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Durham University
From The Student RoomTSR Wiki > University > Choosing a University > University Guides > Durham University
 Durham University was created way back in 1832, making it one of the oldest universities in the UK. It is situated mostly within the city of Durham in the North of England. Most of the uni situated just outside Durham city centre, but some buildings situated within the centre (like inside Durham Castle). The uni has built up an excellent reputation and by going to Durham you can be sure you can get a great degree (provided you put the effort in and work for it!). FacilitiesLibrariesThe main library, comprising 4 floors, is situated on the Science Site, about 5-10 minutes walk from Elvet Riverside. It has the majority of the books held by Durham University and has a Short loan section for very demanded books which they may only have a few copies of, where they can be loaned for only 4 hours at a time. There is also a library on Palace Green and an Education Library located just by the college of St. Hild and St. Bede. Theology students also have access to the Cathedral Library. Each college also has its own library which is run by the individual colleges so opening times may vary between colleges (and you may only borrow from your own college's library). Take a look at the library website for more information. IT and ComputingIT and Computing provision is very good in the university. The vast majority of the computers in university are of extremely good specification with modern Pentium 4 processors. There are many computers available for use in the university libraries as well as in open access IT areas. ITS is the university's 'IT Service'. They manage the computers around the university. They also maintain and provide the internet access points college rooms. Internet access in college rooms is included in the cost of accommodation. Each user is assigned with a ITS username and password. Your username is printed on your campus card. There are many wireless access points around the university campus, covering most lecture theatres, cafes and the library. In college wireless coverage is available in strategically located positions such as bars and libraries, but not in student accommodation (as wired connections are available). To get connected to the wireless network you'll need 802.11b or 802.11g access available from your laptop. Instructions for connecting are available here. SportsSports facilities at the university are based at the Maiden Castle sports centre, which has lots of facilities including all-weather pitches and a gym. Find out more about sport at Durham: [1]. All the colleges also have their own sports teams, which are generally more relaxed about training than the university sports teams. Some colleges have their own basketball/tennis/netball facilities.
WelfareWelfare is well-catered for at both college and university levels. In each college, there are elected welfare representatives and their teams who are present from the first day of fresher's week and beyond, to confidentially give a listening ear or information and practical advice about any issues. As well as holding regular welfare hours, their contact details are usually posted around all of college. In addition, pastoral care can be in the form of college staff. At university level, the University Health Centre as well as the Students' Union work together to provide facilities and information, such as counselling services, Nightbus (a very cheap bus to help lone travellers in the evening). Also, university-independent bodies run in Durham to help, such as Nightline, which is a confidential information and listening service run by students, for students. HealthcareThe University Health Centre is situated on Green Lane (If you walk up old Elvet towards the Magistrates Court you will find Green Lane. The new surgery is on your right hand side). It is part of a larger practice, Claypath & University Medical Group, which also has a health centre at 26 Gilesgate. University Health Centre, Green Lane, Durham, DH1 3JX (0191) 3865081 ShopsDurham has a fair amount of shops, although Newcastle is nearby for any major shopping needs like Primark. It takes about 40 minutes to get to the famous Metrocentre's own station from Durham, and costs about £4.10 with a Young Person's Railcard. For clothes shopping there are Topshop, Dorothy Perkins, New Look, Next, Monsoon, Miss Selfridge, Burton, Greenwoods, Evans and a lovely shop called Georgian Window. Supermarkets: Town centre there is a Marks and Spencer, Waitrose and Iceland and a huge Tesco out of town that does delivery. There are 2 branches of Boots. There is also a large HMV. RestaurantsDurham’s inns, restaurants and café's offer something for everyone with food from all over the world. There is a useful Durham Tourism website which provides details of many local restaurants.
Indian The Spice Lounge (awesome, awesome, awesome. GO THERE NOW) The Capital (same owners as Spice Lounge - same great food, different atmosphere) Rajpooth (good value on Sundays and Thursdays) Shaheens (good happy hour) Far Eastern New Kwai Lam (cheap, good happy hour. Pretty decent) In Shanghai (pretty nice for a buffet) Numjai (really great Thai food - go at lunchtime though as it's overpriced for dinner) Fat Buddah Random others Oldfields (great local produce, good value lunch menu. nom nom nom) Chapters (not been, heard great things though) The Pump House (one of the more expensive places - specialises in steak and seafood. Worth the price) Bistro 21 (pricey, but worth it) Hide Hollathan's (standard bistro food, big portions) Then there's all the ones in the new complex by the Gala theatre - Nandos, Chiquitos etc BanksThere are many banks located opposite the DSU. These include Barclays, Lloyds TSB and HSBC. NatWest is located on the side of Dunelm House. There are also branches located in the town centre. TransportTrains: Mainline connections from Durham to London King’s Cross and handy trains to Newcastle (approx £3.15 with a Young Persons Railcard, £4 without). Stockton is near Darlington train station, on the London-Edinburgh line. Coaches: National Express and Blue Line services to many destinations: London (£21), Newcastle (£3) and so on. Car: 5 mins off the A1, but the city operates a £2 congestion charge in the town centre and along the Bailey, walking is easy enough (and the riverside paths are blissful). Stockton connects to the A1 via the A66 (Junction 57) from the South or A690/A177 (Junction 62) from the North. Air: From Newcastle Airport, there is a direct Metro link into Newcastle Central Station (approx 30 minutes, £2.50-£3) and from there you can catch a regular train to Durham via the East Coast Mainline (see "Trains" section) From Teesside Airport there is a direct Bus link to Darlington Rail Station, from there you can catch a regular train to Durham via the East Coast Mainline (approx 20 minutes). Between these airports, flights are offered to London, Northern Ireland and Europe. Newcastle International now flies to the Middle East (Emirates Airlines) and so direct connections can be made to Asia/Australia. Hitching: Not bad from the A1. Local: Good bus services that lazy students use to get up the hills in Durham. Fares from 32p. The Arriva X1 service (or X2 in the evenings) runs between Durham and Queen’s Campus, which is free for students presenting their campus cards. There are many bus stops for this service in Durham, including one outside Elvet Riverside and opposite the Science Site. More information. Park and Ride: Durham City Council has introduced a park and ride scheme with three large strategically located car parks on the outskirts of the city. Parking costs £1.70 all day, including unlimited travel on the Park and Ride buses. If you're a student at Ustinov College or Josephine Butler College you live literally right by one of these bus stops You can apply for a student smartcard, which makes travel just £1.00 for the whole day. Buses run every 10 minutes or so from 7am to 7pm, and from Monday to Saturday. This will take you into town (and back) if you don't fancy the walk. Parking is extremely limited in Durham, so this may be an ideal alternative. More information. Taxis: Durham boasts some of Britain’s cheapest taxis (min fare £1, Durham-Newcastle is around £30 usually, but I am reliably informed it can be haggled down to £20) make it a worthwhile share. Bicycles: Lots of Durham students own bikes, despite the numerous hills in Durham. It makes for quicker getting about, especially when you're at a Hill college. Most colleges have some sort of bike racks to lock your bike up at, and some offer bike sheds for more secure storage. There are plenty of bike racks at the main lecture locations although on some days these can fill up - but usually you will be able to find somewhere nearby to lock up. Careers serviceDurham University Careers Advisory Service offers advice and support for people trying to find jobs. You're bombarded by emails from them once you're at university, and although they do offer support and encouragement it can be a bit annoying! There is a vacancies section on their website which shows many temporary, one-off, part-time and full-time jobs. Part-time jobsThe majority of students at Durham only work during their holidays, but there are jobs available should you wish to work part-time during the term. Employment opportunities exist at most colleges, with work available in the individual libraries and bars. Casual work can sometimes be found through the university (running campus tours) or from the Students' Union (helping out with careers fairs). Regular work outside of the university generally consists of bar or restaurant work. Part time jobs are advertised through the Careers Advisory Service. Religious facilitiesEach college has a dedicated Church of England chaplain, and there are Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Quaker, United Reformed and Orthodox chaplains serving the whole university. There are also numerous religious societies affiliated to the Students Union, including the Islamic Society, the Jewish Society, and the Pagan Society, as well as numerous Christian denominational groups, and the non-affiliated Durham Inter-Collegiate Christian Union. Durham is served by a variety of churches of varying denominations, and there is a university-provided Islamic prayer room on Old Elvet. SocialBars, Pubs and clubsNightclubsKlute - This was voted as the second worst night club in Europe by FHM. The first worst later burnt down, therefore unofficially giving Klute the title of 'worst nightclub in Europe'. It plays cheese, is ridiculously small and sweaty, expensive and home to many rahs. Loft - bigger than Klute, free tequila on Tuesdays. Loft has recently controversially been granted a licence by the City Council to allow strip nights 3 days a week. Walkabout - Australian theme bar with big dancing floor, has a sports night on Wednesday and gets quite busy. Studio - actually good. Does RnB nights on Monday and 50p entry on Tuesdays when you get 50p chips at the takeaway over the road as well. Fishtank - plays indie and generally 'alternative' music. DSU - Has "Planet Of Sound" on Fridays, with an RnB, Cheese and Trance/Dance room. Has "Revolver" on a Saturday, a generally Indie and Alternative night. There are also other events such as occasional D'n'B nights and 'ICHBIN' (an indie/alternative night). Loveshack - ?? PubsLoads. Swan & Three Cygnets, Hog's Head, Varsity, Wetherspoon's, Shakespeare, The New Inn. Many more. For those interested in Real Ale then The Shakespeare, The Dun Cow, The Woodman, The Swan & Three Cygnets and Half Moon are particularly recommended. CafesHollathan's, Saddler's, Vennel's, Brown Sugar, Caffe Nero, Costa... loads of others! BarsJimmy Allen's - is good, Monday to Wednesday it does House Trebles for £2.50 Chase - Does nice cocktails and gas chambers Varsity - Monday night is good. £1 a pint on selected drinks. A V-card (£2 per year) may be required. Wetherspoons - Nice cheap food. Look out for discount vouchers in the freshers fair. Yates - Not very student friendly, best to avoid. Also there are all the college bars to explore, where drinks are all really cheap! Each is a little different with a different atmosphere and its nice to just go to one, even if it isn't your college and chill. Cuth's Bar is the cheapest, has a great atmosphere and is definitely worth a visit. EventsClubs and societiesThere are many different clubs and societies in Durham. They range from small college clubs, societies or music groups to large clubs covering all the colleges and attracting people from different colleges. The DSU can provide funding to ratified societies. A full list of societies can be found here . Things to do in Durham when you're a student CollegesBailey colleges are the older colleges in the old part of Durham, surprisingly on the Bailey, near the Castle. They are right in town and close to Elvet Riverside, where the language department is based. The Bailey Colleges are as follows: St Cuthbert’s Society – Third oldest collegiate body, founded in 1888. Cuth's has a fantastic bar with an atmosphere that many other colleges envy. They also boast the cheapest student bar prices in Durham. There is a pool table, plasma and projector screens and even a heated beer garden outside, as well as free WiFi and an internet connected Jukebox with over 2 million songs. Cuth's Bar opens much earlier than any other college bar, which proves to be very popular! First year students are housed on the Bailey and on the Parsons Field site at the top of Old Elvet. Hatfield College – 2nd oldest college, lots of traditions including regular formal meals, medium sized with about 650-700 undergrads. May have to share a room in 1st year. St Chad’s College – smallest college with about 300-350 undergrads, supposedly has the nicest food, has regular formals. Probably have to share a room in first year. Cheap bar. St John’s College – small college about 400-450 undergrads. Has links with the Church. Well-stocked bar. May have to share a room in first year. Traditional. University College – Oldest college, housed in Durham Castle. Medium sized, about 650-700 undergrads. Formals twice weekly, famed June Ball. First years may have to share a room. The second category of Durham City colleges is the ‘Hill Colleges’. They are based up on a hill that goes out of Durham and are about a 10 minute walk from the town centre. They are more modern than the Bailey colleges and are close to the Science Site and the library. The hill colleges are as follows: Collingwood College – large college, about 1,000 – 1,100 undergrads. Has a large bar, a shop and a pizza bar. Sporty reputation. Modern accommodation. Backs on to botanic gardens. Has formal once a term, doesn’t wear gowns. Grey College – medium to large college with about 800-900 undergrads. Very close to the science site and the main library. Has a pizza bar, a gym and tennis/netball courts. Modern facilities, may have to share a room in first year. Has regular formals at which gowns are worn. Josephine Butler College - college that is furthest away! This is the newest Durham college, first admitting students in September 2006. It is Durham's first fully self-catering college, and all rooms and single and en-suite. Approximately 750 undergraduates. Has a huge bar with hammocks, and a mound, which most Butler students are very proud of! St Aidan’s College – Has a lot of steps. May have to share a room in first year. Medium-largish college with about 800-900 undergrads. Has formals two or three times a term. Situated at the top of the hill next to Van Mildert. Quite a small bar. St Mary’s College – oldest and most attractive of all the hill colleges. As of October 2005 it will be going co-ed after being all-female since it was founded in the early 20th century. Close to science site and library. Worst bar. Regular formals. May have to share a room in first year. Trevelyan College – smallest of hill colleges with about 450 undergrads. Famed for its strange hexagonal architecture. Large, airy bar. Lots of nice daffodils in spring, formals every other week. May have to share a room in first year, trevs students move rooms every term. Van Mildert College – medium – largish college with about 800 undergrads. Has a lake with lots of ducks, and a rabbit. But that doesn't live in the lake. Is the only catered college which guarantees single accommodation, all others have possibility of sharing. Has a thriving live music scene, aided by 'Jam night' and open mic nights. Bar has a large choice of real ale. The next category of Durham City colleges is Hild and Bede, which is actually a college by itself. I have put it on its own because it is neither on the Bailey, nor on the Hill. The College of St Hild and St Bede – largest college, with about 1,200 undergrads. 16 acres of grounds next to the river. Lots of facilities including a cinema and basketball and tennis courts. Not too near to the other Durham colleges. Has black tie formals. In Durham City there is also Ustinov College, which is postgrad only. Aside from the Durham City Colleges, there are 3 other colleges to mention. They are the colleges at Queen's Campus, Stockton, which is a satellite campus of the University of Durham. The colleges are as follows: George Stephenson. John Snow. Ushaw College, Ushaw Moor - seminary (4 miles north of Durham) Accommodation policyAll first years are guaranteed a place in college. However, you're expected to live out in your second year unless there are other circumstances (you're an international student or have disabilities or are on some JCR Executive). There is sometimes opportunities to live in in your second year, however this depends on the college and how many rooms they have available. Many people then return to college for their third year. FacilitiesAll colleges with the exception of St Cuthbert’s Society and Josephine Butler are fully catered, offering meals three times a day. Cuth's is the only college to have an entire range of options; from fully catered, semi-catered (with a choice of either 5 or 10 meals in college per week), 'pay-as-you-go' meals or self-catered. Butler is entirely self-catered. Those colleges which are fully catered have limited cooking facilities, normally consisting of a fridge, microwave and a range of small appliances (eg. toasters). Other Campuses and CollegesSt Cuthbert’s Society Trevelyan College Queen's Campus, Stockton Student unionPricesEnvironmentArchitectureDurham Cathedral is often regarded as the finest Norman building in Europe, and it's undoubtedly the architectural highlight of Durham, not only for its age, but also for its breathtaking interior. The Castle, on the other side of Palace Green and home of University College, is something of a an architectural hotch-potch, having been constructed and then altered over the course of many centuries. Nevertheless its prominent position on the rocky peninsular is undoubtedly dramatic, especially juxtaposed with the Cathedral. Much of the rest of the University's older campus occupies attractive but undistinguished town houses of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, most notably North and South Bailey, and Old Elvet. Old Elvet is also home to one of Durham's most distinctive buildings, the Old Shire Hall, now used as the University Headquarters. This Victorian construction in terracotta red attracts fans and critics in equal measure, but has been sold by the university to ONE NorthEast. Durham's more recent architecture has proved similarly divisive, particularly in the case of the Dunelm House, the Students' Union building, and Kingsgate Bridge, which spans the river gorge to connect with North Bailey. These are both in the concrete Brutalist style of the 1960s, and although somewhat incongruous in the historic setting, certainly work better than the bland and uninspiring Elvet Riverside, just down the road. Local areaTeaching qualitydurham21.co.uk"The Durham students' online newspaper and lifestyle magazine", durham21.co.uk is the current NUS Student Website of the Year. It also won the award in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2005. durham21 has just been nominated in the Best Website of the Year category of the Guardian Media Awards 2007. It has also recently undertaken a re-design. Taken from the site's 'About Us' section: We aim to combine all the recognisable features of a print newspaper, such as the latest news, views, music, arts and reviews, whilst also exploiting the Internet medium to bring such things as a virtual tour of Durham, webcasting of Durham's student radio station purple, a fully-searchable listings system, web polls and an interactive comments system. In addition, our free fortnightly Kickstarter email makes it even easier to keep up to date with everything that's going on, in or around Durham. durham21 is entirely run by students and is always on the look out for new contributors as it aims to once again retain the NUS Student Website of the Year Award. Applying to DurhamThinking of applying to University of Durham? Why not read some Personal Statements which were used for applying here? Other Durham ArticlesWhy not read these other University of Durham Articles?
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