The "Ask a Durham Student" Thread :)
Scroll to see replies
Original post by undergradstudent
It all depends on if the subject has space. If you're trying to obviously play the system (eg applying for Education & History, which is an AAB course, then trying to swap to History which requires A*AA) that doesn't look great either, especially if you don't have A*AA.
Generally I'd say ring them up as early as possible and ask to swap. Definitely before you arrive.
Generally I'd say ring them up as early as possible and ask to swap. Definitely before you arrive.
definately not trying to play the system as entry requirements are the same for the course i want to switch to
thing is, i haven't really done the subjects in enough detail to know before I go (it's normally new at uni level anyway). Is it really unlikely that you can switch subjects once you're at the uni?
People doing compsci how much programming did you know before you started the course?
Original post by jacksonriddle
definately not trying to play the system as entry requirements are the same for the course i want to switch to
thing is, i haven't really done the subjects in enough detail to know before I go (it's normally new at uni level anyway). Is it really unlikely that you can switch subjects once you're at the uni?
thing is, i haven't really done the subjects in enough detail to know before I go (it's normally new at uni level anyway). Is it really unlikely that you can switch subjects once you're at the uni?
It's possible, but I don't know anyone who arrived at uni wanting to change. I do know a few people who did their subject for a year, or for a few weeks, and decided it really wasn't for them so managed to change onto a different course (normally you can only change about half a course if you do it during the year - say from music to music and french, or physics to natural sciences). One person changed from law to economics at the end of 1st year, but had to start in year 1 again.
Really, if you know you want to change now, you should try to have it sorted before you arrive, and if it's not possible then you should go to uni fully expecting to be doing your course for three years (even if you're hoping for a change). If they haven't let you change before arrival then you absolutely shouldn't expect anything to change when you get there unless you have a bloody good reason.
Original post by jacksonriddle
definately not trying to play the system as entry requirements are the same for the course i want to switch to
thing is, i haven't really done the subjects in enough detail to know before I go (it's normally new at uni level anyway). Is it really unlikely that you can switch subjects once you're at the uni?
thing is, i haven't really done the subjects in enough detail to know before I go (it's normally new at uni level anyway). Is it really unlikely that you can switch subjects once you're at the uni?
It really depends if there are spaces in the quota, but if they can sort it out for you then they do try hard to help. What have you applied for and what might you want to switch to? It's usually a lot easier if you are already doing some of the subject you want to switch to, then you don't need to repeat a year.
i have a question! i've applied for combined honours in the arts and still haven't heard back from durham...is that a bad sign? or does durham just take a while to reply?
Original post by jjjjjessie
Original post by jjjjjessie
i have a question! i've applied for combined honours in the arts and still haven't heard back from durham...is that a bad sign? or does durham just take a while to reply?
Quick for some things, slow for others. January is quite early yet for many universities/courses. Some will keep you waiting till April or even May.
Hi,
I got an offer in the beginning of december and haven't hear off my college choice (university), should I leave it a bit due to the christmas holidays or give them a ring?
I got an offer in the beginning of december and haven't hear off my college choice (university), should I leave it a bit due to the christmas holidays or give them a ring?
Original post by maxcartwright
Hi,
I got an offer in the beginning of december and haven't hear off my college choice (university), should I leave it a bit due to the christmas holidays or give them a ring?
I got an offer in the beginning of december and haven't hear off my college choice (university), should I leave it a bit due to the christmas holidays or give them a ring?
I'd leave it a while- they won't have forgotten about you, and they are probably just busy making sure everything's in order for when term starts again (next week). You should hear from them soon.
Original post by maxcartwright
Original post by maxcartwright
Hi,
I got an offer in the beginning of december and haven't hear off my college choice (university), should I leave it a bit due to the christmas holidays or give them a ring?
I got an offer in the beginning of december and haven't hear off my college choice (university), should I leave it a bit due to the christmas holidays or give them a ring?
They do have a long break for Christmas but you've probably left it long enough. The colleges are usually fine with reasonable requests or you could try your department - ask if they know which college you've been allocated to as you haven't heard.
Original post by maxcartwright
Hi,
I got an offer in the beginning of december and haven't hear off my college choice (university), should I leave it a bit due to the christmas holidays or give them a ring?
I got an offer in the beginning of december and haven't hear off my college choice (university), should I leave it a bit due to the christmas holidays or give them a ring?
I wouldn't worry yet. Whilst the pgce courses [my course] only had 2 weeks for Christmas and have been back for over a week, the rest of the university are still off for Christmas. They start back next week, I think, so I'd give them that week at least to get in touch.
Original post by maxcartwright
Hi,
I got an offer in the beginning of december and haven't hear off my college choice (university), should I leave it a bit due to the christmas holidays or give them a ring?
I got an offer in the beginning of december and haven't hear off my college choice (university), should I leave it a bit due to the christmas holidays or give them a ring?
I got my offer on December 6th last year and never heard from a college until quite late in January. I rang up and they just told me to wait. :P I think it's just christmas that delays it all a bit if you get an offer around that time.
Can anyone tell me what St Aidan's is like? I've just been offered a place there having originally applied to St Chad's, and am a bit unsure because I'd hoped for a smaller, old college
Any English majors care to share their thoughts on the course?
Original post by harrosop
Can anyone tell me what St Aidan's is like? I've just been offered a place there having originally applied to St Chad's, and am a bit unsure because I'd hoped for a smaller, old college
Depends what you want to know, I'm not there myself but have some good friends there so may be able to answer more specific questions. It't nothing like Chad's admittedly, it's bigger, newer and not at all formal. It's a nice college though
Original post by purple-girl
Depends what you want to know, I'm not there myself but have some good friends there so may be able to answer more specific questions. It't nothing like Chad's admittedly, it's bigger, newer and not at all formal. It's a nice college though
Ok thanks!
I was wondering if the distance from the city centre is a big deal - is it a real inconvenience or not too bad?Original post by harrosop
Original post by harrosop
Ok thanks! I was wondering if the distance from the city centre is a big deal - is it a real inconvenience or not too bad?
I was wondering if the distance from the city centre is a big deal - is it a real inconvenience or not too bad?The main thing I know about Aidan's is that all the people I know there are really happy. Nothing is very far from anything in Durham - it's just not that big. Although Aidan's is further out than most of the other hill colleges, it's not that much further. St. Mary's is next door (you walk through their grounds to get most places) and Trevs and Van Mildert are virtually within sight.
It's a very relaxed college - There's quite a bit of fancy dress but the amount of effort people go to varies enormously and no one cares. There's a "party" element (and lots of drinking associated to sports which you'll find everywhere) but if that's not you, it's not a problem and you'll find lots of people like you. They tend to place people in various bits of the building depending on how loud they think you'll be (based on a questionnaire). If you say you're quiet and like to go to bed early, they'll probably put you on a quiet corridor.
The rooms have recently been refurbished so are nice and have mini-fridges but there is a lot of sharing. The shared rooms are big and most people don't find it a problem.
Durham are not keen on people rejecting a college without seeing it. They prefer you to come to the open day (where you stay over in college - around Easter I think) and then if you still hate it, you might stand a better chance of switching. If you check out last year's applicant thread you'll find all sorts of comments around Easter about what people thought of their colleges at the open days.
Hope that helps.
Original post by harrosop
Ok thanks! I was wondering if the distance from the city centre is a big deal - is it a real inconvenience or not too bad?
I was wondering if the distance from the city centre is a big deal - is it a real inconvenience or not too bad?To add to KayteeKaytee's post, Aidans is around a 20 minute walk from the town centre, so it's not inconvenient and to be honest you won't *need* to go into town often anyway. It is however downhill from college so you'd have an uphill climb back so I wouldn't recommend buying lots of stuff at once when you go into town!
Original post by harrosop
Can anyone tell me what St Aidan's is like? I've just been offered a place there having originally applied to St Chad's, and am a bit unsure because I'd hoped for a smaller, old college
I was a bit unsure about being reallocated to St. Aidan's last year but now I'm here I love it.
I'd also applied to a bailey college, looking for somewhere more traditional and more central, but after getting here I've found out that neither of those things really matters. We still have formal dinners but I think the fact that they're a bit more relaxed adds to the atmosphere rather than detracting - the gowns may be a novelty at the start but I expect it wears off pretty quickly! :P I also have ridiculous amounts of fun making costumes for the fancy dress formals, although we do have some in actual formal dress if that is more your kind of thing!
The distance has also never proved to be an issue - as an arts student it only takes me about 20 minutes to get down to Elvet Riverside where most of my lectures and classes are, and if you're a science student you're less than 10 minutes from the science site which is also where the main library is. The centre of town takes about 20-25 minutes which has never been a problem for anyone.
The college itself is so friendly and relaxed that everyone is guaranteed to fit in somewhere. I was a bit worried about it as I'd heard it's the 'party college' and I don't drink, but although there's plenty of people who go out clubbing several times a week I have a whole group of friends who barely drink at all. You're likely to find lots of similarly-minded people living near you too due to the personality questionaire so whatever your kind of thing is there'll always be someone else like you!
Lots of people also seemed to worry about the idea of a lot of shared rooms (it terrified me before I got here!). I'm in a shared room myself and even though me and my roommate are in different social groups we get on perfectly well living together and we've never had an argument about anything or a big problem. It's just something you manage to get used to after a while, even if you imagine that you never ever could! Lots of people I know are best friends with their roommate - they're often very well matched!
If you've got any specific questions about the college feel free to ask!
EDIT: Another advantage of being further away from town is our amazing view over the cathedral! Best view in Durham.
(edited 12 years ago)
Hi,
i think i may have posted on here before but i just have a quick question.
I got my offer in the beggining of december and haven't heard from my college (university). I was going to call them on monday (or tommorow if they are in) and ask about it. I do want to go to university, because i like the traditional atmosphere ect...
should i call the college or the durham undergrad admissions office?
i think i may have posted on here before but i just have a quick question.
I got my offer in the beggining of december and haven't heard from my college (university). I was going to call them on monday (or tommorow if they are in) and ask about it. I do want to go to university, because i like the traditional atmosphere ect...
should i call the college or the durham undergrad admissions office?
Original post by maxcartwright
Hi,
i think i may have posted on here before but i just have a quick question.
I got my offer in the beggining of december and haven't heard from my college (university). I was going to call them on monday (or tommorow if they are in) and ask about it. I do want to go to university, because i like the traditional atmosphere ect...
should i call the college or the durham undergrad admissions office?
i think i may have posted on here before but i just have a quick question.
I got my offer in the beggining of december and haven't heard from my college (university). I was going to call them on monday (or tommorow if they are in) and ask about it. I do want to go to university, because i like the traditional atmosphere ect...
should i call the college or the durham undergrad admissions office?
If I were you I'd leave it for a couple of weeks unil you get a reply from the university. I got my offer on December 6th last year and didn't hear from a college until late January. I rang the admissions office and was told to just wait. :P I expect everything will take longer if you get an offer around that time due to the christmas break - term doesn't even start again until Monday!
I hope you get the college you want but if you don't, remember it's not the end of the world! I was upset about getting reallocated from Castle to Aidan's last year but now I'm here I absolutely love it.
You'll love wherever you end up.Quick Reply
Related discussions
- Official Queen Mary University of London Offer Holders Thread for 2024 entry
- Durham Uni Law offer, should I accept?
- EPQ question ideas
- Hello Everyone!
- Accounting and Finance
- Durham or Queen Mary
- Official Geology/Earth Science applicants thread 2024
- St Andrews 5 year VS England 4 year degrees
- Official Politics and/or International Relations Applicants Thread 2024
- EEE offers
- Storage in Durham
- can i have a good career with out going to a russel group
- Lse economics
- Official Durham University Offer Holders Thread for 2024 entry
- lnat results thread 2024
- Which College should I pick at Durham University?
- Cambridge ISMM 2024 entry
- New Thread Experience Testing Thread
- Durham Colleges!
- GCSE Religious Studies Study Group 2022-2023
Latest
Trending
Last reply 8 minutes ago
Official Durham University Offer Holders Thread for 2024 entryLast reply 3 weeks ago
I got rejected from Durham for not having "good enough achieved grades"Trending
Last reply 8 minutes ago
Official Durham University Offer Holders Thread for 2024 entryLast reply 3 weeks ago
I got rejected from Durham for not having "good enough achieved grades"
