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!)

For those struggling with hotel accommodation, don’t forget that Newcastle is on your doorstep and the moving in weekends don’t coincide, so the prices aren’t so alarming. Hotels on both sides of the river are great and can come with free parking and the quickest of rides down the A1 to Durham.

We’ve been doing the journey for far too many years and vary our base between the two cities. Travelodge Quayside is great and so close and Staybridge Suites and Malmaison are both comfortable home from homes for a longer stay.

That’s fab news. Which course has he been accepted onto via Clearing?

I wonder if you’re able to tell us what grades he got and why he ended up in Clearing? Did he miss his offer elsewhere or was it that he did better than expected and decided to look elsewhere? It might help someone else this year or another year if reading this thread.

Hope your trip up there goes well. I think it will be really exciting to see it and know he will be going in a month! Glad it’s all sorted out within about 12 hours - Clearing is pretty impressive really!

how exciting for him - where had he been intending to go previously?

Have a great visit and wear comfy shoes - it’s very hilly!

@Era congratulations to your son. Well, Durham is small, great as you can everywhere you need to and it has pretty much everything you need. The colleges break down into new builds right at the top of the hill with South and John Snow (my child was in South) so modern, most en-suite or a shared bathroom between 2 rooms. Opposite are Josephine Butler and Stephenson which are behind the park and ride (you MUST get on the bus if you use this, even if you buy a ticket, there is no park and stride, I have no idea why).

https://www.durham.gov.uk/article/22364/Howlands-Farm-Park-and-Ride

If this was me going up for the first time I would park on the park and ride, get the bus into the town centre, have a mooch round there, lovely, quaint, see the cathedral and the castle at least from the outside. Walk down to the bailey colleges and then walk down to the science site where lots of buildings and departments are. There is another site a little further down too. As you walk back toward park and ride all the other colleges are off that road (South Road) with your final 4 colleges at the bottom. Have a walk round the college sites too.

There is a massive sports place called The Graham Sports Centre which is to the right of all the hill colleges if you look on google maps. It might be important to your son if he is sporty or likes watching it.

Please remember that Durham will feel very quiet as the students are not there. It has a much more vibrant feel when the students are all back. Ds found random students willing to help carry your shopping walking back to college and have a chat and he also did the same for others. Ds is not sporty nor a party boy but has enjoyed his time. He is going into his final year in October. Any questions, feel free to ask whatever they are. Rooms tours for the colleges etc are on Youtube.

My DH is a lecturer at Durham so may well be teaching some of your DC next year! It is a lovely city and has changed in the last few years, becoming more diverse and interesting - there is a fab bookshop in Durham City called Collected which stocks only female authors.. - In terms of accommodation - there are a few serviced apartments that have opened up recently - funky monk being one which is pricey but who knows when compared to hotels. Also, some of the pubs have rooms too - The City, Kings Lodge, Bridge Hotel, or the Georgian Pancake house b&b -and places like Honest Lawyer which is a 5/10 min drive into the colleges

Is the collegiate Uni York or Lancaster? I only ask as York was my dd’s insurance and despite being architecturally different we felt the two had a very similar feel - we both loved York - just not quite as much as Durham. We also liked Lancaster but it was just a bit too remote. I have an older child at Manchester and Durham is in many ways his idea of hell but for dd it seems just perfect (and she would hate Manchester).

Enjoy your look around.

@Era Durham is fab and very buzzy in term time but very quiet at this time of year. Colleges and matriculation, gowned formals etc are great ! Daughter has loved it

Fantastic for your son @Era! Let us know how your visit goes.

Thanks for sharing Era. Hope he loves it there.

@Era how was your visit? Hope your ds loved it.

Hope it went well @Era!

@JudeOfMcDougle You can buy the bus ticket in the P&R building and just not use it. As long as you don’t intend to leave the car overnight there’s no problem.

For those looking for a hotel, the Honest Lawyer is just a few minutes drive away, decent rooms and reasonably priced. And there’s plenty of free parking! Durham is a parking nightmare and some of the hotels in the town don’t have parking. If any of the smaller ones claim to, read the small print - some of them say they’ll get you a parking permit but can’t guarantee it, and the hours can be very limited.

Congrats to all DC starting this year. My DD is off to start second year in a month’s time. It’s all quite calm compared to the excitement and anxiety this time last year.

@myrtleWilson Have noted the bookshop for a visit. One of my goals is to read more female authors. Thank you!

@Era Just not meant to be then. You gave him the chance. Law will surely set him up well.

@EwwSprouts they also do delicious cakes, tea/coffee and wine and are open into the evening so make a night of it!

@FictionalCharacter they have special arrangements for things like open days and move in day but in general that is not the case. They have cameras and we were fined for it. We did buy bus tickets but didn't board the bus, they said that contravened their conditions of using that service. So if you got away with it you were lucky.

@Era I can understand them having a deadline as there are other people waiting in clearing too. Such a shame it is a great place and colleges are just one year of accommodation and even when people have been given a college further down their preference list they actually love it when they are there. That is the general consensus. I am sure your son will love Lancaster.

Lancaster is a fantastic university, several of DS’s friends go there. He was impressed by it when we looked round, it nearly became his insurance choice. Very friendly, social opportunities good.

Sounds fabulous. Need to park non-reader DH elsewhere 😂

I will be heading for Collected when we go in October!

@JudeOfMcDougle Fined? Ugh, thanks for the warning. Daft rule really, I don't see why it makes a difference whether you leave the car park on the bus or on foot, you've paid for the ticket.

Other times I've parked on Elvet Hill Road after 2pm when it's free.

Does anyone have any idea what sort of clothing is worn for matriculation? My DD is starting next month and doesn’t want to get it wrong.

They will get guidance from college but basically a dark suit , white shirt and tie