Durham University

[KingscoteStaff]

The continuation thread for those with DC at Durham, or applying to Durham, or alumni, or staff!

September 2021 finds us packing, unpacking, meeting old friends and new, and all with our fingers firmly crossed for a positive year!

@Trafficontrol. Could try Toast Lettings in Durham. I have messaged before with what I need for specific dates and hear and they have been very helpful. They specialise in apartments.

That’s v helpful @libbytrois . I’ll look up the Indigo. Am on a bit of a budget!

@clan17 Thank you, I’ll give them a call. Or simple b&b is fine, it’s just me.

@Trafficontrol

Hello! Also just found this thread. I’m going up this weekend, DD is homesick!

Can anyone recommend a cheap place to stay for a couple of nights near St Aidan’s please?

My husband and I went to Aidan's, those steps...! Unless you stay in one of the hill colleges during the holidays, there's not a hotel especially near Aidan's.

I'd say it takes us about 20 minutes to walk from the Royal County up to Aidan's (across Prebens Bridge) but it's a pleasant walk (though hilly for the second half).

@plk323 the royal county looks lovely and in a great location thanks for the recommendation, I’ve left it a bit late booking this one though and their few remaining rooms have rocketed in price but a good one to remember for another occasion. Thanks

I just had to look up the Indigo Hotel which so many of you have raved about... it's Old Shire Hall! So where are the university central offices now? Presumably they made a wodge of cash selling that off.

@GoTrevs

I just had to look up the Indigo Hotel which so many of you have raved about... it's Old Shire Hall! So where are the university central offices now? Presumably they made a wodge of cash selling that off.

Yes it's beautiful- lots of original features. It was the only place with a room left for freshers drop off so we stayed there. Staying Premier Inn next time! Much kinder on the pocket

All the admin is done out of the new huge expanded site which used to be the science site. Now it's the almost everything site.

@Bluebellwoods1

Hope your DD is feeling better now. Did she get prescribed the antibiotics by the GP recommended by the university? My DD is pretty poorly (that horrible non-Covid cold virus which she's had from before going up, and has now become even worse) but can't even get through to them on the phone. She has a very serious medical condition and she also needs to have an initial meeting with them and get set up for her meds etc. Apparently the people who registered with the practice in August still haven't been able to get in to see them yet and she didn't register until recently. I'm a bit worried about it, to be honest. Does anyone know whether they can only join this practice? That's what my daughter tells me, but I didn't want to take it as gospel!

@Summer15coming - sorry to hear about your daughter.
Options: 1) phone/ video consult with Dr at old surgery
2) ask university practice if they see her as a temporary resident pending her registration
3) contact NHS111. They can direct her to the appropriate medical service in the area

That’s poor news about the university medical centre, but not surprising having read the thread about medical services at Edinburgh. My dd also needs to make a gp appt and has been putting it off, this will just give her more excuse not to do so. Will the college student support team offer any help with this? Maybe it’s just us and my helicopter parenting, but if she was still at home i would be doing all the chasing round.

Does anyone else desperately want to hear from them but at the same time dread it because it sends their anxiety levels sky high I know it’s going to be bumpy but why do we make university so hard in this country, or maybe it’s the same everywhere ? I also knii oh w it’s his life and he has to make it but goodness it’s hard not to worry

@Peaseblossum22 understand where you are coming from totally. I have the opposite though; my dd is a worrier and does text me often about things I can only offer her reassurance over but cannot offer any practical help. How I long for radio silence on the assumption that no news is good news!

@Peaseblossum22 is there a particular reason why you feel like this?
I get worried if I haven't heard from DS every couple of days ago and I take the liberty of calling him. If he doesn't answer he will call back. Not sure if it will change as time goes on

@Meery I would find that difficult. As we all so want our DC to be happy and accepted

As detailed in one of my other posts, 50 years ago my folks were lucky if they got one call a fortnight. We wrote letters to each other more regularly though.

How about communicating via email, which is still the main info channel used by universities, I think? Hence checked by your DCs every day I would hope.

Don't expect them to tell you what they are really getting up to, though.

I finally managed to get through to the GP this morning, only to be told that they still have 2,500 students yet to put on the system and my DD is one of them. Without her being on there, she couldn't even have an emergency appointment so I was told she would have to go through 111. I was given a half-hearted reassurance by the receptionist that she would try to fast-track her onto the system due to her medical condition after I explained to her how serious it is. Thankfully, 111 booked her into A&E, where the doctor gave her a blood test which she needed and prescriptions for two things she would run out of soon, as who knows when she would be able to get them from the GP! Unfortunately the doctor did also say there was nothing he could do for her dreadful cough and she will just have to wait it out. Hopefully it won't take much longer; she's already had it a month!

@Summer15coming I am pleased your DD has what she needed , DD had exactly the same response from the University GP practice and I wish she hadn’t registered with them. She said they were really unhelpful .

She is a thousand times better but still not totally recovered , most of her flat mates are going home this weekend so I am hopeful she can rest.
She may come home the following weekend for BDay of a school friend.
I have said I think she should wait but we shall see ...

2500 still to be processed! Makes you wonder just how oversubscribed this year is at Durham. Quite a poor show though bearing in mind we are almost 3 weeks in and were strongly encouraged to register with the Durham gp before arriving.
Thanks for the tip about 111, I will encourage my dd to follow that route if necessary.

@Summer15coming .. so pleased your Dd got the meds she needs.. you must have been v worried

@Summer15coming that must be a relief! I know a couple of DS’s friends were having trouble getting through to the GP when they had registered well in advance of going to Durham.
I hope it gets sorted out soon, in case others need help.
@Peaseblossum22 I am only just losing the sense of trepidation when I see the WhatsApp symbol on my phone! It’s difficult to be so far away and know they may need you.

My DS is a 2nd year and registered with the university GP practice. He has a severe allergy to the sun and his room had no blind for a couple weeks as it was broken. He came out in a severe rash and tried to contact the surgery but couldn’t get through. He ended up using the practices app and the GP contacted him back through this. Not ideal but it did get them to respond to him, worrying non the less not to be able to get through by phone

DS has surprised me with his organisational skills and reserved his second year house this morning. He'll be living with 5 people he hadn't met a month ago - 3 boys from his college and 2 girls from another college.

Blimey @MidLifeCrisis007. That is remarkably organised!!
I guess they do need to get it organised early but l’m only just visualising her in the place she’s in, let alone thinking about her in a new place.!