The "Ask a Durham Student" Thread :)

If the dress code isn't 'gowned' then you will look very out of place wearing one, it isn't something I have ever seen happen in 4 years. Also I imagine for official events like matriculation you wouldn't be allowed.

Reply 4941

dionysos4

But surely Colleges not being "gowned" is to avoid forcing traditions upon those who don't want to be all formal. Why would they deprive students from Hill Colleges the rights that are given to those from Bailey Colleges?

Reply 4942

Quagers

6

Its not about 'rights' or forcing traditions onto people, its a dress code. If you show up to a smart casual event in black tie you are going to look like a muppet, same deal here. If you desperately want to wear a gown then go to a formal at a gowned college, its very easy to do.

Reply 4943

aoife1994

I have an offer to study economics at collingwood and was just wondering what the night-life was like in and around the college and also in durham. Thanks

Reply 4944

Quagers

6

'In and around the college' is Durham, despite being classes as a city Durham is tiny and with the exception of college bars most of the nightlife is centred around the middle of town.

For a discussion of Durham nightlife see the FAQ page,
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2047014

Reply 4945

dionysos4

Original post by Quagers

Its not about 'rights' or forcing traditions onto people, its a dress code. If you show up to a smart casual event in black tie you are going to look like a muppet, same deal here. If you desperately want to wear a gown then go to a formal at a gowned college, its very easy to do.

I tried desperately to transfer to another college but it is impossible except for medical reasons.

Reply 4946

username1214455

21

College with nicest rooms but no gowns.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 4947

TheOncomingStorm

Original post by Trix465

A somewhat "easy" way of getting into Maths at Durham is through the Natural Sciences route. For that matter its also a good route into any of the main science subjects. Grades at A-Level are perhaps a little higher but are good for people who are considering Maths but haven't taken Further Maths for example.

I had no idea what I wanted to do at uni to be honest so I applied to Durham for Natural Sciences seeing how flexible the course was. I ended up doing modules in Maths, Economics, Physics and Computer Science over my four years although mainly coming out with Maths and Economics (whats on my degree certificate). Note I didn't have Further Maths at AS or A-Lvl so Natural Sciences was the only way to do Maths for me.

Okay, thanks! I'm actually pretty set on straight maths to be honest, and my grade in Further Maths AS should be ok, it was just the individual module scores that may not reflect my ability.

Reply 4948

Trix465

4

Gowns really aren't a big deal. I went to Van Mildert which is a non-gown college but my girlfriend went to Grey which wears gowns. I didn't feel more comfortable with either gown or not gown really. People attach far too much stigma to it - if you don't want to dress formal then don't go to formal dinners as even without gowns you still have to wear a nice dress/suit.

Reply 4949

SW1X

9

Original post by Helioghost

x

I have a bit of an admin question.... I am going through the enrolement process on the DUO portal, for the photo upload for the campus card, would it be ok to take a photo on my phone and edit the sizing according to the specs etc.? Or are they only after a passport photo....I cannot find any spare passport photos, or would you just reccomend just getting some new passport photos made.

Cheers

Reply 4950

Dur2012

Original post by SW1X

I have a bit of an admin question.... I am going through the enrolement process on the DUO portal, for the photo upload for the campus card, would it be ok to take a photo on my phone and edit the sizing according to the specs etc.? Or are they only after a passport photo....I cannot find any spare passport photos, or would you just reccomend just getting some new passport photos made.

Cheers

Taking a picture on your phone is absolutely fine. Just make sure it's not too blurry, the background isn't busy and it's the exact specs they're asking for! They rejected my first image (taken on my phone) because it wasn't the right size, not for any other reason :smile:

x

Reply 4951

Dur2012

Original post by dionysos4

I tried desperately to transfer to another college but it is impossible except for medical reasons.

I know exactly how you feel at the moment, honest! I applied to Castle (of course) but got placed at St. Aidan's. At the time, I felt that I would miss out on all the Durham tradition, but I'm about to start my second year and I absolutely LOVE my college!!! The truth is that EVERYONE loves the College they end up in, and can't possibly imagine being anywhere else! I don't know which college you've been placed in, but I'm happy to try and let you know more about a specific College if you'd like :smile:

There are a number of advantages of being at a Hill College, including average room size, much more variety with formals and events in general as there aren't any archaic traditions that MUST be kept to and a wider range of type of people (dare I say it) to get to know! Plus, if it's the tradition you're after, you can join a number of societies that are set in "older buildings" and attending formals at the Bailey colleges is incredibly easy too! :smile:

x

Reply 4952

SW1X

9

Original post by Dur2012

Taking a picture on your phone is absolutely fine. Just make sure it's not too blurry, the background isn't busy and it's the exact specs they're asking for! They rejected my first image (taken on my phone) because it wasn't the right size, not for any other reason :smile:

x

ok - thank you very much for your help!

Reply 4953

KayteeKaytee

6

Original post by dionysos4

But surely Colleges not being "gowned" is to avoid forcing traditions upon those who don't want to be all formal. Why would they deprive students from Hill Colleges the rights that are given to those from Bailey Colleges?

You would look seriously silly. Also, you seem to think that Hill=informal and Everywhere Else=formal. This is not true as there is a mix of formal and informal in all locations and most people decided whether they wanted to be gowned or not when they chose their college. Admittedly, some people end up at colleges they didn't choose but unfortunately, you just have to go with it.

Reply 4954

evening sunrise

11

Original post by theguiltshow

Hi, I'm going to be studying Philosophy at St John's :smile:

This might sound a bit silly but I'm an international student and didn't realise that 'gowned formal dinners' meant academic gowns :tongue:

what do the girls usually wear under that then? Also, are we allowed to bring a date from another college? Does St John's allow guests? I've read that it's usually a 'don't ask don't tell' thing, but my partner will be attending Durham with me and I foresee more than just a few sleepovers, heh. Can students from other colleges eat at other dining halls? Sorry for the questions!

Yes you can bring guests to formals, but there is a capacity management process. So if you have brought guest before then those who have not as recently will get priority for their guest at the next one. Girls wear dresses under the gowns. You can get a gown upon arrival. If your other half attend for a normal meal I believe he will have to pay but this can be booked on the day. I lived out during the first year (am married with two of the four kids still at home) and I had to pay if I ate at the college (not for a formal though). I hope that helps. No idea how sleepovers work....but I think most first year rooms are shared...........so it depends upon how shy you and your partner are :biggrin:

.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 4955

Unkempt_One

13

Original post by Trix465

A somewhat "easy" way of getting into Maths at Durham is through the Natural Sciences route. For that matter its also a good route into any of the main science subjects. Grades at A-Level are perhaps a little higher but are good for people who are considering Maths but haven't taken Further Maths for example.

I had no idea what I wanted to do at uni to be honest so I applied to Durham for Natural Sciences seeing how flexible the course was. I ended up doing modules in Maths, Economics, Physics and Computer Science over my four years although mainly coming out with Maths and Economics (whats on my degree certificate). Note I didn't have Further Maths at AS or A-Lvl so Natural Sciences was the only way to do Maths for me.

This guy knows. I did Maths and Physics in first year through the Natural Sciences programme, which gave me the option to go into maths, physics, or a maths and physics joint honours route. There's a good degree of flexibility.

Reply 4956

Cerdic

18

Original post by Unkempt_One

This guy knows. I did Maths and Physics in first year through the Natural Sciences programme, which gave me the option to go into maths, physics, or a maths and physics joint honours route. There's a good degree of flexibility.

So would you say it's easier to get into? I'd do the same route as you. Also what was your personal statement? Just maths and physics?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

Reply 4957

Unkempt_One

13

Original post by adi19956

So would you say it's easier to get into? I'd do the same route as you. Also what was your personal statement? Just maths and physics?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

My personal statement was Chemistry, I was accepted for Chemistry and I transferred to Natural Sciences before the start of term with ease, choosing maths and physics modules. I wouldn't worry too much about what is easier to get into, as 100, 97 & 97 is a decent suite of UMS and as long as you get 90-95 in June you should be fine. On the other hand, if you are much more confident in your UMS in other subjects then the Natural Sciences route may be easier to get into. It's times like this that I wish there were a graph of the UMS performance of students on the course . . .

Reply 4958

NJam

2

Original post by Unkempt_One

This guy knows. I did Maths and Physics in first year through the Natural Sciences programme, which gave me the option to go into maths, physics, or a maths and physics joint honours route. There's a good degree of flexibility.

That's the course I've applied for :biggrin:

. I'm glad there is a lot of flexibility, but is that just at the start of the course or throughout?

Reply 4959

Cerdic

18

Original post by Unkempt_One

My personal statement was Chemistry, I was accepted for Chemistry and I transferred to Natural Sciences before the start of term with ease, choosing maths and physics modules. I wouldn't worry too much about what is easier to get into, as 100, 97 & 97 is a decent suite of UMS and as long as you get 90-95 in June you should be fine. On the other hand, if you are much more confident in your UMS in other subjects then the Natural Sciences route may be easier to get into. It's times like this that I wish there were a graph of the UMS performance of students on the course . . .

Yeah I'm not going to... I didn't really try for AS because I didn't think it mattered

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

The "Ask a Durham Student" Thread :)

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