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Chemistry Research, Durham University
Durham University
Durham
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Will I regret rejecting Durham for Bristol?

I wanted to attend Durham for a very long time but I am thinking about the practical side of things now and it would be too far away from home and as I live in the South, it might be too different. Bristol on the other hand suddenly appeals to me way more and honestly the only thing holding me back from firming it is "reputation". I was thinking about living in Durham for 3 years earlier and started crying and I know this makes me sound like a big baby but I don't know if I can move so far away from family and the travel would be expensive so I wouldn't be able to come back home that often.

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surely COL will be significantly lower in the north east (durham) than the south west (bristol)?
Chemistry Research, Durham University
Durham University
Durham
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Reply 2
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Anonymous #1
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Original post by MalcolmX
surely COL will be significantly lower in the north east (durham) than the south west (bristol)?

That's true, but Bristol is closer to London and so wouldn't it be easier to get there for networking opportunities and cost me way less? I think the distance is my biggest concern. Durham would be 6 hours away by train and Bristol 2 from where I live.
Which course do you prefer the look of? The idea of a small city or a medium sized one?
What, exactly, about Durham made it your dream university in the first place? (If it's prestige, I would personally whap that one on the head, right now... Ditto Bristol's 'reputation'. Whatever aspect of it is holding you back). What attracted you to Bristol? Something must have done. Are your other choices totally out of the running now?

Going to university is a time for making choices about what to study, where to live. A chance to spread your wings in many ways. Ideally, ylou shouldn't let distance from home put you off studying in the best place for you, but 'best' is holistic and if the mere thought of physically going to Durham upsets you that much, it is probably not the best.

You have got more than 4 months to make your decision, though, so no need to rush into it now. Take some deep breaths. Do a boring old pros and cons list, it really can help:smile:.
Reply 4
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sy!¡
19
bristol has a good reputation too
Original post by Anonymous
I wanted to attend Durham for a very long time but I am thinking about the practical side of things now and it would be too far away from home and as I live in the South, it might be too different. Bristol on the other hand suddenly appeals to me way more and honestly the only thing holding me back from firming it is "reputation". I was thinking about living in Durham for 3 years earlier and started crying and I know this makes me sound like a big baby but I don't know if I can move so far away from family and the travel would be expensive so I wouldn't be able to come back home that often.

Bristol has an excellent reputation, obviously subject reputation matters. But overall I consider Bristol & Durham as very similar and negligible really.
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Original post by mnot
Bristol has an excellent reputation, obviously subject reputation matters. But overall I consider Bristol & Durham as very similar and negligible really.

If I am being completely honest with you, I think I feel pressured to attend because I got in. I am worried that later I will think of turning it down for Bristol as a waste of an opportunity most would have grabbed. In terms of modules, I like both the ones Bristol offers and Durham and actually one module in particular at Bristol that I hope I will get to study.
Original post by Anonymous
If I am being completely honest with you, I think I feel pressured to attend because I got in. I am worried that later I will think of turning it down for Bristol as a waste of an opportunity most would have grabbed. In terms of modules, I like both the ones Bristol offers and Durham and actually one module in particular at Bristol that I hope I will get to study.

Pick where you want to go. Decide for yourself. You are the one who has to live with the decision.

I dont think think their is a noticeable reputation difference between the two, the bigger differences are in the style of uni & the cities they are in.
Careers wise I think you wont lose out at either university.
Reply 8
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Original post by mnot
Pick where you want to go. Decide for yourself. You are the one who has to live with the decision.


Thank you so much for saying this. I think it's so easy to fool yourself into thinking you want something just because you care what others will think of your choices that you actually forget to choose what you really want. I think I will go with Bristol, study really hard, work on my CV and do this all in a city I feel I will be more comfortable in. Thanks :smile:
Bristol is literally at least as prestigious as Durham. It's just not as "posh" as Durham. Durham pretends to punch higher than they actually do by trying to replicate Oxbridge vibes.

However, if you're worried about a different culture in Durham than the south you shouldn't be. Tons of southerners there.
Original post by Anonymous
Bristol is literally at least as prestigious as Durham. It's just not as "posh" as Durham. Durham pretends to punch higher than they actually do by trying to replicate Oxbridge vibes.

However, if you're worried about a different culture in Durham than the south you shouldn't be. Tons of southerners there.

You know, for such a good university, I have never really understood why their website is so old. They really need to update it ASAP.

Have you attended Durham yourself? Sounds like you are speaking from experience. :smile:
Original post by Anonymous
You know, for such a good university, I have never really understood why their website is so old. They really need to update it ASAP.

Have you attended Durham yourself? Sounds like you are speaking from experience. :smile:

No I just know people who have.
I was in this position and I rejected Durham for Bristol. No regrets at all! Happy to answer questions about Bristol if you have any :smile:
Original post by Anonymous

However, if you're worried abouta different culture in Durham than the south you shouldn't be. Tons of southerners there.

In fact, university statistics show that it's students from the north-east that it is relatively short of...
Original post by Anonymous
That's true, but Bristol is closer to London and so wouldn't it be easier to get there for networking opportunities and cost me way less? I think the distance is my biggest concern. Durham would be 6 hours away by train and Bristol 2 from where I live.

I live on the south coast so it will also take me about 6 hours to get to Durham, but I'm not planning on coming home during term time so I don't really see it as an issue. I don't see the travel cost as an issue either as it's only once a term and it's more than offset by much more expensive accommodation in the south.

But it sounds like you do want to be going back and forth during term for various reasons, in which case Durham may not be viable.

Reckon you need to sit down and figure out if this is just pre uni anxiety about leaving home (I have this too) and actually you'd settle down and be happy to spend term time there.

Remember we're only actually in Durham for 29 weeks a year, barely half the year.
Original post by Anonymous
I was in this position and I rejected Durham for Bristol. No regrets at all! Happy to answer questions about Bristol if you have any :smile:


Hey thanks :smile: What were your reasons, if you don't mind me asking?
Original post by Anonymous
No I just know people who have.

Alright. Also, thank you for your contribution! :smile:

Original post by Southcoaster747
I live on the south coast so it will also take me about 6 hours to get to Durham, but I'm not planning on coming home during term time so I don't really see it as an issue. I don't see the travel cost as an issue either as it's only once a term and it's more than offset by much more expensive accommodation in the south.

But it sounds like you do want to be going back and forth during term for various reasons, in which case Durham may not be viable.

Reckon you need to sit down and figure out if this is just pre uni anxiety about leaving home (I have this too) and actually you'd settle down and be happy to spend term time there.

Remember we're only actually in Durham for 29 weeks a year, barely half the year.



That's actually a very good point! I think it's because I know I will be travelling to London quite a bit that I was worried about the cost. I hope you enjoy your time at Durham! Good luck :smile:
Original post by Anonymous
Alright. Also, thank you for your contribution! :smile:




That's actually a very good point! I think it's because I know I will be travelling to London quite a bit that I was worried about the cost. I hope you enjoy your time at Durham! Good luck :smile:

Thanks! I actually haven't got my offer yet so I blooming hope it comes soon after the 29th. Going crazy here.... :biggrin:
Original post by Anonymous
Hey thanks :smile: What were your reasons, if you don't mind me asking?


I went to the post offer day where you stay overnight and we went on a tour at night. The town was a lot smaller than I’d expected (there’s three main streets in total) and we didn’t bump into a single person outside of our group during the tour! It was out of term time (since we needed the rooms) so the vibe was probably different and all the students were gone but I couldn’t imagine myself there for four years! I’d really advise visiting if you can (appreciate it’s difficult with Covid). I agonised over the decision until I visited both Bristol and Durham, and Bristol just felt right. Although it’s a city, the uni buildings are within 10 minutes of each other and most of them are clustered in the same area so there’s still a strong student feel, but it’s easy to escape the student bubble too! There’s always something going on in Bristol (clubbing is obviously way better than Durham) so you’ll never run out of things to do, and it has good public transport too (buses and trains).

Focus on whether you want a collegiate type experience or more of a city type. I was concerned about the perceived prestige of Durham but in reality, employers won’t differentiate between Durham or Bristol grads. Durham has more traditions like gowns and balls. Bristol does have quite a few formals particularly in year 1 but not as many after that.
Original post by Anonymous
I wanted to attend Durham for a very long time but I am thinking about the practical side of things now and it would be too far away from home and as I live in the South, it might be too different. Bristol on the other hand suddenly appeals to me way more and honestly the only thing holding me back from firming it is "reputation". I was thinking about living in Durham for 3 years earlier and started crying and I know this makes me sound like a big baby but I don't know if I can move so far away from family and the travel would be expensive so I wouldn't be able to come back home that often.


Internationally & employer wise, Bristol has a much higher reputation than Durham. Check it out. I feel the same, I visited Durham in the Summer, then Bristol & Exeter. I much prefer them.

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