Durham; any news on accommodation or start date?

[Suki2]

DS has a place but we don't have any details of his accommodation or the exact date on which he starts. I hope we haven't missed anything.

The website says that he will start from Thursday 24th September to Sunday 27th. I presume he'll be given a time and date closer to the time?

Re accommodation he knows which college he is in but no more details. I'd like to know the size of his bed so I can start buying!

Friends with children starting at other universities seem to have the above information, and so have managed to get more organized.

Can any other Durham parents help?

It's not usually up any hill paprika. All those who firmed Durham and met their offers on results day are supposed to get priority for the accommodation promised.

Blackjeans is he in the Castle itself or one of the other buildings? If you give me a Castle room number I may be able to help....(the key is in the letter at the front of the room number).

@janinlondon

Blackjeans is he in the Castle itself or one of the other buildings? If you give me a Castle room number I may be able to help....(the key is in the letter at the front of the room number).

Yes. Room number begins with an N

@Tinseltrauma Thankyou so much - that's really reassuring to hear.

Twitter is saying that the NE incl Co.Durham is due to go into lockdown on Friday

Forestbythesea. - if she is in Castle, then some accommodation is offsite. There are only so many rooms in the actual castle.

Meeting/exceeding the offer guarantees you the college. Some colleges have accommodation in different locations. The Bailey is not big enough to accommodate all students from five colleges...

No, this is new for this year. The accommodation is postgrad accommodation which seems to have been turned over to undergrads, presumably because of pressure of numbers following this year's events. But for an applicant achieving their offer on results day it's not ok - unless they positively want self-catered, some way away from Palace Green.

It’s very luxy though Forest, With gym etc, and given that your dd will only be able to socialise with her household, and that there will be many other freshers there, I do t think she will be as our of things as she would be another year. Particularly wi th the upcoming lockdown

And the communal meals At Castle are likely to be very regimented And time pressured, May even be ‘Grab and go’ boxes. Kitchen SPAG Bol with a bottle of wine and a couple of others from her household more fun?

How does she feel about it?

Blackjeans - I think that's a room on Norman Gallery. Shared rooms are different throughout the castle, but generally have two single beds, two desks, two wardrobes and an en suite bathroom. There will probably be an inner and outer door to the room so they will get used to the idea of "sporting the oak". There are many MANY stairs...!

@Peaseblossom22

Ds has had his move in slot on 26th feels very real now . Bizarrely I feel very sad that matric is going to be online . I remember walking down the hill and over the bridge and up to the cathedral And feeling that pent up excitement and pride that I’d got there and this was my new life . He won’t have that but there’ll be other things

I just remember leaning on one of the big pillars in the cathedral with the hangover from hell having experienced the dubious pleasures of Klute the previous evening.

Your children are seriously NOT missing out on Klute - for the same experience stand in your garden shed in the dark, glue your feet to the floor and drink overpriced flat beer.

I guess you'll have all
seen the news about the NE. DD is NOT happy. It seems a madness to travel all that way to do online only lectures and also be unable to socialise with anyone outside of your immediate neighbours in halls. I can't imagine how it's going to work, will the college bars even be allowed to open, how will they manage mealtimes, presumably they can't even go into each other's rooms for a chat or a drink. What a shitshow this year is turning out to be. She would defer but she's already repeated a school year due to changing schools (her choice but meant she had to redo year 12) and is keen to crack on with her education.

Agree tinkywinkyshandbag the new restrictions effecting Durham are very bad news. My principal concern is that the situation worsens and movement is restricted into the area so DS can't start at all. It is already a rubbish situation where most of the tuition is online: I didn't think it could get any worse....

If DS does get to start in just over a week's time his main concern is how restricted his social life will be.... there are so many unanswered questions....will the students able to go to town for a drink with others and if so can they go back to socialize in another student's room. I suspect their social bubbles will be very small.

Durham is actually still below 40, so its unusual that they have been put on the list. And accordingly, if everyone behaves, its possible they will be the first off. Castle has already sent very clear details of what a "household" will be, and I expect other colleges have done the same. Also details of how each household will have allocated meal times together. It will be exactly as a house would function - yes you can visit each other's rooms inside your household, and yes you can still go out (rule of six still applies nationally) to cafes and pubs etc.. with table service. And I believe the college bar will still operate but you probably need to sit with your household - not sure of those rules. Organized sport under a national regulating body with covid regulations is still okay (rowing for example). I know some events such as the fresher's welcome service at some colleges seem now likely to be cancelled (choirs were notified today). There are still many unanswered questions though. Colleges will be working to fill the gaps.

@janinlondon thank-you - very helpful. Think the experience is going to be so different - makes me rather sad when I consider all the fun I had at university.

I know in ds freshers info pack from his college ( Trevs) it said that the bar was open , with plastic screens and table service only . Can’t imagine how Johns bar in the cellar will operate it was squashed anyway .

Ds decided to defer last week but I hope I can stay in these threads to get tips for next year as I increasingly feel it will be the same .

I agree Klute is no loss .