Need help to decide on your college/campus accommodation?

I assume that if you’re here, you’re pretty much set on what you want to study. But choosing your college, especially since you will be living on campus, can be a huge decision. The very first piece of advice I would offer for accommodation is to APPLY EARLY!

What is a college?

The college you choose first decides where you stay on campus (i.e. how near you want to be to your department building/convenience store/lake?).  It is essentially a community that organises events for you in addition to those organised by the Student Union on a university level. You live together as a community,  buy a few college shirts and hoodies, join College sport if you feel sporty and crash in the rooms of people from other colleges if your room is too far from your next lesson.

Each college has their own unique identity, but don’t believe the BS that’s on the uni’s website. There really isn’t much rivalry between colleges and after Fresher’s week, you realize that no one really cares which college you come from.

So enough about college philosophy… Here’s this Singaporean’s rundown of the colleges…

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HES WEST:

Hes West is the main university campus. It’s crammed with buildings for different departments, colleges, and shops (there’s even a hair salon… which I strongly advise you not to go to). It’s the epitome of convenience because everything is a stone’s throw away. You can roll out of bed 5 minutes before your lecture starts and probably still get there on time. It also has the Sports Centre (a gym with several courts for indoor sports), Market Square (mini cluster of shops and a convenience store called NISA), bars, cafés, and the library. Majority of colleges and departments are on Hes West, so you’ll be a lot closer to the heart of university activity and people. Unfortunately, it is the older side of campus so some of the facilities and buildings are pretty run down and don’t look as modern as those on Hes East.

Wentworth:

Meh. Postgrads. Fancy Schmancy new houses. The photo you see of Wentworth on the uni website? Yeah. That’s it. But it’s nice. If you’re an undergrad, skip immediately.

Vanbrugh:

Old Vanbrugh is CRAP. It’s ugly, but it’s the most central. They’ve got that weird fountain that only turns on when people are visiting, and they’ve got Vanbrugh Paradise (an empty plot of land for anything) and Vanbrugh Bowl (a grassy piece of land that is literally shaped like a bowl where geese like to hang out). Old Vanbrugh is extremely convenient for anything, really. Market Square is just a stroll away. You’re right in the heart of campus, what else do you want? New Vanbrugh, on the other hand, is much further away in the Western-most part of campus (see Donald Baron and Barbara Scott Court on map), but is GORGEOUS and spanking new. Lucky bastards. Oh yeah, then there’s Fairfax house (NOT the tourist site), but who wants to live there?!

James:

Ducks. Ducks. Geese. Ducks. Ducks having #$%, Geese having #$%. Geese attacking you. Ducks just sitting there, chilling and not letting anyone pass. Duck poo EVERYWHERE! Ducks and geese collaborating at 2 in the morning to make as much noise as possible to wake you from your sleep. James organizes relatively good Fresher’s events. Plus, the Christian Union does free toasties (pocket sandwiches) and pancakes (on pancake day) and all sorts of nice goodies in the James Lakeside JCR and you don’t need to be Christian to get one! Oh yeah and James is really good at sports, which is expected since the Sports Centre is right outside my window. I AM NOT KIDDING. James also inherited Block N AHEM’prison block’AHEM  from Goodricke. You’ll see it when you arrive at James. There aren’t actually any pictures of it on the website. It’s that ugly.

Alcuin: 

Alcuin is situated closest to the library, so the college spirit is heavily focused on mugging. I kid you not. Alcuin’s Fresher’s events have a horribly low turn out. But they are incredibly smart, and many Asians actually choose Alcuin as their college. If you feel like you need to be closer to an Asian community (be surprised, you will start missing Asian faces), go for Alcuin. The Medical school is actually here so it is full of people who will probably be very successful in the future. MAKE FRIENDS NOW. The Premium rooms are REALLY NEW. They are worth the price if you don’t mind paying a little bit extra, but you may not find the location ideal because you will be situated in the Northern-most part of campus.

Derwent:

Probably one of the most involved colleges there is. They’ve got the best Fresher’s events and term-time events in general. They organise tie-dye events and hold volunteering events very often, so if you like to get involved, go for it. They have a huge community spirit there. And they also have 2 bars. The Courtyard has THE BEST FOOD ON CAMPUS. Seriously. Unfortunately, they’ve got the shittiest rooms I’ve ever laid eyes on. The college is OLD, and I mean “1960s architectural genius OLD”. There was once the heat went out for a week IN WINTER. Room sizes differ by a lot. I’ve got 2 friends; one has a room twice the size of the other, and they pay the same price. Hello, Capitalism. And you wonder why Russia had Stalin… Moving on, Derwent is basically one giant corridor. You just keep following the path, and sooner or later you’ll get to where you’re going.

Halifax: 

Halifax simi sai? Seriously. Pick ANYTHING, ANYTHING. LITERALLY ANYTHING but Halifax. Yeah, they’re the biggest college, and yeah, size probably matters, but the hike you go through every day for campus accommodation? No. Just no. Halifax is the Pulau NTU of the University of York. Pulau Halifax is not worth the trip. There is nothing on Halifax, maybe just a small little NISA (like a teeny tiny NTUC), a computer room (most colleges have these) and a Launderette (which all colleges have). You walk at least 15 minutes to get to your campus accommodation. Plus you walk past 22 Acres, the uni’s playing fields, where the wind is notoriously badass. Don’t kill yourself. Halifax is usually taken up by people who don’t apply early. APPLY EARLY.

HES EAST:

Hes East is a 15 minute walk/8 minute cycle/5 minute free bus ride from Hes West. Being away from the hustle and bustle of the main campus makes it rather tranquil, but Hes East is basically a group of buildings sitting on a random plot of empty land. Hes East is really pretty because it’s surrounded by a lot of greenery and a huge pond, but it is incredibly windy since it’s an open piece of land. If you have lessons on Hes West, you might want to rethink your choice because it means you’ll have to get up earlier so that you’ll have enough time to commute (walk, cycle, or take the bus) to your classes. Cycling to Hes West can be an advantage because it means you’re actually awake by the time you sit in your lecture hall, but folks may find the daily commute an unnecessary hassle. Hes East also has the York Sports Village. The Sports Village has great sports facilities and many sports teams (uni or otherwise) train there. The gym has newer and a greater variety of equipment compared to the Sports Centre on Hes West, and holds free classes for those with a membership. It’s also got a heated indoor pool, sauna, steam room, and nice new 3G (those artificial grass) pitches. Some people may call Hes East a “ghost town” but if your classes are primarily held on Hes East or if you’re looking for a quieter accommodation environment with fewer people and more modern facilities/buildings, any of the colleges on this side of campus may be what you’re looking for. 

Goodricke:

They were the first ones on the new Hes East campus, so they got really lucky. Law, Management, Computer Science, Theatre, Film and TV (TFTV) are all right next to Goodricke. The first stop on Hes East actually stops at the backside (literally) of TFTV, just press the bell after clearing the gantry/barrier to Hes East and alight at the first stop. It’s a 3 minute walk to Goodricke. Goodricke has huge kitchens, much bigger than the ones on Hes West. If you like big spaces, you will like Goodricke. Goodricke has a GCR and a JCR,which are basically common spaces for you to bum around until you actually decide to be productive.

Langwith:

Langwith is an interesting college because it is very disabled-friendly. Langwith have got the loudest JCRC I have ever heard, which is good I guess, and Langwith has the Glasshouse (although it’s really nice, it’s the ONLY BAR on Hes East so make of that what you will). Langwith doesn’t actually have a bus stop, so you have to get off at the Ron Cooke Hub (the second stop after TFTV) and take a 2 minute walk from there. Langwith is relatively new compared to Goodricke and SUPER SPANKING NEW compared to Hes West. There aren’t any academic buildings in Langwith so it’s just accommodation, but there are two common rooms with TVs and sofas, and a quiet study space within the college. If you ever need anything, the Ron Cooke Hub is just a stone’s throw away.

Constantine:

Ah yes, the newest college on campus. All I have to say is that the pink on the college crest is absolutely ghastly. Constantine basically has the newest rooms you’ll ever get at the University of York. Constantine is the furthest college from Hes West and centre city, but it is the closest to the York Sports Village. The college spirit is somewhat less than zero because they are a new college and they’re trying to develop/find their own identity.

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So there it is, really!!!

My advice is: pick the college based on what you want. Location, cost and college spirit are just a few of the things that should influence your decision. If you have any questions drop me a comment or email, but be sure to leave a method of getting in touch with you so that I can give you my reply.

~:Denise

#College