Turner樓建成。1953年，學生數激增，校園出現了若干臨時建築被稱為小屋（hut）。當時大家都描述學院就好似一座學術兵營。
The following year, the school opened with an inaugural class of 39 students in 14 faculties, all of which were science and art disciplines. There was only one academic building (today's Venn Building, dedicated to the Hull-born mathematician John Venn). Later, it was added one after another, including the Cohen Building of the Library, the Faculty Building, and so on. In 1948, the Canham Turner Building was completed. In 1953, the number of students exploded, and several temporary structures called huts appeared on campus. At the time, everyone described the college as an academic barracks.