Which college(s) should we visit at Durham Uni open day tomorrow?

[Mykingdomforanickname]

Off to open day at Durham University with DS tomorrow. DS does not know yet which university will be first choice and obviously we don't know yet which universities will want him! But working on the basis that he might end up at Durham, it seems sensible to look at colleges that he might end up applying to if he does decide he'd like to go there. (I believe tours of St Hild and St Bede are already fully booked, so can rule that one out for visit tomorrow.) If he does go to Durham, DS quite fancies the idea of a college with older buildings rather than all very modern! Beyond that he doesn't have strong views. Anyone have any recommendations? If he does go there, it will be to do a modern languages degree. In terms of interests, DS is quite an "all rounder" - likes playing guitar, acting in school plays, sports (on casual basis). Anyone know Durham Uni and have any thoughts?

Quite a few Durham colleges feature in this THE list of best rated student halls mentioned on another thread. JB comes up highest of Durham though so it must be doing something right to prompt lots of positive reviews. www.timeshighereducation.com/student/news/top-50-student-accommodation-halls-uk

My daughter went to Castle, and was in really amazing ancient Halls in her second year. It was just the luck of the draw though- she applied for the course rather than the college. You can't go far wrong though- the college system means that EVERYONE gets a lovely cosy and supportive atmosphere, and it's such a small city anyway, so it's very intimate and has a great community feel.

When allocating colleges I wonder if they actively try to ensure that they don't end up with a large group from one school in one college? PPs on other threads sometimes talk about the issue in some other university halls (seems to be a relatively new thing, not sure if this was the case 20 yrs ago) - of ready made groups of friends from home all living in the same hall, and basically continuing their home social lives there - which can make it harder for the singletons to make friends. So the 'no you can't swap your allocated college in advance in order to be with your friends' approach may mean that's less likely to happen? (hopeful) (Sorry about no paragraphs)

Scrambled we must have been there at the same time

How can the New Inn be gone?! Even worse for me was that the Court Inn got new management a few years ago and stopped doing the eggy bread sandwiches. They used to be the best pub meal ever. Fact!

By the way, I was also there when the New Inn became the Scream, and also drank Reef there. Think it used to be mixed with White Lightning or something awful like that to make a killer cocktail!

[waves to scrambled and Stealth]

at SPB and Isabelle. Hai I remember Reef, can't believe they were still making it last year. Although... any chance they just had a massive crate of it left over from 1997?!

OMG 😮 I can’t believe my old hall at Loughborough came top of that poll! Good old Faulkner Egg!

It must have been quite comprehensively scrubbed up since my time - although that was approximately the late Middle Ages.

There is a big difference between hill and bailey colleges. Hill colleges are seen as second class citizens amongst those in the Bailey or town. But it’s all a case of misplaced snobbery as in effect they are only halls of residence- not truly collegiate like Oxbridge.

They really aren't chadlington. They weren't even in the 80s and it would be yet more absurd to make that distinction now since the applications basically go into a lottery machine and get almost randomly churned out the other end. It's not a real thing.

Most of the hill colleges had enough space to accommodate all their students in their main sites. In fact I'm sure they all did. I knew a lot of Bailey first years who ended up halfway to New Cross (and beyond). That may not be a problem, of course.

There must be several people on this thread who overlapped with me at Durham. Can’t believe the New Inn has gone!

There is definitely a state/private split between the hill and Bailey colleges. I went to Castle and was one of very few state school pupils. Had a great time though. Bailey colleges are more convenient for Arts subjects, but I can recommend Collingwood if you’re looking at the Hill. I had several friends there and it always had a great atmosphere (this was 15-18 years ago, mind you...).

Hill colleges are seen as second class citizens amongst those in the Bailey or town

Not sure what town means in this context.

I was there 2002-2005 and in a hill college. No one treated me like a second class citizen so I don’t know whether you’re talking about before or after then.

The only people who had a hard time were at Hatfield who had to listen to a certain chant from the street most nights.

For those who were there up until a few years ago, perhaps you don't realise that the system of college allocation has changed dramatically. Even when I was there the hill colleges were stuffed to the gunnels with Etonians, Wykehamists, St Mary's Ascot etc etc.

Posted too soon. But for current applicants the system is so egalitarian that any snobbery would be daft. Also, Castle has even shittier accommodation than it used to compared to other colleges, so apply there at your peril.

Bloody hell - Castle accommodation is shittier now than Moatside 2000-2001??

The comparison was more with 1980's Moatside. I always struggled to see the attraction of multiple sharing/ throbbing hot water pipes/ grotty old Moatside. But to be fair I don't know if Moatside plumbed depths in the 2000s which it hadn't in the 80's, although I'd have thought that was difficult :)

I’m 2003 Moatside supposedly had no internet and for about 2 months in the autumn term no heating.

But a bottle of wine in the bar was just under £3 so...

There was a chap at in my year who wore a tweed suit and cravat. I believe he was at Castle. He wasn't half as posh as he looked though, I think he'd got his acceptance letter and decided to go the full Bertie Wooster, despite being from decidedly average suburbia.

Castle had a few of those types, ScrambledSmegs. They probably wished they’d got into Oxford so they could live out their Brideshead Revisited fantasy.

Moatside 2000-1 was grim. I had a corner room so it was two thirds smaller than everyone else’s, and there was mould on the wall behind my bed.

Ooh when I was there we had a full on morning suit, monocle and walking cane chap. He had a butler.

No clue which college he was at, but often wondered whether he was genuinely toff or just a total wazzerk. I met a few toffs in Durham, most of whom were utterly lovely (if slightly eccentric).