Prepare for Your First Year with YU START

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With thousands of new Lions joining the York University community every year, the #YUBlog is always welcoming new students to the pride. York U provides plenty of valuable resources to help new students transition to university life. The #YUBlog’s “New to YU” series is here to help you along your York U journey, from exploring the many colleges at York University to student services, the best places to eat on campus and more!

Now that you’ve accepted your offer of admission to York University, it’s time to get familiar with YU START! YU START, an online new student transition program unique to York U, helps new students transition to university life and sets them up for success. The YU START program isn’t just for undergraduates either; it’s available for graduate students as well! This platform supports hundreds of incoming students across 150+ programs every year and helps students and their families feel comfortable in the YU community.

Even though YU START was only launched in the past few years, they recently won two national awards for their efforts:

1. The Canadian Association of College and University Student Services (CACUSS) Innovation Award; and
2. The Canadian Association of University Business Officers (CAUBO) Quality and Productivity Award.

1. Watch the video below for a brief introduction to YU START!

Visit the YU START homepage to get started.[/caption]

In addition to these modules, YU START provides a “Pre-Arrival Checklist” on the bottom right corner of the page to serve as a progress meter for participants.

Success Tip: Speaking from experience, checklists are a fantastic way to keep track of what you’ve accomplished and what still needs to get done. My desk always has a notepad or sticky notes with checklists about my current readings, assignments and exams to keep me on track. Plus, it’s really satisfying when you get to cross an item off your to-do list!

Don’t just take my word for it! Learn more about YU START benefits from a former YU START Open Learning Centre volunteer and access YU START today!

How to Access YU START

Ready to begin? To access YU START, new students must first accept their offer of admission. After you officially become a York U student, there are two ways to begin using YU START:

1. You will receive an email notification from York U containing a link to the platform; or
2. Log into your MyFile account and select “Book/Manage my enrolment appointment”.

If you pick the second option, you might see a section labelled “Learn When your Online Course Enrolment Begins” on the Course Enrolment Information page. If you see this option, your program participates in YU START and you are ready to begin your online academic orientation!

However, if you see “Book/Manage” in the “Advising” column instead, that means that your program doesn’t participate in YU START yet and you are required to book an enrolment/course selection appointment. Find your program on the following list to learn whether or not your course has a YU START Online Enrolment Tutorial option.

YU START also offers a Parent & Family login! By selecting the “Add a Parent/Family Member” link in the “Pre-Arrival Checklist for New Students”, you’ll be able to share your progress with your guardians.

I’ve Finished YU START – Now What?

Find your next steps on the road to first year using the York U Future Students Next Steps page! After completing these steps, including the nine modules on the YU START homepage, you’re ready to sign up for York Orientation Day or Glendon Orientation Day!

Success Tip: Don’t forget to check the weather report, because Orientation Day goes on rain or shine!

YU START is a wonderful tool that supports students transitioning into the York U community and offers you the skills you need for success. Whenever you’re ready to begin, YU START is waiting for you!