Discover YSJ - FAQs and Event Programme

Discover YSJ is a 4 day and 3 night residential experience for year 12 students who are interested in a taste of university life. As part of Discover YSJ, you will: 

• Experience academic subject taster sessions.
• Stay in student accommodation.
• Participate in a range of social activities on campus and in the City of York.
• Take part in personal development sessions.
• Receive feedback on a piece of academic work.

Taking part in Discover YSJ is entirely free of charge. All transport and catering will be provided.

Discover YSJ takes place from Tuesday 7 to Friday 10 July.

You will arrive on campus between 10.30am and 11.30am on the Tuesday, and depart at 3.00pm on the Friday.

You will be allocated a place on an academic subject strand.

You will take part in a number of academic subject strand sessions. 

Academics will provide insight into their subject and what it’s like to study it at university. They will also set you a piece of work to complete during your time with us. You will have independent study time to use our library and computing facilities to support you with this.

You can find out more about your subject strand on our Discover YSJ page.

There will be a range of social activities, catering to different tastes and preferences.

We will go for a meal out to Panda Mami in the city of York. There will be a pub quiz, a scavenger hunt, a festival and karaoke, as well as plenty of down time spent in the accommodation and a quiet area with board games.

Please feel reassured that a lot of participants apply to Discover YSJ as the only one from their school. The atmosphere is really welcoming and by the end, a lot of participants identify meeting new people as one of their favourite aspects of the whole experience.

We will provide transport for you.

If there are a number of participants attending from your location, we may book a coach. In this instance, we will let you know in plenty of time where you need to go and what time you need to be there for. There will be a student ambassador to meet you on the coach, and the coach will bring you directly to the university.

Alternatively, we will book you a train and email the tickets to you. On your confirmation form we asked you to identify a convenient train station, and will endeavor to arrange your train to and from there. Student ambassadors will meet you at the train station, and walk you back at the end of the experience. You will be able to spot them easily in their bright pink t shirts!

Please make sure that you are on time for your coach or train.

If you have been offered a place as a commuter student, you’ll need to arrange your own travel to and from the university each day. In most cases, we will be able to reimburse your travel costs, and will contact you with details of how to make a claim.

Everyone (participants, student ambassadors and staff) will stay in our student accommodation at Baldwin House in the Grange, less than half a mile from campus. You can find out more about Baldwin House on our Accommodation webpage. 

Baldwin House is split into flats. Flats are single sex and each flat accommodates 5 people, including a member of staff or student ambassador, who will be on hand to help you should you need anything. You will have your own lockable bedroom with a sink, and a shared lockable bathroom. 

On your confirmation form, we’ve given you the option to write down the name of any friends who are also attending who you would like to share a flat with. We will take this into consideration when allocating rooms.

If you have been offered a place as a commuter student, you will travel to the university each day and return home overnight.

There’s no need to go overboard with packing for Discover YSJ!

You should bring enough clothes to wear for the 4 days. Pack for comfort – there will be a fair amount of walking from the accommodation, around campus and in the city. Be mindful of British weather! It could be anywhere between 12 and 30 degrees, so layers are recommended, as is sun cream and waterproofs!

Bring your own toiletries, including toothpaste, toothbrush, shampoo and soap. 

Think carefully about bringing expensive equipment with you. You will be responsible for taking care of your own property for the duration of the event.

Bedding and towels will be provided, there is no need to bring them.
You won’t need any spending money, but you will have some free time in the city so you may wish to bring some just in case.

Remember when packing that you will need to be able to carry your luggage with you.

Staff and student ambassadors will be on hand to support you throughout the duration of the event.

You will be issued with emergency phone numbers just in case, and we have 24-hour security on campus.

If you identified any support needs in your application, we will ensure these are met. If you think of anything else that would be useful for us to know to help you to get the most out of the event, or have any worries or concerns, please do get in touch with us via email at wp@york.ac.uk. 

Discover YSJ participants are eligible to receive a reduced offer in line with our contextual offer scheme should they apply to York St John University for a course that is eligible (note that unfortunately Health courses are not eligible for a reduced offer, but that Health strand participants may use their participation in the event as evidence of work experience).

Once you submit your application, you’ll receive an automatic email to confirm we’ve received it (please check your junk folder if it doesn’t appear).

Applications close on 31 May. After this, we’ll review all applications and be in touch by 7 June to let you know the outcome.

If you’re offered a place, you’ll need to confirm it by a set deadline. We’ll also ask for consent from your parent or carer and your school or college before your place is fully confirmed.

If you are successful and confirm your place by the deadline, you will be invited to an online information session. This session will give you more details about the summer school and a chance to ask any questions you may have.

Ask us!

You can always reach our team via email at wp@yorksj.ac.uk.