Hi!
I lived in Stockton for 3 years and went to John Snow College.
You can get a free bus up to Durham, and there are loads of bars up there and plenty going on during term time and you can also pay Β£2 I think to get a late bus back on Student nights, so there's plenty of opportunity to integrate yourself with Main Campus if that's what you wish to do.
In regards to Stockton, there's loads of shops right on your doorstep. Cheap and cheerful ones which is ideal for students and you've got your essentials like Boots and all your typical high street shops.
Middlesbrough is about 5 minutes away on the train, and on the bus or a taxi ride away.
That's a pretty big city centre with every shop imaginable and so much more and there are some decent nightclubs there too which are very cheap and there are student nights usually organised there too.
Teesside park is a short taxi journey away and that's a retail park with large stores of high street shops, plus a cinema, bowling and casino.
You're really not 'stuck' if you're in Stockton. The campus is lovely, right by the river and it's a lot newer than Main Campus with a really new Sports Centre and the gym is great.
Oh and you can also get the X10 bus up to Newcastle (Β£6.50 return) and that has every single shop you can think of in a huge shopping centre!! The nightlife is absolutely amazing up there and both colleges usually do a city trip once a year. Train is relatively cheap too I think!
If you have any questions just send me a message! =)