The "Ask a Durham Student" Thread :)

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/undergraduate/finance/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

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.

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.

I think EU students can get loans, but just not the grants? Definitely worth checking, the directgov website should tell you.

EDIT - Yep, you can get a fee loan if you've lived in the EU for the last 3 years and are an EU citizen - http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/StudentFinance/StudentsFromOtherEUCountries/DG_065322

Hello, what exams are typically like for the history department?

Hello, I attended the Durham offer holders open day and stayed overnight at my college, and I liked the city and my course very much and later made Durham my firm.
However, the time I spent with the people at my college I didn't enjoy very much, and met a few nice people at other colleges. Am I overreacting when I say I would like to transfer to a different college, and is this even possible after making Durham my firm? The whole university seemed to be very focused on the collegiate system and this is what worries me, as I don't want to live in an area of the university where I don't get on with anybody.
I would appreciate any student's opinions on this.

Can anyone upload any pictures of st Mary's?

Hello, I attended the Durham offer holders open day and stayed overnight at my college, and I liked the city and my course very much and later made Durham my firm.
However, the time I spent with the people at my college I didn't enjoy very much, and met a few nice people at other colleges. Am I overreacting when I say I would like to transfer to a different college, and is this even possible after making Durham my firm? The whole university seemed to be very focused on the collegiate system and this is what worries me, as I don't want to live in an area of the university where I don't get on with anybody.
I would appreciate any student's opinions on this.

I absolutely hated my college's open day last year but I came anyway and love it there now! Everyone I met on the open day just seemed to drink really heavily and I felt really left out and I was worried that that would be the case when I got there too. But my group of friends now is so totally different to anyone I met there and I feel way more at home. In every college there will be so many different types of people so I wouldn't let the people on the open day put you off.

This reply really calmed me down, so thank you. After reflecting for a while, I guess there will be people like this at every college, and two days wasn't enough time to get to know people properly anyway.
It was also the fact that people seemed very into sport that worried me, as I'm almost the complete opposite. -__-
Thanks for the replies.

Which college was this at? I know that my college is known for being really sporty but I do no sport at all and neither do several of my friends. And even those who do just go to training a couple of times a week or whatever and just treat it like any other society. Just because people are sporty doesn't mean they're not close friends with those who aren't, or that they don't have loads of other interests that you might share.
Two days is nowhere near enough time to get to know people properly or even to get a proper feel for the atmosphere of the college. I was an open day rep at my college this year (that's how much I now love it! ) so I know there's so much emphasis on making sure that everyone is happy and socialising that it can all feel a bit pressured. During term it's so much easier to relax a bit, step back and see who you are and who you want to be friends with.

I understand your point about sports societies, I am planning on joining at least one myself.
I did feel pressured and overwhelmed at times over those two days, you understand exactly how I felt!
This was at Cuth's.

The loud people certainly did stand out, and I've been told about all the stereotypes about other colleges as well. This was actually the first time I'd visited Durham, and when I went around on the second day I really liked the place, moreso than any other universities I visited. Hopefully I will be able to find people who are 'me' when I start in October.
Which college are you at?