Durham University

[KingscoteStaff]

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

January 2022 finds our DC packing their big coats, checking the forecast for snow and wondering when Michaelmas actally is...?

Assemble!
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Why not just remove the stress i.e. the whole pre-season training (it's voluntary, not compulsory!)? Where's the pressure coming from for him to attend - if he's not enjoying it/not committed than don't do it. Let him return on 24-25th September for Freshers week where many will also be nervous and uncertain - it's normal.......

@WorriedAboutDurham He's gone up early when it's not fully set up. I think most teens would feel a bit cut adrift. I agree with PP, I would get him home and start again on official welcome weekend. Invent a reason if necessary?

DS is a hockey player and played county up to 17. He had no idea there was pre season training so although a different sport he will be starting from scratch in freshers week. His aspiration is the fourth team as they beat the adult team he played for last season. Your DS has had a poor experience because nobody told him how it works. Not down to him!

Pre season for freshers is tough. Fwiw the great thing about a college system is that while you can play on the uni teams for serious play there are also college teams and bigger colleges will have a second team etc. Means that there is the chance to play and participate for everyone, incisive those who just want to play for fun.

A fair few uni players get involved in Durham Rugby club too which is nice. Tuesday nights down the rugby club are very friendly, there is a mixed group of men women, older teens and some uni students back home for the summer etc who play touch rugby and often have a pint after. Should any homesick teens decide to go ill tell dh to keep an eye out for anyone who needs a bit of tlc!

@EwwSprouts hope Iceland was good!

I think the pre season stuff sounds very competitive - my daughter is still on the baking for picnics with friends plus club nights out. West End show treat with me tomorrow but first I have to get through meetings with government .....not sure this week is the easiest week for this so ...wish me luck :)

@Fruitygal Good luck!
Iceland was wonderful thanks. Well worth going. We were very lucky in that the weather was amazing; hottest day of the year while there. Such friendly people and it all runs like clockwork.

What show are you seeing?

Six - DDs wanted to go for a while as missed out on doing some of the numbers in her dance show as lockdown happened. Not sure I’ll know what’s going on as it’s rather rapid and my Tudor history is ok but not sure it’ll help 😂

Realised I’d been in meetings close by and DD could meet me so spur of the moment …

Shes off to Hamilton next week as part of her 18th pressie from earlier in the year with her bestie but she’s the social butterfly of the family and I’m normally the taxi.

Iceland - so amazing we are big on physical geography in the house so Iceland us at the top of the list for a few of the family - great to get good weather

You'll enjoy the evening I'm sure.

We both could have watched the geysers for hours. I found the concept of standing between the plates quite perturbing. We were really lucky our guide was a retired professor who was passionate about his country. He said the experts expect one or two of the volcanoes to erupt 'big-time' in the next year to eighteen months.

@EwwSprouts My eldest is a geologist who did his MSc on designing new simulation software for predicting lava flows …… I’ve just told him and he’s looking up flights now 😂

@Fruitygal Has your DD managed to choose an optional module that fits with the timetable? DS has tried climate change and one of the PE ones. Climate change seems to clash with lab sessions on Mondays and something late Fridays. Thought Thursdays looked good for PE option but has tutorials popping up. Timetable just seems too busy to accommodate full attendance at another module?

My son couldn't get his main subject timetable to load as one integrated document so had to go into each module and write out the times manually. Made choosing his options a bit

He received his room allocation today though.

@hop321 Bimey they're not making it easy. DS can see his subject timetable and as science with lab time there aren't many gaps other than most of Thursday. Great news on the room though.

Well the good news is DS has received his offer of accommodation but the bad news is that it’s en-suite and he will need to vacate it at Christmas and Easter. We live really really far away and it’s not possible to drive there and back in one day so this is a real blow - does anyone know if there are storage facilities in the college for people to be able to leave things that they can’t carry on the train?

@EwwSprouts she picked one last night after we got back from London - not the original choice which was the climate one as clashed. Still a Geography type of one can’t remember the name of it but can ask …

@Igglepigglesblankie i know Oxford colleges sometimes have storage as friend of DD has the same problem

Dd had to vacate every holiday last year @Igglepigglesblankie . She had a big lockable space under her bed. It held loads. Take a couple of small padlocks with you.

Durham rugby is a very high standard. A few years ago an international age group scrum half couldn't get into the first team as there was someone there who had played several seasons of pro Premiership rugby before going to university. And several DSs of friends who played for serious rugby-playing schools (including ones which had won national schoolboy titles) decided it was too serious and intense for them and played college rugby instead. I think you have to decide whether to devote your whole university life to it!

@longtimenewsee thanks for that info - that sounds fabulous!!

Does anyone know if there's printing facilities in college or do students tend to bring their own printers?

@hop321 my dd took her own printer. There are printing facilities in the Bill Bryson library and also in her department, she says. She’s not sure if there are printers in her college but there was a computer room so maybe in there?!

Thank you!

@hop321 we have a printer via DSA so DD has one for the room but most people I imagine use the libraries.

Dd took her own but didn’t really use it much . She’s not taking it back for Yr 2 as she says she can use billy b or TLC or college printers

Hi DD considering combined honours in social sciences at Durham. Keen to hear from anyone whose offspring have done this recently - in particular how easy to pick and choose history and economics courses. We have looked at UCL but she has been put off by someone saying they’d not been able to do history courses as they were oversubscribed and history students were prioritised. Please help! We can’t make it to the open day as all train tickets booked out…