Hi!
Sorry for the delay in getting back to you.
This is a very good question and very similar to the type of thing I was wondering last year, when applying.
So Durham's course is general engineering. This means that you'll be doing some chemical, mechanical, civil etc for the first year (maybe two) and then specialising into civil engineering afterwards. Now this has two advantages, firstly it means that if you aren't completely sure about which branch of engineering you prefer, you have time to try it all out before deciding. Secondly, if you graduate as a civil engineer, you'll most likely be working in an office or company with engineers from all the other branches. If your education means you have a basic understanding of their jobs (i.e. you've done a little chemical, mechanical engineering etc) then you will probably be able to work better in the team. The disadvantage of a general course is that if you're sure you want to do civil then you may find it frustrating and difficult doing other branches that prehaphs don't interest you. So Durham's course structure may or may not interest you.
At Bath we have a similar (ish!) concept. Our civil engineering department is combined with the architecture department. This is for exactly the same reason as above (you'll be working together so should be educated together). So at Bath you will work with the architects quite a lot and do some joint projects.
The other educational thing you may like to think about is the performance of the universities. A good way to do this is to look at league tables however, don’t become too dictated by these. A good place to start might be:
the complete university guide or the
Guardian league tables. Another consideration is ‘student satisfaction’ which is also published in league table format. Bath generally does well in these and is the most satisfied in the UK according to the results of the 2014 National Student Survey (NSS).
So whilst education is important when you decide between the two, there are lots of other factors you could consider when deciding upon the best university. There is no set formula and people make decisions based on different things. The most important thing is that you are happy at the university you choose. In essence, you will be living and breathing the university every day, so you need to be completely happy with your choice. Bath is a reasonably small campus university (all lecture rooms, library, and much of the accommodation is on one site) and it has everything from shops to cafes and banks to a chaplaincy all on one site. Personally, when I decided which university was right for me, I saw it as a positive that it was a small campus and everything was so local. However, I know for other people, they don’t like the ‘bubble’ effect and much prefer the more open ‘city university’. Sadly I've never been to Durham so can't comment on it.
Another thing that might matter to you is location (maybe you want to get away from home or stay close to home!), or accommodation (however in my opinion all student accommodation is very similar and depends more on how much you pay than the location).
These are just things that I considered when applying to university however there might be more obscure things that really matter to you. For example, one of my friends went to Cardiff University because he loves kayaking and they have a white-water canoe centre very close! Personally I think you should focus more on the factors listed above, but each person is different.
In regards to what there is to do, I think Bath can keep you busy! The city is reasonably small, but many people think it’s extremely pretty and personally I enjoy spending time in town. In terms of meeting people, there are loads of people to meet – the university has over 15,000 students! You’ll have a chance to meet people in your accommodation, in your department and at any of the societies you may join. We have over
80 societies.
I hope the advice aids you in making the right decision - I wish I could help more – I was in the same situation last year, and I know how you’re feeling! Ultimately, both are very good universities and the likelihood is that you’ll be happy at any of them, but spend time thinking through the options and make sure you chose the one you think you’ll be happiest at!
I hope that my response is of some assistance to you. Apologies for its length, but I wanted to answer your questions in enough detail for you to be able to make an informed decision.
Best of luck with your decision making process and if you need any more help, please don’t hesitate to get back to me.
Rob