30,887 discussions, 145 guides
University of York
30,887 discussions, 145 guides
University of York
University of York
Heslington
York
YO1 5DD
Tel: +44 (0)1904 433 724
1963
Univeristy Radio York (URY)
University Radio York (URY) was launched onto the airwaves in 1967, becoming the country's first legal independent radio station. Today, it transmits to the whole of the university and its outlaying colleges on a frequency of 1350AM. It broadcasts 24 hours a day, and includes music, entertainment, national and local news, club, cinema and arts listings as well as essential campus information. The weekly Vibe music show manages to achieve pretty decent interviewees, Ed Harcourt and James Blunt have graced the airwaves in the last few months, and the playlists are well selected.
It is also one of the most popular societies on campus and they actively encourage people to get involved (regardless of experience). Recently, temporary FM licences have enabled broadcasting beyond campus.
York Student Television (YSTV)
York Student Television (YSTV) is York University's very own student-run television society. Established in the same year as its sister radio station, it is the oldest student television society in the country. They produce a wide range of good quality cable tv programmes and also have a good policy of encouraging student involvement.
Nouse
Almost as old as the Uni, Nouse was established in 1964, and provides readers with some entertaining accounts of campus news, UK and world issues, as well as entertainment, gossip and virtually anything that can be described, discussed or analysed. Numerous students write for the tabloid-style paper and it provides great opportunities to nurture journalistic skills and to blag free gig tickets!
Vision
Vision is the second news based campus publication, and is also free. Published in colour and featuring some quality writing -according to The Guardian at least who awarded it best student paper in both 2003 and 2004- its a good read and another place to get your writing noticed...
Yor:Mag
This SU supported campus magazine has evolved into an impressive graphically designed format. Features are often politically or culturally based.
Tony Banks MP - Labour Minister of Sport
Harriet Harman MP - Labour MP
Greg Dyke - Former Director General of the BBC
Harry Enfield - Comedian
Jung Chang - Writer
Mark Laity - BBC reporter
Dominic Muldowney - Composer
John Witherow - Editor of The Sunday Times
And perhaps not so famous...
James Cohen - Technical Director of Unofficial-Guides
York is a collegiate university in the sense of Oxbridge rather than the University of London, in that the colleges are only semi-independent. There are seven colleges, each with 800 - 1000 students.
The campus has 8 bars in total, 7 in the colleges, 1 for large 'ents', and 1 in the sports centre. Students tend to socialise among the college bars and around York itself.
Regular weekly functions take place at the college bars, but the lack of a central SU bar means that these events, although still a lot of fun, tend to be smaller affairs. It is for this reason that York University seems to have an inability to attract large name bands, and thus settles for cover bands of varying talent, and local or home grown bands.
The colleges do run regular theme nights such as the 70s night and the slightly predictable Back to School Night. There are also house, garage and drum & bass nights, bar quizes and the annually run and popular
Fresh aka 'The Freshers' Bash annually held at York Racecourse is a fairly debauched intro for new arrivals and Christmas and Summer Balls are a fun central event in a university where social occasions are generally focused around specific colleges. The annual Battle of the Bands, supported by the SU, often sees up to thirty aspiring groups participating in eight very well attended heats.
York has over 100 clubs and societies, with a number catering to more specialised tastes... The Doug Soc (Douglas Adams Society) unites all Hitchhiker's Guide obsessives, whilst Pagan Soc brings together all your friendly campus druids! For the more middle of the road amongst you, there's a good range of the standard sports, politics, music and academic based groups.
Many of the most popular societies are associated with York's impressive media establishment (i.e. TV, magazines, newspapers etc). A number of other clubs are less interest based, formed for no other reason than to provide drinking forums 'for like minded people'.
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Even the expensive accommodation at York is cheap (or well below the national average). All first years can get accommodation, as well as half of finalists. Second years tend to live out in private rented accommodation, but some can request to stay in halls.
The majority of hall rooms are by the lake, and are liveable. We have seen much better at other universities, but for the price the rooms at York are great. There is more expensive university accommodation in James College, but the rooms are still relatively cheap.
4,000 of York's students are accomodated on campus, either in the attractively landscaped grounds at Heslington or in Grade I listed medieval buildings at King's Manor. In addition to their cheapness, a number of recently refurbished rooms now have en-suite facilties, and houses at Halifax College provide study-bedrooms for up to twelve people in each building.
For those who like history (or wish to study it) York is an ideal place to be based. It seems that everyone throughout the ages, has gone to York - the Romans, the Vikings and unofficial-guides.com!! It is a great city famous for its churches and tight cobbled lanes, not unlike parts of Cambridge.
The university, however, is slightly different. It is anything but historic, established in 1963 two miles south-east of the city centre in a village called Heslington. With the exception of a stately manor, the University seems to be made entirely of concrete and it looks as if the builders used the same plans for most of the campus. It's saving grace, however, are the well kept gardens, stratigically placed pond, complete with ducks and occationally a butt-naked student!
Most of the pubs in the city welcome students. You should try the Firkin pub, popular with students, as well as a traditional favorite - The Rose and Crown. As for clubs, go to The Gallery on Monday night (70s/80s music & student night). Icon and Divas are two newer clubs which have also proved popular among students.
Parking on campus is limited and is by permit only. First years are not allowed cars on campus, unless medically necessary.
There is a couple of free ATMs on campus and all major banks have branches in York city-centre.
There is a Disabilities Officer to help with any problems. James College was built with integrated disabled access, and many other parts of campus have lifts etc. Over 16% of York's students declare disabilties and physical access is reasonably good. Many of the buildings are modern and a majority of dining rooms and common rooms are based on the ground floor. Ground floor bedrooms are made available for students with ambient disabilities.
Induction loops are installed in lecture theatres.
There is a couple of campus-based Costcutters for basic provisions, a travel agency if you want to escape Uni, a second-hand bookstore, and an SU run shop for cheap papers, sweeties, clothing and other random odds and ends.
Your:Books on the ground floor of Grimston House is the Student Union run second-hand bookstore. It's great for cut-price core texts, and obviously its stock constitutes reading list essentials. York also has several bookshops.
The sports facilities are OK, but getting the students to break a sweat is another matter! The annual 'War of the Roses' with Lancaster University does manage to get a few out of bed or away from the bar (this, however, only has a temporary effect).
There are 57 acres of playing fields for rugby, football and hockey, a new Astroturf pitch, sailing boats, trampolines, climbing wall, gym, sports hall, sauna, plenty of tennis courts and a running track.
The Circle Line, launched in 2000, is operated by Top Line Travel and is subsidised by the University. It runs every 30 minutes to and from the eastern side of the city. There is also a free Student Union run minibus for later night trips, which calls at a number of stops throughout the city and campus.
York is an old city, and many of its parks and green spaces are protected in the interest of natural beauty. One must also consider that York is in the similarly named county of Yorkshire, which isn't at all short of grass and its associated animals (sheep and cows, for all you city types). The campus is a 200 acre landscaped park, complete with lake and ducks, and the River Ouse runs through the city.
Facilties are considered good. The main library is the Morrell Library, which has over 800,000 books and 3,500 printed journals. This is supported by several specialist libraries (eg Law) and college libraries, including the Raymond Burton Library and the Borthwick Institute.
Computer provision is poor and many workstations are in need of an upgrade. Throughout campus there are only 300 open-access machines, not a good ratio when you consider the almost 10,000 students in attendance. "Some rooms" have ethernet connections but students have been known to graduate before getting onto a computer!! (Ed: Only joking...but it could be true.) Come on York, do something about this!
The SU has a Welfare Information Officer, and the University runs a part-time counselling service. There is an on-site health centre, a nursery and a Nightline confidential telephone service.
One fairly unique aspect of student welfare is the Student Union abortion fund. The SU also run a women's safety bus and issue free attack alarms.
