New students and arrivals

Source: https://www.york.ac.uk/colleges/halifax/new-student-arrivals/ Parent: https://www.york.ac.uk/students/new/undergraduate/arriving/

We're looking forward to welcoming you to Halifax 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 halifax@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 Halifax College on Sunday 14 September 2025. New postgraduates are welcome to arrive 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

More information about our arrivals and car parking process will be released the week commencing Monday 1 September 2025.

Undergraduate students - Sunday 14 September 2025

Head towards Halifax College (campus map / google maps / what3words) where you will be met by members of our arrivals team. They will direct you to the nearest available parking space in our holding zone.
Collect your room key. Once parked, drivers will be asked to stay with their cars, while students head on foot to the Halifax Senior Common Room (also known as ‘JJ’s’) to collect their accommodation keys, before returning to their cars. Remember to bring a form of photo ID with you.
Unload your belongings. From here, members of the team will direct you to the nearest available short stay parking bay, where you will be asked to unload your belongings.
Move your vehicle to our long stay car park. Once unloaded, drivers will be asked to move their cars to our long stay Campus South Car Park (campus map / google maps / what3words), which is approximately a 10 minute walk from Halifax College.
Collect your Student ID card from JJ’s. Once your belongings are in your room, you can head back to JJ’s to meet your student committee who will be selling college merch, sports memberships and welcome week tickets. You can also pick up your student ID card from a member of college staff.

Postgraduate students - from Monday 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 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 towards Halifax College. After collecting your keys, drivers should head towards Halifax College Car Park (7.1) (campus map / google maps / what3words). If you are travelling on foot, Halifax College is approximately a 15-20 minute walk across campus.
Unload your belongings. Upon arrival at the college car park, drivers will be asked to begin unloading their belongings. Students on foot are able to head straight to their accommodation.
Collect your Student ID card from JJ’s. Once you’ve unpacked, head over on foot to the Halifax College Common room to collect your student ID, meet college staff, and explore college merch and sports memberships.

Frequently asked questions

[UG only] I’m not able to move in on Sunday 14 September 2025. 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. will not be possible to access your accommodation before your tenancy contract begins.

If you have any questions, please contact your college team at halifax@york.ac.uk, who will be able to advise.

[PG only] I’m not able to move in on Monday 8 September 2025. Can I arrive on a different day instead?

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. You will need to collect your Student ID from the Information Centre at the same time as your accommodation key. We therefore strongly recommend you move in on your allocated arrival date.

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 halifax@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 halifax@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. If you have any accommodation queries, get in touch with the Accommodation team.

The letter at the start (H) tells you that your room is in Halifax
The next letters show your block/house
The following digits are your room number
The first of the digits will inform which floor you’re on

For example: HWO/A/01 is Wood Court, House A, room 1, ground floor. HAI/A/002 is Ainsty Court, Block A, Room 002.

Your first week

During your first week, Halifax and our Students’ Unions deliver a programme of introductory activities, led by our student committee, to welcome you to our college, help you meet fellow students and start living Halifax life to the full.

Join in at Halifax

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.