Welcome to York! We're so thrilled you'll be joining us this semester. 

As we build up to your arrival on campus, we will share information over the next few weeks to guide you through key activities and preparation for joining our community, including:

• Things you should do first

• Arrivals and welcome activities

• What to expect with studying and living in York 

So, first things first - what is a college?

The University of York is one of only a handful of universities in the UK that has a college system  - where undergraduates and postgraduates are assigned to a smaller community within the wider university network.

Colleges are a place to socialise, learn new skills, explore your interests and access support and guidance. 

There are eleven colleges across campus, each with their own distinct history and character. They all provide the same services and opportunities, and have a dedicated team of staff and student volunteers who are here for you throughout your time at York (your membership doesn’t end when you graduate either - you are a member for life!).

If you live on campus, your college is determined by where you live. If you are an undergraduate living off campus, you will be assigned to a college based on your department. Postgraduates living off campus are members of Wentworth Graduate College.

Which college is the best? The one you're in!

So what should I be doing now?

To help you prepare and transition into university life, we’ve compiled a list of the most important things for you to do between now and arrival.

1. Complete your Welcome to York checklist(s)

Select the checklist (or checklists) that are relevant to you below.

Looking for more information on any of the topics they mention? Visit our dedicated webpages for new students. 

2. Check your York email address regularly 

From now on, all University services will use your official York email address to communicate with you, rather than your personal email address you might have used to apply here. This address will use a format of letters and numbers, such as ab1234@york.ac.uk. Make sure to check in with it regularly to stay up to date!

3. Join the official Facebook group

Join our official Facebook groups for all the ways to connect with other incoming students - you will need to answer all the questions provided and agree to the group rules to be accepted. 

Beware of ticket scams

Unfortunately, a number of fake pages and social media accounts attempt to target incoming students each year. 

Please be aware that the only University-endorsed welcome events are those offered by the University of York Students' Union (York SU). Tickets for these events will go on sale next week via the York SU website. 

For more information on official events, please keep an eye on your University email, or look out for posts from York SU or the University in our official 2024 undergraduate and postgraduate Facebook groups. 
 

Arrivals overview

Our official undergraduate welcome weekend will take place from Friday 13 September 2024 to Sunday 15 September 2024.

For our postgraduates, welcome activities begin on Monday 9 September 2024 and are spread across the first few weeks of the semester to allow for different start dates.

Please note, you won’t be able to access University owned or managed accommodation (such as Student Roost or Student Castle) until your confirmed contract start date, except by specific arrangement with either our student support team and accommodation team. Please ensure you plan to arrive on or after this date.

If you have confirmed accommodation on campus, the details for your specific arrival date will be found within your official accommodation offer message, where you may also be asked to choose an arrival slot to help manage the flow of traffic on the day. 

If you have any questions about your accommodation offer, please email accommodation@york.ac.uk. 

Next steps!