Durham University

[NotEnoughTime]

Hello.

How many of us are waiting for their DC to hear back from Durham? My DS applied back in October last year and is getting very down now he knows that others who have received offers are being informed that they will be told soon re college allocations.

I am usually a 'no news is good news' type of person but even I am finding it hard to be upbeat as I too am fed up

I wish they would just let him me know soon if he is going to get an offer or a rejection and then he can get on with his life and his A Level revision without this hanging over him.

I see @KingscoteStaff . I didn't realise. I was under the impression that a lot of the students have gone back to salvage what they can of their first year

But from what you say, there isn't a lot to be salvaged if nothing is "operational"

Very sad situation for them

As soon as there’s a sniff of anything cricket related he’ll be up there like a shot.

@chopc DDs household (in halls) started at two at the beginning of the year, but now numbers seven...I think they are returning by stealth! (That's a joke - they all have permission)

Just thinking this thread will run out of space soon, it’s on page 40, so we need to start another and link to this one?!
@janinlondon what is actually still open in college? Any bars or societies? The library? I think about 13/22 of my dd’s household have gone back. My dd’s still home. I think the ones who have gone back from her household are the ones who enjoy drinking and partying.
I watched a video yesterday on Instagram which had interviews with currant freshers and there seemed to be quite a lot of them. I did feel sorry for them being used to promote the college because it seemed to give a false sense of what it’s been like for this years cohort.

@WinterRobin I am interested in watching the video- what do I look up on Instagram?

Can anyone advise on the structure of the Durham natsci degree compared to the Cambridge

Something I don't understand about Durham - given it's a collegiate system - why can't they make the whole college a "household"? And have societies etc within the college. This may only be a possibility for the students living in the college but it's better than experiencing nothing at home ........

@Itwasbad

Can anyone advise on the structure of the Durham natsci degree compared to the Cambridge

I did Natural Sciences at Durham and I don't think too much has changed, so I'm happy to answer any questions. It's fairly flexible: as long as you take at least 50% of the 'Group 1' Science subjects and your modules fit the timetable you can pretty much plan your own degree, but you do need to be careful of prerequisites (we were all sat drawing flowcharts to work out the modules we needed to take to make sure we met the requirements for enough fourth year modules!). There are also set joint honours programmes with NatSci, but you don't have to follow them (I didn't!). I did the MSci and in 4th year you can take modules from only one subject if you want to, although you don't have to. You aren't split from those doing the 'full' course of a subject- if you do a particular module then you're in the same lectures/tutorials/labs, and take the same exams as those on the 'full' course doing that subject.

@chopc it was college specific, but there’s a page called applytocastle which has videos about castle. I expect the other colleges will have pages too.

@chopc I think it's all about the government guidelines - "a group of people (who may or may not be related) living at the same address and who share cooking facilities, bathrooms or toilets and/or living areas. This may include students in boarding schools or halls of residence who share such facilities." Much as I would have liked it to be possible, I don't think it would be a reasonable interpretation to allow hundreds of people in different buildings to belong to a single household.

Making the whole college a single 'household', though, would presumably mean that if anyone at all tested positive for COVID-19, everyone in the whole college would have to self isolate, whether or not they actually ever had any relevant contact (or at all)? I'm not sure that I'd be happy, either inflicting that on other people, or having it inflicted on me.

DS (group 6) has just had an email from Claypath Medical Centre calling him in for the vaccine on Tuesday! Only problem is that he's in London...

@KingscoteStaff - that’s interesting- could you please remind me what group 6 means?

16-65 in at risk group. For DS that's steroid use to control asthma, plus several blue light admissions with asthma attacks.

Thanks @WinterRobin

@MarchingFrogs @janinlondon yes I see what you mean

However if students are mindful of who they come into contact with (for more than 15 mins less then 2m apart) the whole household doesn't have to isolate. It's close contacts

I am pretty sure that's how they did it in the boarding houses at school

@KingscoteStaff thank you. That’s extremely scary and good news if he can get a vaccination- could he get one done at home? My DD in London is getting one before clinicals start next academic year apparently. She says her friend has had the jab and it’s a good idea to be at home for it as you can get like a mini dose of flu, and that’s better with mum there to tend!

No - he phoned the London GP that he swapped for the Durham one and they are about a month behind - too many Group 5s round here!

I think he will head up soon (particularly if Monday brings any good news on outside sport). They lovely lady at Claypath says he can just let them know when he's back in college and they'll give him an appt.

I'm going to try to set up a continuation thread. Fingers crossed....

Link here I hope.

@KingscoteStaff That’s a good idea and great that the surgery is being so helpful. Maybe send lemsip and nurofen if allowed with asthma meds. My DD currently has tonsillitis but managed to get antibiotics prescribed via a remote appointment- much better than trekking up to Gilesgate. She gets to use the chapel for piano practice provided she has 2 negative covid tests a week, so it is all pretty tightly controlled in college.

How do you get a remote appointment?