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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:
Peasepuddingplease · 13/09/2021 16:29

I hope you hear all hear soon. I can only agree with you @Dazeddaisy. It’s been shambolic and cannot imagine the knock on stress effect.
The difference in timescales and quality of communication between colleges is vast. DD only got moving in slot email on Friday 8.45pm! DH and I were hanging on for this as we both work in public sector so leave is tricky at short notice.
DDs college I presume will randomly allocate blocks as no preference form has been given but reading up thread it seems others have filled in ones requiring great detail.
I hope all this has no effect on DCs time in Durham- hang in there!

LeiatheSchnauzer · 13/09/2021 17:50

Also waiting for room type and moving in day (Trevs). Dd not too worried, she is enjoying the planning for the themed bops.
I am not too concerned yet as I have both weekend days available with two nights hotel currently booked as a back up. Keeping everything crossed that all is sorted out with a positive outcome soon.

Vargas · 13/09/2021 17:52

DS was given no preference form either, he would happily have said yes to a King sized bed, garden view and ensuite but that is sadly not going to be happening....

It has been such a shambles, and it just all seems so preventable, and why could there not have been some communication between colleges about when to release info?

Like the rest of you I just hope this is not at all indicative of what our children will be experiencing once they finally get there!

Longtimenewsee · 13/09/2021 18:01

I agree-the process has been so long and drawn out that it has affected my feeling about the place and although Dd remains chirpy, I know it has affected her feelings about it too.
Dd has received room type this morning so she actually found out whether she was catered as opposed to self catered this morning …12 days before going. Then within the hour got another email saying actual room and where it was and a slot.
I guess we can actually shop knowing what bed she’ll be in now.
Any relief at finally finding out is tempered by lingering frustration and a horrible feeling that there may be further twists and turns to come.
Gosh I hope everyone’s dc who are still waiting hears soon.

Meery · 13/09/2021 18:05

Still waiting on Trevs.....agree with everyone that this feels poor. One of dd friends got her insurance choice uni, was allocated halls two days later and moved in last weekend. And yet we wait.

cmcc22 · 13/09/2021 18:15

Just found this thread and so happy to have somewhere to discus it. DS still waiting on room allocation for St Aidans. Hoping move in day is 25th, does anyone know if there are time slots? We are a 3 hour drive away 😤

Meery · 13/09/2021 18:24

Hi @cmcc22 and welcome. Don't know about St aidans but if like other colleges your ds will be offered a move in time slot.

chopc · 13/09/2021 18:31

I am just having nightmares that they have forgotten about DS - although he did get acknowledgment of his response about room preferences

cmcc22 · 13/09/2021 18:43

Thanks. Really hope we hear soon. Up until Friday DS course were offering £5000 to defer. It's been a horrible situation for them after a difficult year. I'm lucky my DS is very laid back it's just me that's a nervous wreck

Dazeddaisy · 13/09/2021 19:53

It's more that the same colleges have released places and now it seems in waves. Over now what is a 5 week period. So on these group chat thingummies some kids are all zooming and celebrating. Others still have no clue. Frankly if now self catered in a random annexe across town from Department AND not near the college mine may have taken the 5 k. But too late once this room comes to ask now. Hild Bede apparently at least offered them a choice. Unlike chopc DC we had no acknowledgement of the form. So who knows if it even went through. There being no price bands for rubbish rooms also does not help.

Peaseblossum22 · 13/09/2021 20:31

If they feel really strongly it’s never too late to defer , we know two people who deferred after arriving .

NCTDN · 13/09/2021 21:21

I really hope that this mess is sorted for you all soon especially @chopc

MargaretThursday · 13/09/2021 22:05

Some of the colleges are very over subscribed. Dd was saying that one of the freps is saying that their intake in normally around 350, and they're over 120 over subscribed. That's a heck of a lot of extras to fit in.

chopc · 13/09/2021 22:14

@NCTDN thank you!

I sincerely hope it works out for all

chopc · 13/09/2021 22:15

Several colleges have the option of second, third and PG students also living in college. Perhaps if they make it freshers only, that will create more space in colleges?

SpringSparrow · 13/09/2021 22:44

The problem is that too many freshers met their offers because of the grade inflation. The extra people are going to be the new first years. The process to get a returning student’s place in my dd’s college started in January 2021, the students were prioritised due to things like medical reasons, students returning from abroad, then seniority and rooms were offered in June 2021, and contracts signed long before the colleges knew that they would be oversubscribed because of the grade inflation.
You can look at the statistics. My dd’s course ending up having about 255 students on it last year when there are usually about 195. I expect it’s gong to be much more oversubscribed this year.

chopc · 13/09/2021 22:48

So when everyone was going on about how most students will meet the entry requirements, why did Durham think they will be excepted?

What I meant was that returning and post graduate students can perhaps live in College annexes to free up space in the actual college.

They may have already done that - who knows. Just worried as on DS's college chat, a lot of people already know where they are living and DS doesn't

SpringSparrow · 13/09/2021 23:28

I don’t know what the situation is in Collingwood, but I know that my dd’s college likes to have a mix of returning and freshers. Tbh it was so far from normal last year, and my dd was only living in college for eight weeks and two of those were in isolation, but there was another poster on here @janinLondon and her dd was a returning third year and her household seemed to have a lovely time and part of that seemed to be that the older students in her household took the new freshers under their wing and actually arranged stuff for them to do together. My dd’s household was all freshers.
The post graduates in my dd’s college live in separate self catering accommodation about 15 mins walk away from the college.
Has your son emailed his college principal? I can appreciate that it is worrying not knowing where he is going to be.

chopc · 14/09/2021 00:00

He did @SpringSparrow . Let's hope we get a response soon and hopefully he hasn't got lost to the system

Braveheart35 · 14/09/2021 10:10

Maybe the admin staff at Durham still working from home is not helping the delays.

I have a feeling with masses of extra students and the inability of teaching staff to take on extra classes, due to contracted teaching hours we are going to hear a lot more from Durham about online provision. It’s the only way to teach extra classes without increasing staff hours.

Maybe I’m being pessimistic, but the complete lack of communication from Durham isn’t making me feel positive this morning.

cmcc22 · 14/09/2021 11:48

@Braveheart35 that's my fear. Is it possible that they haven't heard about accommodation because they are going to be asked to do it remotely on line from home Angry

chopc · 14/09/2021 12:01

@cmcc22 No!!! Didn't even think of this scenario!

Don't think they can do this anyway without damaging their reputation forever more so don't think it will come to that

SpringSparrow · 14/09/2021 12:05

Is it possible that emails are being sent out in alphabetical order? Are the people still waiting towards the end of the alphabet?
My dd has a friend joining St Aiden’s. I think he didn’t know details of his accommodation when she last checked with him.

chopc · 14/09/2021 12:21

We are high up in the alphabet so it can't be that.

DS had an email back saying he hadn't been forgotten. Something about a licensing agreement? Don't know what that means.

Anyway the gist of it was they are sending info in batches

OnTheBenchOfDoom · 14/09/2021 12:42

So when everyone was going on about how most students will meet the entry requirements, why did Durham think they will be excepted?

All universities offered as usual before it was announced that exams were not going ahead. I believe the only universities that didn't offer before that decision were Oxbridge just by virtue of when they offer.

Ds had 4 offers by the end of November. Information at that point was exams were categorically going to go ahead. All universities are scrambling if they deal with accommodation after results day. My niece was able to book her accommodation when she had her offer as it is a private block affiliated with her uni. So Durham is not alone. It feels worse I think because of the collegiate system.