New students and arrivals
Source: https://www.york.ac.uk/colleges/derwent/new-student-arrivals/ Parent: https://www.york.ac.uk/students/new/undergraduate/arriving/
We're looking forward to welcoming you to Derwent College!
To help you prepare, make sure to take a look at the new student welcome pages, including how to register and what to bring. We’ll also email you a pre-arrival survey, so you can share any concerns or worries you may like some support with with our teams.
Have a question about arrivals? Take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions below, or contact us at derwent@york.ac.uk.
Keeping up to date
As we get closer to the start of the semester, we'll email your University of York email account with information and advice on how to prepare, and share copies of the emails below.
Welcome to the University of York! Things to do first - 22 August 2025
Preparing for your arrival - 29 August 2025
Arrivals and welcome activities - 5 September 2025
When to arrive
New undergraduates are asked to arrive into Derwent College on Saturday 13 September 2025.
New postgraduates are welcome to arrive into Derwent College from Monday 8 September 2025 onwards.
Accommodation Services will email your University of York email account with a link to the induction module and ask you to book a one-hour arrival slot.
Arrivals day
Undergraduate students
New undergraduate students living on campus will arrive into Derwent on Saturday 13 September 2025. We ask you to follow the following process upon arrival - details of each of the locations mentioned below can be found on our Derwent College map.
- Collect your room keycard and student ID from the Spring Lane Building. Please make your way to the Central car park (campus map / google maps / what3words) at the entrance to the Spring Lane Building. On your arrival, make your way to the reception desk situated inside the Spring Lane Building to collect your accommodation key - remember to bring a form of photo ID with you. At this point, please do not unpack your car.
- If you are arriving by public transport, you will be directed to an area where you can leave your luggage whilst you collect your key.
- Follow your block specific instructions below. Your next steps will vary depending on which part of Derwent you will be moving into. If you aren’t sure which block you’re in, please check your accommodation offer.
Blocks A, J, K, M
- Begin unloading. Once you have collected your accommodation key, you can head back to your car in the Central car park and begin unloading your luggage. As spaces are limited, you will be given a 30 minute timeslot within which to do this, and then asked to move to allow others the same opportunity.
- Get help from available STYCs. Current student volunteers, known as Second and Third Year Contacts (STYCs) will be stationed outside Spring Lane to help students unload their car and bring their luggage over to their accommodation - keep an eye out for their STYC t-shirts! Our volunteers will endeavour to help as many incoming students as possible, but we ask you for your patience if demand is busier than normal.
- Move your car into the long-stay car park. Once you have unloaded your luggage, drivers then need to move vehicles to one of the long stay car parks at the Science Park (campus maps / google map / what3words).
Blocks B, C, D
- Drive to Derwent reception, and begin to unload. Drivers are asked to move to the Derwent reception area (campus map / google maps / what3words) to unload their belongings. Please note that due to the limited space available, drivers will need to move their vehicle from this drop-off point as soon as possible. Volunteers on the day will let you know if alternative spaces become available.
- Get help from available STYCs. Current student volunteers, known as Second and Third Year Contacts (STYCs) will be stationed outside reception to help students unload their car and bring their luggage over to their accommodation - keep an eye out for their STYC t-shirts! Our volunteers will endeavour to help as many incoming students as possible, but we ask you for your patience if demand is busier than normal.
- Move your car into the long-stay car park. Once you have unloaded your luggage, drivers then need to move vehicles to one of the long stay car parks at the Science Park (campus maps / google map / what3words).
Blocks F, G & H
- Drive to the WACL short-stay car park, and begin to unload. Drivers are asked to move from the Central carpark to the WACL car park (campus map / google maps / what3words) where you will be given a 20 minute timeslot to unload. Please note that due to the limited space available, drivers will need to move their vehicle from this drop-off point as soon as possible to allow others the same opportunity.
- Get help from available STYCs. Current student volunteers, known as Second and Third Year Contacts (STYCs) will be stationed around the car park to help students unload their car and bring their luggage over to their accommodation - keep an eye out for their STYC t-shirts! Our volunteers will endeavour to help as many incoming students as possible, but we ask you for your patience if demand is busier than normal.
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Move your car into the long-stay car park. Once you have unloaded your luggage, drivers then need to move vehicles to one of the long stay car parks at the Science Park (campus maps / google map / what3words).
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Collect your Student ID. Once you have moved in, you can pick up your student ID, complimentary Freshers T-shirt, tote bag, and have the opportunity to buy Derwent merch / sign up for sports membership in the Dining Hall, where members of the student committee will be present.
Postgraduate students
Postgraduate students living on campus are encouraged to arrive into Derwent College from Monday 8 September 2025 onwards. When you accept your accommodation offer you will be asked to confirm this date or notify us of an alternative.
Arriving into Eden's Court - 8 September 2025 onwards
- Head to the Information Centre to collect your room key. Please make your way to the Car park 2.3 (campus map / google maps / what3words) just off Vanbrugh Way. If you are arriving by public transport, your nearest bus stop will be the University Library opposite Market Square.
- On your arrival, make your way to the reception desk situated inside the Information Centre to collect your student ID card and accommodation keys - remember to bring a form of photo ID with you to collect these. At this point, please do not unpack your car / leave your luggage.
- Travel to Eden’s Court. After collecting your keys, drivers should move to Eden’s car park to begin unloading. If you are travelling on foot, Eden’s Court on Heslington Lane (campus map / google maps / what3words) is roughly a 10 minute walk from the Information Centre.
- Due to limited parking spaces, we ask you to limit unloading to 30 minutes maximum to allow others the same opportunity.
- Move to a long-stay car park. Once you have unloaded your luggage, drivers will need to move vehicles to the long stay car park at The Stables (campus maps / google maps / what3words).
Frequently asked questions
My accommodation contract starts on Friday 12 September - what should I do?
Students arriving on Friday 12 September will be able to collect their room keys from our Information Centre, which is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. After collecting your keys, Derwent College is a ten minute walk on foot across campus, where members of our team will greet you and show you to your accommodation block.
If you have any questions about your arrival, please contact the college at derwent@york.ac.uk.
[Undergraduates] I’m not able to move in on Saturday 13 September. Can I arrive on a different day instead?
We strongly encourage you to arrive on the day your tenancy contract begins. Arrivals weekend is a very busy time at the University, with lots of traffic and queues across campus.
If you choose to arrive after this date, please be aware there will be a limited number of parking spaces available, as well as limited assistance available to help you move into your room. We therefore strongly recommend you move in on your allocated arrival date.
If you have any questions, please contact your college team at derwent@york.ac.uk, who will be able to advise.
I’m a neurodivergent student and would like to move in when it’s quieter. Is that possible?
Arrivals weekend is very busy and can, for some students, be overwhelming. If you have specific needs, please contact the team at derwent@york.ac.uk and we will be able to advise the best time to arrive.
I have physical disabilities and require accessible parking. Do I need to register in advance?
If you require accessible parking, please contact the team at derwent@york.ac.uk for more information.
What happens if I arrive ‘out of hours’?
You will be able to collect your keys from our Information Centre, which is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you arrive after 5pm, please be aware there will likely be a limited amount of parking and assistance available to help you move into your room.
Will I be able to buy food when I get there?
If you are moving into catered or self-catered accommodation on campus, you'll need to think about food for your first evening. Note that our campus catering outlets only take card payments.
Depending on when you arrive, our on-campus outlets may be closed, and if you are moving into catered accommodation, please be aware your meals will only be available on weekdays during the semester.
Once you've arrived
Your room number
Accommodation Services will email you in September with your room number and block/flat. If you have any accommodation queries, you should contact the Accommodation team.
- The letters at the start tell you which building the room is in
- The next letter is your block/court
- The number is your room number
- The first digit of your room number is your floor: (0 is Ground Floor, 1 is First Floor etc.)
*For example:* D/M/123 - Derwent, M Block, Room 123. EN/A/014 - Eden’s Court, House A, Room 014.
Report any issues
If you're living on campus, we’ll email you a room inventory when you move in. Check your room thoroughly and report any problems.
Report a problem with your room
If you're living off campus, your accommodation provider / letting agent will provide you with an inventory on the day you move in. See our advice for moving into private sector accommodation, including what to expect and a handy moving in checklist for your first key tasks.
Your first week
Throughout your first week, Derwent and our Students’ Unions coordinate a programme of welcome activities, led by our student committee, to welcome you to Derwent College, introduce you to your fellow Derwenters and set you on course for living university life to the full.