durham or ucl???

hello thank you so so so so much if you reply to this i would be so grateful

ok so im thinking im gonna go to UCL or durham and im taking a gap year... which although will make me have to pay the new fees.. ive alwaysssss wanted to.

-so in UCL i applied to do arch & anth... im not so sure about the archaeology side of it :s-smilie:

but still..
the reasons so far why i like ucl is cause it is close to home.. (i live in oxford) and the weather is generally warmer than durham (i cant deal with cold weather i think i have seasonal depression lol)
-it is a better uni... better rep i think? therefore i will be more employable
however, im worried about it being quite lonely and does anyone know if you HAVE to go out of halls for yr 2 and 3? cause then i'd have to rent with other people and that would be so pricey and id probs have to live far away in a not very nice area??? comments on this?

DURHAM:: the main thing about durham is that ive applied to do a combined honors: FRENCH AND ANTHROPOLOGY which i think id actually find more interesting? and i spend my 3rd yr abroad?? does anyone know how this works too? so i'd only actually have 2 yrs at durham
-so durham seems nice, pretty and collegial which would be cool i think.. more of a community...less lonely than UCL
-however, it is FARRR from home :frown:

and very cold so those are two big cons
-plus apparently people in durham are stuck up? this is what ive heard...i may be totally wrong,,, kinda like oxbride rejects.. (again, sorry if im totally wrong)
-i kinda like the look of durham cause newcastle is close for big nights.. and the sports aspect is cool

WHAT SHALL I DO ??im just so so so stressed cause im so indecisive and need some help from people who have been/have friends who go to these places or anything you know or just generally your own opinions
THANK YOU SO SO SO MUCH

UCL

OP

whywhywhy? do you go there? if it good?
thanks :smile:

Reply 3

Blackspur

10

They are two very different courses. Pick whichever course you prefer, which by the sounds of things is Durham.

Reply 4

kerily

15

This is the same dilemma that I'm having - whether to put Durham or UCL as my insurance.

I'm personally hoping that UCL don't force you to leave halls if you have a valid medical reason not to - I have Asperger's and various other universities have a policy that if you have AS, you're allowed to stay in halls. But I think this is more on a case-by-case basis.

Also, Durham isn't cold. The north isn't that much colder than the south. Granted you get fewer hours of daylight in winter in the north, but it's not like the difference between the Arctic circle and the equator. You have been up north before, mm?

Reply 5

angelmxxx

14

Original post by 222ts

hello thank you so so so so much if you reply to this i would be so grateful

ok so im thinking im gonna go to UCL or durham and im taking a gap year... which although will make me have to pay the new fees.. ive alwaysssss wanted to.

-so in UCL i applied to do arch & anth... im not so sure about the archaeology side of it :s-smilie:

but still..
the reasons so far why i like ucl is cause it is close to home.. (i live in oxford) and the weather is generally warmer than durham (i cant deal with cold weather i think i have seasonal depression lol)
-it is a better uni... better rep i think? therefore i will be more employable
however, im worried about it being quite lonely and does anyone know if you HAVE to go out of halls for yr 2 and 3? cause then i'd have to rent with other people and that would be so pricey and id probs have to live far away in a not very nice area??? comments on this?

DURHAM:: the main thing about durham is that ive applied to do a combined honors: FRENCH AND ANTHROPOLOGY which i think id actually find more interesting? and i spend my 3rd yr abroad?? does anyone know how this works too? so i'd only actually have 2 yrs at durham
-so durham seems nice, pretty and collegial which would be cool i think.. more of a community...less lonely than UCL
-however, it is FARRR from home :frown:

and very cold so those are two big cons
-plus apparently people in durham are stuck up? this is what ive heard...i may be totally wrong,,, kinda like oxbride rejects.. (again, sorry if im totally wrong)
-i kinda like the look of durham cause newcastle is close for big nights.. and the sports aspect is cool

WHAT SHALL I DO ??im just so so so stressed cause im so indecisive and need some help from people who have been/have friends who go to these places or anything you know or just generally your own opinions
THANK YOU SO SO SO MUCH

Durham anthropology is biological and social (you can choose your modules so that you specialise in just one after 1st year, or do a mix of both)...I'm not sure if UCL is the same, but check the degree structure because most unis only offer biological OR social anthropology.

UCL has as many Oxbridge rejects (%-wise) as Durham...if not more. Do you honestly think everyone at Durham is a posh millionaire? Tbh if you honestly do, there's no point in you studying anthropology if you can't understand that everyone is different, even in a small "society"!

Don't make a decision yet!! Go to the Durham open day in March, it's incredible and will definitely definitely help you work out if you want to go there. Visit UCL too :smile:

Employability wise the difference is nil....what will matter is how many extra-curriculars you get involved in (taking on positions of responsibility, developing leadership and teamwork skills). Sport and societies are brilliant for this, and Durham has collegiate sport so that you can get involved, whether you've never played before or are England standard. Also French will make you incredibly employable, and spending a year abroad will give you that "international outlook" that companies always seem to talk about!

If you want to do French and not Arch, definitely go for Durham. It's only 2.5hrs from London by train, and if you're unhappy with your course it won't matter how much you love the uni, you won't get the most out of your degree. But your degree will be FOUR YEARS, NOT THREE. You do 2 years in Durham, 1 year in France (working or at a uni), 1 year in Durham. If you get a job in France (in a business or as a language assistant in a school/etc, you can earn money over the year which is great!

If you want to do Arch then probably go for UCL, but if you're doing the Combined Honours degree at Durham then you can do Anth, Arch and French combined which could be perfect for you!!

Also have you looked at budgeting? You'd get a bigger loan for UCL but London is really expensive, and as it's a loan you will have to pay it back (unless you earn under the threshold etc. etc.). It's very hard to get a place in halls for years 2 and 3, and halls are incredibly expensive in London anyway! Have a look at the uni websites to compare costs. Durham is £4800 for 1st year college (21 meals a week, bar, full cleaning done for you, use of all the college facilities for all 3 years you are in Durham - including music rooms, halls with stages for plays/musicals, common rooms, pool rooms, etc. Living out in Durham is really cheap - it even wins awards for best living out city - prices are from £50-£85 per week, plus about £8 per week for bills. You can live in college again for your final year if you want too (ie after you get back from France). Remember to add in transport as well - in Durham you can walk literally everywhere, so no paying for buses/taxis to lectures/after nights out.

London bus prices are £1.20 per journey with an Oyster card, no matter how long your journey is (if you have to change bus you have to pay another £1.20 to get on a new bus).

The UCL website/UCL forum on here should have info about London prices for going out etc - the University of London has a student union with reasonably priced drinks, but obviously London clubs are pretty extortionate. Durham will definitely be cheaper in that respect - there are 14 college bars + a Union society (debating) bar + a student union with 3 bars, all in the city centre which any student can go to (even if you're not from that college/not in the debating society), where pints are £1.35-£1.50 :smile:

Edit - I am at Durham and was really worried about the weather too! Obviously it's not tropical, but I have actually looked it up a few times and it has always been 1 or 2 degrees colder than London, no less (sometimes warmer). Because it's on the East Coast it gets the same amount of rain as the South-East (not much), it's not like Exeter/Wales where they get lots! The student union has actually been running a campaign to help (mainly international) students adjust to fewer daylight hours and colder winters than they are used to. Obviously the daylight hours are the same as Oxford, but there are loads of welfare people who can help you :smile:

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 6

OVERCAPITALISED

No i don't go there, but i have friends in both universities. UCL is better academically, UCL is in London and there is a much better social life, whilst Durham is famous for being boring. As you mentioned Durham is very far away while UCL is relatively close. In UCL the accommodation in the 2nd and 3rd year is fine, there are plenty of good rooms available for affordable prices. Durham also has a 3 to 1 male to female ratio, a bit of diversity wouldn't go a miss. Finally a lot of my friends who are at Durham say it's full of stuck up ****. You should probably go to both their open days.

Reply 7

Bella Occhi

16

Original post by 222ts

DURHAM:: the main thing about durham is that ive applied to do a combined honors: FRENCH AND ANTHROPOLOGY which i think id actually find more interesting? and i spend my 3rd yr abroad?? does anyone know how this works too? so i'd only actually have 2 yrs at durham

I'm fairly sure if you do a language degree even if joint honours, it's a 4 year course so you do 2 years at Durham then a year in France then final year back in Durham, fyi :holmes:

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 8

angelmxxx

14

Original post by kerily

This is the same dilemma that I'm having - whether to put Durham or UCL as my insurance.

I'm personally hoping that UCL don't force you to leave halls if you have a valid medical reason not to - I have Asperger's and various other universities have a policy that if you have AS, you're allowed to stay in halls. But I think this is more on a case-by-case basis.

Also, Durham isn't cold. The north isn't that much colder than the south. Granted you get fewer hours of daylight in winter in the north, but it's not like the difference between the Arctic circle and the equator. You have been up north before, mm?

Are you going to the Durham open day (overnight stay) in March? Definitely go if at all possible, if you book train tickets now they should be really cheap :smile:

It's the best way to get a feel for Durham, and was a big decision maker for loads of people who are now Durham students!

Reply 9

angelmxxx

14

Original post by OVERCAPITALISED

No i don't go there, but i have friends in both universities. UCL is better academically, UCL is in London and there is a much better social life, whilst Durham is famous for being boring. As you mentioned Durham is very far away while UCL is relatively close. In UCL the accommodation in the 2nd and 3rd year is fine, there are plenty of good rooms available for affordable prices. Durham also has a 3 to 1 male to female ratio, a bit of diversity wouldn't go a miss. Finally a lot of my friends who are at Durham say it's full of stuck up ****. You should probably go to both their open days.

Durham is only boring if you don't get involved in any college activities, don't go out, and don't get involved in any sports/societies...and if you don't then you're probably not the most exciting person yourself.

Durham actually has a 49:51 ratio - not sure which way but did you make up 3:1 or are you just guessing?!

Clearly everyone in Durham is stuck-up, yeah....I mean, you can tell by just walking around that people think they're better than you....what?!?!?!

Reply 10

theteenagecurse

One of my brothers went to Durham and had the time of his life. He actually ended up renting a house with his friends for his second, third and fourth years. None of his friends were stuck up at all, they were some of the nicest people I've ever met... maybe that's just the people he hung round with though. I guess you'll get people like that anywhere you go though!
Also, although Durham gets a lot of snow in the winter, it isn't that much colder... also, Durham is so pretty & Newcastle is close for shopping & nights out etc.
My other brother goes to SGUL... not UCL but it's still in London so this may be of some use. He rarely goes out with his friends, probably because he is independent anyway and only really goes out with his fiancee to restaurants etc. He doesn't live in the nicest part of London but then the university itself isn't in a particularly pretty part. :P
Really I think it depends what kind of person you are. Durham was the perfect place for my sociable brother who has a close knit group of friends but my other brother seems to love London itself and wants to stay there after uni.
Just go with the one you like most, they both have an awesome reputation. Personally, I think it seems that you prefer the course at Durham, and at the end of the day that's what you're going for.
Good luck with whatever you decide!

Reply 11

kerily

15

Original post by angelmxxx

Are you going to the Durham open day (overnight stay) in March? Definitely go if at all possible, if you book train tickets now they should be really cheap :smile:

It's the best way to get a feel for Durham, and was a big decision maker for loads of people who are now Durham students!

Is there one? Can you link me? I've actually not been to Durham at all - their open day system was really confusing (they don't seem to have general uni ones, just subject-related ones, and the subject-related ones were in like May, which is before I was thinking about uni) but I definitely want to visit! I'd actually like to go to UCL again too, but I can't afford it, so pictures and the like will have to suffice. But thankyou :smile:

Reply 12

angelmxxx

14

Original post by kerily

Is there one? Can you link me? I've actually not been to Durham at all - their open day system was really confusing (they don't seem to have general uni ones, just subject-related ones, and the subject-related ones were in like May, which is before I was thinking about uni) but I definitely want to visit! I'd actually like to go to UCL again too, but I can't afford it, so pictures and the like will have to suffice. But thankyou :smile:

Have you got an offer? If you have, then when your college sends you a letter saying "congratulations, you've got into .... college" they should send the details then.

It's in March, I'm not sure which college you're in but here is the mildert info (1st one that came up on google, every college follows the same format).

http://www.dur.ac.uk/van-mildert.college/prospective.students/open.days/

Reply 13

The Patriot

14

Original post by kerily

This is the same dilemma that I'm having - whether to put Durham or UCL as my insurance.

I'm personally hoping that UCL don't force you to leave halls if you have a valid medical reason not to - I have Asperger's and various other universities have a policy that if you have AS, you're allowed to stay in halls. But I think this is more on a case-by-case basis.

Also, Durham isn't cold. The north isn't that much colder than the south. Granted you get fewer hours of daylight in winter in the north, but it's not like the difference between the Arctic circle and the equator. You have been up north before, mm?

To a northerner it isn't that cold. But to someone from the midlands or the south it is frickin freezing. My sister went from home to durham and she says it is crazy cold. Depends on your personal threshold though I suppose.

Reply 14

222ts

OP

mmmm yes thank you everyone... i just dont really know.. i feel i should go to UCL because it has a slightly better rep.. but it is just SO expensive. but it is very close to home/i have family in london so it could be less lonely in that sense ?

Reply 15

angelmxxx

14

Original post by S129439

To a northerner it isn't that cold. But to someone from the midlands or the south it is frickin freezing. My sister went from home to durham and she says it is crazy cold. Depends on your personal threshold though I suppose.

I'm from South of London and I'm pretty intolerant to the cold, but I find it fine. Sometimes there's been more snow in Durham than my family have had at home, and sometimes they've had more snow. As I said earlier, it's 1 or 2 degrees different which after a week or so you really won't notice.

Reply 16

222ts

OP

ohh and about that open day, yeah ive had an offer but the college hasnt replied.. views on the colleges too? i guess they are all equally good? i think ive applied to st chads or something? :s-smilie:

Reply 17

222ts

OP

yeah i HATE the cold and lack of sun in the winter so this may be an issue in durham lol

Reply 18

angelmxxx

14

Original post by 222ts

mmmm yes thank you everyone... i just dont really know.. i feel i should go to UCL because it has a slightly better rep.. but it is just SO expensive. but it is very close to home/i have family in london so it could be less lonely in that sense ?

Why do you think it has a better rep? 1 place in a league table (actually Durham has been above ucl in recent tables) is 100% irrelevant. If you still think it has better rep, let me know which careers you're interested in and I'll send you the list of relevant employers who've been in Durham to give talks/attend our careers fair.

I don't think family distance would be too different - you're still a skype/phone call away, it's not like you'll be living down the road. Yes it's a shorter train journey home, but you won't have time to go home every weekend if you're playing sport/in societies/etc. Most people in Durham live in London/south of London and go home 2 or 3 times a term, if you book a month in advance it's usually an £8 Durham---> London train journey on a Friday night.

Anyway don't decide yet! Wait til you've been to the open days - and the most important thing is the course!! Do you want to study Arch&Anth, or Anth&French/Arch&French/Anth?