St John&#x27;s college, Durham.....

I can tell you that they have two table tennis teams instead of the one they had last year.

Reply 2

I'm at John's!!! :biggrin:

I'm a fresher this year, and I love it. I'd been here before for summer schools which is why I chose it, but it is actually really really nice. We're fairly small but there's still over 120 of us so it's just about right for me. And yeah the location is the best, I am loving being right in the centre :biggrin:

Rooms are pretty good. About 2/3rds share I think (i have a single though, and it seems like there's no problem if you want a single, you generally get one but i wrote a letter just to be sure) but they've matched up the roommates really really well this year, they all get on brilliantly. The rooms are fairly standard but quite homely and it's all really clean. (the cleaners are fab) All the staff and the freshers reps are lovely and it's all soo welcoming. The food's supposed to be the best of all the colleges and it is actually not bad. there's a lot of variety and although there are off nights, it's generally good stuff. the formal food is fab too :biggrin:

we're known for our college spirit apparently, and everyone seems to be having a really good time :smile:

and the senior tutor and principal are legends lol.

anything else you want to know just ask and i shall do my best to help :biggrin:

i love johns and i think you are making a wise choice :biggrin:

Reply 3

edg.

They don't let other people into their bar.

Reply 4

edg.

They don't let other people into their bar.

well not always, but to be fair not even all of us can fit in, let alone other collegers :biggrin:

Reply 5

arkbar

They're bastards and hate me, thus preventing me from going into their bar by closing it every single time I wanted to go there over the course of an entire year...

Reply 6

Vincente

OP

anything else you want to know just ask and i shall do my best to help i love johns and i think you are making a wise choice

Thanks a lot. I was just wondering if durham colleges are like oxbridge colleges? I missed my place at pembroke oxford last year and i remeber we were told we would live there the entire course, is this the case for Durham and its colleges?

Reply 7

Vincente

Thanks a lot. I was just wondering if durham colleges are like oxbridge colleges? I missed my place at pembroke oxford last year and i remeber we were told we would live there the entire course, is this the case for Durham and its colleges?

oh, sorry forgot about that bit :smile:

no we're not like oxford colleges, in that we don't get taught in our college - everyone learns together which is quite nice, a good way of meeting new people. and no, everyone lives in college in first year but most move out in 2nd year, and then some come back in third year. john's owns a block of flats thing called st margaret's garth a little way out of the centre which 2nd years can move into if they want. some years it's really popular apparently, but others it's not - depends on how many people want to live there etc.
hope that helps :biggrin:

Reply 8

Derek_The_Hamster

3

Vincente

I missed my place at pembroke oxford last year and i remeber we were told we would live there the entire course

Not even all the colleges at Oxford let you live in for for your full course (probably between about 1/2 and 2/3 do, but often finalists are in annexes out of the centre).

I'm quite surprised that Pembroke said that to you, as they're one of the colleges that usually don't accomodate all their students - they usually house first first years in Main College and third years in a building about ten mins walk away*, with second years living out, which is overall slightly worse than most of the Durham colleges do - you may only get two years in at most of the colleges in Durham, but both years are usually on the main site.

* edit: found a page to confirm it so you don't have to take my word for it ;-) See http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/access/colleges/pembroke.shtml

Reply 9

Derek_The_Hamster

3

sidekick

. john's owns a block of flats thing called st margaret's garth a little way out of the centre

I wouldn't really describe it as out of the centre - it's closer in than most of the hill colleges, and only about 5 min at most from North Road. Yes, it's further out than the Bailey is, but so are most things.

Reply 10

Vincente

OP

I'm quite surprised that Pembroke said that to you

Sorry phrased it wrong. I sent my application without a chosen college (i was advised by one of those oxbridge people whom come to my college to convince us to apply). He said that "many colleges allow you to stay there for the whole length of the course saving you time having to looke else where."

Reply 11

matagi

Hi, you made a really good choice by choosing the bailey - u'll be in the city right next to St Chads, St Cuths and Hatfield on a lovely cobbled street (although I did see one student slip and fall and drop all her stuff - no injuries, just humiliation!), but you will also be a stones throw away from the river and some gorgeous woodland.
I'm not too sure about the social life at St Johns, however, the college bar is almost definately going to bustling on many nights. If it isn't you have a number of pubs (colpitz - pub quiz on tuesday - more fun than it sounds), clubs (warehouse etc), other college bars and of course the SU functions (planet of sound).
You probably will not be living in the college accomodation for the whole course. In second year, you will most probably live out with a group of friends in rented accomadation and in the third year you get to choose, but most people choose college accomodation.

Reply 12

Christo

Colpitts has a pub quiz? I was in there for the first time last night. Spent 25 mins inside and came out stinking of smoke. :biggrin:

Been doing the Duke of Wellington pub quiz the last 3 weeks... getting really close to the money these days.

Reply 13

fredsmith365

I wouldn't really describe it as out of the centre - it's closer in than most of the hill colleges, and only about 5 min at most from North Road. Yes, it's further out than the Bailey is, but so are most things.

well whatever, i don't actually know where it is lol :biggrin:

Reply 14

arkbar

I'm not too sure about the social life at St Johns, however, the college bar is almost definately going to bustling on many nights.

Johns bar is bustling if you have more than 3 people in it.

Reply 15

arkbar

Johns bar is bustling if you have more than 3 people in it.

i like it when it's quiet. much less sweating.

Reply 16

Piggsil

16

Christo

Colpitts has a pub quiz? I was in there for the first time last night. Spent 25 mins inside and came out stinking of smoke. :biggrin:

Been doing the Duke of Wellington pub quiz the last 3 weeks... getting really close to the money these days.

For anyone who lives in Gilesgate, the Queen's Head has a really good pub quiz, I think it might be on a Tuesday..... :smile:

Reply 17

edg.

Anyone know if it's likely to be open on Monday? It was last Tues (I think?), but I was otherwise occupied.

Reply 18

socialist cook

8

arkbar

They're bastards and hate me, thus preventing me from going into their bar by closing it every single time I wanted to go there over the course of an entire year...

Aww poor Ali.

I do know what you mean though, but the best nights to avoid John's bar are on formal nights which I think may be Tuesdays and Thursdays (but I'm not sure) and make sure you're in the bar before 9 on a Friday because pre Planet of Sound it gets very very busy.

Unknown fact, I had my first pint in Durham in John's bar.

Reply 19