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!)

My son is about to start year 3 at Durham. The joining admin is memorably confusing, random and slow. For example, before he started he had to pick a module outside his faculty, but there was no list of available courses. I think we resorted to google at that point to find the option list and I had to enlist the help of a friend whose son was already there. We worked out what type of room he’d been allocated by the cost because the letter didn’t say. Finally, the uni didn’t take the direct debit in the first term and couldn’t decide how to fix it.

Just seen someone on the FB Durham parents group link to this :(

Ah. I guess DD has been reallocated then as she's heard nothing from Chads. She'll be gutted.

@EmmaStone I suppose there is still a slim possibility that some people who have had their college confirmed but don't like the particular room type allocated (eg shared room) may contact the allocations office and offer to switch colleges rather than share? I expect this is clutching at straws though. I hope she gets something, at Chads or elsewhere, that she is happy with in the end.

Thanks @GoldenRuby I'm sure she'll be happy wherever she ends up (I'm not convinced she would have loved sharing a room at Chad's as much as she professed that it would be fine 😁), but she'll be disappointed initially, I'm sure.

Mine was allocated provisionally Collingwood and was so chuffed and now I think will be very disappointed as heard nothing yet. I do find this system really stressful particularly after all stress of results and getting in etc…

Yes, all the on street parking on Elvet Hill/Potters Bank/Quarry Head Lane etc has reverted to 8am-6pm now. Happened a few months back. But still fairly cheap.

DS phoned their central admissions line today after not hearing his room allocation for Collingwood (and knew lots of others who had received theirs over the course the last few days). He was told Collingwood was full. He is still provisionally allocated there until they can find a space e.g. someone declines their place or defers or whatever. If they can't he will be reallocated somewhere - and no guarantee any of his top choices - probably unlikely as most other popular ones will also be full. He's known his results since beginning of July and exceeded his offer by a significant margin so doesn't feel like he was given any priority. It certainly feels a bit crap after doing so well. Not sure why they bother allocating them in May only to take it away months later.
The tricky thing is, he's going on Monday for pre season and I've no idea what we now need to take. Collingwood is a catered college but he could potentially now need to bring kitchen equipment too.
I know it's not the end of the world and he'll probably be fine but that bubble of excitement for packing this weekend has definitely gone. It will be a weird feeling heading off on Monday not knowing where you will end up or when you will hear.

DD’s heard nothing from Chad’s and also exceeded her offer by 3 grades. No communication from anyone - how hard is it to send an email to say we’re really sorry we’re working on it. I’m shocked they can post on a Facebook page for parents listing all the full colleges but can’t be bothered to tell their students. Also apparently they’ve been asking people to book onto modules - so the chances are some of these are now going to be full. A week after results - and presumably now nothing till next week and they have said nothing. I’m am regretting Dd choosing Durham - if this is their idea of creating a good first impression then it bodes very poorly for the future.

Thanks @Jalfrezi for the update. Mine hasn’t phoned admissions yet but fear in same boat with Collingwood. Nothing at all. No reallocation. It’s really frustrating. Also has no log in details so can’t do anything to get prepared. I agree that what is the point of doing all the choosing and getting allocated your choice in May only to then be disappointed now. I know all will be ok in end but I feel this is unnecessary stress. Sorry to rant.

@KittyMcKitty it's crap isn't it. Not that this is any consolation but the same happened last year, and I think the year before. You would have thought they would have figured out a better way by now.

Ps Durham posted on their website - it was a parent who posted it onto the FB page for Durham parents.

I am sorry to hear this. Just wanted to say that - based on my own Department - once the students start we have a very dedicated, knowledgable and helpful Departmental learning and teaching team who are fantastic at sorting out issues for students such as module registration. And they will have a dedicated academic advisor amongst the Department lecturing staff - we always meet with them in Induction week.

So I would hope this is not a reflection of how we treat students at Durham and things will be better. I understand your concerns though - I have children of my own applying/in/graduated.

The centralising of admissions does not appear to have been the great success it was meant to be from comments here.

Why do they bother with the provisional allocations? It just seems a pointless exercise. Wherever the thing about allocations is on their website it’s bloody hard (impossible) to find.

dd (and all the other students) worked so hard to get into Durham and 8 days after results this! She can’t celebrate or feel proud of her achievement- she can’t plan for the future. All the colleges are posting on Insta about all the wonderful things they’re going to do for the students but what about those who haven’t got a college. All that hard work and for what - to live in the college no one else wants to go to and in the room no one else wanted. I’m sorry but I’m massively fed up and trying to keep dd’s spirits up - A levels and waiting for results were fairer and less painful than this!

@Mytholmroyd I’m sure the departments are great but tbh the message Durham have sent to my state educated child whose parents didn’t go to Uni is very much you don’t belong here!

They do this every year. You may have budgeted for self catering in a newer college only to find you have been given catered in a traditional college with the risk of a shared room. Then you get given a house so you're not even in the college you were bumped too. It gets worse in year 2 when you're queuing to get a house. Durham doesn't give a toss.

Hello, my first time posting!

Thank you for sharing your information.

My daughter has accepted a place and was thrilled to be allocated her first choice college. From first contact with Durham she’s been met with cold indifference that has appeared cruel at times. She had no contact from October until after the last offer holder day. She travelled to view and talk to anyone at the colleges (did the audio walking tour) she had doors closed in her face. She attended the first 2024 open day and mentioned that she was an offer holder and would like to speak to someone. She was told the day was not for her. I witnessed the extraordinary efforts she put into achieving her grades (A*s) so her offer would be confirmed. (so fearful if she didn’t achieve) The fear was met with the joy of her offer confirmation and results. Since then, nothing from Durham. she’s unable to login in. she’s heard nothing about college allocation. Has no idea where she’ll live or who with. Rang all the numbers given to be given another number to be told she’ll need to wait. She should hear by 7th September.

My problem is that I having whiteness such a lack of care for her and her well being, how do I let her go to such a place? I have no confidence it’s a safe place for her.

It’s really nothing to do with being state educated and parents not been to Uni. They are poorly organised for everyone! The aim of the College shuffling is to get a representative mix as far as possible. I’m sure there’s the odd parent who pulls strings, your DD shouldn’t feel second best in any way. She’s earned her place at Durham fair and square and I hope she finds out soon where she will be in a month. It’s a weird and haphazard approach they have though, for sure.

But she is second best - they’ve allocated 77% people colleges - if you met your offer and haven’t been allocated anywhere you are second best. If 77% of people are already choosing their modules (which have limited numbers of people on them) and you can’t as they haven’t given you the means to do so you are second best. You get th accommodation and modules which no one else wants.

@Aaarrrh i agree with you totally.

It may be stressful at the moment but it's not personal. It's still a month until freshers' week and the colleges will sort it out (even if it seems painfully slow).

My son's just starting his second year at Durham and had a ball last year. I know it's hard but keep the faith and it will be sorted out.

(It's also not specific to Durham, my friend's son ended up with no first year accommodation in Bristol).

@Aaarrrh if it’s any consolation, when they are there the pastoral support is very good for Freshers. Whichever College they are allocated.

I can’t actually remember when DS found out he was in his first choice of College. He’s out at the moment but I’ll ask when he gets back. I seem to remember a huge gap between Offer (early) - getting the grades - all the info he needed about Where and Who With etc. I don’t think he knew the Who With until he got there iirc, just that it was a flat in Halls with 5 other people. Iirc I had a whole weekend booked for the dog to go to kennels as they weren’t specifying which day he would be moving in.

@KittyMcKitty I don’t know what to say, I hate to think you and your dd are starting off with such a bad impression. All the students are like pieces of a jigsaw and they are just trying to organise who fits where best, is my take on it. But I do understand how disheartened you must feel. It’s a fabulous place but they don’t seem to be able to take into account how their organisation makes some students feel. They definitely need to work on that imo.

@KittyMcKitty I do understand. My state educated son applied for 2021 start. He picked a college, then a few months later received a form to rank all colleges, then was allocated his second choice. He had been sensible and put a less popular college second but one he’d be happy with. Post results, he waited longer than most for confirmation but thankfully ended up in the second choice. We ended up logging on from overseas in a panic to confirm the place. I agree, it would be more sensible to ask them to complete the preference form and make the allocation post results.

Accommodation is a problem in Durham and it puts me off encouraging my younger daughter to apply there.

I don't understand why being state educated is a factor in her being in the 23 per cent who haven't heard anything yet?

Genuine non-goady question - dc was mostly state educated and is in the 77 per cent. Why would there be a correlation between education sector and not hearing back yet?

I do hope you hear really soon though for your dd. Not knowing where you'll be living in just a few weeks time isn't good and it makes it so hard to plan.