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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Sorry for all the typos - new phone (or at least that's what I'm blaming)

Thanks so much @SchnitzelVonCrummsTum. Really appreciate your efforts and enthusiasm . Dd had her very first practical in the new labs and sent me a buzzing text afterwards saying how brill it was. There was a real feel of relief to finally seeing some lab action
Dd has also said the weather has been really good this week.. lots of big blue skies and pretty sunrises and sunsets.
Chemistry @Fruitygal

@SchnitzelVonCrummsTum so is the online teaching due vulnerable staff? Because the students have still been out clubbing .........

Hi - I started a new thread but was recommended to post on here instead which makes sense! So here goes:

My son is applying for Engineering for 2022 entry at Durham Uni. He's a quiet, introverted state school kid who's not into drinking or partying, but loves building things, classic cars, cycling and running. Would prefer an onsuite and modern facilities. Not bothered about gowned v non gowned, either fine. Not sure about catering or non-catering yet.

Any Durham Uni college recommendations that may suit him gratefully received. Perhaps a quieter college, not known for raucous partying?

Thanks lots all! x

@SchnitzelVonCrummsTum thanks for posting, good to read positive vibes (and I love your name as a fan of Schnitzel Von Crum and his very low tum) - as per @chopc the clubbing continues...

@printmeanicephoto I didn't want to ignore your post but I am not sure I can help
My DS is at Collingwood. He said in his corridor everyone goes out but in other corridors only half the number do. So perhaps all kinds of students in every college?

As for the state school - I don't even know what kind of school DS's friends went to as I don't think of asking that question. He hasn't mentioned it either. So perhaps whilst it may be a "thing" on mumsnet, perhaps it's different in reality?

@printmeanicephoto my DC isn't a fan of clubbing, but likes visiting college bars! What he found helped was meeting people with shared interests and I'm pretty sure there's something for everyone!

My DC didn't want a gowned college but ended up in in one. There hadn't been many formals anyway last term. Good luck to your son.

@printmeanicephoto
I don’t know if you’ve seen this - it might be useful : www.durham.ac.uk/colleges-and-student-experience/colleges/#d.en.467132

@printmeanicephoto DS is similar to your DS and is finding Josephine Butler ideal for him. There are parties etc on site but he’s not that bothered about noise and I don’t think it’s that excessive from what he says. One mandatory gowned formal in the first term iirc. Walks and running routes from the doorstep.

@SchnitzelVonCrummsTum thank you for all your efforts and those of your colleagues.

Grey is less high-profile than other colleges but the best location for the science site including Engineering. Seems quite a 'normal' environment compared to some of the fancier ones. Nephew did Physics and was very happy there.

[quote SpamhappyTootsie]@printmeanicephoto DS is similar to your DS and is finding Josephine Butler ideal for him. There are parties etc on site but he’s not that bothered about noise and I don’t think it’s that excessive from what he says. One mandatory gowned formal in the first term iirc. Walks and running routes from the doorstep.

@SchnitzelVonCrummsTum thank you for all your efforts and those of your colleagues.[/quote]
DD found Josephine Butler good too.

It's self catering, and they're in flats of 6, which is small enough to get to know each other, but not so small they're on top of each other.
She asked for a quiet flat, but wasn't put in one, however she rarely had a problem with noise, and she can be quite sensitive. I think the only problem she had was one time one of her flatmates brought a group back late at night into the kitchen when she had a 9am exam. She nipped out and told them that, and they apologised and went down to one of the common areas. The building did seem reasonably well sound insulated when I visited.
A lot of the flats did then book acomodation together the next year (she didn't, but she is with one from the flat above!) so they clearly got on well enough.

She did quite a few college run things (baking society was particularly popular in her year) and they seemed to have a nice community going.

Thank you for the appreciation - it's total selfishness on my part as I absolutely love the buzz of live, in-person teaching and online takes about 4 times longer. It has been slightly sad sometimes that only a small proportion of students have come to the in-person teaching (obviously, people isolating or shielding have very good reasons) but I hope that attendance rates will improve over time as things normalise.

@chopc - my sentence structure was lazy, sorry for implying that the measures are about vulnerable staff as that's definitely not the reason. I was trying to note that vulnerable staff probably aren't as keen to do in person teaching as I am, but my understanding is that occupational health are involved in helping keep the more vulnerable people safe whilst the rest of us are more than happy to crack on.

I'm in no position of authority or particular knowledge on this, but I think the rationale for the first week is that we're trying to ensure everyone gets the chance to be tested so people returning to uni with Covid will be able to isolate. It's also a chance to get a sense of case rates in the student and staff community to calibrate anything further that needs to happen after the first week or two. Many colleges have introduced extra measures to try and space students out a bit (e.g. extending dining rooms using temporary buildings). I think we're all aware that students will be going to bars, clubs etc. and that's out of our control (and very understandable - we were all 18-21 once!) but we're also aware that we would be seen as irresponsible if we didn't try to take a more cautious approach than the students.

So far, we have plans for additional small group teaching starting again next week with the expectation of return to full-in person for week 3. Really hoping that the case rates allow this to happen for us all! Please cross fingers ...

@printmeanicephoto Ds1 is at South College which shares a site with John Snow, both colleges were opened in 2020 so very new. Snow was just relocated, South was a brand new college. They are opposite Josephine Butler and Stephenson. All 4 are self catered. The park and ride is next to Butler so easy to get a bus into town and back.

It is a 5 minute walk to the science site from South and most rooms are en-suite. If sharing a bathroom it is between 2 students. Ds is introvert, there are lots of them at Durham, he enjoys going out for a quiet drink rather than raving the night away in Klute. He is enjoying his time there.

@SchnitzelVonCrummsTum another parent thanking you and your colleagues for all your efforts for safe face to face teaching for staff and students alike.

@SchnitzelVonCrummsTum DS said that last term, professors would regularly stop in the middle of a lecture or a seminar and say, 'Oh my goodness, this is nice!'.

Thank you for the face to face - it made all the difference last term.

Fingers crossed for tomorrow week... [goes and checks the Durham numbers again just in case they've changed from this morning...]

Thanks for your comments - yes DS is thinking about the hill colleges and is considering South, JB, Stephenson and Greys mainly. Good to know there are also many introverts at Durham, who don't necessarily want to party the night away.

I went to Klute once in my time at Durham. A few college bar crawls but the type where there was lots of chat and various people drank soft drinks too.

Always all sorts of people at uni and you find your tribe.

A bunch of us from Castle plus assorted families are getting together to camp this summer as we've run out of weddings for reunions.

@SchnitzelVonCrummsTum thanks from me too we know you are all doing your best!!

Thank you @SchnitzelVonCrummsTum for the clarification and thank you for all your are doing

I sincerely hope students are able to return to face to face soon. DS only had four hours of online contact time last week and I think for a first year, it is very difficult to self direct and motivate without more contact. I think I read for history they will have 14 hrs contact a week in the first year so don't know why he is having so few . And yes he is a conformer so will attend all his scheduled activities. Plus he enjoys it

Dd has covid and is now on day 4 of isolation in college. The college have moved her out of her shared room and she has had food delivered to her room. A few of her friends have also tested positive. Fingers crossed she tests negative tomorrow and Wednesday so she can come out.
In good news she has signed up for a flat for next year!

Hope she recovers quickly, @LeiatheSchnauzer. Sounds like her college are supporting well.

Thank you @SpamhappyTootsie. They have been very good, it is just a bit hard for her not having all her things around her but she is in an ensuite and at least her room mate is kept safe. She has been happy with the food deliveries too.
Thankfully she has not felt poorly.

Hope she recovers quickly and gets a neg test as soon as poss @LeiatheSchnauzer.
That’s interesting-Dd also shares and I wondered they do if they share a room and one tests positive . Good that they are well organised with provision of separate room and food . Must be hard for her without all her comforts though.

@LeiatheSchnauzer I think your dd is the same college as ds, He did say when he went back that he was fully expecting to get it again ( he had Covid in August). Was it picked up on an LFT or has she got symptoms?

Good the college are looking after her though, ds not very impressed by the food generally especially at how early dinner is so it’s good to hear that she is happy with what is being delivered.

@Longtimenewsee, thank you. Unfortunately still a faint positive today on day 5 so another day in the room. She has now requested a kettle!
@Peaseblossum22, yes, I think the same college! It was picked up on one of the regular college tests, she was emailed to say it was positive and then the whole room moving and meal process kicked in almost instantly. No symptoms at all.
She is getting food delivered once a day in the early evening: hot meal and packed lunches and fruit for the next day's breakfast and lunch. She is now very used to the early dining. When she was at home over Christmas she was biting at the bit for food by 6 when we often don't eat till 7.

@LeiatheSchnauzer glad to hear she’s not feeling ill, hopefully she will test negative tomorrow. Gosh better send a care package of things that don’t need cooking, ds has hollow legs, I think he would need snacks at the very least not to mention hot drinks ! He went back with lots of stuff for late night second meals because he is ravenous by 10.00pm..