[undergradstudent]

(Original post by rhose)
Can anyone give me any advice re. switching courses at Durham?

I want to do history, but I currently have an insurance offer from Durham for Archaeology, but I'm worried about accepting and not liking the course.

Has anyone switched courses before, and how easy was it? I am predicted high enough grades for the history course, although if I get them I'll be going to my first choice.

Any help much appreciated.

You can't switch onto History, sorry. They have really strict policies as History at Durham is so competitive!

The only thing you could do would be to do 1 year of archaeology and do History modules as your electives (if your course allows you to do electives), and then apply to transfer into combined honours or History at the end of your 1st year. But that is really unlikely too, as it depends on people leaving combined honours/history degrees (ie transferring to other subjects) and freeing up vacancies, and also you have to compete against other 1st years who want to transfer for a place, so it's probably as or more competitive than it is for people who originally apply through UCAS.

You can obviously ring them up to check, but they've probably given out all the offers anyway.

[KayteeKaytee]

(Original post by blacktreacle)
It would be great if someone could tell me about BA Geography at Durham as well as life/tradition at St Chads!

Plus a specific question on BA Geography:
-How frequent are field trips? Do you have to pay for it?

And generally what do I have to prefer for it?

Can't answer specifically for BA but in case you don't get a better response... A letter came out with the welcome pack in the Sept/Oct before the course started outlining the trips over three years. The BSc had trips abroad in all three years - none of which seemed to be subsidised. The first (compulsory) trip to Portugal in January was expensive and there were complaints. I believe the BA aren't going any further than Newcastle in the first year though. Can't remember the other details, sorry. The department will be able to answer those questions though. I suggest you email them.

[Hope333]

Hey, after I receiving an offer from Durham to study Chemistry F111, I would like to find someone to talk to about work opportunities at the university and financial support toward my living costs. Anyone willing for a discussion? I also have an unconditional offer from York so I need more information in order to make up my mind.

[undergradstudent]

(Original post by KayteeKaytee)
Can't answer specifically for BA but in case you don't get a better response... A letter came out with the welcome pack in the Sept/Oct before the course started outlining the trips over three years. The BSc had trips abroad in all three years - none of which seemed to be subsidised. The first (compulsory) trip to Portugal in January was expensive and there were complaints. I believe the BA aren't going any further than Newcastle in the first year though. Can't remember the other details, sorry. The department will be able to answer those questions though. I suggest you email them.

I think I remember hearing that compulsory field trips are included in the £9k fee from now on (in all departments).

[undergradstudent]

(Original post by Hope333)
Hey, after I receiving an offer from Durham to study Chemistry F111, I would like to find someone to talk to about work opportunities at the university and financial support toward my living costs. Anyone willing for a discussion? I also have an unconditional offer from York so I need more information in order to make up my mind.

What sort of work do you mean, working for the chemistry department or working in bars/admin? If you have any questions about financial support, quote me/PM me and I'll try to answer them.

[TheButcherBoii]

Post-application open day, coming on tuesday morning, after visiting department we should make our way to colleges, but St Cuthbert's has two sites...soo should I go to the 'main' one? orr???...
Help would be appreciated!

[Number6]

(Original post by Hope333)
Hey, after I receiving an offer from Durham to study Chemistry F111, I would like to find someone to talk to about work opportunities at the university and financial support toward my living costs. Anyone willing for a discussion? I also have an unconditional offer from York so I need more information in order to make up my mind.

Hey Hope333,

There are a few opportunities to work at the university, I can only speak for Grey but you can apply for bar shifts in the college bar (very competitive though). This year we're opening a shop in the JCR and you'll probably be able to apply for shifts there, at the moment ShopComm members are paid in free alcohol on socials for some reason to do with the finance/treasury system, although that might be changing this year. A few people I know work in cafes or shops for a few hours at the weekend.

However, as a Chemistry student that's the maximum amount of work I would recommend. I had 20 hours a week in first year and contact hours, plus work outside those, plus socialising, making friends and playing too many sports, was more than enough! Most people tend to get a pretty much full-time job at home in the holidays to earn money and don't have a job up here.

Durham do grants for students from low income families (http://www.dur.ac.uk/study/undergrad...ce/afford/dgs/) but you have to live in for two years for some of them, most people tend to go back in in 3rd year so tbh I wouldn't see that as a negative.

I put Durham as my firm and York as my insurance, and I'm so glad I ended up at Durham! I'm afraid I can't be more help with the financial side, but if you want to ask anything about Chemistry, feel free

[JPDub]

How much does a night out in Durham usually cost?

[undergradstudent]

(Original post by JPDub)
How much does a night out in Durham usually cost?

If you do a college bar crawl then go to a club - as much or as little as you want, really. Most college bars sell pints for £1.50 each, and single spirit & mixers for £1.50 each (+/- 15p).

Obviously you don't have to drink in each bar, and if you want a soft drink it'll be about 50p/60p a pint.

Club entry is either free or £2/£3.

So say you have 6 pints in college bars, pay £2 to get into a club and then buy one drink (for £2) in the club, that's £13 for your night out. No colleges are more than a 25 minute walk from the town centre so you can walk into town and walk home, or if you do live in Butler/Aidan's and want a taxi then it's about £1 each if you fill the taxi, or £1 each if you get the nightbus.

Obviously if you pre-drink with friends in your college room or house then it can be cheaper as you just pay supermarket prices for your pre-drinks and then you just pay for club entry and any drinks you buy in the club (but if you get into the club at 12 and it closes at 2, you don't really need to buy any drinks inside).

Some of the non-college bars in town do cheaper drinks than college bars, you can get trebles for £2 or £3 in most places.

[JPDub]

(Original post by undergradstudent)
x

Awesome, thanks for the great reply! That is really inexpensive (especially considering I racked up a $100 CAD tab at bars/clubs last night with 6 drinks and cabs ) so I'm definitely glad I chose Durham now ;D.

[velociraptor]

(Original post by JPDub)
Awesome, thanks for the great reply! That is really inexpensive (especially considering I racked up a $100 CAD tab at bars/clubs last night with 6 drinks and cabs ) so I'm definitely glad I chose Durham now ;D.

If you want to go clubbing you might end up going to Newcastle and spending more money. Durham nightlife is somewhat limited, especially if it's more than pubs you are after.

[pai2502]

Havent gone through the entire thread so apologies if this has been asked before, but I didnot see Football soc/club mentioned anywhere on uni/Collingwood site.
Plz tell me there IS a football club/team and comptns!

[velociraptor]

(Original post by pai2502)
Havent gone through the entire thread so apologies if this has been asked before, but I didnot see Football soc/club mentioned anywhere on uni/Collingwood site.
Plz tell me there IS a football club/team and comptns!

In short, yes there are teams etc
http://www.teamdurham.com/

[pai2502]

Thank you!=)

[pai2502]

Howz d teaching in eng lit?

[Hope333]

(Original post by Number6)
Hey Hope333,

There are a few opportunities to work at the university, I can only speak for Grey but you can apply for bar shifts in the college bar (very competitive though). This year we're opening a shop in the JCR and you'll probably be able to apply for shifts there, at the moment ShopComm members are paid in free alcohol on socials for some reason to do with the finance/treasury system, although that might be changing this year. A few people I know work in cafes or shops for a few hours at the weekend.

However, as a Chemistry student that's the maximum amount of work I would recommend. I had 20 hours a week in first year and contact hours, plus work outside those, plus socialising, making friends and playing too many sports, was more than enough! Most people tend to get a pretty much full-time job at home in the holidays to earn money and don't have a job up here.

Durham do grants for students from low income families (http://www.dur.ac.uk/study/undergrad...ce/afford/dgs/) but you have to live in for two years for some of them, most people tend to go back in in 3rd year so tbh I wouldn't see that as a negative.

I put Durham as my firm and York as my insurance, and I'm so glad I ended up at Durham! I'm afraid I can't be more help with the financial side, but if you want to ask anything about Chemistry, feel free

Thank you for your reply! I was also wondering what the tuituion fee for the year in industry is (MChem F 111) and whether it can be paid with the student loan from Directgov. BTW as an EU student I cannot apply for any grants or loans - in the site of Directgov they say you should have lived in the UK for at least 3 years.

[Hope333]

(Original post by undergradstudent)
What sort of work do you mean, working for the chemistry department or working in bars/admin? If you have any questions about financial support, quote me/PM me and I'll try to answer them.

Both=) Of cource I'd prefer working for the chemistry department.

[undergradstudent]

(Original post by Hope333)
Both=) Of cource I'd prefer working for the chemistry department.

I know the physics department employ students over the summer to work on their research project, so the chemistry department may do the same.

For part-time term-time jobs, colleges have jobs in college bars/shops/pizza bars (if they have them) and you can also apply to be a student ambassador (DSA) and do tours of the university and help out at widening participation residential events. If the university need any temps they often advertise on the student careers board, this term there have been adverts for part-time admin temps in the events team and the accommodation team, the jobs are above NMW too which is obviously great.

[Number6]

(Original post by Hope333)
Thank you for your reply! I was also wondering what the tuituion fee for the year in industry is (MChem F 111) and whether it can be paid with the student loan from Directgov. BTW as an EU student I cannot apply for any grants or loans - in the site of Directgov they say you should have lived in the UK for at least 3 years.

TBH I'm not sure, I seem to remember it was either half or a quarter of the full year's tuition fees when I applied, but given the fee increases and the fact you're international I would consider emailing the Chemistry Admissions Secretary and asking: http://www.dur.ac.uk/research/direct...=staff&id=1258 I'm pretty sure a student loan from Directgov would cover it though.

Chemistry did offer some paid lab work this summer for the second and third years, testing out new first year experiments, but I'm not sure anything like that was offered to the first years and it was quite competitive. Once you figure out what you'd like to specialise in there are grants for summer research projects which are sometimes paid, it would depend on your supervisor and grant etc.

[maxcartwright]

Can anyone upload any pictures of st Mary's?