Durham colleges - advice?
I'm hoping to apply to Durham (among other universities) and am wondering which colleges to focus my interest on. I will be going on an open day/campus tour, obviously the sooner the better, but would just like to know which are some of the better colleges (unbiased opinions, please 
)? The one I've heard most about is Collingwood, but I'll be honest and say I don't know that much about any of them, or Durham itself. 
I'd prefer a college to be fairly secluded but not more than 15 minutes' walk or so from the city centre... I don't know how good Durham is for these things, and I really couldn't face going through every college website as I also have three more universities to decide on as soon as possible if I want to visit them over the summer! 
Any recommendations or advice would be great!
Obviously I'll look into them myself... I'd just prefer not to book myself into an open day at a crap college that's miles out from anywhere and doesn't do my course or anything. 
(I would be applying for an MMath, mathematical sciences, if that makes a difference. )
Thanks in advance.
)? The one I've heard most about is Collingwood, but I'll be honest and say I don't know that much about any of them, or Durham itself. I'd prefer a college to be fairly secluded but not more than 15 minutes' walk or so from the city centre... I don't know how good Durham is for these things, and I really couldn't face going through every college website as I also have three more universities to decide on as soon as possible if I want to visit them over the summer! Any recommendations or advice would be great!
Obviously I'll look into them myself... I'd just prefer not to book myself into an open day at a crap college that's miles out from anywhere and doesn't do my course or anything. (I would be applying for an MMath, mathematical sciences, if that makes a difference. )Thanks in advance.
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Reply 1
Not at Durham (yet... hopefully will be soon! ) but from my understanding, you can take all courses at each college, so that shouldn't affect your choice (unless you'd rather be closer to the department).
Further, I think most colleges are within quite a short walking distance from the centre. The obvious one in terms of walking times is Castle... Collingwood is one of the furthest from the centre.
Again, I'm not actually at Durham yet, but I live close and have been to see the uni quite a few times. I'm sure the real, bonafied Durhamites will have much more to say, though
) but from my understanding, you can take all courses at each college, so that shouldn't affect your choice (unless you'd rather be closer to the department).Further, I think most colleges are within quite a short walking distance from the centre. The obvious one in terms of walking times is Castle... Collingwood is one of the furthest from the centre.
Again, I'm not actually at Durham yet, but I live close and have been to see the uni quite a few times. I'm sure the real, bonafied Durhamites will have much more to say, though
Reply 2
13
I think you can do all courses at all colleges.
Reply 3
You're not taught in your colleges a la Oxbridge. They are only for living in so speak!
I'd say if you wanted a college that was quite secluded and not more than 15 minutes walk from town I'd say somewhere like Trevs is worth a look. It's one of the smaller hill colleges but everyone I know who is there(there are quite a few on here) say that its very friendly and welcoming.
Not suggesting that Hatfield isn't but that's literally 2 minutes walk into town, and I thought you wanted a bit more of a walk
I'd say if you wanted a college that was quite secluded and not more than 15 minutes walk from town I'd say somewhere like Trevs is worth a look. It's one of the smaller hill colleges but everyone I know who is there(there are quite a few on here) say that its very friendly and welcoming.
Not suggesting that Hatfield isn't but that's literally 2 minutes walk into town, and I thought you wanted a bit more of a walk
Reply 4
15
I went to have a look round and I thought all the hill colleges looked nice. St.Aidans is modern but cheerful. st. Chads was a bit scruffy. Didnt see many others.
And I dontt hink anywhere in durham really takes longer than 15 minutes.
And I dontt hink anywhere in durham really takes longer than 15 minutes.
Reply 5
what other people have said basically. No college teaching, everywhere is in 15 mins walking distance (except butler maybe, if you walk slow). The next choices really are, big or small, old or new? (catered or self-catered?)
Reply 6
12
Chads isn't really very scruffy, it's just tiny.
Shared or non-shared?
Shared or non-shared?
Reply 7
I think the hill colleges are nicely placed, in that you're away from the hustle and bustly of the city centre, and for me as an artsy type, away from lectures and university buildings. Although they're further away, the walk is relatively short when I consider the journey I used to make to school every day
Reply 8
Essentially, in Durham, you have 2 choices for College situation, Bailey or Hill. The Bailey colleges are al situated within the old castle walls, and are very close to the City centre. The hill colleges are newer and could not be built inside the walls so are a bit further out, and more dispersed. Your choice now depends on your definition of secluded. I think that all Bailey colleges have their own grounds, but face onto a road near the centre of town (but the further down that road you get the less traffic there is. The Hill colleges aren't near the town centre, so there will be less traffic, but I don't think that any are total oasises.
Essentially, there isn't a college more than 15 mins away if you're a brisk walker. Here are some brief outlines of all the colleges:
http://www.dur.ac.uk/undergraduate/living/colleges/decide/
Here are some stats about admissions (no. shared/single/ensuite rooms, Male/female ratio, etc)
http://www.dur.ac.uk/undergraduate/living/colleges/facilities/
http://www.dur.ac.uk/undergraduate/living/colleges/application-stats/
Read these, and eliminate any colleges you're not interested in, then look through the websites of the Colleges you are and whittle it down. Good Luck
Essentially, there isn't a college more than 15 mins away if you're a brisk walker. Here are some brief outlines of all the colleges:
http://www.dur.ac.uk/undergraduate/living/colleges/decide/
Here are some stats about admissions (no. shared/single/ensuite rooms, Male/female ratio, etc)
http://www.dur.ac.uk/undergraduate/living/colleges/facilities/
http://www.dur.ac.uk/undergraduate/living/colleges/application-stats/
Read these, and eliminate any colleges you're not interested in, then look through the websites of the Colleges you are and whittle it down. Good Luck
Reply 9
16
Josephine Butler. Woo!
Reply 10
Talya
Josephine Butler. Woo!
useful advice.
Reply 11
Ho hum.
Check out Durham's SU website www.dur.ac.uk slash something or other (you want the DSU link) and then poke around the colleges websites (bottom left I think). We can give you advice on what colleges are like after you do this but this is probably the best starting point as these websites tend to be written by the sabbatical exec. and so all give a better flavour of what each college is like.
Check out Durham's SU website www.dur.ac.uk slash something or other (you want the DSU link) and then poke around the colleges websites (bottom left I think). We can give you advice on what colleges are like after you do this but this is probably the best starting point as these websites tend to be written by the sabbatical exec. and so all give a better flavour of what each college is like.
Reply 12
http://www.dsu.org.uk/ < The actual link...
Reply 13
16
Eddie K
Ho hum.
Check out Durham's SU website www.dur.ac.uk slash something or other (you want the DSU link) and then poke around the colleges websites (bottom left I think). We can give you advice on what colleges are like after you do this but this is probably the best starting point as these websites tend to be written by the sabbatical exec. and so all give a better flavour of what each college is like.
Check out Durham's SU website www.dur.ac.uk slash something or other (you want the DSU link) and then poke around the colleges websites (bottom left I think). We can give you advice on what colleges are like after you do this but this is probably the best starting point as these websites tend to be written by the sabbatical exec. and so all give a better flavour of what each college is like.
Thanks, but you know as well as I do that any student at a collegiate university will think their college is the best - I looked at the Collingwood JCR website and it didn't mention how close it was to the centre of town at all, for example, and that's because (as danfel said) it's one of the furthest out.
I planned to look at the JCR websites after I'd got a bit more very general information on the colleges there.socialist cook
You're not taught in your colleges a la Oxbridge. They are only for living in so speak!
Not true. They run a supervisions system (Cambridge talk; Oxford equivalent is "tutorials") in the college where you talk over questions and so on that you've been given to do in pairs, and have your own supervisor (tutor) that looks after you and how you're getting on with your course, as well as your tutor (er... pastoral... tutor? I'm not up on Oxford-speak so much
) who looks after you in general while you're at the university. Does a similar system not operate at Durham?Itchynscratchy
what other people have said basically. No college teaching, everywhere is in 15 mins walking distance (except butler maybe, if you walk slow). The next choices really are, big or small, old or new? (catered or self-catered?)
If there is no college teaching, it basically has to be somewhere I'd like to live... which is anywhere that you won't have tourists crawling around most of the year, and that doesn't hurt your eyes to look at, but not somewhere 5 miles from any other human contact.
Other than that I don't mind - not too big I guess, not too small, just somewhere comfortable. Catered or self-catered - blah, depends on the prices in central Durham, because I'm not cooking for myself. I'm practically a student, come on! arkbar
Shared or non-shared?
Shared or non-shared what?
You could be talking about bedrooms (=**** no), bathrooms (blah...), kitchens (that's fine... what else? ). Durham is a bit of a confusing university for me - elaborate please! Aceofspades2345
Your choice now depends on your definition of secluded.
Secluded enough for tourists not to be coming and bouncing round the university during exam times, but not so secluded that seeing anyone else takes a hike through Durham.
I'm not fussy otherwise.Talya
Josephine Butler. Woo!
Woo!
Thanks everyone!
Will get looking into those links now. Gah, I like the collegiate system but you have to appreciate the simplicity of places like Warwick where you don't get a choice... Reply 14
12
I looked at the Collingwood JCR website and it didn't mention how close it was to the centre of town at all, for example
I heard they'd invented maps these days,like the one at www.dur.ac.uk/map
. Does a similar system not operate at Durham?
'A la' in this case meant 'similar to', hence indicating a similar system isn't in operation at Durham.
Shared or non-shared what?
Bedrooms=Everywhere but Mildert and Butler have at least some sharing. Everywhere but Butler has shared bathrooms unless you have an ensuite rooms and kitchens will be immaterial as all non-Butler Colleges are catered.
Reply 15
16
arkbar
Bedrooms=Everywhere but Mildert and Butler have at least some sharing. Everywhere but Butler has shared bathrooms unless you have an ensuite rooms and kitchens will be immaterial as all non-Butler Colleges are catered.
Bedrooms=Everywhere but Mildert and Butler have at least some sharing. Everywhere but Butler has shared bathrooms unless you have an ensuite rooms and kitchens will be immaterial as all non-Butler Colleges are catered.
Go Butler!
Reply 16
16
Thanks, arkbar.
Non-catered? Pff to that.
Talya
Go Butler!
Non-catered? Pff to that.
Reply 17
12
Lucky the person didn't ask about how much it would cos to live in Butler next year (Hint:££££)
Reply 18
16
arkbar
Lucky the person didn't ask about how much it would cos to live in Butler next year (Hint:££££)
Again, I'm a student, I'm young and naive. You think I read past the pound sign when I'm choosing a university? I want my university experience to be the best it can, not the cheapest - I'll end up with debt anyway, so I might as well go all out and make things as easy as possible for myself for these four years.
Reply 19
Dude, in durham you get a college tutor, or at least you do in aidans, who, if you are lucky, will take you out for a drink and a meal sometimes and provide a useful reference for jobs/housing and such like. thats as far as the colleges go towards your education. there are hundreds of little subtle differences that realy make no difference to your univbersity education but m ake for interesting conversation with people from other coolleges.
so, how far out do you wanna live? how good rooms you want? what facitlities you want? check out the wenbsite. i applied open, got put in aidans, they couldn't have made a betetr choice for me
bit pissed.....
so, how far out do you wanna live? how good rooms you want? what facitlities you want? check out the wenbsite. i applied open, got put in aidans, they couldn't have made a betetr choice for me
bit pissed.....
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