New students and arrivals
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
Arrivals day
Due to the number of students arriving into David Kato College, our arrivals have been separated across two different days to avoid significant queues and delays. As part of this process to minimise traffic, all students will be asked to book and follow a specific arrival slot for their move-in on campus.
Your individual arrival date will be determined by the start date specified for you in your accommodation contract. It is important you arrive only on the day you are allocated.
Instructions will slightly differ depending on the day you are allocated to arrive - open the relevant tab below for more specific instructions for your arrival.
Friday 12 September 2025
- Drive to the Church Lane car park (campus map / google maps / what3words) following signs for ‘Campus East Key Collection’ along the way. You will be directed to park in an available bay.
- Students should report to the Church Lane building reception, which is accessible from the car park. At the reception, the student will check-in to their accommodation and receive their room access card - please make sure you bring a form of photo ID with you to collect this.
- The Church Lane cafe and toilets are available to students and their parents/supporters. Due to the limited capacity of the car park, we ask that you please move on within 30 minutes of arriving.
- After collecting your room access card and returning to your car, you will be directed to drive from the Church Lane car park to Lakeside Way.
- A parking marshall will instruct you to move into the right hand lane, which is a dedicated queue for David Kato College drop-offs.
- Once you have reached the end of this queue, you will be directed to the drop-off area, immediately outside David Kato College.
- The driver must remain with their vehicle at all times.
- The student and their parents/supporters must ensure all belongings have been removed from their vehicle within 15 minutes. Student volunteers and staff will be available to support the student in moving their belongings into their accommodation block.
- Once your car has been unloaded, the driver will need to move their vehicle to our long-stay car park at Grimston Bar Park and Ride (google maps / what3words). From there, a shuttle bus will return you to the Campus East interchange, (google maps / what3words), which is a five minute walk to David Kato. We recommend that all drivers make a note of their student’s accommodation block and room number before leaving, in case mobile signal is poor on the day.
- Once you have unpacked your belongings, head over to the David Kato College Hub to meet college staff, collect your student ID card and explore merch and sports memberships.
Sunday 14 September 2025
- Drive to the Church Lane car park (campus map / google maps / what3words) following signs for ‘Campus East Key Collection’ along the way. You will be directed to park in an available bay.
- Students should report to the Church Lane building reception, which is accessible from the car park. At the reception, the student will check-in to their accommodation and receive their room access card - please make sure to bring a form of photo ID with you to collect this.
- The Church Lane cafe and toilets are available to students and their parents/supporters. Due to the limited capacity of the car park, we ask that you please move on within 30 minutes of arriving.
- After collecting your room access card and returning to your car, you will be directed to drive from the Church Lane car park to Lakeside Way.
- A parking marshall will instruct you to join the queue for the drop-off area.
- Once you have reached the end of this queue, you will be directed to the drop-off area, alongside David Kato College.
- The driver must remain with their vehicle at all times.
- The student and their parents/supporters must ensure all belongings have been removed from their vehicle within 15 minutes. Student volunteers and staff will be available to support the student in moving their belongings into their accommodation block.
- Once your car has been unloaded, the driver will need to move their vehicle to our long-stay car park at Grimston Bar Park and Ride (google maps / what3words). From there, a shuttle bus will return you to the Campus East interchange, (google maps / what3words), which is a five minute walk to David Kato. We recommend that all drivers make a note of their student’s accommodation block and room number before leaving, in case mobile signal is poor on the day.
- Once you have unpacked your belongings, head over to the David Kato Hub to meet college staff, collect your student ID card and explore merch and sports memberships.
What to expect
To help you navigate your way on the day, our Campus Safety team have also put together a video to help visualise how these steps will look if you are driving to David Kato College.
Frequently asked questions
I’m not able to arrive on Friday 12 September 2025. Can I move in on another day?
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 kato@york.ac.uk, who will be able to advise.
I’m not able to move in on Sunday 14 September. Can I move in on Friday instead?
No - it will not be possible to access your University accommodation before your contracted start 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 a little overwhelming. If you have specific needs please email kato@york.ac.uk and we will be able to advise the best time to arrive.
I have physical disabilities and require accessible parking.
If you require accessible parking, please contact the David Kato College team via email: kato@york.ac.uk
What happens if I arrive 'out of hours'?
You will be able to collect your keys from the Ron Cooke Hub, 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.
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 your room number and block/flat. If you have any accommodation queries, get in touch with the Accommodation team.
- The letters at the start (DK) tell you that your room is in David Kato
- The next letter is your block
- The following digits are your room number
- The first digit of your room number is your floor: (0 is Ground Floor, 1 is First Floor etc.)
For example: DK/J/019 is David Kato College, Block J, Ground Floor, Room Number 019.
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 weeks
During your first week, David Kato and our Students’ Union will host a programme of welcome activities, led by the student committees, to welcome you to our college, introduce you to your new flatmates and begin your university journey.
