University of York - which college? 2018/19

I'm firming biomed at York for 2018/19 entry and am a bit stuck on the colleges. I want to be on Hes West, I'm quite social but don't like clubbing every night and quite sporty.

I'm thinking James - standard shared bathroom as my top choice followed by the economy one.
Then I think I'll put derwent standard shared bathroom

Any advice from current students about which college and generally what each college is really like? I've heard James is posh? Is that true? Is derwent too partyish? And is everyone at Vanbrugh musical?

And do people tend to get in their top 3 choices of accomodation?

Thanks...

To be honest, I'm not sure how the accommodation choices are allocated. I got my first choice (although I had medical conditions so was towards the top of the list), my flatmate had this as her 3rd option and then another friend didn't even get one of her top 9 yet we all applied on the first day we could.

I live in Goodricke so I'm Hes East, but my lectures are on Hes West so I've got some feel about the other colleges.

If you're sociable, I would suggest Derwent as they have both Courtyard (one of the 3 main campus bars) and D-Bar. It's a very big college although they are the main butt of campus jokes (be ready to hear the chant "Derwent's got asbestos" your whole first year!).

James isn't posh in my opinion. If anything, I would say that it had the lowest quality accommodation on campus from when I went on open days. I also study psychology which is right next to James college. People there seem friendly but I only know 2 types of James students: those who join all the sports societies (it's next to the sports centre) or those who stick to James college and don't venture out as much. Of course, that's my very limited exposure to them talking. Each college has its own mix of students. James also has a costa coffee, the Roger Kirk Centre dining hall, and the Lounge (the second of the 3 bars).

Vanbrugh is very spread out across campus and their logo is based on music but that's mainly because the music societies practice in rooms owned by Vanbrugh. They also have V-bar.

Other options are Alcuin (on a hill behind the library with their own cafe) or Halifax (technically off-campus but only a 2 minute walk to James college).

Based on what you've said, I'd probably suggest James as a first choice and then Derwent as a second, depending on whether you want to be immersed in the student social life or are willing to walk across campus to get there. Although James has the Lounge, it's a much smaller and quieter bar than Courtyard and Glasshouse (on campus East) so if you get James, I'd maybe suggest trekking to Courtyard over in Derwent.

Does that help in any way? If you have any questions, let me know!

I'm firming biomed at York for 2018/19 entry and am a bit stuck on the colleges. I want to be on Hes West, I'm quite social but don't like clubbing every night and quite sporty.

I'm thinking James - standard shared bathroom as my top choice followed by the economy one.
Then I think I'll put derwent standard shared bathroom

Any advice from current students about which college and generally what each college is really like? I've heard James is posh? Is that true? Is derwent too partyish? And is everyone at Vanbrugh musical?

And do people tend to get in their top 3 choices of accomodation?

Thanks...

Hi I've also firmed York for biomedical science, that was really helpful. For ensuite self catered where would you recommend? Was thinking Alcuin, Halifax and Vanbrugh mainly. Also what is it like travelling between campuses cause I'm also contemplating some accommodation over there?

First of all, I wouldn't worry too much about living on a different campus than where you study. All it means is that I have to leave at 8:25am to get to a 9am whereas people on the same campus can roll out at 8:50am. The buses are very regular (roughly every 11 minutes) and it's free to get between the two campuses. The walk is around 10-15 minutes to get to the other campus but then it obviously depends on how far away your department is from Market Square (the main area of Hes West). I'd think more about what kind of college life and social life you're looking for. As I said, I'm in Goodricke so I'm ensuite self-catered and it suits me just fine. I'm not a big party person so it suits me having just the Glasshouse on this campus as it means I can have a relaxed drink in the evening but still be in bed early where it's nice and quiet. If you want something a bit more lively, I'd suggest Campus West.

Between the colleges, it's probably more about location and lifestyle rather than the rooms as they're pretty much the same (although Goodricke is nicer as they're new rooms - 2010 - compared to the other campus).

Halifax gets a rep for being far away but it's honestly not. It's closer to the main campus than Hes East is. There's also the UB1 shuttle bus that drives through Halifax to take you to the Student Union building on West but it's really only a 5-10 minute walk anyway. The houses are a lot bigger as more people live there though so just be careful if you're looking for something a bit more quiet.

Alcuin - although I haven't actually been since my first open day last year - has some nice rooms that I can remember but again, it's up a hill so you'll get very fit living there! It does have the Kitchen though which is apparently a cafe (though I've never been myself) and it's close to the library and Market Square with Nisa, Santander, etc.

Vanbrugh is spread across the campus and is very central. They have V Bar and are very close to Courtyard and D Bar (two bars in Derwent). It's ideal if you're looking to be very social and want to get to places quickly. The only time I reget being on Hes East is when I have maybe 11-1 lecture and then 2-4 so I have an hour for lunch. It's not enough time to get back to East, cook, eat, and make it back in time. That's one main benefit of being in Vanbrugh is that it's super close to everything so you'll never have to go very far.

It really does depend on what you value the most as each has its own highs and lows. For example. the Goodricke rooms are the best rooms available for that price but it's on a different campus. Vanbrugh is a central location but the rooms are a bit older and smaller.

Have a look at all the college pages on the York website, use the interactive room tours to give you an idea, and have a look at the campus map to see how far away everything is from each college block.

Any more questions, let me know and good luck!

What are your thoughts on Langwith and Constantine?

I'm a mature student (28) and while I'd like to get involved in events, I'm mostly past my party days now. I was drawn to Langwith first but now I'm wondering if I might be better suited to Constantine, since it's supposed to be quieter...

I personally really like Langwith as a college. They have great facilities (their college holds Glasshouse - the on-campus bar for Hes East - as well as common rooms and music practice rooms), they have a central location on campus with easy access to everything, and the rooms are really nice (especially the houses).

I also quite like Constantine but not as much. I feel that the rooms are less homely (they feel more like student accommodation than a regular home bedroom like Langwith's) but I have a friend in that college who is very happy. Goodricke and Langwith are quite friendly with each other and people tend to wander between the two but Constantine, even though it's the same distance from Langwith as Goodricke is, tends to feel a little separated. It is, therefore, quieter though if that's something that you feel is important.

As for being a mature student, a lot of people don't really mind. Especially with you being still in your 20s, you're probably not seen as much of a mature student as someone in their 40s for example.

I don't know much about the college's individual events, only my own, but there's plenty going on everyday at Glasshouse even if you don't like what's going on at your college.

I'm firming biomed at York for 2018/19 entry and am a bit stuck on the colleges. I want to be on Hes West, I'm quite social but don't like clubbing every night and quite sporty.

I'm thinking James - standard shared bathroom as my top choice followed by the economy one.
Then I think I'll put derwent standard shared bathroom

Any advice from current students about which college and generally what each college is really like? I've heard James is posh? Is that true? Is derwent too partyish? And is everyone at Vanbrugh musical?

And do people tend to get in their top 3 choices of accomodation?

Thanks...

I've also firmed York for Biomedical Science 2018/19. Have you had any other thoughts about accommodation, its so difficult isn't it!