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 Derwent College

New undergraduates are asked to arrive into Derwent College on Saturday 13 September 2025. Some international students may be asked to arrive on Friday 12 September 2025 - see your accommodation contract for more information. 

New postgraduate residents are asked to arrive into Derwent College from Monday 8 September 2025 onwards.

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.

Postgraduate residents: Monday 8 September onwards

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:

• Head to the Information Centre to collect your accommodation keys and student ID
• Travel to Eden’s Court
• Unload your belongings and move into your accommodation block

Welcome events for Postgraduate students will be taking place from the 8 September onwards - visit the York SU event webpages for more information.

Undergraduate students: Saturday 13 September 2025

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 the Spring Lane Building to collect your accommodation keys
• Follow directions to the relevant car park for your accommodation block
• Unload your belongings and move into your room
• Walk to the Derwent College dining room to collect your student ID and welcome week wristband.

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 Student Arrivals webpages.

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 derwent@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.