Gap year for Durham?

Missed my firm but got an offer from Birmingham uni for pretty much the same course (just under a different title). I'm a bit wary because the academic environments/vibes of these two unis seem to be very different. Should I take the offer? Got a B instead of the A* for Durham, so would only be retaking 2-3 exams.

My advice would be to really think about the course and whether you would be happy at Birmingham. Also, have you been offered accomodation etc. If you do decide to retake, check Durham's position regarding retakes and students who reapply for the same course. I expect it is fine, but some universities don't accept retakes for some subjects and they may also make higher offers. It is usually in the small print regarding admissions guidelines for the subject you are interested in. This happened to my daughter who decided to take a gap year after not getting the grades she wanted last year. She changed her mind about the course she wanted, so she retook her exams and got into her chosen course at a top 20 university. However, she was required to get AAB, rather than ABB which was the standard (not contextual) offer for the course. She dreaded the idea of retaking, but managed to work and travel widely in addition to studying, with some tutoring, for her exams. Hope this helps.