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??

One of dd's housemates brought a car. I don't think they used it much except for a weekly shop though.

I was thinking more of the journey from home but given we live in Kent I think it's a very long drive so probably better off taking the train in any case

I think quite a few of the colleges actually explicitly tell first years not to bring cars . To be honest unless living a long way out everything is walkable. My dh lived in Whitesmocks in our third year and I got very fit cycling up the hill from Trevs !

All colleges were single sex when I was at university. Although I did spend my third year sharing my DH-to-be's room in Castle

DS heard yesterday that he has been allocated a place at Hatfield which was his first choice so he is delighted. Will be monitoring this thread for any mention of anyone else’s DC who are there and their experiences!

Great news @CeliaCanth

@CeliaCanth DS, now in his second year, was/is Hatfield. He has loved every minute of it! Food is great, apparently amongst the best of the colleges, location obviously fab. The college is big enough to have loads going on while still keeping the college feel. He had a lovely room , he opted to share, ended up with two roommates rather than the one we expected, but it turned out really well. They now share a house (with others) and are really close. Some odd traditions at the formals, spoon banging being one of them, but that added to the experience! We were all really sad that for obvious reasons he missed a big chunk of that first year, he loved it so much.
The only negative I can think of was that the college parent thing didn't really work out for him - he had two 'dads' who weren't really interested. Having said that, some of his friends found their 'parents' to be really supportive.
Best of luck to your DS - any questions, ask away!

Hi @CeliaCanth, @Tinseltrauma - another Hatfield mum here - DD also in 2nd year - was luckky enough to get single ensuite in first year - lovely view into the music building opposite on the Bailey but practically zero sleep in consequence! (Not the music but the Bailey!). All part of the Hatfield experience however, and she lives to tell the tale! She is currently planning (and desperately hoping) for wall-to-wall balls, dinners and clubs after 21 June - Hatfielders love dressing up!

Oh thanks for the info from all! I think he will relish it. His sixth form hasn’t been the most sociable especially with lockdowns etc. so I think something lively will do him the world of good. The good food will definitely be brilliant news for him

For those asking about catered accomm...this is tonight’s supper at Castle (and I suspect at other colleges too)...carrot and squash soup with baguette, Tarragon cream chicken with pomegranate quinoa and salad.

Oh dear, not sure DS is ready for quinoa just yet

Crikey, that's a bit different from my day! Our daily delights were written up on a whiteboard by the servery and each month when it was the turn of Chicken Rissoles, the first in the queue would take great delight in amending it to Chicken Arseholes.

No more Chicken try Toad

It's a line (describing the message on a menu board) from a book set in a further / higher education institution of some description and it has stuck in my head for the decades since I read it. I just can't remember what the book itself was called, though.

DS gallumphed through the door at 9 last night having scrounged a lift home with the mum of one of the lovely girls in his household. (If that was you - thank you!!)

His college have done really lovely Matric photos with a formal photo of each household and then the other 300ish faces photoshopped around them. I do hope they get a chance to do a full college year group photo next term.

Can any current parents (or their DS/DD) offer any information about Stephenson college? DS has an offer from Durham (History), which he has become quite keen about, having gone through the Autumn quite fixed on Bristol.

Having got his college allocation through, he can’t find that much information about Stephenson and the info he can find seems quite dismissive, he knows it only moved next to JB a few years ago. He wanted self catered & to be out of ‘town’ on the hill. He thinks it seems quite relaxed & the current students on an offer thing he attended on zoom seemed to really enjoy their time there? He put John Snow/South/JB first, isn’t necessarily disappointed, but why the negativity about Stephenson’s? Can anybody help with this?

My DS enjoyed his first term at Stevo (he won't be back there until the beginning of the summer term though). He's in a 6 person flat, on the 2nd floor of a block and his 'household' consists of his flat plus the two downstairs. So when one kid had a positive test, they had to isolate as a household (14 students) which meant no one got lonely and they took their hour a day exercise together. The College principal (dean?) seems nice and it all feels very organised but without draconian rules. Porters are great and there's no sill rules about when you're allowed to get post or parcels. The laundry is huge, with free driers. Rooms are small but his is en-suite (minuscule shower room!!). Kitchens spacious and well equipped. There's a park+ride right next to the college so handy for buses and also for delivery drivers to park and the students just go and meet them there rather than getting them through college entrance barrier. The college is nicely landscaped, with a wood and a hill and lots of green.

DS wanted catered, and preferably Castle, so was disappointed with his allocation last summer. But he accepts he's been lucky in the end because he was in a good place to be during a pandemic! And he's made good friends with whom he will house share next year. As a parent I was very happy with the college - it's out of town so perhaps more incentive to mix with flat mates in the college bar, the security seemed very efficient, and the Freps we met on moving-in day were lovely and a good advert for the college. It also felt quite down to earth (DS was a bit worried that he wouldn't be able to compete with the 'rahs' that he thought Durham would be full of (it isn't!))

Sorry that was a bit long

I’ve loved reading all of these posts. I went to Castle over 10 years ago and loved the food, didn’t have to share but did have to walk up a lot of stairs! I remember if there was spotted dick on the menu it would be listed as ‘Spotted Richard’ to be polite

Thanks so much @TerfTerfTerf your comments tally with what he thinks of Stephenson. I think he likes the idea of flat life!

My DD will probably firm up Durham for 2021 (although I'm still team Bristol). Durham has been doing a lot of online and whatsapp stuff for their incoming students so she feels quite invested already. St Cuths for her.

@TheWitchCirce - exactly the same here. DS is favouring Durham but I’m (secretly) team Bristol. 🤣

[quote Crikeyblimey]@TheWitchCirce - exactly the same here. DS is favouring Durham but I’m (secretly) team Bristol. 🤣[/quote]
So funny, I haven’t been able to tell her what yo do since she was 18 months - never mind 18 years so I’m trying to be subtle 😬

My DS is at Durham, DD at Bristol! Vastly different experiences

@bigTillyMint

My DS is at Durham, DD at Bristol! Vastly different experiences

I would absolutely love to know more!

Me too!

He is genuinely wavering actually. A few weeks ago it was ‘Durham or bust’ but recently he’s not so sure.

He thinks he may have more fun a t Bristol but there are aspects of Durham he really likes the look of. Plus Durham ranks higher for his course (but I know ranking isn’t everything). And I’m very grateful to not have any typos in that last phrase 🤣

My dc has accepted a place at Durham and rejected Bristol and I went to Durham myself so am a bit biased but I had a friend with twins, one at Bristol and one Durham and she declared the experience to be night and day , interestingly her elder child had been at Leeds which she said was similar to Bristol. I think the old adage ‘Durham is different’ probably holds true and of course different doesn’t necessarily mean better .