Happy Friday! We're looking forward to meeting you soon. 

In today’s email, we’ll be covering what you can expect for your arrival day and your first week(s) here at York - including how to buy tickets to your official Welcome events.

Plans will vary between the colleges, so make sure to refer to the information we share with you directly when planning your journey to arrive here, and purchasing any event tickets.

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out our Things to Do First lists we shared with you last week.

A warm welcome from your college team

Welcome to Halifax College! 

As a team, we work together to make sure that every student in Halifax is welcomed to their new community and is able to make the most of their time at University - whether you are living in our halls on campus, or renting privately elsewhere and commuting in. We’ll also be the hosts of your official Welcome events (also known as 'Freshers') - read on below for more. 

We will be your first point of call for support with whatever issue you may be facing. If you ever need to contact the team, send us an email at halifax@york.ac.uk.

So that we can get to know our new students and respond to any worries you may have, please complete our college pre-arrival survey.

Feeling excited? Follow us on social media, and check out our official homepage for more information about your new community!

Additional information: postgraduate students

If you are a postgraduate student assigned to Halifax, your experience of college life will be enhanced even further, as throughout the year you will also have access to many of the events and activities hosted by Wentworth Graduate College -  the only college purely dedicated to the graduate student experience. However, our team in Halifax College will remain your first point of contact for support and advice. 

Meet your flatmates or fellow commuters 

You will shortly receive an invitation to join a google classroom for your accommodation block or off-campus group.

These have been set up so that our Student Committees can post information about the exciting welcome week they have organised for you, and staff can assign tasks and activities for you to complete.

By accepting this invitation link, please note, you are agreeing to your name and email address being shared with the rest of your accommodation block. This will help you to find flatmates and you can then set up your own group chats using whatever medium you prefer. However, we do ask that you check back on your google classroom for official announcements from your student committee as we approach your check-in date, during welcome week and beyond.

If, for some reason, your accommodation plans change, we ask you to let us know and remove yourself from the google classroom.

Official Welcome events

Halifax College will be the host of your official Welcome events, in partnership with the University of York’s Students’ Union.

Together, we’ve planned a range of events throughout September to help you settle in, meet new people, and explore what York has to offer, so there’s sure to be something happening whenever you arrive on campus!

Discover the range of tickets and bundles available for Halifax College members below, or keep an eye out for emails from York SU for more information. 

As mentioned in our first message, these are the only University-endorsed events, and we recommend that you only use links we share with you to avoid scammers. 
 

Arriving at the University - residential students only

Undergraduate students

If you are moving into Halifax College accommodation on campus, your official move-in day will be Sunday 15 September 2024.

If you have confirmed accommodation through a University managed provider (such as Student Castle) your arrival date and time will be determined by the start date on your official accommodation offer.

On the day, our team members will be working hard to keep our arrivals process moving and minimise wait times. However, due to the number of students we will be welcoming into our community, please be patient with us if there are any delays.

Depending on your arrival date, you may be asked to book a timeslot to help us manage the flow of students moving in at one time. Details of this will be included within your official accommodation offer message.

Postgraduate students

Many postgraduates will be asked to start arriving on campus from Monday 9 September 2024 onwards. However, depending on where your accommodation is based, this may vary - please check your individual contract for your specific arrival date and time.

If you have any questions about your accommodation offer, please email accommodation@york.ac.uk and halifax@york.ac.uk to keep everyone informed.

Frequently asked questions

What if I can't get there for that date? What if my accommodation start date is later?

While we encourage all students to take part in welcome activities to help settle into University life, these are not mandatory for your degree, and you will not be penalised for missing them. 

However, all students are expected to arrive in time for Week 1 of the academic semester, which begins on Monday 23 September 2024. 

Some courses may run introductory sessions in the week prior to this. If you have any questions, or if you aren’t sure you’ll be able to arrive in time, it is crucial you contact your academic department as soon as possible for their advice.

What if I need to arrive sooner?

If you have an additional support need, or exceptional circumstances that will require you to arrive earlier, please contact us, our student support team and accommodation team as soon as possible to discuss earlier access.

On the day

Details for arriving onto campus can be found on our webpages below - arrival processes are bespoke for each college and their residents, so make sure you are referring to Halifax College guidance when planning your journey. 

If you were asked within your official accommodation offer to book a time slot for your arrival, please make sure you arrive during this time, as this helps us to better manage the number of students moving in at a time. 

Upon arrival, you’ll be met by your college Second and Third Year Contacts (STYCs) who will be around to guide you through your first week at York.

Parking guidance

We are expecting a large number of students to arrive at several colleges on the same day, which will limit the number of car parking spaces available. In order to get you moved in as quickly as possible and minimise congestion, we ask you to follow this process upon arrival.

Other modes of transport

Check out our wider travel guidance.

Your first week(s) at York - residential and non-residential students

Welcome events and activities

Once you’ve arrived, the University of York Students’ Union and Halifax College student committee have organised plenty of exciting activities for you to get involved in. Unfortunately, a number of fake pages and social media accounts attempt to target incoming students each year, so please note that the only University-endorsed events are those mentioned below. 

To ensure you have access to all the fantastic events organised for you, take a look at the official Welcome events and ticket bundles below. 

Make sure to also bookmark our student events page to stay on top of all upcoming events throughout the semester. 

Right to Study Checks

UK students

During your online enrolment, you will have been asked to submit a piece of evidence that confirms you have the right to study here at the University, in the UK. If you have not yet submitted your evidence via e:Vision (eg a UK passport) please make sure you do this before your course starts. More information on accepted forms of evidence can be found in your enrolment email. 

International students

If you are an international student, in addition to submitting evidence online, you will also need to attend an in-person registration event during your first few weeks, where your immigration status will be verified. Please make sure to check all dates and deadlines carefully in the emails sent to you separately about these events, and to pack your documentation with you as the original document will need to be checked at these events. 

Still packing and not sure what else to bring? Check out our guidance.

Download and check your timetable

All students at York are provided with a personalised timetable for your studies and activities, which can be viewed on your laptop, phone or printed out. This year, your teaching timetables will be released on Wednesday 11 September 2024. 

For even easier reference, you can download the MyUoY app to sync up with any social activities or workshops taking place across campus with ease.

Family and Supporter Talk

On Wednesday 4 September at 6pm BST we will be hosting an online welcome talk to allow all the people who care about you to ask questions and meet college staff. Please share this information with your parent, guardian, carer or supporter, and encourage them to join the talk via the zoom link below.

For GDPR and protection issues, if a parent, guardian or carer contacts us on your behalf, please let them know that we won’t be able to speak to them about you until we’ve received written permission from you first.

Additional information and events: off-campus students

If you aren’t living on campus this year, you are still a welcomed and valued member of Halifax, and your college team is here to support you every step of the way. 

In addition to our all-student freshers week activities, all local and commuting students are also invited to a mixer in the Vanbrugh Arms on Saturday 14 September at 7pm as a way to get to know one another, and feel inducted and welcomed into college.

Any residential students already moved into college are also welcome to join!

In case you missed it

Last week, we sent you an essential to-do list for you to complete before you arrive, including essential documentation. If you haven’t had a chance to do this yet, please complete it urgently.

Next Steps