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

undecisiveg

I'm planning on studying English, French and a second language, probably equally. I'm guessing that if I did study them equally, the degree title would be BA Combined Honours in Arts? I had a look in the handbook and didn't really understand it!

The only option for a named route is music & modern languages atm - which clearly won't apply to you, so yep, it'll be "BA Combined Honours with Honours in English Literature, French and xxx."

Btw, have you checked about the prereqs for all your subjects at levels 2 and 3 in the faculty handbook? Just I think ab inito modules are all double modules (unless you do a beginner's module, but then you can't do any other modules in that language for the rest of your degree). Remember you only do 5 option modules in your first year, and I know the English Dept like you to do at least 2 English Lit modules - preferably all 3 although this is generally unfeasible so I don't think many people do take all 3 core English modules!

www.durham.ac.uk/faculty.handbook

Reply 2583

undecisiveg

angelmxxx

The only option for a named route is music & modern languages atm - which clearly won't apply to you, so yep, it'll be "BA Combined Honours with Honours in English Literature, French and xxx."

Btw, have you checked about the prereqs for all your subjects at levels 2 and 3 in the faculty handbook? Just I think ab inito modules are all double modules (unless you do a beginner's module, but then you can't do any other modules in that language for the rest of your degree). Remember you only do 5 option modules in your first year, and I know the English Dept like you to do at least 2 English Lit modules - preferably all 3 although this is generally unfeasible so I don't think many people do take all 3 core English modules!

www.durham.ac.uk/faculty.handbook

thank you! i hadn't realised that the ab initio modules are doubles so i'm really grateful. it probably just means i'll have to cut back on my french in my 1st year and then do more modules in it in my second.

Reply 2584

undecisiveg

thank you! i hadn't realised that the ab initio modules are doubles so i'm really grateful. it probably just means i'll have to cut back on my french in my 1st year and then do more modules in it in my second.

That should be fine, someone mentioned in our last student-staff meeting that they felt they were getting behind in a language because they weren't doing a culture module (which I think is taught in the language) so they weren't getting as much exposure to the language or something.

I'm sure it's all fine though - the co-requisites are usually very honest, so if they don't say you need something, it should be fine.

Reply 2585

marto91

can I study spanish at queen's campus ?

Reply 2586

angelmxxx

It's 120, as HMK said....more importantly, the only named degrees in combined honours are ones with languages in. If you want a named degree ("English and x", you'll have to take an official joint honours English degree. ALL combined degrees (except where you've done a specific amount of language modules and things) will be called "BA Combined Honours in Arts, with honours in x, y and z."

I|m just wondering, because youre discussin this... does it really matter to anyone what the degree is called? Do they prefer lets say real joint honours or something?

Reply 2587

la_mariposa

I|m just wondering, because youre discussin this... does it really matter to anyone what the degree is called? Do they prefer lets say real joint honours or something?

"Real joint honours"? - ouch! This isn't fake joint honours! Lol, it can be joint honours if you want, your degree certificate will just show you've done two subjects.

Well, I guess someone might (I wanted to know what the actual title would be, and if it would say my subjects, because I do know that when you say social science to people they can assume you've just done sociology or something)...but no (if you mean employers, they'll know which subjects you've studied and with the course's employment rates for the last few years, they seem to be loving it!)

It's just interesting really. I guess some people worry about the title of their course as well - Newcastle just changed (this year) the title of their combined degree from Combined Studies to Combined Honours - so obviously they think it's a good name too!

It's always nice to know which degree you'll get before you start anyway!

Reply 2588

marto91

can I study spanish at queen's campus ?

Nope. However, if you do a degree based at Queen's which lets you do an open module, you can trek it on the bus to Durham for your lectures/seminars and do a Spanish module - however, it's an hour each way on the bus for a 1 hour lecture!

(Also, I'm pretty sure that most subjects at Queen's don't let you do open modules/only let you do one or two at most)

Reply 2589

angelmxxx

"Real joint honours"? - ouch! This isn't fake joint honours! Lol, it can be joint honours if you want, your degree certificate will just show you've done two subjects.

Well, I guess someone might (I wanted to know what the actual title would be, and if it would say my subjects, because I do know that when you say social science to people they can assume you've just done sociology or something)...but no (if you mean employers, they'll know which subjects you've studied and with the course's employment rates for the last few years, they seem to be loving it!)

It's just interesting really. I guess some people worry about the title of their course as well - Newcastle just changed (this year) the title of their combined degree from Combined Studies to Combined Honours - so obviously they think it's a good name too!

It's always nice to know which degree you'll get before you start anyway!

Whoops, sorry... I wasn't aware of the sound of this :rolleyes:

That wasn't supposed to be a judgement :eek:

(In some sense I could even say that Durham offers me a more "real" Joint Honours than Newcastle and many other courses that I looked into, where the Psychology part of my degree would not me accredited by the BPS... :biggrin:

)

I think you got what I actually meant though. :o:

I meant if employers just look at it like "Uhm... well she didn't really know what she wanted to study..." or if they mistake it for something social science/sociology related as you suggested. But even if this is the title employers should look deeper into it, and I don't care what other people think about the title of the degree :wink:

Reply 2590

marto91

angelmxxx

Nope. However, if you do a degree based at Queen's which lets you do an open module, you can trek it on the bus to Durham for your lectures/seminars and do a Spanish module - however, it's an hour each way on the bus for a 1 hour lecture!

(Also, I'm pretty sure that most subjects at Queen's don't let you do open modules/only let you do one or two at most)

Thanks.Now I really think that queen's campus sucks :frown:

Reply 2591

Crimsonchilli

12

anyone know if theres like a "cut off point" for LNAT scores for law applicants ?

& for anyone who lives in London (or the south in general) whats travel like to and from home & durham when it comes to going home on holidays etc. From what I saw it was pretty expensive to get a train to and from London, about £60 each way :s-smilie:

I take it as it would be too far just to pop back home for a weekend etc..

Reply 2592

Is there anyone on here who is currently studying Psychology and would like to answer some of my questions? That'd be absolutely awesome...! :smile:

Reply 2593

*River

15

marto91

Thanks.Now I really think that queen's campus sucks

You can still do Spanish under the Languages for All programme (http://www.dur.ac.uk/mlac/cfls/lfa/queenscampus/). They have classes at Queen's and Durham. It's an extra curricula activity so it won't count as one of your modules, but you do have to pay. I don't know how much, but my housemate did Italian last year and said it was quite reasonable (and she's the cheapest person on the planet :p:

).

Crimsonchilli

& for anyone who lives in London (or the south in general) whats travel like to and from home & durham when it comes to going home on holidays etc. From what I saw it was pretty expensive to get a train to and from London, about £60 each way I take it as it would be too far just to pop back home for a weekend etc..

I live about 45 minutes south of London, and I go home once a term (if not more). It's perfectly doable in a weekend, and tickets generally set me back about £45 for a return if I book them in advance.

Reply 2594

clair1987

13

Can students from self-catering colleges buy 'dinner tickets' on a single basis to have a meal at a catered college?

Reply 2595

dring

12

clair1987

Can students from self-catering colleges buy 'dinner tickets' on a single basis to have a meal at a catered college?

Yes, and visitors can buy them too. They can be quite expensive for what they are, depending on what you consider good value, but it's certainly possible at most (all?) colleges.

Reply 2596

clair1987

13

dring

Yes, and visitors can buy them too. They can be quite expensive for what they are, depending on what you consider good value, but it's certainly possible at most (all?) colleges.

Cool, thanks a lot :smile:

Reply 2597

Sad3k

11

Are all the classes of Human Sciences situated in Queen's campus? How is Stockton itself, socially. Durham is just attracting me because its a world-wide recognised university, but i am worries i make the wrong decision.

Reply 2598

Crimsonchilli

12

hey guys, anyone got a good idea at the different applications rates of each of the colleges? I want hopefully to apply to St.Johns, but considering its one the bailey colleges and thus one of the harder ones to get into im starting to have second thoughts ?

Does how hard the college is to get into only really come into play once youve been accepted by a department and so only really matters in which college you eventually end up in, or could applying to a harder college to get into make it harder to get into durham all together. ?

Reply 2599