It’s not long now until you arrive in York! In our email today, we’ll cover key information for your arrival and first week here, including:

• Your college-specific arrival logistics
• What to do if you arrive out of hours
• Key links and notices for Welcome Week

If you haven't already, make sure to join your college Google Classroom. Your invitation will have been emailed to you separately.

Arriving at Vanbrugh College

Your arrival instructions will depend on which accommodation block you are moving into, as well as the start date on your accommodation contract - see our New Students and Arrivals webpages for more information.

Student Castle residents

Details about your arrival day will be sent to you directly from the Student Castle team - keep an eye out for an email titled “Check in information” from york@studentcastle.co.uk.  

If you have any questions about your move-in process, please contact the team at york@studentcastle.co.uk. 

Once you’ve moved in, head over to the Information Centre on Campus West to collect your Student ID.
 

Fusion Students residents

Details about your arrival day will be sent to you directly from the Fusion Students team - keep an eye out for an email from ‘hello@fusionstudents.co.uk’.

If you have any questions about your move-in process, please contact the team at hello@fusionstudents.co.uk. 

Once you’ve moved in, head over to the Information Centre on Campus West to collect your Student ID.
 

Off-campus members: advice for move-in and ID collection

• Once you’ve arrived in York, make sure to head to our Information Centre (open 24/7) to collect your student card and other important information. Please remember to bring a form of photo ID with you for collection.
• See our advice for moving into private rented accommodation, including a handy moving in checklist for your first key tasks, and explore the range of support available for all local and commuting students. 
• Wherever you’re based this year, you’re still a member of Vanbrugh College and welcome at all college events and activities!

Fairfax House and other on-campus residents: key collection and parking

Details for planning your drive, train or flight to York can be found on our travel and transport pages. Once you have arrived in the city, you will need to:

• Travel to Fairfax House (Fairfax residents only, 9am - 12pm) or Vanbrugh College Nucleus (other on-campus residents, 1pm - 5pm) to collect your keys
• Return to your car and drive to a short stay drop off zone to unload your luggage
• Move into your accommodation block

If you are travelling by car, you may be asked to move your vehicle to a separate long-stay car park after unloading. 

Find full details of how to move into University accommodation on New Student and Arrivals web pages.

Members of our team, including student Second and Third Year Contacts (STYCs), will be stationed along the route to help.

Think about food and meet your flatmates

If you are moving into catered or self-catered accommodation on campus, you'll need to think about food for your first evening. Note that our campus catering outlets only take card payments.

Depending on when you arrive, our on-campus outlets may be closed, and if you are moving into catered accommodation, please be aware your meals will only be available on weekdays during the semester.

If you haven’t already, make sure to join your college Google Classroom to get to know your future flatmates and wider college community! Your invitation will have been emailed to you separately.

Arriving out of hours?

University staff are available to assist with your move-in:   

• 9-5pm on Monday 8 September 2025 (postgraduates)
• 10am-4pm on Friday 12 September 2025
• 9am-5pm on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 September 2025

If you arrive outside of these times, make your way to the Information Centre on Campus West.

For any questions about your arrival day, please contact our team at vanbrugh@york.ac.uk. More information can be found in our list of Frequently Asked Questions. 

For questions about your accommodation offer or room details, please contact accommodation@york.ac.uk.

What to do in Welcome Week

Tick off your first week tasks

Work your way through our tasks to do in your first week in the checklists on the MyUoY app. You can also find the checklists on our welcome pages for new undergraduates and new postgraduates, as well as our new international students: Welcome to York Guide:

Explore official Welcome Week events

Organised by your college team and Students’ Union, these are the only welcome events affiliated with the University of York. Featuring a range of club nights, fun day-time activities , and exciting evening socials throughout the week, there are plenty of events to get involved in - whatever your interests!

Confused about ‘official’ tickets and nights out? Check out York SU’s guide to spotting fake tickets, and avoiding ticket scams. 

Look out for each other - see our advice on staying safe on a night out.

Photography and videography notice

Photography and videography will take place during Welcome Week, which may be used for marketing purposes by the University of York. If you have any concerns or would prefer not to feature, please email communications-support@york.ac.uk. For further information about how we use photography or video which includes you please see our privacy notice.

In case you missed it

Catch up on our previous emails:

Next Steps

The next time you hear from us will be in your first college newsletter at the start of the semester. In the meantime, make sure you've joined your Google Classroom, followed us on social media and downloaded the MyUoY app to keep in the loop with the range of events and activities on offer for you each week. 

Feeling excited? Get a headstart on the semester by exploring the range of opportunities and activities you can be part of to make your time at York a success.