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 David Kato College

New on-campus residents will be asked to arrive into David Kato College on Friday 12 September or Sunday 14 September, depending on the start date listed in your accommodation contract. 

Your arrival instructions will vary slightly depending on the date you arrive - see our New Students and Arrivals webpage for more information.

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 Church Lane building reception to collect your room key (look out for signs saying ‘Campus East Key Collection’)
• Return to your car and follow directions to David Kato College
• Unload your things
• Move into your accommodation block
• Collect your Student ID and welcome wristband from your college hub

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 our New Students 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 Ron Cooke Hub on Campus East.

For any questions about your arrival day, please contact our team at kato@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.