Obligatory/Introductory post

This blog is targeted toward Freshers who are planning to come to the University of York. I was really unprepared and completely lost when making my decision to come here, so I figured I’d give you a helping hand. If you’re here, you’ve probably searched really hard, so good for you! You’ve found it!

Well, the title says it all, really.

My name is Denise. I’m a Singaporean here in the University of York. I grew up in Singapore, and I live… IN SINGAPORE. 😛 I was brought up by my dad, and mom. Although I’ve been told that I resemble my dad A LOT. I nave a younger brother, who is 2 years younger than me. I’ll write another post if you really want my whole life story.

York…

Life here is always interesting, because you never really know what to expect. It’s tough, no doubt. Fitting in is a pain, but it’s all part of the process. It’s cold, but it hasn’t snowed in ages, sadly. The town is quiet, and anything that is not a shopping area is a residential area. The people here are really friendly, much friendlier than if you were to go out into cities like Leeds, Manchester, and especially London. The feel overall… Pleasant!

The University…

It’s quite extensive. And it’s the creation of 1960s architecture (also known as the “Golden Age of Architecture”), so it’s incredibly Geometric. The town basically revolves around the uni. Out of term time, the campus gets eerily quiet and you wonder if you’re actually being watched by some mythical creature. It’s a 35 minute walk away from the town centre, but it doesn’t really feel like 35 minutes to be honest. The weather is reasonably pleasant to walk in, which is surprising, considering it’s ENGLISH WEATHER. Nevertheless, you don’t feel it.

The Uni is split into Hes East and Hes West, in case you’re wondering, and it’s a good 20-25 minute walk from one campus to the other. There is, of course, a free bus ride between campuses, so that’s never really a problem. There are 9 colleges, but Wentworth is just for postgrads. The other colleges all have their own REALLY unique identity, but seriously, don’t believe the uni website. See this link to help you with your college!

There are many international students here, because York is considered to be a second-grade Oxford/Cambridge. But because Oxbridge have quotas on the number of international students they take,most come flooding to York. The diversity is amazing and I suggest to speak to everyone at ISA (International Students Association) events.

Life here in general…

It’s nice, and slow-paced. Being away from the hustle and bustle of city life in Singapore really makes you reflect on yourself and the life you have right now. Independence from family is a HUGE step that I feel everyone needs to take at some point in their life. You can find almost everything you need to survive. There is a good selection of Chinese food at Oriental supermarkets, and there is a Halal butcher near the uni.

The Singaporean community…

It’s small and tightly knit. Most second and third years are busy with their degrees,but first years tend to be very close to each other. It’s always good to find a few close Singaporean friends so that you can all swear (possibly at the ang mohs) in Hokkien, Chinese and Malay and no one will ever have to know.

That’s all for now. Look out for more posts coming your way as I decide on new topics to write on. Do drop me emails if you have questions, and I will try to answer them.