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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Durham University

999 replies

KingscoteStaff · 19/02/2021 11:03

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??

OP posts:
Fawful · 03/09/2021 18:41

Here, DS decided on Monday to defer and let Durham know via the student portal, but we haven't heard back. No acknowledgement email either... Hopefully he'll be allowed (he's doing Computer Science, so wasn't excepting any of the £5000), otherwise we're getting behind with choosing modules etc... And are not psychologically v ready to start this year by now!

chopc · 03/09/2021 18:56

Jumping the gun a bit - but do gowns need to be purchased for matriculation? DS is in a "non gowned" college so can't see him getting much use of it afterwards

MidLifeCrisis007 · 03/09/2021 19:35

I can't remember what we did about gowns 30+ years ago... but I have a lovely photo of me in mine getting my degree from the great Margot Fonteyn (back in 1988!)

Longtimenewsee · 03/09/2021 19:50

Dd waiting on pw so she can enrol

Longtimenewsee · 03/09/2021 19:58

@chopc
www.durham.ac.uk/about-us/professional-services/ceremonies/matriculation/
If you scroll down, it says it depends on the college

chopc · 03/09/2021 20:19

Thank you @Longtimenewsee

Don't think DS has been given any info about matriculation not moving in

lifeintheorybutnotinpractise · 04/09/2021 11:13

Hello all! Is anyone seeing an issue with signing into the Banner self service for enrolment for the first time? Getting an error page with "Invalid UDC ID mapping" popping up. Anyone got any tips?

Parsonage63 · 04/09/2021 12:45

Has anyone heard re room allocation, payment details and date to move in to Collingwood. DC says no information but he is not a reliable source of information.

Original poster
KingscoteStaff · 04/09/2021 14:07

DS has a prospective Collingwood Fresher staying in his house for Rugby training and he is due to move in to college on Saturday 25th. DS says he is calling home 2 or 3 times a day and saying ‘Hi mum, I’ll need a laundry bag.’ ‘Hi mum, can you get me a couple of mugs?’ ‘Hi mum, can you buy some of those instant hot chocolates?’

DD (wrongly) convinced that he was far more self sufficient last year…

OP posts:
Peaseblossum22 · 04/09/2021 15:13

@lifeintheorybutnotinpractise

Hello all! Is anyone seeing an issue with signing into the Banner self service for enrolment for the first time? Getting an error page with "Invalid UDC ID mapping" popping up. Anyone got any tips?
I think this might have been the problem my ds had . He had to call the helpline and it was something to do with the format of the iD . I will ask him when he gets home
chopc · 04/09/2021 17:50

@OnTheBenchOfDoom and anyone else whose DC has booked a moving in slot - DS is asking how your DC did that? As in what portal? Or which email?

chopc · 04/09/2021 17:51

@Parsonage63 I missed your message. No DS has heard zilch about those details

Parsonage63 · 04/09/2021 19:03

It is going to be interesting to see what mine takes

OnTheBenchOfDoom · 04/09/2021 19:46

@chopc email from the college re booking slot. He also now had his contract through for the college accommodation.

chopc · 04/09/2021 22:07

Thank Bench

It gets worse! DS said his College have sent an email stating they have got an annex and 63 of them will have to live there - 20 mins away from the College! A huge reason for choosing Durham was for the collegiate system! Why can't the 3rd or postgraduate students live there and the first years live with others in the actual College?

321zyx · 04/09/2021 22:09

Ha,ha,ha........all this talk about room allocation, payment and moving in slot Grin Grin Envy! DS only received his College reallocation on Wednesday and has 7 days to submit accommodation questionnaire (which he did immediately) ..............meanwhile we wait (patiently)..........

321zyx · 04/09/2021 22:11

@chopc!! .....eeek!!

chopc · 04/09/2021 22:13

Oh and then ....... the annex will be self catered! Why would they think a person who has chosen a catered for college and even allocated a catered college would now be ok with a self catered college???

321zyx · 04/09/2021 22:14

@chopc - eek, my 'ha, ha, ha' was not to you! That sounds awful!

Longtimenewsee · 04/09/2021 22:52

Oh no @chopc .. I keep getting a feeling that there may other twists yet to come. DD’s friend got reallocated to Stephenson and got a similar email saying he might have to live in privately managed accommodation.
I hope your Ds gets accommodation he is happy with

SpringSparrow · 04/09/2021 23:31

@chopc that happened to my dd last year. Her college was a catered one on the Bailey and she was allocated their self catered accommodation 15 min walk across town. She asked to be put on the waiting list for the catered accommodation and was offered a place about a week later. Tbh when they were put into isolation because most of the block had Covid I did wonder if she might have been better off in the self catered accommodation which was all en-suite.
Do you know where the annex will be?

chopc · 04/09/2021 23:39

Oh really @SpringSparrow :(

The annex will be at The Viaduct

The letter did not state there will be an option to have be on the waitlist for preferred accommodation

Vargas · 05/09/2021 08:21

Ds only got his password yesterday so hasn't started doing any form filling yet.

Now I'm dreading him getting accommodation miles away....

Vargas · 05/09/2021 08:25

Also, I'm guessing ds will need a suit. But will he also need a DJ? Currently he and my DH and my other ds share one. 😂

LeiatheSchnauzer · 05/09/2021 08:55

Oh @chopc, that isn't good! I can see that Durham is doing their best to meet their accommodation guarantee but this is a very stressful way of doing it! Have they said how or when they will allocate those 63 students? How many first years are there at his college?
I assume Durham are booking out some of the private halls, like Fresh or Hello Student? I suppose at least these will be quite swish but just not what they had in mind when they were chosing Durham. I wonder how long ago they booked them?
I have to keep reminding myself that all of dd's other choices have also been struggling with accommodation for first years. There are several mums on fb wiwikau page whose dc's seem without a place at uni's like York and Exeter where it was also guaranteed but not sure if they were clearing/insurance. So at least Durham are trying to solve it but their way of managing it feels really really stressful for the incoming students. How can they plan anything or feel any stability when the goalposts keep changing?
I think we are now past the deferral date too for those who may have considered it?