Durham, York, Bristol for History - which ones to firm and insure?

[easterb]

The countdown to finalising choices on UCAS has started and DS casually mentioned over dinner that he’s still not sure! He likes them all (but not bowled over by any one of them).

Anyone with DCs studying History at any of these Unis with feedback?

Which combo would you choose??

Oh wow! That is low. So 2 hours per term? Blimey.

I mean, is that actually even worth paying for? It doesn't seem worth it given a) You wind up thousands of pounds in debt and b) No job at the end of it, though you could do a law conversion, but that's most likely your only choice...

@poppybuttonsDurham doesn’t have a campus and some halls, eg Van Mildert, are not central at all. The colleges are quite spread out and so are faculties. Bristol has the Stoke Bishop halls a bus ride from faculties and dc can socialise within their hall or with friends from their course. Subsequent years see students in the many flats and houses within walking distance of the university teaching areas. So there’s not a great deal of difference between any of them if you choose sensibly. Subsequent year students are not housed in the York campus so have to travel in for teaching. Bristol also has halls nearer the uni for first years too. I don’t think anyone has to be somehow more resilient to go there.

Bristol is 24.6% private school (2025) but so what? They are normal people and a minority. Durham 39.1%. Again, a minority. Students need to mix without being judgemental.

In my day, it was the posh who were judgemental. Surprised it's only a quarter of those at Bristol who are private school - and those in themselves aren't the problem imo, I was one myself but it wasn't Eton etc

It's unlikely you'll be at the halls of residence in Bristol city, there aren't many of them. Stoke Bishop is a bus ride away, but really most students walk it to avoid the 'briefcase wanker' vibes. Bit tiring though; daily it can work out at about 3-4 miles a day. Down a steep hill, up a steep hill.

I had this experience. But in the US.

One thing that really concerns me about Durham (apart from the low contact hours!!) is the risk of being allocated a shared bedroom. I know it’s quite a low risk but I don’t think DS could handle it. I guess I need to find out when you find out what accommodation you’ve been allocated!

@Jaxxelder DS graduated in 2024 so perhaps things have changed. In addition what I meant was the open book “exams” at Warwixk are several days long. So they do not feel like exams. It suits my second DS and anyone else who performs better in course work.

I studied at Bristol decades ago too, not history to be fair, but absolutely loved the place. Also curriculum and tutors will change.

Honestly Op, I think this is an example of how this stuff is so subjective, will depend so much on the individual’s preferences.

DS loathed Bristol. Didn’t even apply in the end. He has firmed UCL. The course looks amazing. He rejected Durham- too far away. He was rejected by Oxford after interview, got offers from the other 4 - UCL, Warwick, Exeter and Durham. He’s predicted 3A stars so hopefully UCL will not be a problem. He has insured Exeter but is likely to just take a gap year if he doesn’t get UCL.

my nephew is going to Harvard this year and has the “shared rooms” to deal with. It’s likely to be another Brit though. Not sure if that makes it better!

It’s so interesting to hear different opinions - my daughter loved Bristol, didn’t like Warwick. Applied to Durham but decided it wasn’t for her on OHD!

Is your DC able I think about the type of uni he’d prefer in terms of city/campus/collegiate because that should help to narrow things down.

The shared rooms are very dependent on which colleges you apply to. The more recently built colleges seem less likely to have shared room options, and I think they’re ones where you’re most likely to get your first choices.

Page 6 in this pdf: https://www.dur.ac.uk/media/durham-university/marketing-and-communications-/prospectus/Undergraduate-Colleges-Guide---2025.pdf

The history courses vary wildly - which does he prefer?

DD has firmed Exeter for History based on the course - her insurance is Lancaster and she turned down offers from York and Bristol.

What does he want to do after? Out of your 2 options, if he’s thinking about converting to law or something corporate I’d say Durham. If he’s planning to stay in the field then York.

Yank here - I would not wish sharing a room 'freshman' year on my worst enemy.

I mean - it can work out. But I had a roommate who invited her boyfriend to stay during exam week. My self-esteem and agency was such I let her do this and slept on a friend's floor.

Thank God my DCs in the UK will never experience this but more importantly, that they have a higher regard for themselves than I did!

That is really hard @OVienna. I don’t think my son would like the shared rooms either. They did have some at UCL and the rooms were large, airy and had dividers. They would probably only share for half a term (overseas exchange students), so it worked out a bit cheaper.

My nephew has his Harvard place for his rowing (he’s GBR under 19) and is likely to have another rower in his room, hopefully from the uk too (fingers crossed) but still not ideal. Dn doesn’t seem too bothered. Hopefully no boy/girl friends to have to deal with!

I’m glad your children won’t have to deal with sleeping on a friend’s floor. Your roommate sounds very self absorbed!

OP be aware that lots of good unis offered last year in dropped grades. I know students who got into Durham on 2 dropped grades for example. All unis want bums on seats.

@Ventress How can anyone loathe Bristol after a day!? They clearly have no idea! Plus the op isn’t looking at London so who cares about UCL?

Also hardly anyone continues in the field of history. We don’t need that many history teachers/lecturers and researchers. Most history grads want normal jobs. It’s certainly possible to convert to law after history at Bristol but other jobs are available.

@easterb Why can he not share a bathroom? Dc have to become resilient at some point? He will get a shared house in y2/3 and they have shared bathrooms! Have you spoiled him? Honestly, dc manage! They realise life is more than a bathroom!

All history degrees have low contact hours! You are not going to find a top uni with high ones. Your DS fees will subsidise stem courses and he will need to research and do a lot of work outside contact hours. Does he know this? It’s not A levels with teachers giving you every assistance to pass. University is about guided learning and your own research. This is why places like Durham and Bristol have traditionally produced grads who can get good jobs. They are motivated and have many skills. Contact time is mostly irrelevant and none will be high. Expect 6-8 hours a week. Expect to work 30 hours a week.

Easterb is talking about shared bedrooms, not shared bathrooms.

I find the comment that Bristol has no vibe, edge or personality really strange. It has a great pub and music scene, and I would describe it as edgy rather than not. It’s quite an alternative/90s vibe I’d say, and certainly edgier than York (I know Durham less well so can’t comment, but my impression from a short visit was it is beautiful rather than edgy.) I’d tip Bristol over Durham for cool pubs and vegan cafes, vintage shops etc.

I’m not talking about shared bathrooms - he’d be fine with that. Durham requires some students to share their bedrooms ie like a twin bedroom in a hotel. I wouldn’t have wanted to do it. I’m sure many wouldn’t.

Re contact hours - a pp with experience indicated contact hours are 6 per year not 6 per week - this seems exceptionally low for a top university. I did my humanities degree at a different RG uni 30 years ago and I had a minimum of 16 contact hours per term and often more. So, 48 hours per year. Lectures and other small group sessions on top of that. And it felt like quite enough independent study time. I wouldn’t have wanted much more.

@easterb 6 per year were per unit, but it is around 6 hours contact time per week in total for c22 weeks.

Have a look at Durham Handbook - it gives the contact hours for all units for clarity.

As has already been said if avoiding the possibility of shared rooms is your son’s priority then his college rankings will sort this. See College Comparison Table. My son had a single room on disability grounds, but it worked well for his friends that did share.

Soneone mentioned above that Durham only college communal space is the bar. At St John’s there are various rooms and the gardens other than the bar that can be used socially, but I can’t speak for the other catered colleges. The self-catering colleges South, John Snow, Stephenson, Josephine Butler and for the foreseeable future Hild Bede will all have kitchen/social areas per corridor, flat or townhouse.

Fair enough but individual emotional first reaction does count. Better to have that before you're committed, than after when you're stuck with it. That all said, if you're not allowed to judge a place after one day's visit, how long should you give yourself? Personally I find it crazy that 18 year olds who have little knowledge of themselves or the UK are expected to choose a city to live in for three years, it's a punt and if it works out, fine, if it doesn't you're either a drop out or you are stuck with it. I'd have loved to switch horses and go to another uni after a year having given it a chance but it's not easy. I do think there should be an allotted exchange scheme for some universities to allow this.

This isn't conversational - if I meet someone in real life who went to Bristol Uni, I don't buttonhole them about my feelings or, if they liked it, try to change their mind! The idea of the thread is a bit like any review website - you read it and get an overall appraisal, you consider which reviews or concerns might chime with you and which do not.

Personally, the idea that to do History you sort of withdraw into your shell a bit and do your own research, with some occasional guidance from tutors, would sound like a bore but for others that is maybe exactly what they want from student life. The fact that you don't get a history-related job at the end of it does rather beg the question, why do that degree given it will leave you massively in debt?

This thread does slightly remind me of other things where you are allowed to have an opinion so long as it's a positive one, otherwise you're being very negative and therefore 'wrong'. You don't get this with other stuff - I like the Beatles, you don't like the Beatles, fine, I like Pulp Fiction, you don't like it, fine. There's always a slight tenseness going on in discussions about uni, I find.

Should also add, given what I've said, that it is important the student really enjoys their course work and has a proper goal at the end of it, because all that makes the difference to overcoming any negative feelings about being in an unfamiliar city or about student life generally. Most of us can get through stuff with a proper reason to do so.

While ago now, but my uncle did History at York. He became a detective, then quit due to stress and horrible scenes. He investigates benefit fraud now. He got his degree over 2 decades ago now though, so not the most relevant, but he's got a great job now which he likes

So all these are Russell group, he needs to decide which is his firm.

The insurance should be a non Russell with a lower offer, if he has an offer from a non Russell. If not then he can pick his second favourite and go to clearing if the grades are high enough.

For reference, Durham rarely negotiate if don't get the grades.