Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

Durham or Sheffield?

My 2 next choices are Durham and Sheffield but I can't choose between them for my firm choice. I am applying for Biosciences (Durham - St Mary's) and Biochemistry and Genetics (Sheffield). I am very much more focused on academics than the social life around the university and I love green spaces as well. I also have anxiety and (possibly) ASD so that plays into my choices. I'm quite concerned about accommodation so does anyone have any photos/ videos for reference for them both? Or any information to help at all? Thanks in advance!

Reply 1

arwaisfailing

idk about durham but i know sheffield is 60% green spaces and has a botanical gardens near the uni :smile:

Reply 2

darkblu

Original post by arwaisfailing

idk about durham but i know sheffield is 60% green spaces and has a botanical gardens near the uni :smile:

That's true! I've checked those out before and they do look very pretty!

Reply 3

McGinger

Look on YouTube for Campus Tours and previous Open Day films for each Uni. And look for 'tourist' films for each place.

And read all of this : https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/university/apply/firm-and-insurance-choices

Reply 4

darkblu

Original post by McGinger

Thanks! That link is really helpful ^^ I'll definitely look around now

Reply 5

jmlolz

So I'd like to start by saying that I go to Durham, so there may be some bias but equally it's based on my experience going here. I think there are multiple things to consider, and then for you to decide from there.

League Tables
Now these don't mean everything, and there also aren't sections for biochemistry, so I'll take them for Biology, Chemistry, and Overall. I think they're certainly worth considering as you've said you'd like to focus on the academic side.

Complete University Guide
Biology: Durham: 8th Sheffield: 11th
Chemistry: Durham: 4th Sheffield: 23rd
Overall: Durham: 7th Sheffield: 28th

The Guardian
Biology: Durham: 12th Sheffield: 38th
Chemistry: Durham: 2nd Sheffield: 33rd
Overall: Durham: 4th Sheffield: 31st

The Times Good University Guide
Biology: Durham: 16th Sheffield: 8th
Chemistry: Durham: 5th Sheffield: 25th
Overall: Durham: 7th Sheffield: 26th

Out of these main 3 league table rankings, it's quite clear that Durham ranks quite far ahead of Sheffield (with the exception of Biology in the Times). From my experience so far, I can certainly speak for Durham pushing students with challenging work, however I'd imagine this is the norm at most top uni's, including Sheffield.

Life at university
One thing that seems rather clear is that the night life scene is bigger in Sheffield than in Durham. Although it has been hard to gauge here due to Covid, Durham isn't at all a partyish city. Although I can't speak fully for Sheffield, I've heard and would assume that it's more of a standard uni experience of many parties, and many partyish people. That's great if you're into that, however if you're not it could deter you.

There is also the university setup. Durham is obviously collegiate (similar to Oxbridge), which many people here love about the university, however it may not be for everyone. The colleges are spread across the city, with much of the city itself being made up of university buildings. It feels much more like a town, and roughly 50% of the population here are students. This is not the case in Sheffield, where the population is much greater, and it seems that the university is split into clusters within the city. If you're interested in studying in a big city uni, this is great, as Durham can sometimes feel more like a small town rather than a City. This can have it's problems itself, as there will certainly be many less shops and restaurants than are available in Sheffield, however it's not too hard to take the train to Newcastle which can be a solution to that. If this is important, then Sheffield could be the better option.

You've also loved your mention for green spaces. I can say from experience that Durham is great for this. Within 10 minutes of walking from the city centre you can be on a woodland walk. Most of the areas surrounding the city centre, including all of the Hill colleges (St Mary's included), are foresty, and even better are the Botanical Gardens roughly a 10 minute walk away from St Marys. I've seen another reply stating that Sheffield is also great for this, so both options seem totally viable in terms of this.

Accommodation
For this it's hard for me to say much, as I haven't looked at much accommodation for either. I can say that the accommodation that I'm in at Durham is modern and lovely, however I also know that this isn't the case for everyone here. Some colleges have older, more dated rooms, and many of the colleges are catered only which could pose a problem if this bothers you. In general, the accommodation here is fairly good, with many of the Hill colleges being more modern with nice rooms. The main problems with this may arise if you're looking at Bailey colleges, which are often a lot older.

For Sheffield, this is just going off assumptions but I'd imagine it may be more consistent. They may be more modern or sometimes larger, but I honestly can't say much about this as I've not looked into it.

Although I've been lucky with my Durham accommodation, I'd think that Sheffield may be more consistently good/decent than Durham, but this completely depends on the college and I may be totally wrong, you should have a look into this yourself to see what you prefer.

The experience
One thing that is worth bringing up is the experience you might have at the uni. Durham is obviously well known for its traditions, with Matriculation, many formal balls as well as formal dinners. The formality of these depends on the college, with some colleges having gowned formals and others being more relaxed. Although it'd be easy for this to be dismissed as something to be enjoyed by only the "private school kids", they can certainly provide a fun and once in a lifetime experience that you won't find anywhere else other than Durham or Oxbridge. This still isn't for everyone, and many of the less traditional people who come to Durham end up going to a Hill college, who are stereotypically more relaxed.

Quite frankly, this won't be matched at Sheffield, but that may be a good thing if it doesn't interest you at all. Sheffield will certainly be more in line with a standard UK university in terms of events.

I should also add, as someone who also has Anxiety and ASD, Durham has been a great place for me. It's calming and a very studious place, although academically demanding at times, but very easy to take yourself away on a woodland walk down by the river without having to go very far. It's great for taking some peace and quiet out of life, and has certainly helped me on my journey to recovery. This may also have been the case in Sheffield, but I can certainly vouch for Durham in that respect.

Overall
The overall decision is going to be in your hands. For me, I would choose Durham again and I have no regrets coming here, but most people will love wherever they end up as uni is a great experience in general. In terms of academics, it seems to be quite far ahead on league tables compared to Sheffield, and competing with the other very top uni's. The lifestyle is certainly more unique here, and that may sway you towards Sheffield if you don't like the sound of that, however for some of the other things you've mentioned such as green spaces or academia > social life, Durham is a perfect choice for that. Both universities are great, and I'm sure your degree will be highly regarded after from whatever one you choose. Best of luck with your decision :smile: