Hello, I’m Freddie and I thought I’d share six of the reasons I’m glad to be studying Computer Science at the University of York and what people can look forward to if they make the same decision.
Campus
The campus is perfect for me. It’s located in its own part of York and feels both spacious and compact. On both sides of the campus, there are plenty of wildlife and lakes which provide a relaxing environment.
There are plenty of great study spaces such as the library (West), Piazza library (East), Spring Lane building and the Ron Cooke Hub. In addition, there are many cafes, my favourite being the library cafe which does great panini.
The Computer Science department
The Computer Science (CS) building at York is a perfect environment to do private study, attend seminars and socialise with coursemates. The software and hardware labs are spacious, well equipped and free to use outside of practical classes.
The CS department is located in the middle of Campus East, making it within a short walking distance of any college on East. For those living on campus West, you can either take a simple 20 minute walk or use one of the regular and free buses which will easily get you to the department in 10 minutes or less.
Lectures take place in the buildings neighbouring the department such as the Ron Cooke Hub, Piazza, and the Law department. My favourite lecture theatre is in the Piazza because of how warm it is during the winter and how big the screens are.
Accommodation
For first years, you are guaranteed on-campus accommodation if you put York as your first choice. From my experience, the accommodation is well priced, comfortable and well located.
I lived in Constantine college. The area is really nice with walking routes and plenty of open space for wildlife. There are also multiple places to eat like Greggs and Cecil’s (a favourite of mine) and a Nisa to shop at. Every Tuesday people in the college get to go and have a free meal at the Piazza which I always look forward to.
If you prefer to live further away from your place of study, there are plenty of great options on Campus West. Constantine is one of the more expensive accommodations but luckily there is a good range of other pricing options at other colleges.
Course
I found the course to be perfectly challenging and varied. Term 1 was very relaxed with only two modules. One of these was a programming module which was a breeze for anyone previously familiar with Python (like me). That being said, I still found myself learning lots from the module leader Lillian who provided some incredibly challenging “spot the error” problems in his Q&A sessions.
Everything stepped up in difficulty during term 2, with four new modules. My favourite ended up being the Systems module where we learnt how to build a computer from the ground up using logic gates. I found the lecturer Mike to be very engaging and amusing throughout and it was eye-opening to learn how computers actually operate on a lower level.
For each module, we had at least one weekly face-to-face session with the lecturer in the form of a seminar or practical class where we could go over exercises and seek personalised help. These were also a great opportunity to meet with coursemates and work together.
City
The city of York is a short distance away. You can either walk (approximately 30 minutes from campus West) or take a regular bus. It’s a small and easy-to-navigate city which is great for people like me who get lost easily. There are plenty of things to do, one of my favourites being going for walks along the ancient walls surrounding the city.
Societies
Societies are a great way to spend your free time and meet new people. There is certain to be at least one society with which you share an interest. I really enjoyed going to the Debating Society where I had the opportunity to debate an interesting topic each week and receive training. They are all so welcoming and very casual, you don’t need to go every week – just as often as you like.
There also are quite a few computer science-related societies. You have CyberSoc where you can attend weekly lectures on interesting cyber security topics as well as meet ups. Then there’s HackSoc which is a general CS themed society which holds events such as board game nights. For those interested in game development, DevSoc is a great option where you can take part in game jams.
Read more student stories about studying Computer Science at York.
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