The "Ask a Durham Student" Thread :)
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Original post by saachi
Hey guys 
I got an offer from Durham and I'm allocated to Butler college, and I was just wondering how lenient Durham is with their offer conditions? Like, for IB, if you miss the offer by 1 or 2 points, will they still take you? I know it depends on how the A-level people have done and everything, but I just wanted to know if they're really strict with the conditions?
I got an offer from Durham and I'm allocated to Butler college, and I was just wondering how lenient Durham is with their offer conditions? Like, for IB, if you miss the offer by 1 or 2 points, will they still take you? I know it depends on how the A-level people have done and everything, but I just wanted to know if they're really strict with the conditions?
Congrats!
May depend on your country. I got a ridiculously high offer based on my Dutch marks, and they were willing to lower it slightly. <3 Durham Archaeology; still so grateful for that. (Even though I actually ended up meeting the high offer!)
Edit: Bristol also lowered my offer after I explained. St Andrews did not. (And out of those 3 Durham by far ranked highest for my subject.)
I asked them about it before I got my results though.
Ok, so, I have an offer from Butler to do chemistry (4yr) and I have one free space left on UCAS. I was wondering whether I could apply for chemistry (but this time industrial 4yr) at Van Mildert college? Is this allowed, or not allowed? Would the chem dept just see they've given me an offer and so just reject this one, even tho I've applied to a different college? Thanks.
Original post by chemwar
Ok, so, I have an offer from Butler to do chemistry (4yr) and I have one free space left on UCAS. I was wondering whether I could apply for chemistry (but this time industrial 4yr) at Van Mildert college? Is this allowed, or not allowed? Would the chem dept just see they've given me an offer and so just reject this one, even tho I've applied to a different college? Thanks.
I know you can apply for a different subject/subject combination at the same university, but I don't think you can apply for the same subject at the same university. At Durham, the department decide if they want you. If they do, you will be given an offer - if JB happened to be full, you would be assigned to another college within that cluster of colleges. So, I don't think applying for Chemistry twice would work. After all, the same admission tutor would just get your application twice - that might confuse/irritate them, to be honest.
Hi there,
I have applied for English and have heard back from all my universities except for Durham.
In September when I did my UCAS form, I was under a lot of pressure to choose a subject. I knew I was interested in courses that involved English literature, but I felt a bit regretful giving up a newer interest in modern Philosophy- and the possibility of picking up Classics at university.
For the sake of pursuing what I have been most consistently interested in and could apply for most convincingly, I decided to apply for English. I knew I would not feel confident applying for a subject I have only dipped my toes into. For most universities, I think this was the right decision.
However, I have since been reading about Durham's Combined Arts course, and at the moment I think this could be the sort of education that would suit me best. (The benefit of making your own connections, exploring linguistics, etc).
If I got an offer from Durham (
), would it be difficult to change courses before starting?
I would definitely do a lot more research before I made this decision.
(Merry Christmas !)
I have applied for English and have heard back from all my universities except for Durham.
In September when I did my UCAS form, I was under a lot of pressure to choose a subject. I knew I was interested in courses that involved English literature, but I felt a bit regretful giving up a newer interest in modern Philosophy- and the possibility of picking up Classics at university.
For the sake of pursuing what I have been most consistently interested in and could apply for most convincingly, I decided to apply for English. I knew I would not feel confident applying for a subject I have only dipped my toes into. For most universities, I think this was the right decision.
However, I have since been reading about Durham's Combined Arts course, and at the moment I think this could be the sort of education that would suit me best. (The benefit of making your own connections, exploring linguistics, etc).
If I got an offer from Durham (
), would it be difficult to change courses before starting?I would definitely do a lot more research before I made this decision.
(Merry Christmas !)
Original post by ohdeer
Hi there,
I have applied for English and have heard back from all my universities except for Durham.
In September when I did my UCAS form, I was under a lot of pressure to choose a subject. I knew I was interested in courses that involved English literature, but I felt a bit regretful giving up a newer interest in modern Philosophy- and the possibility of picking up Classics at university.
For the sake of pursuing what I have been most consistently interested in and could apply for most convincingly, I decided to apply for English. I knew I would not feel confident applying for a subject I have only dipped my toes into. For most universities, I think this was the right decision.
However, I have since been reading about Durham's Combined Arts course, and at the moment I think this could be the sort of education that would suit me best. (The benefit of making your own connections, exploring linguistics, etc).
If I got an offer from Durham (), would it be difficult to change courses before starting?
I would definitely do a lot more research before I made this decision.
(Merry Christmas !)
I have applied for English and have heard back from all my universities except for Durham.
In September when I did my UCAS form, I was under a lot of pressure to choose a subject. I knew I was interested in courses that involved English literature, but I felt a bit regretful giving up a newer interest in modern Philosophy- and the possibility of picking up Classics at university.
For the sake of pursuing what I have been most consistently interested in and could apply for most convincingly, I decided to apply for English. I knew I would not feel confident applying for a subject I have only dipped my toes into. For most universities, I think this was the right decision.
However, I have since been reading about Durham's Combined Arts course, and at the moment I think this could be the sort of education that would suit me best. (The benefit of making your own connections, exploring linguistics, etc).
If I got an offer from Durham (
), would it be difficult to change courses before starting?I would definitely do a lot more research before I made this decision.
(Merry Christmas !)
In my experience, the rule of thumb seems to be that it's easier to change from a more popular course onto a less popular one than vice versa. English and CH are about the same, but I think that if you agreed to do a certain number of English modules, then you'd probably be able to swap. I've got friends who have done similar swaps to CH. I'd advise against going to Durham with the sole intention of swapping, however, as you may be disappointed. You should probably be prepared to do the course you embark on, with the hope of changing.
If you get an offer, then your best bet might be to phone the University office, and the English department if they're not helpful, to see what the chances would be.
Original post by ohdeer
Hi there,
I have applied for English and have heard back from all my universities except for Durham.
In September when I did my UCAS form, I was under a lot of pressure to choose a subject. I knew I was interested in courses that involved English literature, but I felt a bit regretful giving up a newer interest in modern Philosophy- and the possibility of picking up Classics at university.
For the sake of pursuing what I have been most consistently interested in and could apply for most convincingly, I decided to apply for English. I knew I would not feel confident applying for a subject I have only dipped my toes into. For most universities, I think this was the right decision.
However, I have since been reading about Durham's Combined Arts course, and at the moment I think this could be the sort of education that would suit me best. (The benefit of making your own connections, exploring linguistics, etc).
If I got an offer from Durham (), would it be difficult to change courses before starting?
I would definitely do a lot more research before I made this decision.
(Merry Christmas !)
I have applied for English and have heard back from all my universities except for Durham.
In September when I did my UCAS form, I was under a lot of pressure to choose a subject. I knew I was interested in courses that involved English literature, but I felt a bit regretful giving up a newer interest in modern Philosophy- and the possibility of picking up Classics at university.
For the sake of pursuing what I have been most consistently interested in and could apply for most convincingly, I decided to apply for English. I knew I would not feel confident applying for a subject I have only dipped my toes into. For most universities, I think this was the right decision.
However, I have since been reading about Durham's Combined Arts course, and at the moment I think this could be the sort of education that would suit me best. (The benefit of making your own connections, exploring linguistics, etc).
If I got an offer from Durham (
), would it be difficult to change courses before starting?I would definitely do a lot more research before I made this decision.
(Merry Christmas !)
If I were you, i'd see if they gave me an offer first, and if so contact them about changing the offer asap. If they say no, you can ask them instead what the chances are of you being able to change courses once you got there.
For a lot of courses (I don't know if this applies to English specifically, you'd have to find out) you get to choose outside modules to take as well as modules from your main subject, so you could always choose Philosophy/Classics modules alongside your English degree, if they say you can't change.
Original post by affinity89
I know you can apply for a different subject/subject combination at the same university, but I don't think you can apply for the same subject at the same university. At Durham, the department decide if they want you. If they do, you will be given an offer - if JB happened to be full, you would be assigned to another college within that cluster of colleges. So, I don't think applying for Chemistry twice would work. After all, the same admission tutor would just get your application twice - that might confuse/irritate them, to be honest.
Thanks! The chem department gave me an offer over a month ago now and Butler college confirmed my place there about 4 weeks ago, so would the admissions tutor still remember me and my application? I really want to go to Durham, just not sure which of the 2 colleges. I could explain it in one sentence in an alternative statement, but that may just be a waste of space?
Original post by chemwar
Thanks! The chem department gave me an offer over a month ago now and Butler college confirmed my place there about 4 weeks ago, so would the admissions tutor still remember me and my application? I really want to go to Durham, just not sure which of the 2 colleges. I could explain it in one sentence in an alternative statement, but that may just be a waste of space?
Firstly, don't fret about the colleges. I might be a little biased, but JB is no bad place.
I would probably call the admissions department/tutor first, before putting it down as another UCAS choice. If you know you want to be in the other college, they might be able to change it over on the system - it would be paper work for them, but it shouldn't be impossible at this stage in the game. Original post by affinity89
Firstly, don't fret about the colleges. I might be a little biased, but JB is no bad place. I would probably call the admissions department/tutor first, before putting it down as another UCAS choice. If you know you want to be in the other college, they might be able to change it over on the system - it would be paper work for them, but it shouldn't be impossible at this stage in the game.
I would probably call the admissions department/tutor first, before putting it down as another UCAS choice. If you know you want to be in the other college, they might be able to change it over on the system - it would be paper work for them, but it shouldn't be impossible at this stage in the game. Thanks. I think I shall email them
Original post by chemwar
Thanks. I think I shall email them
The Chemistry department will be able to see you already have an offer from them and will just reject you straightaway, regardless of your change of college. It is a much better idea to try to change college if you really don't want JB, but be prepared to give some good reasons about why.
Original post by ohdeer
Hi there,
I have applied for English and have heard back from all my universities except for Durham.
In September when I did my UCAS form, I was under a lot of pressure to choose a subject. I knew I was interested in courses that involved English literature, but I felt a bit regretful giving up a newer interest in modern Philosophy- and the possibility of picking up Classics at university.
For the sake of pursuing what I have been most consistently interested in and could apply for most convincingly, I decided to apply for English. I knew I would not feel confident applying for a subject I have only dipped my toes into. For most universities, I think this was the right decision.
However, I have since been reading about Durham's Combined Arts course, and at the moment I think this could be the sort of education that would suit me best. (The benefit of making your own connections, exploring linguistics, etc).
If I got an offer from Durham (), would it be difficult to change courses before starting?
I would definitely do a lot more research before I made this decision.
(Merry Christmas !)
I have applied for English and have heard back from all my universities except for Durham.
In September when I did my UCAS form, I was under a lot of pressure to choose a subject. I knew I was interested in courses that involved English literature, but I felt a bit regretful giving up a newer interest in modern Philosophy- and the possibility of picking up Classics at university.
For the sake of pursuing what I have been most consistently interested in and could apply for most convincingly, I decided to apply for English. I knew I would not feel confident applying for a subject I have only dipped my toes into. For most universities, I think this was the right decision.
However, I have since been reading about Durham's Combined Arts course, and at the moment I think this could be the sort of education that would suit me best. (The benefit of making your own connections, exploring linguistics, etc).
If I got an offer from Durham (
), would it be difficult to change courses before starting?I would definitely do a lot more research before I made this decision.
(Merry Christmas !)
You absolutely cannot swap to Combined on results day or at the start of term. Absolutely nobody is allowed to, it's a very strictly enforced rule. The earliest you could apply to swap is the end of first year, when there is a competitive process (you apply to swap and then they select as many people as they have space for, but it is always very oversubscribed).
You need to ring up the university when they open in January - before you receive an offer, and ask them if they can swap English for Combined Arts on your application.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by DougieG
I've done about 15 shows over my last 2 years at Durham and I'm on the exec for a couple of theatre companies, so if there's anything you want to know about theatre, give me a shout. The last person was right to say that Castle Theatre Company (CTC) is available to all regardless of college, and their stuff is normally very good. There are usually about 15 shows per term if you include college ones, so there's plenty to get involved in. Let me know if you have any questions!
hi!
thanks for your reply
Is it a large group? I saw that you said 15 shows, so it looks like there are a lot of people involved. I also saw somewhere that they go on tours to festivals eg Edinburgh fringe ect..?
Original post by maxcartwright
hi!
thanks for your reply
Is it a large group? I saw that you said 15 shows, so it looks like there are a lot of people involved. I also saw somewhere that they go on tours to festivals eg Edinburgh fringe ect..?
thanks for your reply
Is it a large group? I saw that you said 15 shows, so it looks like there are a lot of people involved. I also saw somewhere that they go on tours to festivals eg Edinburgh fringe ect..?
Durham Student Theatre as an organisation has several hundred members, a lot of whom are actively involved in doing shows. I'd say there's probably a core group of around 80-90 people who are involved in a lot of stuff, and there's always opportunities. As I said, there's around 15 shows per term if you count college ones - 8-10 in the Assembly Rooms (the university theatre) and several musicals and plays in colleges.
We do the Edinburgh Fringe too, yes. I've done it for the last two years running now. There's usually at least a musical and a couple of plays that go up, and it's great fun. We've yet to go to the National Student Drama Festival, but it's something we're definitely looking into for the future. We also have Durham Drama Festival, which is a week of original writing with about three shows a night, all judged by professionals from the industry.
Original post by Zenobia
Congrats!
May depend on your country. I got a ridiculously high offer based on my Dutch marks, and they were willing to lower it slightly. <3 Durham Archaeology; still so grateful for that. (Even though I actually ended up meeting the high offer!)
Edit: Bristol also lowered my offer after I explained. St Andrews did not. (And out of those 3 Durham by far ranked highest for my subject.)
I asked them about it before I got my results though.
May depend on your country. I got a ridiculously high offer based on my Dutch marks, and they were willing to lower it slightly. <3 Durham Archaeology; still so grateful for that. (Even though I actually ended up meeting the high offer!)
Edit: Bristol also lowered my offer after I explained. St Andrews did not. (And out of those 3 Durham by far ranked highest for my subject.)
I asked them about it before I got my results though.
Thanks! Though I'm doing IB, so I really doubt they'd lower my offer.
I just wish I could fast forward to results day and not study, you know? Anyone know how lenient Durham are on grades? My course asks for A*AA with the A* in either History or English, and although I have already achieved A*A*AA the A*s are in the wrong subjects (Classical Civilisation and Art)...
Original post by Kallistrate
Anyone know how lenient Durham are on grades? My course asks for A*AA with the A* in either History or English, and although I have already achieved A*A*AA the A*s are in the wrong subjects (Classical Civilisation and Art)...
Depends on the subject. For Combined Social Sciences or Arts they'd probably be unhappy, but other than that I bet you have a chance, with the new tuition fees and all. Don't take my word for it though!
hello, i was wondering if the uni is flexible with changing subjects, or dropping from a joint honours to a single honours degree?
anyone on here switched subjects/know people who have?
anyone on here switched subjects/know people who have?
Original post by Zenobia
Depends on the subject. For Combined Social Sciences or Arts they'd probably be unhappy, but other than that I bet you have a chance, with the new tuition fees and all. Don't take my word for it though!
I doubt very much that History or English at Durham will be less popular because of the tuition fees, if anything people might think going to a highly-ranked uni offers better value for money so it might become more competitive.
It's always a good sign to not be rejected by now though, it means they are considering your application (unless they only applied a week ago or something).
Original post by jacksonriddle
hello, i was wondering if the uni is flexible with changing subjects, or dropping from a joint honours to a single honours degree?
anyone on here switched subjects/know people who have?
anyone on here switched subjects/know people who have?
It all depends on if the subject has space. If you're trying to obviously play the system (eg applying for Education & History, which is an AAB course, then trying to swap to History which requires A*AA) that doesn't look great either, especially if you don't have A*AA.
Generally I'd say ring them up as early as possible and ask to swap. Definitely before you arrive.
Wondering how freshers (or anyone who has done it) have found their BSC geography degree so far? Is it painfully difficult? Interesting? Exam-intense? Is the department helpful?Have you had plentiful time to look over things and understand them?
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