Crash course in York please?

[SockFluffInTheBath]

DD put it on her UCAS form as her aspirational choice, didn’t expect an offer but got one. It’s a very doable offer so she’s likely to firm it.

Any tips on halls and the uni in general please? It’s a social sciences degree (for location). We’re familiar with York as a city, but going from scratch on the university.

@Dearover I hope your DD enjoyed helping everyone. DD has an offer for public and social policy. She said she liked the vibe in the room (fellow angry Bolshevik teens I should think 😅 ).

@TattooGuineaPig ha ha! DH took her today and said there seemed to be a few shops and pubs/bars within the campus. He was more taken with the lakes I think!

DD is within the international relations area. There are quite a few taking an international SPA masters.

We regularly get photos of the lakes. DD was at Oxford, so the campus vibe is very different to what she was used to. Nisa on campus is good for emergencies. There's an Aldi or Lidl and Waitrose nearby

I was there too. That's sad. What's happened to the bar areas? Are there no longer bops either?? Sad times.

I assume they can't compete with 'Spoons

There’s at least 4 bars on campus. When we there for an open day a couple of weeks ago there were quite a lot of posters around for ‘bops’ ( although not called that now!)

Good to know. I watched a Vlog and the student doing it said that Vanbrugh is the only college with its "original bar". It was misleading...but also I think Vanbrugh was the coolest bar, wasn't it?

Well, since I was Vanbrugh , I shall wholeheartedly agree!

My DGD graduated last year, she loved it. She lived in catered accommodation in James for the first year, and then moved to a shared house just outside the walls for her last two years. My exh went there,so did her father, becoming a family tradition!

Outrageous 😜 Goodricke bar and bop definitely the coolest!

My Dd is in Goodricke, having an absolute ball!!

Oh, who will think of poor old uphill Alcuin??

No. It was definitely Vanbrugh bar and bop! And Monday quiz night!

Did anyone else make the mistake of living in Fairfax house in their first year? I think think I lost half a stone in the first term. (they only served breakfast, the colleges were a 10 minute walk in the dark and Heslington rd only had a chippy and corner shop).

Social sciences are more than likely going to be on campus west. Campus east is fine but I do think west has a bit more going on and it’s closer to town too. York is a great uni and lots of happy and well supported students there

Interesting. DD in 2nd year so not in halls but was East campus college & would have said the opposite and considered West campus quiet. She still has lots of socials with her college. It’s seems pretty active! It has older, crumblier accom though.

My dd is in her first year at York and was originally in Constantine. Sadly, she ended up in a flat with a group of very unpleasant bullies who, for some reason decide they didn't like a 'state school girl' in their property.

The well being service wasn't terribly helpful I have to say and dd was in a very difficult position.

She was finally moved and is much happier in another college. She loves her course and has made some very good friends despite the vile behaviour, which wasn't, to our minds, dealt with very well...

The second year house are ridiculously expensive, but she's managed to get one with four others which looks good.
On the whole she loves it, the city is very like or home city which makes her feel at ease and we're (finally) happy too!

@waxymoron I’m sorry to hear that, and I have to admit it’s a worry of mine having also read similar on the 2024 starters chat. DD is at a state school, albeit a nice one, but still not private or selective in any way.

That also happened to my DS at Birmingham in second year....

Statistically, York has a significantly lower number of privately educated students than many other RG universities. Constantine is expensive so that may be why. the more monied at Brum go for Chamberlain Towers (aka Tory Towers!!). York also takes students form quite a broad geography unlike some universities which are quite regional .

She had put Constantine very low on her choices so we weren't pleased when she was offered it - the cost was ridiculous! She had worked all summer though and we get just below maximum loan - so she did manage just about!! It was just unfortunate that her flatmates were so awful. Where she is now is a broad mix luckily

@waxymoron - did you post on FWIWIKAU about this or is there another mean flat at Constantine?! Sorry she had a bad time.
DD is seriously considering York- she is at a private school but her and her friends wouldn't behave like that in a million years- it just wouldn't occur to them to think about what sort of school anyone went to.
Exeter is the other option but she is keener on York as thinks it's maybe a better mix, geographically, economically, education wise etc.

No, I didn't! Blimey - that's a concern! Funnily enough, ds went to Exeter, he left after a year - but that was due to the course, not the people, even though we had worried a little about the disparity in state school/ private school - he's an oblivious scientist though so that may have made a difference!

York is on the whole very broad is terms of where people come from, although oddly, she's ended up in a second year house with a girl who comes from our city!!

There are horror stories every year about groups who bully others in their flats, all around the country. I'm certainly not minimising @waxymoron's bad experience, but you equally hear of state school flats bullying someone deemed to be too posh, southerners bullying northerners, female flats picking on their token male etc. I was in a similar scenario at a different uni over 30 years ago.

When 2000 - 4000 newbies all start together there are bound to be mismatches, you just don't tend to hear about the other 95% who rub along just fine.

DD (state school, then Oxford) loves York. The only time she felt uncomfortable was when 2 overseas PhD students moved in after the rest of them to their dedicated post grad college and immediately asked if one of them would move out so their friend could move in from an all years college.

State school DD has had absolutely no issues at York.

She also (ironically since she was so sure she wanted to go to a campus uni) does all her socialising in the city. Which might be why the bars on campus aren't so popular nowadays.

DD from Derwent college (very cheap & crumbly) only knows one privately educated girl. Most students are northern but a few are from Home Counties but not many. She really enjoys the mix. But no one bullies anyone that she’s come across. Regardless of how flash Constantine is no one should be behaving like that. Disappointing to hear ‘wellbeing’ aren’t great as I’ve heard from DD & friends that they’re very very good at York.

DS strongly considering firming York. Could anyone say how long it would be to walk to a proper supermarket, from the middle of West and middle of East? Or is the bus a better idea?