As a student, it’s very normal to struggle at times, and for things to not go your way. At York there is a fantastic range of support available, some of which I have accessed myself.
Where to find support
Whilst there is much support, and such a variety of it at UoY, it can be a bit overwhelming trying to find the most appropriate resource and working out how best to access this, but the following can be useful in helping with this.
Within the Department of Biology, the Biology Student Services team is a fantastic resource, able to help with most issues you might encounter day to day, and they can signpost you to all the different types of services and support available.
Every student gets assigned a personal Academic Supervisor, a researcher from the department who you meet with at least twice a year, and you can request meetings at any point. As they usually stay with you throughout your degree, they are a great first point of contact for any issues you may have, and they are also able to suggest any further support you might need.
Finally, the student hub, based on campus in the Sally Baldwin buildings, and on their webpage you can find links and information for a range of university and external services.
Disability Services
For students with a range of disabilities and specific learning disabilities (see some examples of eligible conditions here), the central university disability services are able to provide a range of support and advice.
For myself, the most useful part of this is my Student Support Plan (SSP). After submitting evidence of my condition, I was assigned a disability practitioner, who I had a meeting with to discuss my SSP. This entitles me to support during both teaching and assessment as well as access to specific study spaces and support. Personally, this means I get 25% extra time on written assessments, occasional extensions for coursework, and access to study spaces exclusive to disabled students in the library.
There are many ways to initially reach out to Disability Services; if you mentioned a disability on your initial university application, someone should reach out to you; alternatively, there are referral forms for current and prospective students on their Accessing Support webpage; and they host frequent drop-in sessions at the student hub.
Mental health and wellbeing support
If your struggle is specific to your studies, on top of the previously listed services, there are department-specific Student Wellbeing Officers. They often have a more specific understanding of your specific course, whilst being able to signpost you to a variety of services within the university as well.
Whilst all of these services are very approachable and friendly, if you don’t feel comfortable reaching out for help yourself, the university runs a check-in system so students can register their attendance. If you consistently have low attendance, a member of your department will contact you to ensure your wellbeing as well as offering support and advice.
Other services and last advice
The transition to university can be daunting and overwhelming, but students part of eligible groups have the option of a taster experience of student life with Step Ahead before starting and/or being paired with a current student in a buddy system as another point of contact in first year.
Whilst I’ve mentioned lots of different support services available based on my experience at university, I definitely haven’t covered all support available. I would highly recommend looking into the support most suitable for you, and remember, everyone is very friendly and willing to help. I can confidently say that I’ve never felt unsupported at any point since joining York!
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