Durham University open day

[CanyonMoon]

Is anyone attending the open day tomorrow, or has attended one already?

My DS is signed up to attend (he has confirmation of that) but says he has no further info on whether he needs to book talks, visits and so on. We gather that all the buildings are quite spread out in the town and so have no idea how to approach it.

Have we missed another element of booking or is it just a “turn up and queue” thing? Is there a central location for information I can direct him to on the day? He has been off college due to Covid for so weeks and is still quite below par so I want to help him out if I can but equally he can be quite disorganised so he might have overlooked something!

We're going on Saturday. I think DS has booked a subject talk, but I'm not totally sure. That's all I know. But I probably should know more, so following with interest.

I think we're mainly going so he can get a sense of whether it's a place he would want to live for 3-4 years (considering an integrated masters) before he puts it on his form.

DD is going on Sat. Unlike a couple of other open days, she hasn't been able to book any talks in advance but has had information (via email I think) stating that there are talks for her subject running every hour.

Thanks for this. He has now downloaded an app which they sent a link for in an email (“event app”) but the code they have sent for the event is invalid. We are travelling from Portsmouth so would like to know he can attend relevant things! I will update if I hear anything else

We're attending tomorrow and in the email confirming attendance, there's a pdf guide which has the times and locations of all of the talks but the subject talks all appear to be on a first come first served basis with priority given to students. There didn't seem to be anything to book from what we could see.

Durham is a small town so nothing is far away. They tend to have all the talks at the science site (DD’s we’re and she hasn’t had any lectures there this year) with the more general ones in the TLC we didn’t book anything (my dd is a 1st year).

There will be a stand and people directing you in the market square - it’s not far to walk.

I would suggest have a look around the city centre, go to the science site / TLC and have a look at some colleges. The 5 Bailey colleges are minutes from Market Square - it’s then a lovely walk over Kingsgate Bridge which brings you out by the SU and then it’s a short walk up the hill to the science site. Mary’s is behind the TLC and then the other colleges are up the hill. Some (possibly all I can’t remember) of the colleges had stalls in the TLC.

Don’t try and visit too many colleges - we only visited Castle at open day and then went to Chads, Johns and Mary’s on offer holders day. My dd is at Chads if there’s anything you’d like to know.

if you are travelling by train the viaduct area by the station is one of the popular areas where students live when not in college.

Hi there, my DD is just finishing her first year. As other posters have said the accommodation is a bit spread out and you will probably pass the "town" colleges but depending on your schedule there isn't enough time to look around many of them and to be honest I don't think it matters as students find their tribe. When applying for colleges my DD thought about the location (to her department), the fact that she wanted formals and would prefer not to share and got her 5th choice, which has been fine because it's really the other students that make the experience rather than the college in my view. The college system is excellent for settling in and e.g. there were 22 people on my DDs floor which greatly increases your chances of finding people you click with and the catering gave lots of mingling opportunities.

My ds is going tomorrow. He received an email with a very useful pdf with a map, timetable of lectures, and everything you need to know. He’s also received an email with a link to a prerecorded webinar about open day covering everything. So check his emails.
You can’t book the lectures or anything other than the day in general, first come first serve.

Possibly investigate a bit more, because I think Durham needs quite a bit of planning to get the most out of it, using the material he's been sent, or any advice available on-line. Because we arrived the night before and went to our accountancy talk early on, but the whole place was very busy and walking around, visiting our few halls of residence that we'd narrowed down, especially as the place has some quite hilly bits, was absolutely exhausting. We were all cream crackered.

Thank you everyone - we’ve found the recording of the webinar which, as pps said, gives all the detail (and no you don’t book the subject presentations etc but they are all repeated through the day).

Really helpful to hear from those with Durham students in the family and that route @KittyMcKitty sounds exactly what we need 👍🏼 Also point taken @Oblomov24 about it being an exhausting day!

@CanyonMoon To find Kingsgate Bridge walk down the little road between Chads and Hatfield and you will be there. I know not everyone is a fan of brutalist architecture but it is amazing (I think Grade I listed) and designed by Ove Arup. I also love the SU building. Anyway from Chads go over the bridge to SU and turn right - there will be many walking up hill and you won’t be able to miss the science site.

Flat White on the way up to the Bailey does lovely (if pricey) coffee and brunch and La Spagetteria (sp?) on the other side of the road reasonably priced pizza and pasta (both popular with Durham students) - also Leaboneat which is nearly opposite Hatfield on North Bailey.