Welcome! We're looking forward to meeting you soon. 

In today’s message, we’ll be covering what you can expect for your arrival day and your first week(s) here at York.

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

A warm welcome from your college team

Hi, my name is Claire Anderson and I manage the Wentworth Graduate College Team.

Alongside Barry Crump (Deputy College Manager), we work together to make sure that every student in Wentworth is welcomed to their new community and is able to make the most of their time at University. We’re delighted you’ll be joining us.

As your College Team, we are your first point of call for support with whatever issues you may be facing. During your time at University, if you need to contact the Team, send us an email at wentworth@york.ac.uk.

So that we can get to know our new students, we have put together a pre-arrival survey, which we strongly encourage you to complete as far in advance of your arrival as possible.

About your college

The University has eleven colleges and you are a member of Wentworth, our dedicated postgraduate college and a hub for postgraduate activity on Campus West. 

Some of you may choose to live in our on-campus accommodation, whilst the majority of our community will live off campus and come together for events, sports, or activities around your studies or research.

No matter where you are staying, know you are a welcomed and valued member of our community and your college team is here to support you every step of the way.

Arriving at the University

Many postgraduates will be asked to start arriving at Wentworth accommodation on campus from Monday 11 September 2023 onwards. However, depending on where your accommodation is based, this may vary - please check your individual contracts for your arrival dates. 

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

If you have any questions about your accommodation offer, please email accommodation@york.ac.uk and wentworth@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 taught students are expected to arrive in time for Week 1 of the academic semester, which begins on Monday 25 September 2023. This will be the official start of all teaching and learning for University courses. Some courses may run introductory sessions in the week prior to this.

Postgraduate researchers are expected to arrive by the beginning of October and have an induction event on Wednesday 4 October 2023. If you have any questions, please speak to your department for more information.

If you aren’t sure you’ll be able to arrive in time for this date, it is crucial you contact your academic department as soon as possible for their advice.

What if I need to arrive sooner?

Students are not able to access University owned or managed accommodation (including Student Roost and Student Castle) until their confirmed contract start date in their accommodation offer. Please ensure you plan to arrive on or after this date.

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

If you are moving into Wentworth Graduate College accommodation on campus, details about your arrivals’ process, including how to collect your ID card and keys, can be found on our residential arrival pages:

If you are a member of Wentworth living off campus, either in private housing, Student Roost or Student Castle, useful information about your arrival - including how to collect your ID, arrive into York and settle into the city - can be found below.

Arriving to York via other modes of transport

Check out our travel guidance.

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

Welcome activities

Once you’ve arrived, your Students Unions and College team have organised plenty of exciting activities for you to get involved in.

In addition to those run by your Graduate Students Association (GSA) - the primary representative body for all registered postgraduate students here at York - there will also be a range of smaller, focused events from the Wentworth College team to help get you settled and to meet people in smaller groups.

To ensure you have access to all the fantastic events we have organised, please make sure you purchase your official Welcome tickets below:

These events will begin from Monday 11 September onwards, and be spread out over the first few weeks of the semester to accommodate for different arrival times.

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

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 13 September 2023. 

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