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Chemistry Research, Durham University
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Is Durham full of entitled, pretentious southerners?

I'm a state school offer holder and I'm slightly afraid that the culture will be dominated by this private school, middle-class, white, etc. mindset? How much truth is there in this stereotype?

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Reply 1
Original post by zazzy.r
I'm a state school offer holder and I'm slightly afraid that the culture will be dominated by this private school, middle-class, white, etc. mindset? How much truth is there in this stereotype?


Love the smell of controversy in the morning.
Chemistry Research, Durham University
Durham University
Durham
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Reply 2
Original post by Dillt2003
This certainly exists there, but not everyone fits this description. I've spoken to many other offer-holders and they seem to be like-minded individuals. It's really just a case of who you surround yourself with.

Durham has a bad reputation, and, to an extent, it fits, but it's slowly changing. I'm hoping to be a part of the change!

What course + college did you apply for?
Reply 3
Original post by Dillt2003
History at Cuth's! WBU?

Law at Cuth's, still waiting on an offer like most though.

That sounds so cocky like it's guaranteed, optimistic I guess.
Reply 4
Original post by Dillt2003
Good luck! I already have an offer, but maybe because it was like a contextual?

Thanks :smile:, I did my LNAT yesterday cuz I'm lazy so that is partly why too. Will you firm Durham?
Southerners, probably. Entitled and pretentious, maybe, maybe not. Bear in mind not all white middle class students there will have gone to a private school or be entitled and pretentious :tongue:

I know two people who went to my (state) school that went to Durham. One was a bit posh sounding an perhaps aspired to that entitlement and pretentiousness, but her social/family background was working class, while the other was definitely middle class in terms of social and family background (parents were doctors) but was a very earnest and down to earth person. Both went to the same state school and had grown up in the same area in the south. So, such things vary a lot!
Reply 6
Original post by artful_lounger
Southerners, probably. Entitled and pretentious, maybe, maybe not. Bear in mind not all white middle class students there will have gone to a private school or be entitled and pretentious :tongue:

I know two people who went to my (state) school that went to Durham. One was a bit posh sounding an perhaps aspired to that entitlement and pretentiousness, but her social/family background was working class, while the other was definitely middle class in terms of social and family background (parents were doctors) but was a very earnest and down to earth person. Both went to the same state school and had grown up in the same area in the south. So, such things vary a lot!

I have started watching Made In Chelsea to perfect my enunciation.
Original post by zazzy.r
I'm a state school offer holder and I'm slightly afraid that the culture will be dominated by this private school, middle-class, white, etc. mindset? How much truth is there in this stereotype?

I know 2 guys that graduated from Durham. One graduated last year, and the other the year before that. Both said that it did fit the stereotype of privileged, white people often from private schools and if they went to a state school, they came from a very nice area. They said that they are glad they went because they liked the course and overall loved their uni experience but just wished the people were different.
One was from London, and the other was from just outside London both i'd say are lower middle class. So I think it was just a shock for them to go from a city where there was alot of diversity and tolerance to a place where many people were white and rich (they are both white btw but were still used to diversity.)
The main point i'm trying to make is that your experience will vary but even if there are people like that, you can still enjoy your uni experience and find people like you. So if you really like the Durham course, go for it!
Reply 8
Original post by Ray3RE
Law at Cuth's, still waiting on an offer like most though.

That sounds so cocky like it's guaranteed, optimistic I guess.

At this point I'm convinced we've applied to the same unis Ray loollll

As for OP, if you love the course and place I wouldn't hold back. You're going to meet people that aren't necessarily the most down to earth or easy to relate to no matter where you go. On the contrary, you will also meet people who you will gel with nicely. Don't let a few people who you won't choose to spend your time with anyway stop you from going to the university that's best for you :smile:
Reply 9
Original post by Mikos
At this point I'm convinced we've applied to the same unis Ray loollll

As for OP, if you love the course and place I wouldn't hold back. You're going to meet people that aren't necessarily the most down to earth or easy to relate to no matter where you go. On the contrary, you will also meet people who you will gel with nicely. Don't let a few people who you won't choose to spend your time with anyway stop you from going to the university that's best for you :smile:

We both know you just copied me, I can't blame you, I feel flattered.
Reply 10
Original post by Ray3RE
We both know you just copied me, I can't blame you, I feel flattered.

What can I say? I learn from the greatest!

Bribing UCAS to hand over your application details was a real pain, however...
Original post by artful_lounger
Southerners, probably. Entitled and pretentious, maybe, maybe not. Bear in mind not all white middle class students there will have gone to a private school or be entitled and pretentious :tongue:

I know two people who went to my (state) school that went to Durham. One was a bit posh sounding an perhaps aspired to that entitlement and pretentiousness, but her social/family background was working class, while the other was definitely middle class in terms of social and family background (parents were doctors) but was a very earnest and down to earth person. Both went to the same state school and had grown up in the same area in the south. So, such things vary a lot!


EXACTLY. There's posh and chavvy all over the country, how ridiculous is this civil war north south stereotypical attitude we have.
Reply 12
Original post by Dillt2003
Probably -- if Cambridge don't want me.


Original post by Mikos
What can I say? I learn from the greatest!

Bribing UCAS to hand over your application details was a real pain, however...

Cambridge act like they are one of the top unis.

I nearly missed the small print😂maybe you could bribe my unis to actually reply.
Reply 13
Original post by Bang Outta Order
EXACTLY. There's posh and chavvy all over the country, how ridiculous is this civil war north south stereotypical attitude we have.

Extremely ridiculous, South would win though.
Reply 14
Original post by Dillt2003
They are one of the top unis!

I know😂but let me be bitter anyway.
Reply 15
Original post by Bang Outta Order
EXACTLY. There's posh and chavvy all over the country, how ridiculous is this civil war north south stereotypical attitude we have.

The North-South civil war is indeed silly, though perhaps I'm only of that opinion because I'm from Nottingham and feel excluded :frown:
Original post by Ray3RE
Extremely ridiculous, South would win though.


I'm Midlands so I'm not in this


😎
Original post by Mikos
The North-South civil war is indeed silly, though perhaps I'm only of that opinion because I'm from Nottingham and feel excluded :frown:

LOL I just said to someone, I'm from Midlands so do ur damage I'm not in this lol I'm from Birmingham but live elsewhere in east Midlands now.
Reply 18
Original post by Bang Outta Order
LOL I just said to someone, I'm from Midlands so do ur damage I'm not in this lol I'm from Birmingham but live elsewhere in east Midlands now.

True, though while I’m not sure about where you live, everyone from Nottingham seems to think they’re northern for some reason??
Original post by Mikos
True, though while I’m not sure about where you live, everyone from Nottingham seems to think they’re northern for some reason??

It's a split decision in my experience. I think it's north Midlands but not north England and ppl tend to agree when I put it that way. The north starts in south Yorkshire.

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