University of York Accomodation

If anyone studying at York could provide their experiences with their colleges I would greatly appreciate it. I am mainly looking at en-suite and catered rooms but am considering all.
Thank you

hi! i'm in my second year at UoY and was in halls last year! the accommodation i stayed in is actually not being used for living anymore (unfit for purpose but that's another story) but it was catered and that is definitely something i'd recommend! before i went i didn't think i'd like catered but it was so helpful for making sure you were getting proper meals everyday, plus it was such a bonding experience with my flatmates! as for en suites, i had a shared bathroom last year (1 shower and 2 toilets between around 12) and although that sounds awful it really wasn't that bad! it took maybe 3 weeks to get used to sometimes having to wait to use the shower but it was always reasonably clean so it's nothing to worry about if you don't get an en suite!
in general, east campus is more expensive than west but you are paying for much nicer facilities. there is a free bus that runs every 10-15 minutes between the campuses so if you have something on west but are living on east it's still really easy to get to. also you might see people talking about silverfish on here but they're something you cannot avoid at York particularly on west campus so that shouldn't be a reason you decide on a specific college! there is no one college that it is best to be a part of (though i'm biased toward vanbrugh bc it's my college so definitely the best haha) so you'll be happy in any of them!

Hi there,

It's great to hear that you're hopefully coming to York - what exciting news!

I graduated from the Uni of York last year, and in my first year I lived in a catered en-suite room. In catered accommodation, you get your breakfast and evening meals Monday to Friday during term time. I really enjoyed being catered, I found it made the transition to independent living that bit easier as I didn't have the pressure of buying food for and cooking all my meals. I also found being catered to be incredibly social - I personally never went to an evening meal on my own, our flat had a group chat and each day we'd all put when we wanted / needed to go to dinner, and then we'd make sure that everyone had someone to go with. I did find that I went to a lot of my breakfasts alone, but a lot of people did this, and it wasn't a big deal or lonely. I'd usually watch Netflix or listen to a podcast as I had my breakfast.

I enjoyed having an en-suite room, it was a luxury I didn't have in later years at university. However, it's worth bearing in mind that you have to provide your own toilet roll for your en-suite, and it's your responsibility to keep it clean. Whereas, in shared bathroom accommodation, the toilet roll is provided, and it's cleaned regularly.

I hope this helps with your decision!

Hannah

Hi @cba093,
It's great to hear you're considering studying at York.

I lived in Halifax College band 3 accommodation in my first year and loved it so much I returned and lived there in my third year.

When I applied I was sure I wanted an ensuite room but unfortunately, as I came to York through Clearing, I wasn't allocated one. In the end I really didn't mind though. My house had two toilets and two showers between ten people and I never found it to be an issue. I never had to wait for a shower or for the toilet. They were also pretty clean as they were cleaned for us every week day, and toilet paper was provided for us too - just one less thing to worry about.

Personally I really liked being self-catered as it meant I could be independent and learn to cook for myself. However I have heard good things from my friends about catered accommodation too, so it's really just personal preference. In my accommodation there was two ovens, two hobs, two big fridge/freezers where you'd get at least a shelf each. There was also plenty of storage space in the kitchen to put any food or kitchenware in.

I would also take into account that it's unlikely you'll have an ensuite bathroom if you move into a shared house in the city in your second year, and it's always good to learn the life skill of cooking for your second year too as it'll save you lots of money on takeaways being able to whip something up yourself.

Hope that helps but let me know if you need anything else,
Bea

Currently first year at York and trust me, west campus and catered is the way to go!!!
I'm in Derwent (well known as the fun party college) and although yes it is a bit of a shithole, its our shithole and we love it <3
Personally I would say get catered as the food is decent and its so nice not having to budget for food shopping (especially since Aldi is such a trek away), as well as it being a really nice social thing at the start and end of the day to eat with your mates, especially if you've had a **** day.
I would go on campus west just because its the main campus and thats where most things are, although if your subject is on east that might be better for you.
Ultimately you will love whichever college you choose and you'll end up thinking its the superior college no matter where you are!

hi! i'm in my second year at UoY and was in halls last year! the accommodation i stayed in is actually not being used for living anymore (unfit for purpose but that's another story) but it was catered and that is definitely something i'd recommend! before i went i didn't think i'd like catered but it was so helpful for making sure you were getting proper meals everyday, plus it was such a bonding experience with my flatmates! as for en suites, i had a shared bathroom last year (1 shower and 2 toilets between around 12) and although that sounds awful it really wasn't that bad! it took maybe 3 weeks to get used to sometimes having to wait to use the shower but it was always reasonably clean so it's nothing to worry about if you don't get an en suite!
in general, east campus is more expensive than west but you are paying for much nicer facilities. there is a free bus that runs every 10-15 minutes between the campuses so if you have something on west but are living on east it's still really easy to get to. also you might see people talking about silverfish on here but they're something you cannot avoid at York particularly on west campus so that shouldn't be a reason you decide on a specific college! there is no one college that it is best to be a part of (though i'm biased toward vanbrugh bc it's my college so definitely the best haha) so you'll be happy in any of them!