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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 · 18/09/2021 06:46

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!

OP posts:
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11
Peaseblossum22 · 21/09/2021 10:41

I agree but this is an educational facility, if the lecturer gets ill in week 2 of a 9 week term then misses 3 weeks everyone suffers a lack of teaching. Equaly is half the number of people in the lecture get ill (vaccination does not stop this) and miss a weeks classes this is very disruptive. This way the teaching continues and also the extra curricular life. Also festivals are outside , lecture theatres are generally pretty squashed with poor ventilation.

I am cross but I can also see why they are doing this. I just hope that the social side continues as that will make life bearable I hope. I had hoped they would flip things to include less lectures and more seminars but I suspect they just don't have the number of staff needed or rooms or quite frankly hours in the day. Ideally they would have reduced the number of people admitted to accommodate this but then far fewer people would have had offers and that would have created another outcry and also given the university is funded on a per student basis the university would have had less money , so its a vicious circle .

Peaseblossum22 · 21/09/2021 10:44

Also really hoping tutorials happen in person rather than on Zoom .That would really annoy me

Peaseblossum22 · 21/09/2021 10:48

By the way we still don't have an arrival slot , and managed to have a heated discussion about whether to take a dressing gown!

There is a lot of useful and really encouraging information on his college insta page though , so he's quite excited. He's also paranoid about doing the pre reading so he is doing that and I am worrying about dressing gowns and whether he should take two suits or one Confused

He has emailed about the slot issue

chopc · 21/09/2021 10:53

@Peaseblossum22 my DS has also emailed about the slot. However we are driving up to Durham as planned on the Saturday and staying overnight.

DS not taking a dressing gown as he has an ensuite.

He is currently getting some outfits ready for the fancy dress

Braveheart35 · 21/09/2021 11:26

@chopc

No module confirmation or timetable.

Re Lectures. It is disappointing to hear of friends attending lectures at other Universities. I should imagine Durham couldn’t fit them all in, even if they wanted to.

MidLifeCrisis007 · 21/09/2021 13:13

DS not taking a dressing gown.....but will have sliders for slippers!

SpringSparrow · 21/09/2021 13:17

My dd did take a dressing gown and sliders, dressing gown was useful when she locked herself out of her room without her keys or her mobile phone 🤦🏻‍♀️🙄😂

chopc · 21/09/2021 14:17

@MidLifeCrisis007 has your DS had any info about timetable etc?

chopc · 21/09/2021 14:20

@Braveheart35 🤷🏽‍♀️

I think we just go with the flow at this point. Just hope that the majority of students are now double jabbed. With the oversubscription I just hope their educational experience won't be sub par . Humanities have such little contact time

chopc · 21/09/2021 14:33

Have finally had confirmation of moving in slot. Quite flexible between 9 and 4pm on Sunday

Peaseblossum22 · 21/09/2021 14:59

I had a minor meltdown when the only slots left were 9am or 10am and we live a 5 hour drive away. So much to Ds disgust I decided to call the college myself ( yes I know he’s an adult etc etc but honestly I have been very patient and I’d just had enough) They could not have been more charming and helpful , totally understood and slotted him in to a full slot but said that in the circumstances it would fine , they completely understood etc etc . Ds now grumpy as we are Saturday not Sunday but really Saturday is so much easier for us as no work Sunday etc and we already had a room booked for the sat night which saves us spending all day in the car , so he’s going to have to suck it up. Anyway he’s just working himself into a lather about the pre reading and one day will not make a difference

LeiatheSchnauzer · 21/09/2021 15:12

So glad you got a slot sorted! Also really nice to hear that the college was so accommodating. We are arriving at 11am on Saturday.
Dd is bringing a dressing gown and flip flops for the shower. Ds took a dressing gown to his halls and lived in it I think...

Peaseblossum22 · 21/09/2021 15:22

I think if they manage to keep the extra curriculars going and social life and hopefully tutorials then the loss of the lectures is bearable. We all want life to be normal but it’s just not , and the university does have to think about the residents of Durham as well. It’s a very small place , it’s not a conurbation like Manchester or a campus like Loughborough.

MargaretThursday · 21/09/2021 16:07

DD preferred online lectures. It meant if she found something easy, then she could go through it quickly. Anything hard and she could go through several times and understand it better.

It had the bonus that if she had a 9am she didn't have to get up as early either. Grin

MidLifeCrisis007 · 21/09/2021 17:55

[quote chopc]@MidLifeCrisis007 has your DS had any info about timetable etc? [/quote]
No, he hasn't as far as I'm aware (but remember he's MFL and History not straight History). He'll probably be having 6-8 hours of MFL and 3-4 hours of History each week.

It's his driving test tomorrow morning (in Winchester.... he's never been to Winchester!). That's preoccupying his mind more at the moment!

Longtimenewsee · 21/09/2021 18:57

@OnTheBenchOfDoom. Thanks for that. Much appreciated.
Dd is excited today. She has been happily charity shopping for bits for themed fancy dress nights. Smile.

321zyx · 21/09/2021 19:30

@chopc DS (History) doesn't have any timetable info yet.

Sidney · 21/09/2021 19:30

I have a ds starting at Castle and planning to play a lot of uni footie. Anyone know how far away the sports facilities are from Moatside in Castle and therefore whether it is worth bringing a bike?

chopc · 21/09/2021 19:35

Noted @321zyx and @MidLifeCrisis007

MidLifeCrisis007 · 21/09/2021 19:53

It's just over a mile from Castle to Maiden Castle. I assume that's where the football teams train these days. (I could be wrong... I was there in the 80s!).

Original poster
KingscoteStaff · 21/09/2021 20:09

@Sidney it’s about a 10 minute walk down hill to Maiden Castle and a 20 minute slog (with tired legs) back up again! Not really a bike city…

One benefit of DS doing that journey most days last year was that he would phone us on the way back up to pass the time!

OP posts:
cmcc22 · 21/09/2021 22:47

Did anyone from St Aidans get info about freshers events or things to take (out with the normal). DS says he's not seen anything

libbytrois · 21/09/2021 23:04

@cmcc22 not St Aidan's but sin's college sent email with link to create freshers week timetable, including college freshers events. Has he joined Facebook page or WhatsApp group for his college?

chopc · 22/09/2021 07:38

@cmcc22 if you look at the college's Instagram page there may be a line up of events with what fancy dress etc they need to bring

cmcc22 · 22/09/2021 08:26

@chopc thanks - tried that no posts since March and DS joined the Facebook group - nothing there either. Link on website is still for Freshers 2020!!