Prospective Durham Uni students: Would you be put off by £7k accommodation fees?
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This is what's putting me off Durham 
I'm tied between Durham & Newcastle. Obviously the academic departments seem much better at Durham, but the min thing putting me off is the price....I've already applied for accommodation at Newcastle & one of those is only c.£80/week (only c.£3k/yr because they're 38-week contracts) for really lovely-looking accommodation. I want to save as much money as possible, so I plan to go basic and be self-catered & non-en-suite, so I applied for Butler (the cheapest college at Durham), yet you still have to pay extra because it's en-suite (which I don't even want).
The bursaries/scholarships at Durham seem very lacking too. If I get AAA at Newcastle I'd get £2k, & an extra £1k/yr because of household income too. At Durham I'd get none of this....
I'm tied between the two, & the fact that I'd be £4.5k better off at Newcastle in my first year makes it very tempting....I wouldn't have to worry about continuing with my part-time job, or having to limit how much I can go out etc....
I'm tied between Durham & Newcastle. Obviously the academic departments seem much better at Durham, but the min thing putting me off is the price....I've already applied for accommodation at Newcastle & one of those is only c.£80/week (only c.£3k/yr because they're 38-week contracts) for really lovely-looking accommodation. I want to save as much money as possible, so I plan to go basic and be self-catered & non-en-suite, so I applied for Butler (the cheapest college at Durham), yet you still have to pay extra because it's en-suite (which I don't even want).The bursaries/scholarships at Durham seem very lacking too. If I get AAA at Newcastle I'd get £2k, & an extra £1k/yr because of household income too. At Durham I'd get none of this....
I'm tied between the two, & the fact that I'd be £4.5k better off at Newcastle in my first year makes it very tempting....I wouldn't have to worry about continuing with my part-time job, or having to limit how much I can go out etc....
Original post by rennys
Is this true? I just firmed Durham over UCL and King's partly because of the cost of living in London. I don't really have a say in this right now, since I already made my choice...
You sir deserve a bad luck Brian meme.
Original post by peaaceandl0ve
This is what's putting me off Durham I'm tied between Durham & Newcastle. Obviously the academic departments seem much better at Durham, but the min thing putting me off is the price....I've already applied for accommodation at Newcastle & one of those is only c.£80/week (only c.£3k/yr because they're 38-week contracts) for really lovely-looking accommodation. I want to save as much money as possible, so I plan to go basic and be self-catered & non-en-suite, so I applied for Butler (the cheapest college at Durham), yet you still have to pay extra because it's en-suite (which I don't even want).
The bursaries/scholarships at Durham seem very lacking too. If I get AAA at Newcastle I'd get £2k, & an extra £1k/yr because of household income too. At Durham I'd get none of this....
I'm tied between the two, & the fact that I'd be £4.5k better off at Newcastle in my first year makes it very tempting....I wouldn't have to worry about continuing with my part-time job, or having to limit how much I can go out etc....
I'm tied between Durham & Newcastle. Obviously the academic departments seem much better at Durham, but the min thing putting me off is the price....I've already applied for accommodation at Newcastle & one of those is only c.£80/week (only c.£3k/yr because they're 38-week contracts) for really lovely-looking accommodation. I want to save as much money as possible, so I plan to go basic and be self-catered & non-en-suite, so I applied for Butler (the cheapest college at Durham), yet you still have to pay extra because it's en-suite (which I don't even want).The bursaries/scholarships at Durham seem very lacking too. If I get AAA at Newcastle I'd get £2k, & an extra £1k/yr because of household income too. At Durham I'd get none of this....
I'm tied between the two, & the fact that I'd be £4.5k better off at Newcastle in my first year makes it very tempting....I wouldn't have to worry about continuing with my part-time job, or having to limit how much I can go out etc....
Private landlords seem to be more expensive in Durham as well, and most are quite far from the colleges, especially Butler.
Original post by emanueladiana
You sir deserve a bad luck Brian meme.
Pretty sure she's a lady
And it looks like you're from Romania, interesting..
Original post by Josb
Private landlords seem to be more expensive in Durham as well, and most are quite far from the colleges, especially Butler.
I know :/ I've read that as the colleges put their prices up, more & more people are choosing to live out in the 1st & 3rd years, so the landlords know that they will still have good business even if they put their prices up too
Original post by peaaceandl0ve
I know :/ I've read that as the colleges put their prices up, more & more people are choosing to live out in the 1st & 3rd years, so the landlords know that they will still have good business even if they put their prices up too
I have to admit.. I really did not think this actually happens when I applied. Gets your blood going a bit, really..
Original post by peaaceandl0ve
I know :/ I've read that as the colleges put their prices up, more & more people are choosing to live out in the 1st & 3rd years, so the landlords know that they will still have good business even if they put their prices up too
I'm wondering if it's possible to take a room near Newcastle station and commute from there to Durham.
Original post by Yack in a Box
Pretty sure she's a lady
And it looks like you're from Romania, interesting..
And it looks like you're from Romania, interesting..
Forgot to check
*ignores comment about Romania*
Original post by emanueladiana
You sir deserve a bad luck Brian meme.
Hhahahah
Not really though, I like Durham more anyway.
I just hope the rents are not used to pay something like this:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2324334/Durham-University-branded-disgrace-spending-1-4million-artwork-Picasso-Warhol-new-building.html
Durham has spent a lot of money on things I just find a bit useless, like this art centre and the Stockton campus.
Moreover, it didn't break the news because it is a silent process, but the university gave very very few postgraduate studentships last year and apparently this year again.
So I'm wondering if the current university management is really fit for the job.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2324334/Durham-University-branded-disgrace-spending-1-4million-artwork-Picasso-Warhol-new-building.html
Durham has spent a lot of money on things I just find a bit useless, like this art centre and the Stockton campus.
Moreover, it didn't break the news because it is a silent process, but the university gave very very few postgraduate studentships last year and apparently this year again.
So I'm wondering if the current university management is really fit for the job.
Original post by Josb
Moreover, it didn't break the news because it is a silent process, but the university gave very very few postgraduate studentships last year and apparently this year again.
So I'm wondering if the current university management is really fit for the job.
Moreover, it didn't break the news because it is a silent process, but the university gave very very few postgraduate studentships last year and apparently this year again.
So I'm wondering if the current university management is really fit for the job.
Do you think this will also negatively affect undergrads? (academically)
Original post by Yack in a Box
Do you think this will also negatively affect undergrads? (academically)
Less PhD students = more students per class & less tutorials.
However, I think that many postgrads will take their unfunded offers anyway. We will judge the results in the next five years.
Original post by Josb
I just hope the rents are not used to pay something like this:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2324334/Durham-University-branded-disgrace-spending-1-4million-artwork-Picasso-Warhol-new-building.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2324334/Durham-University-branded-disgrace-spending-1-4million-artwork-Picasso-Warhol-new-building.html
Just read the article. I get that they want to compete with Oxbridge and all, but is it really bad enough that it's made them develop a complex? this is such an amazingly typical display of snobbism.
Original post by Yack in a Box
I have to admit.. I really did not think this actually happens when I applied. Gets your blood going a bit, really..
It's ridiculous. Especially when the ridiculously high college costs do actually put people off from applying there/accepting their offer. It's such a disgrace
Original post by Josb
I'm wondering if it's possible to take a room near Newcastle station and commute from there to Durham.
I can imagine it would be! But it would depend how much the transport costs, I don't know what the annual/termly bus/train passes are like there
Original post by peaaceandl0ve
I can imagine it would be! But it would depend how much the transport costs, I don't know what the annual/termly bus/train passes are like there
I can imagine it would be! But it would depend how much the transport costs, I don't know what the annual/termly bus/train passes are like there
15 minutes, £3.75 with Railcard. 7.5 per day. For postgrad, you only have few lectures per week, so it would cost sth like £80 a month. Can be worth it to save £2,000 a year.
Original post by Yack in a Box
Just read the article. I get that they want to compete with Oxbridge and all, but is it really bad enough that it's made them develop a complex? this is such an amazingly typical display of snobbism.
Yeah they try to compete with them but they don't have the money.
I just got back from a Durham uni open day and a few students gave a speech about the rising costs during a college introduction lecture. Last time I looked they were around £6,200, so I was completely shocked when today I was told they'd been hiked up to near £7,000. I dread to think how much they'll be for 2016 entry!! As much as I enjoyed the experience at the open day and fell in love with Collingwood, I can't imagine myself living comfortably on the income I'd have left, especially given Durham's wide range of societies and activities. I worked out I'd have around £35 left a week - sounds okay but seriously, not going to give me a comfortable experience.
(edited 8 years ago)
I'm a current student, I was horrified by my accommodation fees, and over £7000 is a disgrace. Durham university is a disgrace. It's all a disgrace.
Disgraceful.
Disgraceful.
Original post by Infraspecies
I'm a current student, I was horrified by my accommodation fees, and over £7000 is a disgrace. Durham university is a disgrace. It's all a disgrace.
Disgraceful.
Disgraceful.
Do you feel the college experience is a lot better than what I'd get at a standard uni? I could just about manage, but if it's not going to have a lot of benefit, I'd rather go elsewhere considering the quality of my course is similar at many unis.
Original post by ryanroks1
Do you feel the college experience is a lot better than what I'd get at a standard uni? I could just about manage, but if it's not going to have a lot of benefit, I'd rather go elsewhere considering the quality of my course is similar at many unis.
Ummm the college experience is definitely something you won't get at a "standard" uni (assuming you mean non Cambridge/Oxford/ ~York). You can get to know a fairly large group of people very well, in a school sort of way (as in, the cohesion with your entire year cohort, as opposed to immaturity :P ).
However, there are hideous social climbers that are induced by the college system, if you don't enjoy that sort of thing (as you can guess I don't).
Basically the thing about Durham is, it's a bubble. It's a world away from everything else in that all the students live in a totally synthetic world based on the goings on in college, and the large group of mutual acquaintances. If you like that, then go for it.
I personally despise this university and everything it represents. I wish I had gone to Birmingham instead, but the fact that Durham is one of the best universities in the country, and the name on my degree will carry that weight, is all that keeps me there. Which is sad (although that said, my department is really really good, I can't say enough good things about them).
I really wish to apply to Durham but I cannot afford the living, other universities provide catered for a lot less! York is cheaper and higher in the league tables for biology (the course i want to study) so why should I pay out extra? Does anyone know the costs roughly for living away from the colleges?
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