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Your First Year of Study

Student Transition

To assist you in making the most of your learning experience we encourage you to take advantage of the many opportunities offered by the Faculty and the University. The first of these opportunities is Orientation, which we strongly encourage you to attend.

Orientation

Orientation is more than just a single day or week of activities. It’s about our commitment to help you, as a new student, explore opportunities for involvement on campus and successfully connect to your new community. You’ll want help not only when you start school in September, but also throughout the year, as your experiences and needs evolve. Our Orientation activities will help you with this transition and we’ll be offering events and activities throughout your first year.

York University Orientation

Bethune College Orientation – Frosh Week

Bethune College Academic Orientation


Peer Mentoring

The Peer Mentoring program is designed to assist first-year students in making a successful transition to university life. All incoming first-year science students are matched with a peer mentor before September classes start. The mentors are successful upper-year students who are trained as peer mentors. These mentors are in the same program as the incoming student, and are available to answer questions, give advice, and help incoming students adapt to university life.

Bethune College Peer Mentoring


Bethune College

Bethune College is the “home” for science and engineering students at York. Students in the Faculty of Science and Lassonde School of Engineering are automatically members of the college and have free access to a variety of academic services, such as:


YUConnect

YUConnect gives you a way to find clubs and to match opportunities to your interests. You’ll also create a record of your on-campus work and volunteer activity throughout your degree.


Policies and Regulations – It’s the Law

Universities run on rules and regulations. Students who are not aware of these ‘laws’ usually find out in some unpleasant way. Moreover, trying to repair matters once you have run afoul of the system is often a lengthy and complicated process. Rules and procedures for the Faculty of Science and Engineering students can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar. Before classes begin, review your calendar to familiarize yourself with the policies and rules for your program.


Department Contacts

There are many departments within the Faculty of Science. To find out more information about Departments within the Faculty of Science, visit: ttps://www.yorku.ca/science/programs/departments/

To connect with other departments at York, use the Course Contact Directory.


York Courses Website 

The York Courses website is designed to provide a central location where information can be obtained on thousands of courses that are being taught and have been taught in the past at York University.

On the York Courses website, you can also find your current Timetable/Class Schedule and your Exam Schedule.

York Courses Website


Course Permissions

When you are enrolling you may encounter courses that require permission from the department that offers the course. Some examples of messages may include, but are not limited to:

  • The spaces in this course are reserved.
  • The spaces in this course are restricted.
  • You do not have the required prerequisites.
  • The course is restricted from dropping.
  • The last day to add without permission from the department has passed.

Course permissions are managed by the department offering the course. If you try enrolling in a course and see one of these messages, please use the Course Contact Directory to determine who to contact.


Student Counselling, Health & Well-being

Student Counselling, Health & Well-being (SCHW) is a student service department within the Division of Students at York University. Their team of health care professionals, peer health educators and support staff collaborate to provide a range of health and well-being services that foster academic success, student development and an engaged community at York University. The primary aim of SCHW is to support students in realizing and developing their personal potential and manage the demands of university life.

Student Counselling, Health & Well-being


Student Accessibility Services

Student Accessibility Services provides individual academic accommodations for students with permanent or temporary disabilities, in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s Policy on accessible education for students with disabilities and the York University Senate policy on Academic Accommodation for Students with Disabilities.

Be sure to register as soon as possible to have your academic accommodations in place for the start of classes.

Student Accessibility Services

Accessibility Services: New Students Registration Information

Accessibility Services: Information for Registered Students