The &quot;Ask a Durham Student&quot; Thread :)

It's probably as I said earlier - First years get the rooms first, so the returning students are only getting unwanted rooms anyway.

Reply 2064

*River

It might be part of the incentive to try and get finalists to return to colleges - there's been a real drop in numbers in recent years.

Reply 2065

Hopping Mad Kangaroo

*River

It might be part of the incentive to try and get finalists to return to colleges - there's been a real drop in numbers in recent years.

Its for an even simpler reason - freshers spend an extra few days there and get a shiny pack.

Reply 2066

Hopping Mad Kangaroo

Its for an even simpler reason - freshers spend an extra few days there and get a shiny pack.

As was said before, a few days doesn't explain about £900. No idea what the shiny pack means, but have to guess that doesn't either.

Reply 2067

Hopping Mad Kangaroo

MyNameIsDave

As was said before, a few days doesn't explain about £900. No idea what the shiny pack means, but have to guess that doesn't either.

Its not £900 in any other colleges, though it could include JCR fees and other nonsense.

Reply 2068

Hopping Mad Kangaroo

Its not £900 in any other colleges, though it could include JCR fees and other nonsense.

Actually, looking at it all again, I think they've mixed some prices up:

Brooks House – self catered en-suite
# Returning Students (38 weeks)… £3867
# First Year students (38.3 weeks) ..£4737

Parsons Field - Self catered standard let
# First Year students (38.3 weeks)...£3630
# Returning Students (38 weeks)… £4429

I think that those two figures may be the wrong way around. I've e-mailed them to check.

Reply 2069

RAINEY

Does anyone know where the students of Accounting&Finance postgraduate course have classes? Thx.

Reply 2070

Correct prices for St. Cuth's accommodation:

Bailey – Fully Catered
Returning Students (29.3 weeks) £4611
First Year students (30 weeks) £4689
Brooks House – self catered en-suite
Returning Students (38 weeks) £4098
First Year students (38.3 weeks) £4173
Parsons Field - Self catered standard let
First Year students (38.3 weeks) £3774
Returning Students (38 weeks) £3702

Reply 2071

frederizia

Thanks so much for finding out, that makes a lot more sense :smile:

.

Reply 2072

Echolife

Just saw this quote on a thread about the roughest areas in the UK, any truth in this and is it near the city centre?

'An area of Durham called Sherburn Road - not even the police go there.'

Reply 2073

*River

Echolife

Just saw this quote on a thread about the roughest areas in the UK, any truth in this and is it near the city centre?

'An area of Durham called Sherburn Road - not even the police go there.'

It's near-ish the city centre, but not anywhere you're ever likely to go as a student. It's further out than most students live. I wouldn't say it was the nicest part of the country I've ever been to, but I've seen worse...

Reply 2074

River85

17

Echolife

Just saw this quote on a thread about the roughest areas in the UK, any truth in this and is it near the city centre?

'An area of Durham called Sherburn Road - not even the police go there.'

It's outside the city centre around Gilesgate way. It's actually the road which joins the city to the A1 motorway. It's a council estate (actually, most of the houses are probably private now) and a little rough around the edges, but one of the roughest parts of the country? Yeah, it's well known for its gun and knife crime, its riots and battles with the police :rolleyes:

Also, that bit about the police not going there is a pile of nonsense. I can put you in touch with the former Chief Constable of Durham if you want, the brother of a family friend, he'll tell you the score :p:

It actually reminds me a little of an estate on the edge of my small town (the town is semi-rural, largely middle class). It's a very small estate, has a terrible reputation and it was said the emergency services don't go there. It is rough, and all the shoplifters who come into the local shops are from there, but it's not that bad.

Does form quite a contrast, up the road from £800,000 Victorian semis and £400,000 1960s semis and detached. But its problems are very, very minor compared to the deprived areas of major cities and hardly affects those elsewhere in the town. The same with Sherburn Road. All areas have their dodgy parts, but Sherburn Road isn't all that bad and even if you live in Gilesgate after your first year it's easy enough to avoid it.

Reply 2075

llacerta

19

What's the weather like in Durham? Also, concerning actually getting there, is it possible to fly from Southampton airport to Durham airport? Would that be the best way to get from the south of England up to Durham?

In a way, I worry that Durham is too similar to where I live now- a quaint town type feel, nice cathedral, old buildings, small and compact. Is it easy to get around Durham?

Also, concerning applying there, as I plan to apply to universty post A-level, would it be stupid of me to apply with AAB if I don't manage AAA? Or would it be better just to accept that I'm not good enough and move on? I only ask because I'm taking a fourth A-level into my 'third year' of Sixth Form, and would be able to achieve the AAA in that way, but I'm not sure whether Durham would accept that as actually being good enough.

Reply 2076

MrGumby

10

llacerta

What's the weather like in Durham? Also, concerning actually getting there, is it possible to fly from Southampton airport to Durham airport? Would that be the best way to get from the south of England up to Durham?

In a way, I worry that Durham is too similar to where I live now- a quaint town type feel, nice cathedral, old buildings, small and compact. Is it easy to get around Durham?

Also, concerning applying there, as I plan to apply to universty post A-level, would it be stupid of me to apply with AAB if I don't manage AAA? Or would it be better just to accept that I'm not good enough and move on? I only ask because I'm taking a fourth A-level into my 'third year' of Sixth Form, and would be able to achieve the AAA in that way, but I'm not sure whether Durham would accept that as actually being good enough.

When I've been up there I fly from Cardiff/Bristol to Newcastle, then a train into Durham...Newcastle airport is nearer than Durham Tees...So I'm assuming Southampton will do flights there...

I found it pretty easy to get around Durham by walking.

That's all I can answer sorry. :o:

Reply 2077

River85

17

llacerta

What's the weather like in Durham?

Sweeeeeeet! I can talk about climate!!!

Generally speaking, the east of the country is drier than the west but is also cooler. So Durham, being in the east, is cooler than say Manchester or Bristol but it's also a lot drier (that said, like anywhere in this country, there's still enough rain! October's seem to be particularly bad

It can get very cold during the winter. Not because it's in the north of England (because the difference between, say, London and Newcastle isn't all that great much of the time) but because it's rather small. A small city is never going to be as warm as a built up one, the temperature can certainly drop.

But, that said, you'll probably appreciate this when the next heatwave comes. I remember 2005 and 2006's heatwave. 26 degrees in Durham, 29 degrees in crowdy, built up cities. I know which one is more pleasent (and we're due for another heatwave).

So like much of the east cold but dryish, with some suddent drops in temperature at night during the winter months. But it really depends on where you're from. If you're from a market town or village in the south east then you may actually find Durham warmer. If you're from the south coast, or especially a large(ish) city in the south west or south Wales then it'll be a lot cooler (but then a lot drier).

Also, concerning actually getting there, is it possible to fly from Southampton airport to Durham airport? Would that be the best way to get from the south of England up to Durham?

Well, first of all, there is no "Durham airport" really. I mean, it's just a small historic city and the thought of it having an international airport, however small, is still weird.

It was Teesside airport and is actually near Teesside, 25 miles away from Durham. They only changed the name because "Teesside" isn't well known internationally (as if Durham is :rolleyes:

). It's a small regional airport, and only serves Aberdeen as far as I'm aware.

In my opinion, you still can't beat the train if you're on the east. It's fairly quick, fairly cheap if you time it right and have a railcard, and it's direct. You just get off at Durham. But if you're coming from the south or south west/South Wales and don't want to pay the extra that the greedy rail companies charge for heading east, then may air is best. You'd need to travel to Newcastle, which being an international aiport is fairly well served, and then get the metro to Central Station (Newcastle) then train to Durham. It's not as bad as it sounds.

Even if you can fly to Durham-Tees valley, it is quite a distance away. The difference between travelling from Newcastle or Tees valley is negligible (TV possibly slightly shorter).

llacerta

In a way, I worry that Durham is too similar to where I live now- a quaint town type feel, nice cathedral, old buildings, small and compact. Is it easy to get around Durham?

It is small and is very easy to get around. People worry about how far away some of the newer Hill colleges (say Hild Bede) are from the centre of the city but it's only 15 - 20 minutes (with the science site and library ten minutes). During the day you can get from one place to the next in five to ten minutes usually. Just the trafic can be busy at times (except the Bailley, the county's first congestion zone :awesome:

take that London!).

Also, concerning applying there, as I plan to apply to universty post A-level, would it be stupid of me to apply with AAB if I don't manage AAA? Or would it be better just to accept that I'm not good enough and move on? I only ask because I'm taking a fourth A-level into my 'third year' of Sixth Form, and would be able to achieve the AAA in that way, but I'm not sure whether Durham would accept that as actually being good enough.

What's the course?

Reply 2078

llacerta

19

River85

So like much of the east cold but dryish, with some suddent drops in temperature at night during the winter months. But it really depends on where you're from. If you're from a market town or village in the south east then you may actually find Durham warmer. If you're from the south coast, or especially a large(ish) city in the south west or south Wales then it'll be a lot cooler (but then a lot drier).

Yeah, I was thinking that it might be a bit cooler, since I'm on the south coast, but I'm sure I'd get used to it eventually anyway. I've seen some lovely photos of Durham covered in snow, so to see that would be wonderful!

River85

But if you're coming from the south or south west/South Wales and don't want to pay the extra that the greedy rail companies charge for heading east, then may air is best. You'd need to travel to Newcastle, which being an international aiport is fairly well served, and then get the metro to Central Station (Newcastle) then train to Durham. It's not as bad as it sounds.

Okay, that sounds like my best bet. Even going just up to Nottingham cost about £80 return as far as I can remember, so by train from the south west I worry that it'd be stupidly expensive.

River85

It is small and is very easy to get around. People worry about how far away some of the newer Hill colleges (say Hild Bede) are from the centre of the city but it's only 15 - 20 minutes (with the science site and library ten minutes). During the day you can get from one place to the next in five to ten minutes usually. Just the trafic can be busy at times (except the Bailley, the county's first congestion zone :awesome:

take that London!).

I plan on applying to St. Chad's, which I believe is in the centre of town so that's good. I like the idea of a compact town since Durham Uni obviously isn't a campus uni.

River85

What's the course?

I'd like to apply for Psychology (not the Applied course but the more traditional Psychology course). Although Durham as a whole is ranked highly, the Psychology course seems to only be just within the top 30, so whether that makes any difference to competitiveness I'm not sure.

Thanks for the answers, and you too MrGumby!

Reply 2079