University of York

[kinggen]

Does anyone have DC there or been there recently? Just wondering what it is like. DD has an offer for this year and was put off by reading the StudentCrowd reviews which mostly talked about the number of ducks and boring students!

[Dammitthisisshit]

York is a lovely city. And the campus is walking distance to town, not like some campuses.

I went there decades ago but had better night life than lots of my friends in big uni cities because I got out and into york all the time rather than everything revolving around student nights.

The geese are definitely evil though. I handed my dissertation in late and was just walking between buildings to finish it off when I saw my supervisor. I ducked round the back of a building to avoid him and disturbed 40 angry geese which made an absolute racket. It was not the quiet getaway I wanted.

[Benjispruce4]

@JoanThursday that’s all so very helpful. Thank you x

[Parker231]

DD finished her degree at York in 2020 - she is the ultimate party girl. She loved it and chose it over higher ranked Uni’s.

[Piggywaspushed]

My DS is SPS too !

[JoanThursday]

You're very welcome! One more thing, while you're here, it's worth taking the bus (no 66 or 67) from Campus East to Campus West, just so your DD can see how close it is. The main library is over there, together with more cafes / bars etc. As (I think) I've already said, it's a public service that goes on into town, but it's free between both campuses for staff and students.

[partystress]

@Piggywaspushed SPS for this year? Where else was on his list? York’s my DD’s favourite course-wise, and it does look fab from point of view of module choices. It’s also the biggest intake of the ones she’s looking at - which she sees as a good thing. But it’s also her highest offer. In line with her predicted grades, but these will be her first proper exams ever and I’m not sure how nerves will affect her.

[kinggen]

JoanThursday thank you for taking the time to share all your insights: it's really helpful. Just wondering if you can provide a rundown of the colleges on West Campus like you did in your post of 17.19 today? DD is studying History btw and ideally wants catered with as big a flat as possible so there are more opportunities for making friends/less cliqueness. Thanks

[JoanThursday]

Of course! I'll be back asap: two rowdy children are about to burst through the door ...

[Benjispruce4]

DD is Sociology!

[Piggywaspushed]

party he has York as his insurance am still sulking and his firm is Policy, politics and economics at Birmingham. It's the social policy bits he likes most. His other unis were HSPS at Cambridge (rejected like the rest of the world!), Quantitative methods with sociology at Sheffield (that was lovely must say) and Social Policy at Bath. York did do well to crowd Bath out. He does sociology, economics and history A Levels so the politics is the wild card for him. If York had offered some economics modules or a bit of social history it definitely would have trumped Brum!

What about you?

[Piggywaspushed]

@Benjispruce4

DD is Sociology!

We moved in the same circles always benji!

[Benjispruce4]

I know, what a coincidence!

[partystress]

HSPS was her dream course, but when we visited Cambridge she just couldn’t see herself there. Visited Sheffield last week and ruled it out - tiny intake and didn’t like the accommodation village. She’s got an unconditional from Lincoln, which I really want her to put as insurance, because I think it will steady her nerves if she has a bad paper and because she liked the city. Royal Holloway vying with York for firm. Nearer home and beautiful campus.

Don’t want to wish these last few weeks of school away, but just would like to know that all will be well!

[pookieandgarfield]

I was a York student decades ago and it definitely wasn't "boring". There are loads of things happening on campus for every taste / type of person, so if you look you'll find things happening that suit.
If you want huge club nights, or to see famous bands regularly, then you'd have to travel to Leeds / Sheffield. But the student nights in town were always fab, and there were a whole host of fun activities happening on campus.
It's a really beautiful place to be, too. Event what's now "campus east" in its 1960's concrete glory is so lovely with the lake trees and thousands of geese.
It is honestly a very lovely place to spend 3 years if your life.

[Piggywaspushed]

My DS1 is at Lincoln - great place to be a student! He does politics and IR.

Agree about tiny intake at Sheffield. It was very friendly and cosy but I imagine it could be a bit stifling and possibly cliquey.

[JoanThursday]

@kinggen - okay, Campus West: here goes!

Firstly, here's the campus map so you can see what I'm referring to.

Regarding the actual size of the flats in each college, I'm not too sure I'm afraid. Your best bet is to explore the accommodation pages which will tell you what's available in each college. There are 360 views which you'll find helpful.

So, I'll start at Heslington Hall (administration buildings and not usually accessed by students) and I'll move round the lake clockwise. First up:

Halifax College: Built in the 1980s / 1990s, its set back from the main campus fairly near the sports facs on campus west. Overlooking fields, it has its own shop and common rooms. There is a shuttle bus between accommodation and the rest of campus.

James College: Some of the buildings date back to the 1960s (the original Goodricke college), but other parts were built in the 1990s. It has a large restaurant, the Roger Kirk Centre, and a coffee bar. It's opposite the campus west Sports Centre and is close to the students union buildings. Nearby are the depts of Maths, Physics and Electronic Engineering and over the bridge to Environment and Biology.

Wentworth College: largely for postgrad students with great views over the lake. Has a cafe which anyone can use.

Carrying on round the lake, there are the depts of Environment and Biology.

Then you get to ...

Vanbrugh College: Dates back to the 1960s with newer accommodation built in the mid-2000s. Has a food court and a bar. Close to the Information Centre, with various student support services, and Market Square with a mini market and other shops/services. Close to History, History of art, Language and Linguistics, Music, Philosophy. University Road close by with buses into town. On the other side of the road is the main library. Outside Vanbrugh is 'Gregs Place': a very nice spot to sit and take in the lake view.

Carrying on round and past Central hall (looks like a spaceship!) brand new teaching buildings, and on to....

Derwent College: Again, has a cafe. It also has two bars run by the students' union. This is the oldest college on Campus and has lovely views over to Heslington Hall and its gardens. Close to the departments of English, Politics, SPS, PPE and Education. Derwent has taken over the original Langwith College buildings, which moved over to Campus East 9/10 years ago. Close to one of the University bus stops outside Heslington Hall.

Across the road from Derwent is the Science Park. The Management School has just moved here from Campus East, and is sharing its premises with Social Policy and Social Work.

So we're back on University Road and we cross the road to ...

Alcuin College: Some of the buildings date back to the 1960s, and others were built in the 90s (I think??). situated behind the main library and close to the departments of Chemistry, Health Economics and Hull York Med School. It has a couple of cafes close by, plus the one in the library. Nice views as its quite high up. Much of the accommodation is set around grassy courtyards.

The main thing to remember is that you can walk at a (fairly) leisurely pace around the lake and complete a full circuit in 15 - 20 minutes - even shorter, when you cross the bridges. I wouldn't say you need to live in a college close to your chosen department ... unless you really wanted to! All the colleges have got places to eat / drink, and a couple of the departments have got small cafes too (eg Management, Biology).

I think I've got everything: apologies to any of the smaller schools / study centres that I may have inadvertantly forgotten!

[BotterMon]

DD was at York. We weren't given a choice of college if I remember rightly and she got Goodricke. Absolutely loved it. She had a lovely room and the Hub being outside was bonus. The flatmates at Goodricke moved in with each other the following year and then a smaller cohort got another house the 3rd year. It's so accessible. Sports are great and nightlife is there for those who want it.
Miss my weekends in York. Such an easy journey on the train from London.

[kinggen]

That is fantastic JoanThursday. Thank you so much!

[JoanThursday]

No problem at all .

I meant to mention: UoY has developed an app for a self guided tour, which you can use on-campus or 'virtually'. It might be useful when trying to visualise my (very) long posts!

More here: www.york.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/visits/campus-tours/

[Benjispruce4]

Oh we used that in October @JoanThursday it was very good.

[ronaldmcdonald123456]

Saw that a PP made it seem that looking at prestige was a bad thing. Why would you not want to go to the best uni possible?

[Parker231]

DD turned down a place at St Andrews and chose York as she thought St A was too remote. She got a first from York and now works for the EU so no detrimental impact on her career.

[ronaldmcdonald123456]

@Parker231 good choice StA seems to be in the middle of nowhere and not much to do.

[yellowsuninthesky]

@ronaldmcdonald123456

Saw that a PP made it seem that looking at prestige was a bad thing. Why would you not want to go to the best uni possible?

Because there's no such thing as the "best uni". It depends on the course, the person, the city, other interests you might have.

Oxbridge are the "best" universities in the UK. But they do not suit everyone who's bright enough to go to them, the courses are not always the best, and the lifestyle and city type may not suit everyone (Oxford is bigger than Cambridge, but you still won't get the Manchester or Glasgow type experience there).

[yellowsuninthesky]

[quote ronaldmcdonald123456]@Parker231 good choice StA seems to be in the middle of nowhere and not much to do.[/quote]
York is a hundred times better than St Andrews - in my opinion

If I were going to study in Scotland I'd go to Edinburgh, Glasgow or Stirling.