Durham University

[EwwSprouts]

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

June 2023 End of term for all. Hopefully young people are brim full of plans for summer fun and jobs to pay for it!

Link to old thread
]Previous thread (fingers crossed!)

@EwwSprouts my DDs are all in person - one yesterday and one tomorrow - clearly different modules - cue nerves

Does anyone know if first year summatives and exams count towards the final degree grade ( English lit if that makes any difference)

Not normally. They just have to pass them all.

@Fruitygal Hope they went well for her.

@littlenickyy61 Agree they don't impact final degree classification.

@EwwSprouts she’s alive and off out for dinner after a busy week xx

We collected dd from Durham today - can’t believe that’s the first year over and done with - all very emotional for them all. Durham was beautiful in the sun. Did feel sorry for the people doing the road works on the Bailey and having to contend with all the cars picking students up. Dd and friends excited to be in a house next year but very sad to be moving out of Chads (although I think they’ll still be in college loads). Hope all the other freshers have had a great year!

Delighted your DD has enjoyed a great first year. Durham is such a lovely university. DS has just finished his second year and, for him, that has been even better in a house, closer friendships and team mates. Hope your DD finds the same.

It goes by so quickly! We are in Durham for the weekend to pick DS up and it’s looking like another beautiful day. I am so glad he is doing a fourth year although I have half-serious plans to move here myself in a couple of years.

Best wishes to all collecting/welcoming back their YP

Hope everyone’s dc have settled back nicely at Durham and hope all freshers have a good year. Mine is now in 4th year. Had v busy summer and excited to be back. We dropped off last weekend and the sun was shining . Durham looked beautiful as always 😍

I’d be glad to join this thread, as parent of a fresher who started 10 days ago. Appreciate the knowledge of those of you further through.

DS knows it’s not good to rush on the housing for 2nd try and is def still at stage of meeting people and not knowing who his good friends will be.
He does History and has a lot at Elvet Riverside. Am trying to get my head round the different housing areas - which areas would be better/not so good for a History student please? And any advice on best sized groups for housing, agents or what reasonable prices are?
Many thanks

My DC is in 2nd year and is renting a 9 bed house in the viaduct area which is a popular student area, through https://www.evenmoreproperties.co.uk/
They're each paying a mind-boggling £880 per month (incl bills) and are studying a variety of subjects.
They found their house in October, but didn't sign until December. The agent did insist on joint guarantees by all the parents - I know some mumsnetters have managed to avoid this and obviously the risk is greater the larger the number of sharers.
The pressure on housing seems to have dissipated somewhat since the covid bubble and in hindsight if they hadn't rushed they might have got somewhere cheaper. But it is a lovely house - much better than student houses in my day!

Evenmore come out well in parental comments on FB group I’m in. Morgan Douglas and Harringtons fare less well, although DS hasn’t found Harringtons too bad. They did try to deduct some deposit for “cobwebs” from his 3rd year house but when asked for evidence suddenly decided that there weren’t any cobwebs after all . He went with them for his 4th year house and we don’t foresee any major problems (some furniture was promised that never materialised but minor things that were easy to buy and that we will bring back home with us when he finishes).

Hope your DS has a fantastic time @WombatChocolate . Durham is a beautiful city imo with a friendly and safe feel.
As far as groups go, it was very flexible in our experience. Two of them looked for a house share in 3rd year and this year there were 4 of them who just needed a 5th person, who they found quite easily, from overseas so did a Zoom interview.
Can’t lie, I panicked big time when College only told them in March of the 2nd year that there was no room in halls for 3rd year but it worked out fine with them listening out for groups wanting to make up the numbers. Giving DS the opportunity to say “I told you so!”

I agree that prices are falling, my son's by Durham Prison in a much more central location this year for a similar price to his house at the far end of Gilesgate last year. It's his last year but he said their house is cheaper next year again.

@WombatChocolate Welcome! I hope your DS is slowly settling in. I wouldn't worry too much about area as all areas bar the furthest flung are walkable to everywhere else. DS has moved out to the town end of the Gilesgate area and he can walk up to the science campus, on the edge of the city, in 30 mins. There a path along the river to the Maiden Castle which avoids going up and downhill.

DS hasn’t found Harringtons too bad. They did try to deduct some deposit for “cobwebs” from his 3rd year house but when asked for evidence suddenly decided that there weren’t any cobwebs after all
They tried to hold most of the deposit (over £2k) on DS's last year flat saying they had exceeded the far use of utilities limit. Strangely when challenged they couldn't find any evidence to prove that either and handed the money back.

Good to hear from you all! I hope your dc has a great time @WombatChocolate!
My dc has gone back into college halls for 4th year as flatmates all graduated in the summer
I agree that all areas of Durham are ok and generally walkable . Also consider private halls .

Thank you all. DS is doing well. He has made friends, particularly who are on his course and in his college. Is getting into a pattern with lectures, seminars and social stuff.
Now he says everyone is talking about accommodation. He’s not so worried about there being a physical house, but wanting to be sure he has a nice group to live with. He says he won’t be rushed and knows there’s plenty of time, but I can see how a few people look8 g and signing makes the others have extra developed FOMO.

I spoke to one agent today who told me guarantors only guarantee their own child’s rent - said this is because they all have to have guarantor or pay up front, so they don’t chase other parents for a different child’s rent, but their own guarantor. I thought this was a bit reassuring.

Lovely update @WombatChocolate

The accommodation thing is totally generated to create FOMO and for landlords to have deposits in their bank accounts for extra months. It could all be easily left until say February. Re guarantors, you need to check the contracts. A lot specify joint and several liability. Again it's landlords playing heads I win, tails you lose. We just bit the bullet in the end but had anything gone totally pear shaped I would have then pursued the other party.

@EwwSprouts
This is absolutely our experience too, my DS was persuade to sign up for a house last November and massively regretted it by Feb. One of the other housemates dropped out so he took the opportunity to do the same ( he is autistic and didn't realise this was an option). He found a much better place for him, at a good rate (£119 per week, bills included, 5 mins walk from the library) in March and moved in this October. He's so glad he did but feels bad that the new freshers are being panicked into securing a place when they haven't even had time to get to know possible future flatmates.
Good luck to all the freshers out there, Durham is a lovely city.

DS is an applicant. One thing that makes them wary is the hills. They have a condition which makes walking slopes and hills extra tiring, and we are also slightly worried about how slippery paths might be in a Durham winter. Falling over would be extremely painful. However, Durham has many attractions! They would request a Bailey college as that would be nearest their dept, not sure if they would be deemed sufficiently 'in-need' to be granted - we've been told to apply and 'wait and see'. Any thoughts?

I don’t have any in depth knowledge of specific medical needs re falling/slipping but Autumn sees an awful lot of leaves on the ground! So much so that DS (Hill college) remarked on the slipperiness, although leaf clearing does seem to be something the council takes seriously. The centre of Durham is very cobbly in places too, particularly near the Bailey colleges, so I’m not sure specifying surfaces not likely to be slippy for medical reasons would be helpful. Streets are also quite steep in places. Hope you can get more info from the colleges. Is it possible for you to visit to try and gauge the feasibility of applying?

Thanks, yes we've been twice. But not in the middle of winter. But you're right, Autumn has its own hazards.

@FrancisBrick I live in Durham, and there is indeed a lot of walking uphill and downhill. The paths are usually not slippery, but it can become real bad in snow, which is about 1-2 weeks in a year.

@FrancisBrick have you looked into DSA for you DC? We have found DSA very helpful. My DC has been given taxi allowance which helps navigating the hills when necessary

@WombatChocolate my DD is doing Sociology so also has most classes at Elvet Riverside. She's in St John's now which is convenient for that. She says she's not really thinking about next year and certainly doesn't feel she knows anyone well enough to live with. Her closest friend so far wants to apply to live in next year so guess she don't know to February if successful. My DD wants to live out for the experience.
@FrancisBrick I believe they are overhauling (yet again) the college allocation system. The Bailey is at the top of a hill itself so they will be walking down from there (and back up) regardless. My DD has MS and fatigue a major symptom. She did over 14,000 steps yesterday as had two meetings over near the library. DSA worth applying for though! And apply early.