Parents of Durham freshers 2026

[NellyNoMates]

Thought I would start a new thread for parents of any Durham freshers starting September 2026.

I found the similar thread from last year so helpful in preparation, but don’t want to hijack their thread with our own questions etc.

All welcome

I think we are assuming a single bed, as all the pics we have seen so far show singles. You can follow the college on Instagram and they have been doing room tours of the different blocks this week. There's also a Zoom they can join tomorrow but I'm not sure that DD will. Maybe we don't find out which block they're actually in until we arrive?? Good luck to your DS.

Thank you for the river warning. I saw pictures as we didnt get to visit and it looked fast flowing.

I would add ensure they have what3words on their phones. DS and 3 other ended up in the river when out rowing training. They had a spotter but he had to run to get help. The 2 boys could have got out but the girls couldn't get up the bank so they stayed with them so they didn't drift with the boat. All were fine after hot showers and hot chocolate but there was snow on the ground!

Thank you for this, very helpful. I’ll take a look at their Instagram. No idea if DS will join in the Zoom call, he didn’t mention it. Good luck to your DD as well!

@ScarletConquering I think DD had a message yesterday which said that unless it says "standard plus" on their accommodation contract then the bed is a single. Maybe your DS had the same email?

Thank you for that! Took the plunge and bought single bedding, so hopefully it’s ok!

Have any of your colleges shared WhatsApp groups, etc, so your kid can get to know their flatmates ahead of next weekend? Our DD is getting nervous and I think it would really help... She's heading to Stevo

DD was sent the name and contact details of the girl she is sharing a room with yesterday (John’s). She sent her an email to say hi, but hasn’t heard back yet. Really hoping she hears back from her in the next day or two. A couple of other people she knows are also in John’s and have connected with their roommates - a few are people who already know each other/have met/have mutual friends so I think DD is feeling a bit morose at not having heard back yet.

My DD has been WhatsApping like mad with others on her Primary Ed course but doesn’t seem to know anything about who she might be sharing accommodation with (also in Stevo) Not sure how people might get to know this?

Thanks Edna. DD told me yesterday that she thinks they won't be told about flat mates or buildings until the day they get there. She's chatted with a few off her course too thankfully!

How's your DD feeling? Have you got everything sorted? We're off to get a bath mat today.... exciting.

A bath mat! Now there’s a thing we haven’t got!! 🤣
DD is doing ok I think but a bit disorganised at the moment and I’m starting to twitch at the piles of “stuff” we seem to have around the house..she is like her dad and can operate very well in chaos but it drives me insane..I am trying so hard not to be “that parent” who does everything for their child but it’s tricky!
She’s still got 3 days at her holiday job this week so the final preparations will be fitted in around that.
Taking her car up too which she’s happy about now she’s been given a parking space but she’s panicking about how that all works “on the day” as we will therefore have 2 cars at drop off which “might not be allowed”
Just can’t quite get my head round the fact that we will be driving away and leaving her there next Saturday!!

I can relate! It sounds like it's going to be organised chaos. The students are arriving in my town this weekend and my usual 13min drive home from work past the uni took me 40mins last night!

Never understand why Durham uni students need cars in such a small city. Mainline rail station, buses direct to out of town shopping and Newcastle, only thing you can't do is cycle safely. The roads are small and narrow, and already heavily congested, term time is horrendous. York students aren't allowed cars, and it's not such a different place, so I'm not sure why Durham students are owed them.

Have just done the reading list online shop. Thankfully DD’s course and future plans mean that most books she buys should be useful longer term for her. It’s also the same degree I did almost 30 years ago, and have continued an interest in, so we already had some of the list here. Have shown her the best websites to search for second hand books, and just hoping now that the ones we have ordered all arrive before we leave next Friday. If not, we’ll be mailing them over to her, but when they only cost 10-20% of the cost of new copies, we can afford to post over if we need to.

No mention of a reading list yet from DS - should I be worried??!!

I’m guessing it’s very dependent on the department.

Also - some may not need them to buy physical books. DS (at a different uni) has never bought a single book and he’s now in his 4th year - it’s all online research papers and then he reads books from the library when he needs to.

DD’s degree is more traditional in the sense that she will always need actual books. Most will likely be available from the library, but she’s like me and will want her own copies of books that she’ll use repeatedly. It was worth if for me all those years ago - I have kept a lot of mine for close to 30 years and still dip into them from time to time, so I’m hoping she will be the same.

My son has a reading list but is convinced its a suggestion and no one actually reads them. They just do online extracts? Im not convinced

Quite agree..if DD didn’t need hers for school placement (which can be up to an hour away apparently) then she would not take hers, will have no need to use it for local trips.

I really do think it depends on the course. DS is doing a social sciences degree and like I said - it’s all online research papers, white papers and yes, a lot of extracts. He definitely doesn’t read as much as he should, and isn’t great at reading around his subject outside of what’s required for assignments and exams.

DD is doing a humanities degree and will have to read a lot, and in order to do well will absolutely have to read around a lot more than DS ever has. She’ll take the books from her reading list as well as others which we know will be relevant from our home collection.

Hi, Just joining in. We are at Durham John Snow on Saturday, moving DD in to study Business and Management. Our house looks like chaos at the moment with all of the shopping.

Good luck to everyone! I have to say that I have been really impressed by Durham’s admin so far after reading all of the horror stories from last year. DC has had loads of email updates, links to socials and useful information. It feels that the college system is very inclusive with so many different activities organised and staggered meal times with their ‘floor mates’ and then their ‘department mates’. I have no doubt that there will be some bumps along the way but it’s really reassured DC who is not a natural extrovert.

I agree @MoreMaths. After last year’s fiasco I was a little concerned. Always knew it was the right place for Dd and so was prepared to put up with a bit of crap to make it work, but really haven’t had to. It’s all been dream work so far

Trial pack of the car last night and thankfully it all fits. I really thought it wouldn’t even be a consideration about how much stuff would fit because DD is going into a catered college, compared to DS who went into self catered accommodation and needed absolutely everything, but she is taking SO.MUCH.STUFF!

I think the Freps will be cursing us when they get to our car. To be fair to her, I’ve been through it all and none of it seems unreasonable, but it all adds up, and as we’re taking a big car we’ve been able to get stuff cheaper from home rather than buying stuff on the hop on move in weekend. (Pack of hangers, new duvet, pillows, rug for the floor, cushions, bits and pieces to decorate her room, laundry detergent, fully stocked toiletries etc)

Info from the college (Johns) suggests that parents have to drop off at the car rather than go to the room (freps take stuff, fresher goes off to get key, parents drive off). Apart from the fact that I'd quite like 5 mins just to see the room, I was also planning to take a couple of big bags away again after dumping out stuff in the room. Anyone else have a plan for this?