The Student Room Logo
Applying to Uni for 2024? Find your Uni here and chat with others! >>
Applying to Uni for 2024? Find your Uni here and chat with others! >>
Applying to Uni for 2024? Find your Uni here and chat with others! >>
Chemistry Research, Durham University
Durham University
Durham

The "Ask a Durham Student" Thread :)

Scroll to see replies

Reply 5880
Avatar for NJam
NJam
2
Original post by languagey
Can any current students give me any advice on how you manage extra curricular clubs/evening classes? How do you fit dinner in around the extra classes/societies?

I'm going to be at Van Mildert and wanting to attend a language class which would last two hours and start at either 4pm, 6pm or 6.30pm on various days of the week. As I'm going to be at a Hill college I'm also conscious of the time it's going to take me to walk from the hill to Elvet Riverside where I assume the extra language classes take place.

Do lectures often go on past 4pm? Is it possible to have food kept for you, or would you prepare something yourself?

I'm really sure which timed class would be best to fit around lectures + meal times as I don't have my timetable info yet!
Any advice would be much appreciated :smile:


The walk to Elvet Riverside from Van Mildert isn't far at all, wouldn't worry about that. Lectures can start as late as 5 (at least in my experience as a NatSci), but they are pretty atypical. All lectures finish by 6pm. You can order a packed dinner the day before if you know that you won't be able to make it to dinner, and then just pick it up at breakfast usually.

Also, Wednesday afternoon is reserved for sport/extra curricular stuff, so there are no lectures then. If in doubt, I'm sure it won't harm to wait until you get your timetable before signing up. You should be able to access your timetable as soon as you get your DUO credentials, IIRC.
Chemistry Research, Durham University
Durham University
Durham
Hi, I'm doing physics and I'm at Van Mildert,

I was wondering if there are Saturday lectures?
Also, I have a suit which is purple (quite a mellow purple, not garish at all), surely this isn't a problem?
And what are the vegetarian options like at Mildert?

Thanks to anyone that can help
Reply 5882
Avatar for NJam
NJam
2
Original post by LewisMX11
Hi, I'm doing physics and I'm at Van Mildert,

I was wondering if there are Saturday lectures?
Also, I have a suit which is purple (quite a mellow purple, not garish at all), surely this isn't a problem?
And what are the vegetarian options like at Mildert?

Thanks to anyone that can help


No Saturday lectures, though there are Saturday exams!
Suit shouldn't be an issue, I've seen more garish than Purple :P
Can't answer that, hopefully someone from Mildert can answer. If not, try the official facebook fresher's page.
Original post by NJam
No Saturday lectures, though there are Saturday exams!
Suit shouldn't be an issue, I've seen more garish than Purple :P
Can't answer that, hopefully someone from Mildert can answer. If not, try the official facebook fresher's page.


Excellent thank you
Another quick question:

What is the typical weekly cost of living? (Not including take aways, coffee shops etc - just things like toiletries)
Hello!
Got into Durham to do finance at john snow! Can't wait to start but got several questions!
Firstly, I JUST sent my AS12 email last week and haven't got any reply yet :/ when do people usually get the CAS number? I need it desperately for visa since the process in my country is just a pain.
Also, when do people get out timetable? And can someone tell me the difference between lecture or seminar? I'm so confused! Do we get to choose when to do anyone of them? I plan to choose most of mine at the start of the week leaving the end of the week lectures free? :smile: is that possible?

Thank you sooooo much! :smile:


Posted from TSR Mobile
(edited 9 years ago)
Original post by hieuluu
Hello!
Got into Durham to do finance at john snow! Can't wait to start but got several questions!
Firstly, I JUST sent my AS12 email last week and haven't got any reply yet :/ when do people usually get the CAS number? I need it desperately for visa since the process in my country is just a pain.
Also, when do people get out timetable? And can someone tell me the difference between lecture or seminar? I'm so confused! Do we get to choose when to do anyone of them? I plan to choose most of mine at the start of the week leaving the end of the week lectures free? :smile: is that possible?

And at the same time... John snow sent me an email telling me to apply for accommodation? But when I logged in the website says I can't apply...? Anyone been in the same problem?

Thank you sooooo much! :smile:


Posted from TSR Mobile


I can only respond in regards to the CAS number, and it's probably not that helpful but - I waited three months between sending my results and getting the number. In this time I made THREE urgent requests which were ignored along with most of my emails. I'm still bitter about it. I've complained about it on here before, and I probably will again because without the CAS you can't do ANYTHING and it completely ruined my entire summer and gave me an enormous amount of unnecessary stress, plus ended up costing me an extra $1,000 + to travel all over the country once I did get it in an attempt to rush through the Visa process so it would be done on time.

Having said that, clearly they cannot take 3 months to give you your number since classes are starting soon. They told me that most countries take a maximum of one month to issue a visa (sadly they seemed to think that all you had to do was call up and ask for a visa and wait a month. They didn't appreciate the difficulty that some people have getting application appointments which can be very limited in number and fill up very quickly). So using their logic, they must supply you with a CAS number at least 1 month before the start of classes, which would be quite soon.

You could always e-mail [email protected] for an update, but in my experience it is better to call as most of my e-mails were ignored. Hopefully now that we are closer to approaching the start date they will appreciate the urgency of the situation a little more. I wish you very good luck, and I really really hope you have a much easier time of it than I did!
Reply 5887
Avatar for CW88
CW88
Original post by hieuluu
Hello!
Got into Durham to do finance at john snow! Can't wait to start but got several questions!
Firstly, I JUST sent my AS12 email last week and haven't got any reply yet :/ when do people usually get the CAS number? I need it desperately for visa since the process in my country is just a pain.
Also, when do people get out timetable? And can someone tell me the difference between lecture or seminar? I'm so confused! Do we get to choose when to do anyone of them? I plan to choose most of mine at the start of the week leaving the end of the week lectures free? :smile: is that possible?

Thank you sooooo much! :smile:


Posted from TSR Mobile


Lectures are taught by one professor/lecturer to the entire class. Generally they will only give the lecture once so you have to attend that lecture. Seminars are smaller groups, which focus on discussion around specific material. In some courses you can choose a seminar where the time and date suits you, in others you are allocated to a group and cannot change. I would say it is unlikely you could arrange your timetable to have no lectures at the end of the week.
Original post by samstown
Hi :smile:

I'm thinking about applying for History at Durham but I'm starting to have doubts.
I got 5 A's at AS (one was in general studies so it doesn't really count) but I got 5 A*s 5 A's 1B and 1C at GCSE.
I've heard that most applicants for History have something like 8A*s, is it worth me applying for such a competitive course?

Pretty sure what you've heard isn't true. Not even Oxbridge has standards that high (if I remember correctly, Cambridge applicants average 6A*s). With your grades there is absolutely no reason not to apply and besides, what have you got to lose? It's one application out of the five UCAS allow you, after all.
Original post by languagey
Can any current students give me any advice on how you manage extra curricular clubs/evening classes? How do you fit dinner in around the extra classes/societies?


Speaking as someone who runs a society we're very mindful of people having to be at college for specific times in order to eat. From my slightly hazy memories of first year dinner was served 5.30 until 7, so we tend to start our events at 7.30. You should easily be able to pick a day on which your language class doesn't clash with a 4/5pm lecture, then make dinner and then even head out to another society afterwards if that's what you want to do! You really do learn in first year just how much stuff its possible to pack into a day.
Hi, I'm planning to do biology/biomed or natsci depending on my grades at Durham and am wondering what the courses are like? How many hours of practicals, lectures and so on do you have per week? What do they usually consist of? How are the professors? What would you say is the strong suite of the course?
Do you think there is any point in applying to durham for english having achieved A*ABBB - B in english considering I have extenuating circumstances too???

Posted from TSR Mobile
I was going to apply to an optimistic university on UCAS, I've visited the city before and loved it.
I am hoping to do Geography.
At AS I got an A in geography, hoping to push that to an A* at A2, it was 90%+
B in politics, 4 marks of an A, hopefully I can push that up to a A
C in Biology, I am resiting a module and hoping to get a B next year
C in Critical Thinking

So if I am predicted AAB, i am also studying an Open University course on the Frozen Planet, Duke of Edinburgh, do I have any chance of getting in.


I'm applying for 2015 Entry.

Should I apply for Single Honours English or Joint Honours English and History? Is one more competitive than the other?
What's Stockton like to live in? (Currently live in london)


Posted from TSR Mobile
How do we know if Banner Self Service rejects our uploaded photograph? Nothing seemed amiss when I completed enrollment but afterwards there was the option to re-upload a photograph if it had been rejected.
Original post by sneakysquirrel
How do we know if Banner Self Service rejects our uploaded photograph? Nothing seemed amiss when I completed enrollment but afterwards there was the option to re-upload a photograph if it had been rejected.


Never mind. Just got an email from duo saying that my picture was accepted :smile:
Original post by Jessica Derwent
Cheers, helpful.


Durham used to have a very active and helpful community (hence the existence of this thread which may be the first of its kind on the site) but over the years people have graduated and left he site, and there haven't been the numbers to replace them. I'm still around, but rarely read this thread. Not as often as I used to.

Newcastle is newcastle, famous for its bight life. Voted among he top in Europ (and the world). It's nightlife was voted Britain's top attraction by Lonely Planet(?). So it ticks the boxes for most. Personally I'm not into clubbing and would prefer more medium size music venues.. But it is affordable, compact (so easy to get around) and offers plenty of hoice.

Most people don't go to Newcastle at all, or certainly not often. It must be remembered that it is 20 miles away, and the last train is around 11 iirc (though there is, or certainly was, a night bus at the weekend). Most sty in Durham.

Durham can be claustrophobic. It offers a decent amount of pubs and restaurants for a city of its size. The Angel a particular favourite for alternative types. The clubbing situation is quite poor though, with not a great deal of choice. But there are college bars, plus some good city pubs, and the university offers a particularly high number of societies, plus formats.

Ultimately Dirham satisfies most, but that is probably because it never will attract clubbing fanatics (this usn't to say it doesn't have it's fair share of drinking and pub fanatics as it does).
Reply 5898
Avatar for NJam
NJam
2
Original post by Teddysmith123
Do you think there is any point in applying to durham for english having achieved A*ABBB - B in english considering I have extenuating circumstances too???

Posted from TSR Mobile



Original post by lizmoo0721
I was going to apply to an optimistic university on UCAS, I've visited the city before and loved it.
I am hoping to do Geography.
At AS I got an A in geography, hoping to push that to an A* at A2, it was 90%+
B in politics, 4 marks of an A, hopefully I can push that up to a A
C in Biology, I am resiting a module and hoping to get a B next year
C in Critical Thinking

So if I am predicted AAB, i am also studying an Open University course on the Frozen Planet, Duke of Edinburgh, do I have any chance of getting in.




To both of you: why not just give it a shot and apply? It's one of 5 options, so if you like Durham I can't really see a reason not to apply.
I'm looking to apply for economics at Durham this year. AS results: Maths- A,
Physics-A, Economics-A and an A in chemistry. Am I likely to get an offer?
Do offers usually include an A*?

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Trending

Latest