Having commuted throughout my time at York, I’ve picked up a few tips that have helped me feel connected to university life while balancing travelling in and out of campus. Here are my top 10 tips for commuting to the University of York.
1. Look for events during Freshers’ Week
During Welcome Week, make sure to look for commuter events! The Students’ Union put on events such as mixers for commuter students, so going along to these will help you find other people with a similar student experience to you: commuting to York. Some of my closest friends are people I met at the first social event for commuters I went to – it’s an amazing opportunity to find commuters who are not necessarily on the same course as you.
2. Visit the campus before Freshers Week.
In general, you will most likely be on campus a lot less than students who live on site, so getting well acquainted with campus early will make your first weeks so much easier. You can even take a self-guided tour narrated by fellow York students with the VisitUoY app!
3. Visit your on campus college spaces.
As a commuter you will still be allocated a college and part of it’s community! In your college you will have access to a social space where you can heat up food, have access to a fridge and socialise with other students. Knowing where this space is early on is so beneficial.
4. Find your favourite study spaces.
There are so many study spaces on campus for you to utilise and finding one that you really like the environment of is super helpful. For example, my favourite spaces are the library on the 3rd floor and the Church Lane study space. I study better in quiet environments so these are great for me, but if you like an area with a bit of a buzz, then finding an area like that will be great for you!
5. Buy yourself a parking permit.
If you’re planning on driving yourself to University then getting a parking permit is in my opinion essential. Parking permits are available for anyone living outside of York Ring Road. It gets you access to many parking areas for free, including South Car Park on west campus and also Kimberlow Lane Car Park on east.
6. Download the UoY app.
This will be your saviour especially on your first week. In the UoY app, there is a map showing where all of your classes will be, your timetable is on there, as well as your library card and food and drink loyalty card. There are so many other services on the app too, including how to book study spaces.
7. Pre-book study spaces to maximise your time on campus
Leading on from the previous tip, on the UoY app, there is a way for you to book individual study spaces and also group rooms. There are many different spaces around campus, so if you’re needing somewhere individual and more private than a public study space, this is great. Make sure to book these in advance though as they get booked up quickly!
8. Give yourself extra time for your commute
You can never predict traffic, or any public transport delays. Always give yourself extra time to get to campus. Even if you’re early, there’s so many gorgeous indoor and outdoor spaces to spend your time.
9. Download the First Bus App.
On the First Bus app you can track buses, plan your journey and buy bus tickets at a discounted student rate. One thing to note about the buses is that they’re actually free for travel within campus. As long as you get on and off on campus, travel is free.
10. Buy yourself a YORCUP.
A YORCUP is a sustainable initiative to reduce plastic waste on campus. YORCUPs are £5 and are available at all cafe outlets on campus – when you purchase your cup, your first hot drink is free! Everytime you use YORCUP, you will receive 20p off your drink. This is a great way to not only save money on your drinks, but also reduce disposable waste. Can’t beat a hot drink on a commute, right?
I hope you’ve found these tips useful and please know that there is always someone who will help you if you are unsure of anything at university or have any questions.
Charlotte.
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