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UCL or Durham?

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Reply 20

I sense a lean-age towards UCL. Go with it. London living will be incredible, tutorials, general UoL fabulousness. :biggrin:

Or come north to quiet drinking and formals. haha.

Reply 21

I probably will. I'll be all jet-set :wink:

Or maybe I'll go and live near a castle... Hmmm :P

Reply 22

Why don't you make a miniature castle and take it to London - best of both worlds then! haha./

Reply 23

OR I could take a London snowglobe to Durham?!

Reply 24

See, now you don't need to go to either. :biggrin: haha.

Reply 25

Original post
by Reblet
I feel like I should push Durham to make it a balanced opinion poll... UCL is great if you love London. Buuuut if you want something a bit different (i.e. you will probs have to work/live in London at some point in your life anyway) then Durham is perfect. It doesn't lack a nightlife at all. In fact it's got some pretty decent clubs PLUS everyone who goes is a student so you'll constantly meet new folk but they'll be students so you'll feel very included. London can feel isolated (one of my friends went a whole week without seeing any other students apart from at lectures!) whilst Durham's collegiate system means you'll have a whole base of people there. Expense-wise Durham wins hands-down as clearly London accomodation/ food and drink prices aren't as cheap as Durham. London accomodation can also be a HUGE stress and tends to be ever so slightly shabby-chic in places. Durham has pretty good accomodation overall and offers it for 1st and 3rd year with looooaaads of places to rent nearby for 2nd year (most people love living-out at Durham as it's pretty inexpensive and you get such pretty little terraced houses!). The course at Durham is actually pretty genius when you look at it. AND you can do modules outside your subject which is very pleasant. Between UCL and Durham rep-wise there is only a significant difference internationally (UoL has the edge there obviously) but unless you are genuinely planning on going abroad straight after your degree this shouldn't worry you too much. Durham is one of the top unis for clubs and societies (some might argue that;s because there is nothing else to do... But they are wrong! haha) also 85% of Durham students play a sport. Rowing at Durham is massively popular and a wicked sport to take up.
Formals in gowns and cool bops. Face-painting in clubs and hot tubs for college days... cheerleading randomly... Being matriculated at Durham Cathedral... Bill Bryson!

Durham seem quiet but it does have a huge student social scene... Remember that it doesn;t matter how busy a city is - you can still feel very very alone without a good sense of community.

Wooooop North!!!


why not go to both? durham undergrad followed by UCL

Reply 26

Original post
by schroeder's dog
why not go to both? durham undergrad followed by UCL

You've managed to dig up a really old thread there.:wink: The poster hasn't been around for two years, and as you can tell by her sig she went for UCL in the end .

Anyway, I don't think that's particularly good advice. If someone wants to do an MA afterwards (which is by no means a given), surely they should decide where to go on the basis of other factors than which undergraduate course appealed to them three years earlier?:s-smilie:

Reply 27

I studied at both and can very honestly say Durham all the way.

It's such as beautiful place. You will be much more focused in your work. Library here in Durham is very good with excellent facilities.

At UCL I always felt it was all rushed, no space, always crowded, poor and old facilities I just do not think it is worth the money. I am so glad I came to Durham and my experience has been drastically better not to mention the amount of money I have been saving.

It's a no brainer - Durham

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