Parents of Durham freshers 2025

[MillicentFaucet]

We've chatted on a different threads over the past few months so do any anxious/excited/slightly overwhelmed parents want to congregate here for Durham chat?
My DS will be starting an MEng next month and has been allocated to Cuths 🐯(but no confirmation of what type of accommodation he has yet).
He's slowly working his way through registration etc and fretting about the important things like what to wear for matriculation <sigh>
How's everyone else getting on?

College confirmation is done by the university (as opposed to college). The uni is running behind with getting this done (my dd is on the exec of her college and is one of those responsible for room allocations / sharing and currently are unable to do this due to the delay).

Once uni has confirmed colleges it all gets passed to the college - our experience was that once this happened everything was so smooth and very well handled.

Dd is going into her 3rd year (exceeded offer so in the least likely to be reallocated category) and waited 2 weeks to have her college confirmed.

@LimoncelloSpritzplease , sorry to pick your brains again.

Does dd have to book a slot for drop off day/time? If so, via the student portal?

Also, she confirmed her place last week but says she can't get into the applicant portal since confirming. Is this because she's no longer an applicant, but confirmed?

Thanks for your help. We're away this week, she's staying home and I'm worried she might miss something important!

Hi @Dery I was hoping you'd find us.
DS is so excited that he's started the induction course already, he was doing the maths test last night (didn't look happy about it) He has plans for early September so wants to get it all sorted before then.
Has your DD had her room allocation yet? I think they're townhouses or smaller flats at JS, is she fussed over which she gets?
Top tip - Lidl has foldable laundry baskets in for £9, it has a shoulder straps for lugging around and drawstring top to contain the smell lolol
I'll be visiting a friend who lives nr the hill colleges so I'll report back on how the new Asda is progressing

My DD is just about to start a third year abroad, but has had a wonderful 2 years at Durham so far. She's with Trevs, and moving in day was a wonder - the Freps are fantastic, so welcoming, and whisk the freshers off so there's no time for them to be sad, we felt very much like spare parts, but in a good way.

I think you've had some excellent advice above, so I can't add anything, except enjoy!

Dd has found portal link and user id so can make a start on stuff this week and next, phew!

Hello!! Nice to have this thread. DD hasn’t had her room confirmed. She’s panicking a little as the college she’s been offered a place in (South) is over subscribed so they asked for volunteers to go to a different colleges for which I can’t remember the name but it’s like 40 minutes away! Hoping she hears something soon. We’re starting to get a few things so thanks for the washing basket suggestion

I the slots in DS’s house were all on the Sunday and no he didn’t pick a slot it was just allocated. I felt like I was going to combust whilst waiting to hear but DS was chill about everything.

I the slots in DS’s house were all on the Sunday and no he didn’t pick a slot it was just allocated. I felt like I was going to combust whilst waiting to hear but DS was chill about everything.

DS is also a fresher at John Snow, with a 3/4 double bed. We've bought a double duvet and cover, but found Ebay the best place for 4ft / small double fitted sheets. I've had a bed this size before and found that double sheets came off annoyingly, although this might be down to my bed making technique!
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/293188067287?var=592057628424

Does anyone know when the next payment for accommodation will be due and for how much? I've tried to find an answer on the Durham website but can't track down an answer. Thanks.

That's strange, I've no idea which accommodation could be 40mins away unless it's on the old Stockton campus??
I hope you have good news soon.

Durham uni room agreement
This was linked from the room offer email DS received. In the 25/26 pdf Section 4.2 says when the invoices will be issued, so probably sometime in October for the first one?

I think it was exaggerated a bit by DD , it’s Ernest Place, just had a look and it’s about a 20 minute walk- not great and more expensive than South too. She really doesn’t want to end up there so 🤞

@Brienneoftarthismyhero that's a very posh set-up, do the university not charge their standard accom. fees and pay the difference to the owner? There's lots of student houses in that area and plenty of buses but she'll not get the full college experience so fingers crossed for her

Dd said she’d heard some undergrads (don’t know which college) were being offered rooms in Ustinov.

@MillicentFaucet dd just got an email confirming her spot in South- phew! Less stress over the long weekend!!

@Brienneoftarthismyhero
Excellent news, bet that's a relief

Spots at Ernest Place have been offered to some of the John Snow 1st years too, though DD seems to have been allocated a room in the main John Snow part.

It’s not a different college as such, but rather a hall of residence which seems to be shared between JS and South. It’s quite a long way out but it does look very comfortable indeed and was apparently voted best student accommodation in Durham last year. One second year parent on the John Snow Facebook Messenger chat said her son was there last year and loved it. It’s right by Tescos who apparently sometimes leave food there which is coming up to its use by date. So quite a few upsides also.

My DD really wanted the full college experience and South is very close to where she will be studying too so I am very pleased for her. We just paid the advance rent payment to secure her spot

@Brienneoftarthismyhero - glad your DD’s got main South campus in any case especially given neatness to lectures.

On a sort of related note: elder DD is on the same course as another Mumsnetter’s DD. We made the connection at the time of 2023 A level results (subject is a bit niche). Our DDs are both starting their year out in the same foreign city and are sharing an Air BnB for the first few nights. Of course, this might have happened anyway but I like to think that MN brought them together 😀!

Just hopping on to say I went to Durham (admittedly graduated 13 years ago!) and had a ball. Chilling on the sofa watching telly with my now husband who was in my college. Friends till the end then started going out the day in between our respective graduations! The education was also excellent 😅

@Dery how cool is that!!

@magpie234 love it!! 🥰

My daughter hadn’t heard anything from the college she was allocated to in June (don’t get me started on the timing of that being in the middle of exams!) It was Grey - and I can see from other parent forums that others in Grey have already heard. She has an email from the uni to say if she’s not heard from the college by 5 Sep to chase up. But others in Grey have been told they need to pay the deposit on accommodation by 29 Aug. I’m worried somehow some thing has gone wrong! Any reassuring words gratefully received!

We haven’t heard anything from Grey or enrolment either if that helps 😬