Library Subject Guides
Although you’ll be leading your own studies and working independently during your degree, you’re not alone! There is a great deal of support from your department and other professional services around the university. We’ll explore a few routes for help on this page.
There is a wide range of help available during your time at university and you should never be afraid to seek advice whenever you need it. Look out in particular for introductions for new students or hacks to make your academic life easier and more productive. Reflect on the wider life skills you’re developing alongside your academic journey.
Our welcome pages for new students cover the key things you need to know to get started at York. They include checklists of important tasks for when you’re preparing to start your degree, top tips on what to expect when you arrive and some of the main welcome activities on offer in your first few weeks. At York we offer a wide range of support and advice for our students.
Starting a degree is a huge change and it’s normal to feel uncertain about the transition. It’s an exciting time as you begin your new academic journey, but take some time to reflect on how you’re feeling. We have some tips on how to ease the adjustment to university life and ideas on how to beat homesickness.
Your personal supervisor will be a really helpful contact as you start out at university, as they can answer questions about what's expected of you and signpost you to other sources of support when needed. They'll very likely reach out to you early on to arrange a meeting, or you might find that you have one scheduled in your timetable. Make sure to attend and to make the most of the relationship with your supervisor - they will set time aside to focus on you and your needs specifically. They're also there to help throughout your degree, so investing time to get to know them will prove useful for years to come.
Your university library is one of the key support services you will use during your degree. The library provides all of the books, articles and other materials you need for your studies, as well as study space and guidance for developing a wide range of academic and digital skills. Explore our quickstart guide to learn more about the library at York.
At university a lot of your studying will be done electronically through a computer, whether that's reading books online, writing assignments or submitting your work. There's nothing wrong with using a paper book or writing by hand (and you can still do those things!), but you'll find it much easier to engage with your studies by understanding the computing facilities and systems from an early stage.
You'll very likely come across a lot of computing terminology and systems which you have not used before. Universities in particular use a lot of acronyms! At York we have created our IT Essentials guide to explain key terms and processes and to help our students understand the IT support available at the University.
It’s really important that you remember to look after your health and wellbeing. The transition to university is a fantastic time to define who you are and to make lifelong connections, but to make the most of it you need to check in regularly with your mental and physical health. Explore our tips to nurture your wellbeing and be aware of the routes for help and support with your health.
Never feel that you can’t ask a question at university; after all, debate and inquiry are some of the cornerstones of a degree. If you’re concerned about something, you should always ask rather than spending undue time worrying. Everyone at a university is there to help and will do their best to point you in the right direction.
Asking a question might help other students too. If you’re worried about something, it’s likely that other students have the same concerns; if they know there’s a problem, university staff can make a change which benefits everyone. It all starts with a question!
MyUoY, the University of York app, is a quick and easy way to check your timetable, browse social events and academic activities, view the campus map and much more. Find out more and download the app for your smartphone or tablet.
We’ve mostly focused in this guide on your academic development, but your experience at university will also be a big change in other ways too. You’ll develop a whole range of broader life skills, such as budgeting, learning to cook and living independently. You’ll have guessed that the University of York Library has all your academic texts, but there’s also the Life Skills collection to help you with these areas and more.