Durham University

[KingscoteStaff]

A continuation thread for those with DC at Durham, or applying for Durham or alumni or staff! Share your thoughts and questions on colleges, courses, etc.

Assemble! @Baytreemum @WelshDaff @WinterRobin @janinlondon @MarchingFrogs @ChildOfFriday @tava63 @Terfterfterf @TonTonMacoute @Suki2 @Quair @Greyhair59 @bpisok @Jan069 @999caz @nipersvest @mum2eim @witchend @chopc @alterego2

Who have I missed??

Excellent - thank you @KingscoteStaff

You missed me but I’m here now 👍🤣

I'm a massive lurker and mainly post on the Applying to uni 2021 thread but can I join in? Dd1 has an offer for September and is probably going to firm it .

Ooh, lovely to be tagged - but have to admit to only popping in through sheer idle curiosity. DS2 is a 2021 applicant, but not to Durham, as it didn't appear to offer a whole degree, so to speak, in his subject.

Thanks for the link.

Thanks for the link. After the shit my DS has gone through the last year, so hoping with all my might that his Uni first year will be good .......

I don't know if I am wrong but am thinking even if it's crap in the second year on, you would have established friendships and settled in?

I do hope the current freshers are able to salvage something this year. Does Durham onl have exams in the summer term too?

@chopc I am sorry your DS has had a crap time. I know there is more to it than the Oxbridge journey - who could have foreseen a pandemic as well? But I have been googling inaccurately for the better part of half an hour to find this article I had half remembered, published by the Durham tab four years ago. I will leave it to you whether you think your DS is yet up to seeing it all from a wry perspective - I do think these kids had a great attitude. I can add that in the first week of freshers DD found herself in the bar playing "never have I ever" and the first round was, traditionally, "never have I ever been rejected by Oxbridge". Everyone drank. Even DD, who didn't apply for Oxbridge, but felt there was peer pressure to own up to the rejection (??!) I hope things will look brighter by the time he rocks up in Durham.

Thanks @janinlondon. For risk of sounding like a broken record it's not just the Oxbridge rejection - we moved countries so the kids could go to school in UK and after two terms when everything was going amazing - the pandemic hit. Plus he was selected for the national team in his sport but never got to compete as it was cancelled and next time he will be too old and given his height won't be competitive in the senior age group; plus I know it's no big deal ..... but has been waiting to learn to drive for the best part of the year along with a lot of kids this year. I am kicking myself I post poned his test thinking of a clash with Oxbridge interviews and his new date got cancelled.

So if 2021 freshers year is as bad as this year- my heart will break for him

(But he will continue to smile and rise above it - just like what he is doing now)

There is a lot of disappointment in there @chopc. I am hoping next year will make up for some of it....

Thanks @janinlondon

Wishing the same for all our young people

@chopc I can fully relate to the ‘things going badly’ theme, but from our bad experiences, which like the guy who became famous for publishing his cv of all the things he hadn’t got, are both numerous and continuous! It’s grim each time, but we get through, embrace every opportunity positively (which going to uni at durham certainly is!) and keep grinding on! It builds incredible resilience and an ability to continually pick oneself up and carry on!

@chopc Oh and I forgot to say that ALL my DD’s friends applied to oxbridge and that they all have incredible academic results, so make of it what you will.....

@Baytreemum 💪🏽

Have no doubt what you are saying is true about building up resilience etc

As I mentioned DS is still smiling and getting on with things - it is me that is down in the dumps for him

Hi all haven't posted for a while, but dd def going Durham now, has been especially since getting college of choice, cuthberts, and is now looking at societies to join and getting a bit excited!

Hi everyone .. hope it’s ok for me to lurk/occasionally post. Dd will be firming up Durham soon. She has begun to get very happy about possibly going ( grades pending!)
@chopc .. I know how you feel - and tbh I feel really sad for all our young people atm. What a bloody year!! I keep reminding myself that Dd won’t know what it feels like to be a fresher in normal times and am very hopeful that she will make the best of it what ever happens. She is in contact with someone from her school in the year above (who is back in Durham) and this has helped enormously .

Chuffed for the personal invite 👋 checking in

Thanks for the invite and new thread @KingscoteStaff. I’ve not been on for a while but see it’s become very active. My DS is still at home, he contemplated going back as he wants to see his household bubble (10 back out of 17) but is going to stick it out at home until after Easter so that he saves money and then spend it in better times!

Hey 999, DS is powering ahead with his summative essays in a very startling demonstration of industry!

He has also been choosing his modules for next year. Spent a long time asking our advice and then telling us in vast detail why we were wrong...

@KingscoteStaff this sounds familiar somehow......

Thanks for the new thread @KingscoteStaff!

This week we sent DS a food parcel of goodies from Dukeshill, which went down very well (both metaphorically and literally) and he is happier now his flat mate is is back. They sound a bit like an old married couple!

He is fed up but just getting on with things, like all the others.

Found the new thread! Looks like DD might be heading back to Durham next Saturday for the last 3 weeks of term, she's asked at St Mary's and been told yes and some of her closest friends are also headed back this week. A lateral flow test centre is opening here on Monday so she's going to book a test before she leaves so she can arrive with a negative result.

Hi all. Thanks for the new thread @KingscotStaff. I've been keeping an eye all your doings but have had little to add at the moment. DD is still here, and working hard at all sorts of essays, both summative and formative. I think she has decided to stick it out at home for the rest of term - but she is not happy about it and is becoming increasingly frustrated by the number of her friends going back. I think she is jealous but then she also nervous of the amount of rule breaking going on and scared of being caught if she goes back. It all makes for one uptight, fractious teenager!

Count me in please, Ds has an offer for Computer Science for September at his first choice college of South. He is very excited about it all.

Sixth form have told them not to firm any offers yet and I assume they are waiting to compile grades for their annual progress reports so that students can see where they are at grades wise.

I like that this thread is an amalgamation of applying, studying there, alumni and even staff.

@TonTonMacoute Wow - that Dukeshill website looks amazing!!

Looks like the clubs might open one week before the end of the summer term then?
Plus 13 college balls??!!!