During my studies I wanted to improve my English skills. Especially since I want to do my MBA in England after my bachelor’s degree. I heard about York St John University through MicroEDU. My goal was to improve my English level within a month.
York is in the north of England, between Manchester and Newcastle. The beautiful old town is very manageable and the university is well equipped. The staff in the International Office were very friendly and helpful and, with a few small exceptions, answered every question. On the first day, a placement test is written and there is a personal tour of the campus. In addition, every student receives an information folder with all the important details. The course groups range in size from 8 to 13 people. In my case, I was in a course with 9 students. However, the students change the course as new people come and go every week. The teachers are very interested and enjoy their work. You could ask questions at any time and they were answered in detail. The only thing that everyone has to get used to is the group work, which 90 percent predominate. Individual exercises are not the order of the day, which was a small change at the beginning. Classes start around 9 a.m. and end in the afternoon around 3 p.m. / 4 p.m. In addition, a test is written every Friday to see whether what has been learned could be implemented. You will get the result afterwards.
There are several accommodations to choose from: City Residence, The Grange, Limes Court, Percy Lane, Holgate Hall. A tip: The best accommodation for students is Limes Court (15 minutes’ walk from the university), you can have a great time there with the right people. And here we are at the point, you are accommodated with international students. However, the best way to learn about English student life and the language is with students who also live and study there. I was lucky enough to get to know several local students despite the semester break. So I spent most of the time with the students from York and had a really great and never boring time. So it depends on everyone how they spend their time there.
According to Jibin123, the university consists of old and modern buildings. On campus there are lecture rooms, a large library, a church, a cafeteria, a fitness studio as well as the International Office and much more. It makes sense to register in the gym for one month or more. The cost was £ 25. Small but nice is the motto here. About 130 students live, 5 each in one apartment. The rooms, kitchen and bathroom are good according to the needs and fairly new. Small points of criticism: the duvets are much too thin and the bathing area is not ideal either. However, everything is still within the framework.
The General English Course is in itself a matter of opinion. There are a total of three groups into which one can be divided (Pre-Intermediate, Intermediate and Upper Intermediate). I was lucky enough to be able to switch to the Upper Intermediate Group after 2 weeks. Most of the people there speak good English and most of the learning content is helpful. However, the best progress is made outside of the classroom in the normal student life. Unfortunately, I took the course during the semester break, I think it would have made more sense to take the course during normal university operations. More students on campus and in the accommodation speak for it.
Anyone can buy groceries at Sainsbury’s. The supermarket is a 5-minute walk from the property. The prices are unfortunately a bit more expensive than in Germany, but affordable. If you want, you can also eat in the cafeteria, but the food doesn’t really taste good. Most of the students I met eat at home – which I did after a week.
Outside of university there are countless pubs and opportunities to party in York (Tokyo York, Club Salvation etc.)
In conclusion, all that remains to be said is that the month has really brought me further and my decision to study there is getting closer and closer. The language has improved and the month has been worth it in every way. The students in England really live every day and it never gets boring. The university is on a very good level and everyone is absolutely helpful.
