It only seems a short time ago when students were arriving for the new autumn term, and already the Christmas vacation is almost here.
While many students take advantage of the break to go and see family and friends, plenty of students stay on campus or in York. There are usually around 500 international students who don’t leave York for Christmas, so if you are one of them you are in good company.
As it’s a national holiday, the University does close in terms of shops and catering. If you are staying on campus in the holidays, please make sure you stock up on food. Supermarkets will close early, usually at 4:00 pm, on 24 December (Christmas Eve) and will stay closed on Christmas Day (25 December) and the day after Christmas (26 December). If you’re planning to eat in a restaurant on Christmas Day or the day after Christmas, please make sure you book in advance. Although many restaurants do provide Christmas meals, they will not usually be able to serve unexpected customers!
All departments on the University campus will be closed over the Christmas vacation, including the library. However, the University doesn’t close completely; you will still be able to use the PC rooms, porters will be available at most college receptions, and Security will be on site 24 hours a day. If you are on campus and an emergency occurs, you can call Security on 3333 (or 32 3333). The IT Service telephone helpline is always available every day of the year 24 hours a day, so if you need support you can call 3838.
On a more fun note, the ISA (International Students’ Association) is planning a trip to Birmingham for the Frankfurt Christmas market. This will take place on Wednesday 21 December. Please buy your tickets online at www.yusu.org/shop
Further social events from the ISA and GSA (Graduate Students’ Association) may be in the pipeline, although details have not yet been confirmed. Please check their websites for more information at:
http://www.yusu.org/campaigns-and-representation/isa
http://www.yorkgsa.org/site/events/calendar-of-events
It is also worth mentioning that although the GSA represents the University’s postgraduate population, undergraduates are always welcome to attend their social events.
A Christmas information leaflet is available for students staying over the vacation, with more detailed information than I can provide in this blog. Do look out for them. Paper copies are available from all college receptions as well as the Student Support Office, the library, the Information Centre, the Law and Management building, and a few other places besides. You can also download one from the Guides and Publications section on the International Support website at www.york.ac.uk/internationalsupport
Have a wonderful Christmas vacation!
Louise Saunderson, International Student Support Co-ordinator
Did students really stay on campus during Christmas Day? At my university the campus was a ghost town at least two weeks before Christmas. In fact, I'm fairly sure the uni wanted to let out dorms to business people for meetings over the festive break, and students had to leave.
ReplyDeleteThere were students on campus on Christmas Day, although it is difficult to estimate the exact number as some would have been visiting their friends. Some students were lucky enough to participate in the Host scheme at this time, so they would also have been away on Christmas Day. Host UK is a charity which organises weekend visits with British families. The University pays all of the administration costs, so the student only bears the cost of travelling to the family home. These visits are very popular because it’s a great way of learning about British culture while meeting people.
ReplyDeleteDespite a number of students staying on campus during Christmas, it remained very quiet throughout the holiday compared to term time. The campus shops were closed, but we still had 24 hour security, college receptions stayed open and there is always a telephone helpline available 24 hours of the day for anyone requiring IT support
Louise Saunderson- International Student Support Co-ordinator