“Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people who never knew each other, citizens of distant epochs. Books break the shackles of time. A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic.”― Carl Sagan, Cosmos
Settling into University at York St John.
Accommodation.
Okay, so first thing’s first; your accommodation will look wildly different when you arrive compared to the pictures you saw of it on the internet. Not least because it will be completely naked and not full of someone else’s stuff. The first thing you probably want to do is make your bed (or politely ask your mum to make your bed). This will make your room feel much more homely from the beginning and will make the transition on that first day much easier as you’ll feel a little more like you have some familiarity in your bedroom.
Another good tip for making your room comfy and cosy is to decorate with little amenities unique to you. Pictures of friends and family may be a good option as it’s probably those people who you will find it the most difficult to be apart from. You’ll have a huge wraparound pin board in your room which, for those of you that actually have some creative ability, will be a wonderful opportunity to showcase your creative flare. Unfortunately for me I just admitted defeat and gave the job over to two posters and some fairy lights (another feature that adds to the atmosphere and the look of you room).
In the kitchen space is divided into one drawer, cupboard and shelf in the fridge and freezer per flatmate. Cleaning is key in the kitchen especially as it is communal and will very easily spiral into a disaster zone if not kept on top of. Maybe make a chart or planner and make sure all flatmates are in agreement on it. You could also extend your home comforts to the kitchen too in order to make it a little cosier for you and your new friends!
If you’re lucky enough to get a room with an en-suite bathroom then – HALLELUJAH! That space is yours and yours alone and you have officially found the Promised Land, I happily high-five you! If not though, all is not lost. For those who have to share a bathroom a cleaner will come in once a month to do your basic cleaning, but by basic, I mean BASIC. So you might want to think about investing in a shower-caddy-type item which will hold your cleaning items so that you’re encouraged to just keep on top of the cleaning in the bathroom and it doesn’t reach despairing proportions. Because, trust me, this will inevitably happen if not.
Another important thing is to be realistic with your groceries, capitalise on the fact that your parents are still with you and ask them to buy you some groceries and make sure that you have a fair share of fruits and veggies in there too – not only will it keep you healthy when cooking for yourself but it will also help to keep your mood positive.
University – Lectures etc.
Your first day of lectures is going to be daunting, take it from someone that was 15 minutes late to her first introductory session because she couldn’t find the classroom! Usually professors will be lenient about this especially because you’re new to university and still finding your feet, and if you ask some of them, they still get lost because our campus can sometimes be quite tricky to navigate. Those old buildings are beautiful and hold so much history but they do end up creating somewhat of a maze.
In addition, by all means speak to as many people as possible on your first day and make as many friends as you like but do not believe anything they tell you about how much pre-reading they did over the summer. Everyone is out to make a good impression and whether they mean to or not, they can be very intimidating. Just for the record, no one of the age 18 has read the entire works of Shakespeare and no one actually knows the true intention for ‘The Wanderer above the Sea’. If you have no idea what either of those references are (which I find hard to believe because – Shakespeare, come on!) then rest assured you will be absolutely fine and in completely honesty, you probably won’t need to know anything about them going into this experience. The mian thing you need to know about is how to engage with a text and explore it. The key thing to come equipped with on that first day and week of lectures, besides a pen and paper (because let’s be real, you want to at least create the illusion that you’re doing some work) is a willingness to read. Especially on the English Literature course reading is essential and it will be quite heavy at times so don’t be too daunted by the amount of reading you are shown on that first day because your professors wouldn’t give you that much to do unless they knew you could do it and some will even advise you that proper skim-reading is often the best way forward when tackling a lot of reading. I include the word ‘proper’ here because Sparknotes doesn’t count as skim-reading I’m afraid. Most of the time the reading is only to start discussion or provide some context for a seminar. There will be the compulsory texts that you will eventually do your assignments on so obviously read those, but sometimes, especially with secondary research, the skill of skin-reading will come in very handy if you are interested in providing a comprehensive and extensive list of sources that are well incorporated and understood.
Also it might be useful in your breaks between your classes to maybe go and get a coffee with some people from your lecture and go for a walk around the campus to familiarise yourself with your new surroundings. Maybe stop by the health centre and double check that you are all set up and registered at the surgery. Using this time to find your next classroom/s is also a good idea.
By Tilly Martin
Top 10 Things You Should Bring to University
- Cheap pots and pans. They will get ruined when you try to make a pasta sauce at 2am after a night out.
- Your own washing up brush and sponge. Most people you come across will have different ideas of cleanliness and using your own washing up appliances will stop you from contracting any diseases.
- The same goes for tea towels. You will be surprised what people do with them.
- Slippers or flip-flops. If you are sharing a kitchen or bathroom, these will be a necessity. Floors get very grubby in halls – do not make the mistake of walking around barefoot.
- Cheap bedding. Late night snacking and early morning coffees can be very messy and coming home from a night out is not always pretty. You do not want to ruin your brand new John Lewis duvet cover two weeks into term.
- Air fresheners are a life saviour after you have left your chips out after a drunken purchase three nights ago.
- Having a few biscuits to offer your flatmates after the move in is a great icebreaker.
- Having enough folders for a proper organisational system will help when you get hit with the sea of hand outs in welcome week.
- Bring comfy pyjamas. A smart person does not change out of their PJs for a 9am.
- Flu medicine. When fresher’s flu inevitably hits, you have to be ready.
By Phoebe Gurd
York Student Opportunities and Discounts
York Literary Festival
Every year York Literary Festival invites writers, commentators and celebrities to carry out talks and lectures on their respective expertise. This is especially beneficial to English Literature students and York St. John as it allows for greater insight into the field of Literature. This will also appeal to the creative writers at St. John as it grants the opportunity to flex their writing techniques in various competitions and writing workshops.
York City Screen Picturehouse
The York City Screen Picturehouse allows for students to take advantage of various offers in order to make their experience for affordable. The City Screen offers various exclusivity just for students, such as free-viewings every month, discounted tickets as well as a 25% discount on food and drink. With a student membership at City Screen, you are also eligible to discounts from Kennedy’s Bar and Restaurant, Toni & Guy Hairdressers, The Donut Kitchen and many more local businesses.
https://www.picturehouses.com/cinema/info/York_Picturehouse#ticket-prices
The York Minster
With a York St. John student card, you can gain free entrance into the cities’ cathedral. As a resident in York, you can also gain access to a York Card through the library, giving you discounts to many places of interest around the city.
https://www.exploreyork.org.uk/yorkcard/
UniDays
Student’s recommend UniDays in receiving daily updates on opportunities just for students, whether this is discounted food, drink or clothes. These offers can be available for student’s nationally, or specifically for the York area and unis.
https://www.myunidays.com/GB/en-US
Other offers
Make sure to take advantage of student offers in and around York, during your stay at York St. John University. This can be as simple as Spotify’s half price membership, McDonalds’ student meal offer or GAP’s 15% discount.
By Steven Atherton
Top 10 Things I Wish I Knew as a Fresher
- Try to use your free time productively by starting your reading lists and assignments as soon as possible. It really helps to get ahead.
- If you do not pay attention in first year, you will struggle later on. Never listen to people who say “first year does not count for anything”.
- Do not spend weekends away too often, as you may miss out on bonding with your flatmates and will begin to feel left out. Try and stay for four to six weeks and then establish a routine of going home from there.
- Be confident with yourself, for instance if you do not like drinking then you will find people that share that with you. Alongside this, do not let anyone make you feel bad about what you find fun or enjoy doing. If they do, they are not worth your time.
- Join societies for things you are interested in. It is good to take a break from your subject and to meet other people that are not on your course.
- Do not worry about doing some things alone. The people you meet in accommodation and on your course may not enjoy all the same things as you and that is okay.
- Remember that you have not been brought up in the same environment as your other flatmates. Be prepared for messy kitchens or people asking you to be cleaner.
- Do not panic about sorting housing for second year straight away. Try to ignore the mad rush to find housing before Christmas. You need to choose your housemates wisely as people change over time.
- University will go very fast, try and have as much fun as possible.
- Be brave. You will make mistakes, but it is okay, everyone else is in the same boat.
By Phoebe Gurd