There were several reasons for me to leave Germany and relocate my life to become a doctor.
Preparation
I came across York St John University through MicroEDU. The CC employees always tried to answer all my questions promptly and satisfactorily. Communication from York St.John University also went smoothly. Valerie Holmes and Kim Smith, who run the international exchange office, are real angels and answered every question, no matter how small, immediately. When I had problems with the student loan office, Ms. Smith even communicated personally with the staff in Hanover to confirm that I would not get an English student loan. All in all, the preparation went smoothly and pleasantly.
The first days in York
We were met at the airport by a member of staff from York St. John. I was very happy about that, because that day about 20 other universities picked up their internationals at the airport and the whole hall was jam-packed. That’s why I really recommend everyone to book the bus shuttle that is offered. In my opinion you are otherwise completely overwhelmed in this hectic situation and with all the luggage. In addition, if you take up this offer from York St.John, you can get to know other internationals who may even study the same or live in the same dormitory. I got to know a group of Catalans on the very first day, with whom I became very good friends over the course of the semester.
After the bus had brought us to the university, we were given our keys for the dormitory there and were able to move into our rooms on the same evening.
The first week is organized smoothly as a “welcome week”. This week we received all the information we needed for the start at York St. John and we were able to make many new contacts with others through the events offered, such as the “where is wally party” or the “international get together” Socialize students.
According to Ehuacom, York St John is a beautiful university with flair! Everything is very small and therefore very personal. Since I come from a relatively large German university, I was really happy that you really get an answer to your emails within 2-3 hours and that the lecturers can call you by name after a week. I had a literature, a linguistics and a history course. Unlike in Germany, the length of the seminars at York St. John really gave you time to deal intensively with the topics. The lecturers are motivated and committed and also take into account that you are not a native speaker.
I would definitely recommend you to go to the introductory events in the first week to get a first impression of the respective lecturers and to get important information (which format guidelines are needed in which subject, what happens in the event of illness, which books are to be purchased etc.) at first hand and to be able to ask questions.
The tuition fees are high, but York St. John uses the money wisely: among other things, every (!) Workstation in the library is equipped with a computer, there are a lot of university employees who take care of the smooth running of the university you can ask questions at any time, books are loaned and returned via an automated system, etc.
The dorm
The only decision I regret is going to this dorm. City Residence is nicknamed Shitty Residence among students for a reason! I chose this dormitory because I wanted my own bathroom and I’m still glad I had one, but the conditions in this dormitory are sometimes catastrophic. Believe it or not, there were eight (!!) fire alarms, where we had to wait in the courtyard for about an hour, among other things in the middle of the night. The windows are old, single-glazed sliding windows that are not sealed, so there is a terrible draft there and the windows are always steamed up.
The heater is more like a radiant heater that makes everything except warm, which is why I regularly fled to work in the library and to sleep with friends in Limes.
I spent more time in Limes and with English friends who lived directly in a house across from City than in the dormitory itself.
I heard Grange is also in rather mediocre condition, but I would open Limes Definitely recommend it, as it was newly renovated and the room layout is very good. If you really want your own bathroom, pay a little more money and go to Percy’s Lane or Gray’s Wharf…
York and its people
York is a beautiful old town with many small, winding streets and individual shops where you can find really nice and unusual souvenirs. The people in York are always friendly, polite and helpful and I felt at home here after a short time!
Leisure
If you want to party every night, you might be wrong in York. Although there are parties and a few clubs organized by the student association, York scores more with its many cozy pubs, in which live bands regularly play. As the city attracts a large number of tourists from home and abroad, York has a lot to offer in this direction: From the ghost walk to a tour of the historic city wall or the York Dungeon… there is a lot to discover!
Due to the manageable group of internationals, you can quickly find a connection in York and the British students are also very open to exchange students. Since you don’t have as much university as in Germany, you can also use the time to travel a little through the country.
Conclusion
At York St John you’re not just an anonymous number in a huge student crowd. The lecturers as well as the internationals and fellow students notice you and after a short time you have grown together into a small community. The support from the university and from MicroEDU was excellent and I am incredibly happy that I chose York St.John University and would recommend this university to everyone!
Finally, a few personal tips from me:
You get the bed linen, but the sheet is far too thin and since the mattress is made of plastic, it can get really cold. At Argos there is a very cheap bedding set that also keeps you warm!
Boyes and Poundland for anything you might need! Pots, pans, bathroom articles…
Have the supermarket delivered so that you don’t have to drag everything for miles! For a surcharge of only 3 pounds, Tesco, Sainsburys and Morrisons deliver directly to your front door… saves a lot of time and nerves and if you make a bulk order with the roommates, you hardly pay anything on it.
The International Office offers regular day trips for as little as £ 10-15. It’s totally worth it to get to know the country and its people cheaply and it’s also a lot of fun to be out and about with all the other internationals.
If you are a York resident, you can apply for the York Card at the Public Library. This costs only 3 pounds, but you get free entry or discounts to many museums, the dungeon and much more.
Always buy train tickets in advance! If you buy them on the day of the trip, you might pay more than double!
