Anyone still waiting to hear from Durham?

[PortusCale]

Just wondered if anyone else is waiting to hear from Durham for an offer for 2019 entry?

See that offer holder day bookings are now open and I understand college allocation has begun.

DS still waiting here, DS application went through in November.....does this mean a rejection will likely be on its way?

There is a lot of information on the Internet about hotel accommodation, customers have plenty of choice and you can leave after one night if you have justified complaints eg noisy neighbours, hygiene issues

Maria young people living together create noise and hygiene issues esp green milk in communal fridges etc. It's par for the course. University communal life can't adapt to those with sensibilities heightened above the norm; those students either have to adapt or perhaps rent privately to isolate themselves from the normal daily irritations of communal living. This is all incredibly precious.

I disagree. As we all know, MH issues are rife among students. Living in chaos and filth does absolutely nothing to help.

Yes I'm very aware of MH issues but for those who are properly ill, then they need to seek medical help not change the entire student world around them. If a clinical, noise free environment is necessary for them to manage then either they should avoid university or at least college/ halls. They can't reasonably expect to have the rest of the student population to adapt to meet their needs, they need to extricate themselves from the situation if their health is going to be badly affected by communal living.

Also nowhere in any college anywhere in Durham is ever going to be that squalid (except for shared fridges). That pleasure awaits for renting privately in second year but then it's almost wholly in a student's control.

Coleoptera I hope your DT enjoys his day at Durham .

While I have sympathies for your son Coleo, I tend to agree with goodbye. Dwelling on his idiosyncrasies and perceived differences and highlighting potential negatives of the accommodation may be counter productive and may only encourage issues. I firmly believe children, to a large extent, are a reflection of the attitude of the parents. Hide your anxiety and radiate positivity for his new life.

I wish him well.

but for those who are properly ill, then they need to seek medical help not change the entire student world around them.

You do not seem to understand, goodbyestranger, that the vast majority of MH issues are environmentally driven.

Just need to make clear that my comments weren't about DT2 although what you say makes perfect sense Aurea. My comments were made in response to Maria, who was talking generally.

Tip: don’t write ‘this is my milk and I’ve spat in it’.

I thought this was the answer to communal fridge problems.

Nope. I just got someone writing ‘p.s. me too’.

Ahhh the fun of student life. My Dd will appreciate me so much more.

I'm really not going to get into a discussion with a strategy consultant about the genesis of MH issues but I'd hazard a guess that the whole thing is a little more complex than encountering a slightly muddy floor in Collingwood or St John's College in Durham and a smelly fridge.

"Is anybody's DC still waiting to hear about college allocation at Durham?"

Yes!

Did someone say places would be notified by Friday?

If it were as straightforward as muddy floors there wouldn’t be the massive MH issue there currently is at universities. Some universities are aware of the environmental impacts of poor decisions made a long time ago about accommodation and expansion, as well as behaviours (eg hazing) that to cause severe distress, because they are no more and no less than institutionalised bullying.

Living in chaos and filth does absolutely nothing to help It may reflect mental health difficulties too?

I meant living in other people’s chaos and filth as in messy communal living with few shared and agreed domestic rules.

I agree but wouldn't say that mental health problems would stem from chaos and filth but might be exacerbated by such issues?

No - MH can absolutely be disrupted by a meaningless and chaotic environment. Some people are more sensitive to order than others. Just as some people are more sensitive to UV rays. Or spicy food. Or cut up onions. Or peanuts.

Human sensitivities vary and they are not “issues” until they are triggered by something in the environment. Treatment of the “issue” is removal of the environmental trigger.

It’s important to remember that, for every student suicide (extreme mental distress) there are around 100 students suffering to some extent (and this will be affecting their academic performance and personal growth).

Maria what are you advocating, in relation to Durham colleges? I can't think offhand of any one which is a MH hazard per se.

Most of the people I knew when I was a student, and those I know who are students now, were/are messy because they were/are lazy bastards, not because of MH issues.

I’m not advocating anything in relation to Durham. I sympathise with Coleopatra who thinks it would be better if her DC could mentally prepare himself for university by seeing his future accommodation, and am pointing out that, unfortunately, that is the situation most students find themselves in. Some perhaps don’t care ie it isn’t their particular sensitivity. But for those who do, it matters.

Very few humans have no dimensions at all on which they are more than usually sensitive and no value judgements should be made about individual sensitivies.

Also - this is to Maria again - I do feel that you're being incredibly disrespectful to those students who suffer from profound depression etc by conflating that level of problem with a bit of mess in a shared kitchen and some late night noise. It suggests a removal from the realities of this stuff, and rather too much empty theorizing and jargon. It's bordering on the offensive actually.

Profound depression can absolutely be the result of complete disorientation in an environment that is overwhelming and senseless.

I think if the thread is going down the mental health route it is best to start a new one. As this was a thread about Durham. I will say this though as I think it relates to Durham. The person I know who killed themselves went to a prestigious university and was very bright and had obsessions over cleanliness. He shared a room and this was actually good for his health as he toned down his behaviour.

A bit bizarre to claim it was good for his mental health if he then killed himself!