Hey Lions! There’s always a lot happening during the first few weeks of school, and we’re here to help you start the new year off strong and make your experience a bit smoother. Continue reading to learn tips and tricks for how to get to campus, what all those building codes mean, where to eat and some of the services that are available to you all year round.
York's Start Strong website hosts a comprehensive list of what to do as you begin the term, along with all of York’s resources. Visit the site to find all the info below, as well as student essentials like how to finalize your class schedule, study spaces on campus, how to use your YU-card and even how to join clubs. Be sure to also bookmark it for future reference!
Getting to campus
Public transportation
Did you know that York’s Keele Campus has two subway stations? Pioneer Village Station is located near York Lions Stadium, and York University Station is in the centre of campus, across from Vari Hall.
If you'll be using public transportation to commute to campus and around the city, you should pick up a PRESTO card. It's a simple, easy-to-use payment card that allows you to use public transportation across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Don’t forget to check out their student discounts!
Parking
If you plan on driving to campus, all three campuses have paid parking lots. You can either purchase a parking permit through the Honk mobile app or pay the daily fee at the lot or parking garage.
York’s campuses also offer bike racks, and Keele Campus has secure bike enclosures. You can also find Bike Share Toronto stations around Keele and Glendon Campuses.
Shuttle services
Have classes across York's three campuses? You can take the free shuttle bus from Keele Campus to both Glendon and Markham Campuses. York also offers VanGO, a mobility service for students who are registered with Student Accessibility Services (SAS). You can learn more about VanGo and the shuttle schedule on York’s transportation website.
Navigating buildings and classrooms
Some of your classes may have location codes assigned to them. The first two letters stand for the building, and the four numbers are the room number. In the photo below, VH stands for Vari Hall, and the class is held in room 1005. It’s helpful to bookmark the building acronyms webpage to reference back to.
Pro tip: Familiarize yourself with the buildings assigned to your classes so that you can factor in enough time to get from one class to the other. Keep an eye out for building codes and refer to the interactive campus map while enrolling for courses to find classes that aren’t too far away from each other.
The interactive map can also come in handy if you find yourself, well, lost on campus (don’t worry, you’re not the only one!).
Shopping and eating
York Lanes feels like a mini mall on the Keele Campus. It holds everything you might need while studying here, from a doctor’s office and coffee shops to a hair salon, the YU Bookstore and even the Breakroom, York’s own arcade!
Pro tip: You can also visit the Quad on the Keele Campus for even more restaurants and takeout spots (including our personal favourite – Gong Cha bubble tea).
Glendon and Markham Campuses each have their own snack spots available on campus and nearby, too. You can check out all of York’s food spots in the online dining directory.
Student support services
York has amazing support to help you from your first year, all the way to graduation.
- Writing Centre: Individual help with all forms of writing including research, citations and more.
- Student Community & Leadership Development: Learn about student events and clubs and find out how to get involved on campus and
- Student Counselling Health & Well-being: Services including counselling and Ask a Nurse, where you can ask your general health-related questions.
- Career Centre: workshops, interview guidance, resume and cover letter assistance and more.
We’re so excited to have you at York! Be sure to check the YU Blog website regularly to hear from our writers about university life.