York St John University (reviews)

York St John University, located near the centre of York across a few close-by buildings, some very old and some very new, was a delightful university to attend. It had courses for all different types of people, with specialist staff members ready and able to teach people all sorts. Just among me and my friends there were people studying literature, media production, religion and philosophy, medicine, war history and journalism – and not one person ever complained about the quality of their course.

Walking around the university you see all different types of people from a wonderful variety of backgrounds, with many groups frequently taking up stands in the reception building to promote their cultures, or with plenty of opportunities to find official groups on campus to support your culture, hobbies and interests with peers.

All of this, in addition to several amenities and a well-stocked library, made York St John a fantastic university that I look back on fondly, and would gladly attend again if ever I needed to.

I’m currently in my first year of psychology and as a disabled student have had nothing but support – the staff and course leaders are all so friendly, the tutors and lecturers are very knowledgeable, and there is leeway and support to ensure people like myself are not disadvantaged. I could not recommend YSJ enough!

The course:

The course is great, it has a wide range of modules ranging from Forensic Linguistics to Language, Gender and Sexuality. You can choose to do a language as part of the course including Japanese and/or British Sign Language. The course has been better than I expected and the modules within the linguistics department allow you to go into your chosen career in a wide range of fields as the modules are so widely recognised and useful to many different careers. I would definitely recommend this course, the department of linguistics as well as the university itself to anyone looking for a comprehensive university experience with great academic support.

The lecturers:

The lecturers are incredibly supportive, consistently offering help and advice through one-to-one as well as weekly group tutorials. Lecturers often have links to their tutorials and always make sure such information is available through an online learning platform.

The department:

The School of Linguistics is an excellent sub-school within the university, part of the Education, Language and Psychology school. There is also a linguistics society provided by the students union which is very popular and well-liked by the students who are part of it.

The careers service:

There is a careers service which is very helpful and beneficial for getting advice known as ‘launchpad’ which you can access for the rest of your life if you choose to do so. There is a great amount of support regarding this, even if you do not know what you want to do after you graduate, there is still accessible support to help you have greater awareness and motivation. One of the modules entitled ‘Language at Work’ allows students to undertake a work placement, some of which are provided by the university itself. There are career lecturers in this module and you have the opportunity to create a portfolio detailing your potential, ideal career. There are lectures on this module, by guest lecturers who have careers in the field of language, communications and linguistics, who talk about the happenings of their careers. These include Speech and Language Therapists, those in the marketing sector, translators and BSL interpreters etc.

Classes:

The course and school of linguistics offer both medium-sized lectures to small seminar classes whereby in both types of environments, you can discuss your ideas with your lecturers/tutors.

Student life:

Student life at York St John University is very good as there is an excellent students’ union where students can go for support regarding societies, clubs, sports as well as opportunities. There is a students union building where you can go for coffee and study or relax or you can go downstairs for a drink.

International student’s experience:

I have many international friends and all of them seem to say that their experience with York St John University has been wonderful.

There is a weekly meetup for international students, known as the ‘global café’ which is very popular with international students and others who want to learn about global culture.

Overall
I would definitely recommend the university and course to a friend as it has so much to offer and the experience for students is great. The majority of students here have a wonderful time and express that willingly.

I like my time at YSJ! The instructors are always available to answer any queries, and the lectures and seminars are usually interesting and entertaining! The Uni’s health and well-being team is fantastic, and they respond to you the same day, which is quite useful. There’s always a nice face to assist you out when you need it, and the small community environment makes you feel right at home! A fantastic university with excellent facilities and support systems. I had a fantastic time studying for three years and was fortunate enough to do it in the heart of York, on a beautiful campus.

My experience of studying at York St John was one where I felt completely in control and, at the same time, one where I was guided and supported when it was needed and asked for. I trusted that each of my lecturers were experienced experts in their field so I always felt at ease seeking advice on essay topic choices. Speaking of which, Theology at York St John is about more than knowing the historical facts and arguments over what is and isn’t heresy. My experience was that I could choose to write about and research areas that were meaningful to me and fit them within the module’s structure and overarching purpose. For example, for a module titled ‘Religion and Human Diversity,’ I felt drawn to write about the experience of the deaf community in the Christian community, and so I could. I felt that I could write about topics that really mattered and in doing so became knowledgeable about important and evermoving issues within theology today.

The lecturers are amazingly supportive, the content is interesting and open, and you are really encouraged to delve into the depths of cutting edge research in the field and specialise in what you’re interested in.

Some content I’ve taken so you can see variety: Constructions of Childhood and Youth, Child Development, Studying for Success, Social Policy, Counselling, Nature and Role of the Family, Learning in Practice, Risk Trust and Safeguarding, Mental Health, Transitions, Researching Children Young People and Families, Virtual Realities, Global Perspectives, Crime Deviance and Youth Justice, Gender and Sexualisation, State Intervention and Family Life.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the content across all modules, but there have been many struggles with finding staff to teach. Whilst Covid does play a part in this, it is also the university’s responsibility.

There is a lot of support available for a range of issues: wellbeing, essay writing, resource finding, IT development.

The Students Union also has a range of opportunities: able to run for students reps, president of SU/Wellbeing/Education, Pound a Pint Saturday Nights, Karaoke, Sports Events, Charity Events, Pub Quiz, Societies, Course Socials etc.

University is a very different experience to school, and it is a big jump between the two. University offers you more independence, and that is one thing I like about my undergrad experience. The tutors are there to support you in the lectures and on campus, however, it all comes down to how motivated you are as a person. York St John University offers great resources for help, such as a large 3-floor library, with laptops and books to spare. To ensure the comfort and success of every student, the top floor of the library is a quiet zone, where students can choose to go, to focus on their work. York St John University is located just a 5-minute walk from the centre of York, so it is convenient if you want to go for a walk, or get some food, after your lectures or studying time; and this overall makes being a student at York Student very enjoyable.