How to make the most of your time at university

During your time at York St John, there are plenty of experiences for you to get involved in, whether that being studying abroad, joining in with events or taking part in work experience. Here are some of the opportunities you can take whilst being a student at York St John University.

Student’s Union
The Student’s Union will play a huge part in your York St John experience, found at the heart of campus the SU (Students Union) offers a sense of community and is the best place to meet new people or relax with friends. It is a registered charity with all the income raised by them being invested back into their services and activities. These activities range from themed nights or events held at the SU to pub quizzes and karaoke.

Societies
Whilst at York St John you can get involved in many different societies, from sports clubs to the geek society. With over 60 clubs to join, there is something for everyone to get involved in. All will help expand your experiences and help you branch out and make new friends who have the same interests. If none of the clubs seems to take your fancy, then you can start a new one amongst friends who have shared interests. Some clubs include Book Club, Singing Society, Taylor Swift Club, Airsoft, Basketball and much more. Visit the students’ union website for a list of sports clubs and societies and where to contact them to join!

Events
Events held by the Students Union vary depending on the time of year, from £1 a pint to karaoke night. To find out what events are being held in the upcoming months at the SU then visit the Student Union’s events page.

Volunteering
Volunteering during your time studying at York St John can be beneficial, not only will you be helping make a difference, but you can also enhance your employability skills. Volunteering opportunities are usually with charities across York which strive to help you build transferable skills, network within the industry and most importantly make a difference to the local community. If you have any more questions about volunteering, then you can email volunteer@yorksj.ac.uk

Internships
Internships are a great chance for you to strengthen and develop key skills, which will all be great experiences to add to your CV. All student internships run all year long however, there are specific times in which some internships run for example; Summer Internships run from June to September and YSJ (York St John) Campus Internships run from September to May. All the internships are project-based with them running part-time across 4 to 12 weeks depending on the program. Some internships can be virtual, blended or in-person, this just depends on the programme. Summer Internships are with organisations in and around York, whilst YSJ on campus are opportunities to work with departments within the university. All internships are advertised on Handshake and you can book an appointment with a careers advisor if you need help with your application. To discuss student internships, you can contact the team by emailing internships@yorksj.ac.uk

Study abroad
Study abroad opportunities give you the experience of travelling, exploring diverse cultures, developing skills and with the main goal of enhancing your employability. For a placement year, study abroad is only available during your 2nd year. At York St John we offer the opportunity to spend a semester or a year at one of our partner universities. Depending on your subject area depends on where you can study, but some examples of places are the USA, Canada, Norway, Finland, Netherlands, Cyprus, Spain, Poland, Luxembourg, Japan, South Korea, Austria, and others. To look at more destinations and where your specific course can go click here. Finance and funding options are available and all students who study abroad will receive a minimum grant of £750 (subject to grant conditions). There are also other grants and scholarships you can apply for which may be applicable, available here. All students who study abroad for a year will receive an 85% discount on their tuition fees. However, there are also other costs to consider when choosing to study abroad, such as travel to and from, accommodation, visa costs, living costs and course books. For more information or support you can email studyabroad@yorksj.ac.uk