New students and arrivals
We’re looking forward to welcoming you at David Kato College!
Before you arrive
- Take a look at our welcome pages, including information on how to register and what to bring.
- Complete the David Kato pre-arrival survey. We will email your University account with the survey a few weeks before you arrive.
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. Catch up on any messages you've missed below:
When to arrive
This year, new undergraduates will be asked to arrive in David Kato College on either Friday 13 September 2024 or Sunday 15 September 2024.
The arrival date you are will be assigned will depend on which accommodation block you are moving into, as well as the start date on your accommodation contract - please see your accommodation offer for more information.
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
Due to the number of students arriving at David Kato College, our arrivals have been separated into two different days to avoid significant queues and delays.
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 differ depending on the day you arrive - open the relevant tab below to find specific guidance for your journey.
Arriving at David Kato:
- Drive to the Church Lane car park, Google Maps / What3words. You will be directed to park in an available bay.
- The student, with their identification documents to hand, needs to 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.
- 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.
- 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 the car has been unloaded, the driver is required to travel to the Grimston Bar Park and Ride, Google Maps / What3words. From there, a free shuttle bus will return the driver to the Campus East interchange, Google Maps / What3words, which is an eight minute walk to David Kato College.
- Drive to the Church Lane car park, Google Maps / What3words. You will be directed to park in an available bay.
- The student, with their identification documents to hand, needs to 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.
- 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.
- 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 the car has been unloaded, the driver is required to travel to the Grimston Bar Park and Ride, Google Maps / What3words. From there, a free shuttle bus will return the driver to the Campus East interchange, Google Maps / What3words, which is an eight minute walk to David Kato College.
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
We strongly advise you to arrive on the day that your tenancy starts. Arrivals weekend is a very busy time at the University, with lots of traffic and queues across the campus.
If you do choose to arrive after this date, please be aware there will likely be a very limited number of parking spaces and assistance available to help you in moving into your room. Therefore, we strongly recommend you move in on your allocated day.
Please contact the College team, kato@york.ac.uk, if you require any further advice.
No - it will not be possible to access your University accommodation before your contracted start date.
You will be able to check in and collect your keycard from the Ron Cooke Hub, which has a 24 hour reception. It’s a 4 minute walk from the Ron Cooke Hub to David Kato College.
You will be able to check in and collect your keycard from the Ron Cooke Hub, which has a 24 hour reception. It’s a 4 minute walk from the Ron Cooke Hub to David Kato College.
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.
If you require accessible parking, please contact the David Kato College team via email: kato@york.ac.uk
You will be able to collect your keycard from the Ron Cooke Hub, 24/7. If you arrive after 5pm, please be aware there will likely be a very limited number of parking spaces and assistance available to help you in moving into your room. Therefore, we strongly recommend you move in on your allocated day.
Once you've arrived
1. Move into your room
Once you have dropped off your belongings and the driver of your vehicle has moved on to Grimston Bar Park and Ride, it's time to find your room and begin moving in.
Your College team and Second and Third Year student volunteers will be around all day to help with any questions or problems you may have.
2. Collect your key and meet the team
Once you have unpacked your belongings, head down to the David Kato College Hub, where you can collect your student card and welcome week wristband.
You'll also have the opportunity to purchase merch and College Sports membership until 5pm on Friday 13 and Sunday 15 September 2024.
3. Say hi to your flatmates
Once you’re familiar with your new surroundings and have unpacked your belongings, why not say hi to your flatmates? Your kitchen is usually a good place to do so.
The College Team will be in touch soon, to let you know about the weeks ahead.
4. Think about dinner
Whether you are moving into catered or self-catered accommodation, you'll need to think about food for your first evening.
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.
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.
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.
