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Chemistry Research, Durham University
Durham University
Durham
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Durham pre-app open days

just wondering who's planning on going/staying overnight, and which talks people are planning on going to.

i'll be there on the 25th of june! :smile:
I really wanted to go on the 25th because that's my birthday! The plan was to go up with a bunch of friends and take the day off school, but then we realised that the afternoon of the 25th is when my school has mock interviews for us :frown:

So now I'm going on the 30th. I'm probably not going to stay overnight as I can get a 7am train for my first talk- still an early start though!
Chemistry Research, Durham University
Durham University
Durham
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Reply 2
Original post by cesca42
I really wanted to go on the 25th because that's my birthday! The plan was to go up with a bunch of friends and take the day off school, but then we realised that the afternoon of the 25th is when my school has mock interviews for us :frown:

So now I'm going on the 30th. I'm probably not going to stay overnight as I can get a 7am train for my first talk- still an early start though!


to be honest, i wish i wasn't staying overnight - just adds to the expense :s-smilie: but at least i avoid the horrendous 7am train situation! which talks have you booked in for?
Original post by canthaveit
to be honest, i wish i wasn't staying overnight - just adds to the expense :s-smilie: but at least i avoid the horrendous 7am train situation! which talks have you booked in for?


I'm just going for the general talk and the History talk. By the time I booked, the talk about studying abroad (the one I *really wanted to go to!) Was all sold out!

I guess staying overnight gives you a taster of what staying at Durham would actually be like though! And the food... That's always an important factor :P
Reply 4
Original post by cesca42
I'm just going for the general talk and the History talk. By the time I booked, the talk about studying abroad (the one I *really wanted to go to!) Was all sold out!

I guess staying overnight gives you a taster of what staying at Durham would actually be like though! And the food... That's always an important factor :P


yeah i'm only going to a couple as well, but i managed to squeeze a tour in. the disadvantages of having a 5 hour train journey and school the next day :frown: i hope it's worth it. there'd be nothing worse than getting there having put all that effort in, and finding you hate it :s-smilie:

that's true - that's partly why i set this thread up haha, if i knew i wasn't the only person staying overnight like a loner i'd probably feel a bit better about it! i've heard varying things about the food but i'm staying at st chad's, which i've heard is okay..hopefully..
Original post by canthaveit
yeah i'm only going to a couple as well, but i managed to squeeze a tour in. the disadvantages of having a 5 hour train journey and school the next day :frown: i hope it's worth it. there'd be nothing worse than getting there having put all that effort in, and finding you hate it :s-smilie:

that's true - that's partly why i set this thread up haha, if i knew i wasn't the only person staying overnight like a loner i'd probably feel a bit better about it! i've heard varying things about the food but i'm staying at st chad's, which i've heard is okay..hopefully..


Don't worry, loads of people stay the night, and the food normally isn't bad, and should be better than normal to try and impress people!
Original post by canthaveit
yeah i'm only going to a couple as well, but i managed to squeeze a tour in. the disadvantages of having a 5 hour train journey and school the next day :frown: i hope it's worth it. there'd be nothing worse than getting there having put all that effort in, and finding you hate it :s-smilie:

that's true - that's partly why i set this thread up haha, if i knew i wasn't the only person staying overnight like a loner i'd probably feel a bit better about it! i've heard varying things about the food but i'm staying at st chad's, which i've heard is okay..hopefully..


I haven't gone for a tour- it's a small place and I'm going with my friends whose parents went to Durham. Obviously it'll have changed, but hopefully general layout will be the same!
Ah, I guess that's a good thing about going on a Saturday, I don't have to deal with school XD

I'm sure it'll be a great experience though!
Reply 7
Original post by Awoodrow2
Don't worry, loads of people stay the night, and the food normally isn't bad, and should be better than normal to try and impress people!


ahh okay sweet, i was slightly concerned that i'd be sat on my own with no idea what to do! do you know if anything usually gets planned for that evening or if we're free to do what we like?

haha glad to hear it, i'm looking forward to it a bit more now :smile:
Original post by canthaveit
ahh okay sweet, i was slightly concerned that i'd be sat on my own with no idea what to do! do you know if anything usually gets planned for that evening or if we're free to do what we like?

haha glad to hear it, i'm looking forward to it a bit more now :smile:


When I went to the pre-application open day, I took the train up with a friend, stayed at Van Mildert college. For dinner, they had this scattering of faculty members across the tables to answer questions about their departments and generally stimulate conversation and stop people feeling awkward.

Then, if I recall, students helping out at the event put on a quiz in the JCR, or there was some music, or something. Quizzes are always a favourite for open days.
Reply 9
Original post by Awoodrow2
When I went to the pre-application open day, I took the train up with a friend, stayed at Van Mildert college. For dinner, they had this scattering of faculty members across the tables to answer questions about their departments and generally stimulate conversation and stop people feeling awkward.

Then, if I recall, students helping out at the event put on a quiz in the JCR, or there was some music, or something. Quizzes are always a favourite for open days.


Unfortunately I'm afraid that recollection, while entirely accurate, may not be very helpful since the old Physics/Chemistry pre-app open days (where everyone stayed in Mildert if memory serves) have been absorbed into the Durham City-wide open days which ran for the first time last year. The new events are a bit different.
Reply 10
Original post by astro67
Unfortunately I'm afraid that recollection, while entirely accurate, may not be very helpful since the old Physics/Chemistry pre-app open days (where everyone stayed in Mildert if memory serves) have been absorbed into the Durham City-wide open days which ran for the first time last year. The new events are a bit different.


do you know what the new events are like at all?
Original post by astro67
Unfortunately I'm afraid that recollection, while entirely accurate, may not be very helpful since the old Physics/Chemistry pre-app open days (where everyone stayed in Mildert if memory serves) have been absorbed into the Durham City-wide open days which ran for the first time last year. The new events are a bit different.


I feel so old sometimes...
Reply 12
Original post by canthaveit
do you know what the new events are like at all?


Can't really say - I know the University's intention was to focus on the day itself and not organise a programme of events for the nights before or after so it should be much like most University pre-application open days in that respect - any overnight stay, even in College accommodation, is not deemed to be part of the open day activity. I think that's pretty much what happened last time but that was the first time it was done and it's bound to evolve in the first few years.
Reply 13
Going on the 25th also, but I'm stopping in Carlisle instead to visit family.
Reply 14
Original post by AmyLH
Going on the 25th also, but I'm stopping in Carlisle instead to visit family.



what talks are you going to? :smile:
Reply 15
Original post by canthaveit
what talks are you going to? :smile:


Hiya,
Unfortunately I'm not going any more as it will cost too much, so I'm just going to go to the post offer open day if I get in :smile:
Reply 16
I'm going to the one in September - the city looks absolutely gorgeous and so many people have told me how great the univeristy is.

Hopefully, the English department is going to be as incredibly as their A-Level offer suggests :biggrin:
Reply 17
Original post by AmyLH
Hiya,
Unfortunately I'm not going any more as it will cost too much, so I'm just going to go to the post offer open day if I get in :smile:


it does cost an absolute bomb :/ but i'm telling myself it's worth it as i really need to make my mind up about it, i'm still not sure if i want to go there. hope you get in! :smile:

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