Attending Durham from far SW/ Devon/ Cornwall

Really grateful if anyone has any insight or thoughts on attending Durham when home is in the far South West/ Devon/ Cornwall - anyone there already from these areas or hoping to attend? Feeling a bit overwhelmed at the cost and ease/ distance involved in getting home. Not sure what I am asking really but just looking for people's experiences!

Reply 1

Squiggles1238

20

Hello, I’m from the devon/cornwall area, and I can say that getting home in the holidays without a car is tricky! I went up to visit last week, and the coach took me 13 hours in total, but it was a hell of a lot cheaper than getting the train

I’m still debating whether or not to firm Durham, or to go to Bristol instead

Original post by Anonymous

Really grateful if anyone has any insight or thoughts on attending Durham when home is in the far South West/ Devon/ Cornwall - anyone there already from these areas or hoping to attend? Feeling a bit overwhelmed at the cost and ease/ distance involved in getting home. Not sure what I am asking really but just looking for people's experiences!

Hey there

Matthew is from Somerset and this is what he said:

"It’s a long way, and that’s absolutely something to consider – train prices are easier to manage booking in advance (trainline etc.), and flying from Bristol or Exeter Airport was an option, although this seems likely to change with domestic flight legislation. The route for me tends to be Durham-Bristol Temple Meads, and then taking a shorter train to my own location in Somerset, but I think the train continues down to St Austell or Truro – you can do it by train. If travelling by car, then beware of the traffic on motorways at some points before term time! In my first year there was a small community of people from the South West/South Wales who did offer lifts if they were driving to and from Durham or were on the same train, but this was notably smaller. So please be mindful of this if you’re relying on lift sharing with a college friend or similar.

I think the other consideration is that the distance does prohibit you from travelling home during term time; although some distance from parents and guardians – or home in general – is the norm with uni, not being able to go home on weekends, or being aware or the journey up if something goes wrong, does mean that self-reliance and independence come into play. It’s a consideration when packing as well, if you might have trouble taking luggage to and from university (PCs, instruments, or houseplants and other items are delicate). Not to put you off though! It’s still been easier and arguably cheaper than a lot of unis in the UK for me personally, even including travel – and it’s nice to be able to connect with others from the same area."

-Himieka

Reply 3

Mayte22

1

Original post by Squiggles1238

Hello, I’m from the devon/cornwall area, and I can say that getting home in the holidays without a car is tricky! I went up to visit last week, and the coach took me 13 hours in total, but it was a hell of a lot cheaper than getting the train

I’m still debating whether or not to firm Durham, or to go to Bristol instead

Hi, I am from South Devon and on the same boat as you, torn between Durham and Bristol! I have not had a chance to visit Durham yet and I am well aware that the clock is ticking...Apart from the hellish journey, what were your impressions of Durham, both the uni and the city?

Reply 4

Squiggles1238

20

Original post by Mayte22

Hi, I am from South Devon and on the same boat as you, torn between Durham and Bristol! I have not had a chance to visit Durham yet and I am well aware that the clock is ticking...Apart from the hellish journey, what were your impressions of Durham, both the uni and the city?

It depends what you’re after from the city. I personally found it to be very small and didn’t have a whole lot to do, although when I offered all the students were away for the holidays. The uni itself does have some amazing facilities and they are very modern. I do think that the accom at bristol is a lot more modern and a lot nicer than at Durham, but obviously bristol is a lot more expensive (and Durham is a historic city so lot of the buildings are fairly old). The staff all seemed lovely and the students we met were very friendly too.

Reply 5

Mayte22

1

Original post by Squiggles1238

It depends what you’re after from the city. I personally found it to be very small and didn’t have a whole lot to do, although when I offered all the students were away for the holidays. The uni itself does have some amazing facilities and they are very modern. I do think that the accom at bristol is a lot more modern and a lot nicer than at Durham, but obviously bristol is a lot more expensive (and Durham is a historic city so lot of the buildings are fairly old). The staff all seemed lovely and the students we met were very friendly too.

Thank you, really useful, it does not bother me the fact there doesn't seem to be much to do in Durham outside College life. I suppose better start ranking my College preferences...

Reply 6

Anonymous #1

OP

Thanks all for taking the time to reply. Lots to think about - may yet see some of you in Bristol!

Reply 7

Anonymous #2

Hi, we travelled up from Swansea on an open day via train. Took us 7 hours (change at Bristol Parkway).. My daughter loved Durham, the vibe , the ease of getting around etc. I refuse to drive up there as I hate motorway driving so the move will be interesting. There is the factor that she can't just come home for a weekend and if anything goes wrong I can't just be two hours away (she has been accepted from Warwick and Exeter which would be so much easier)... It is far to travel .. I guess what I am saying is.. if you really want to go it won't matter how far away it is as you are moving away anyway (that's how I am thinking of it as a parent and it's taken me a while to adjust to this lol) If you like the idea of the course, perhaps give it a visit.. see how you feel about the journey. Definitely get a rail card so you can get money off (bought one for my daughter already) , book 12 weeks in advance tickets as they're a lot cheaper as well.

Reply 8

Anonymous #3

Original post by Anonymous

Really grateful if anyone has any insight or thoughts on attending Durham when home is in the far South West/ Devon/ Cornwall - anyone there already from these areas or hoping to attend? Feeling a bit overwhelmed at the cost and ease/ distance involved in getting home. Not sure what I am asking really but just looking for people's experiences!

I'm writing from the perspective of the mum of a first year university student who it takes a long time to reach by car. I know the majority of first years settle in relatively easily, but some can be desperately homesick and in need of support, and feel lonely as well as overwhelmed by the amount of work university courses demand (so different than A levels). The romantic pictures of constant parties and instant best friends can be true, but not always, and at last not as fast as the fantasy idea of university suggests. These challenges are not spoken of enough when these choices are made. We very much wish she were closer to home, and though we are still finding ways to address this, it is much more difficult than any of us imagined. If you are anxious about the distance, do weigh this aspect of your choice quite seriously, especially if you have the option of a closer-to-home university you like.

Reply 9

Anonymous #4

Same. I'm from Devon, and I'm trying to decide between Durham and Exeter; why is it so hard 😢

Reply 10

Anonymous #1

OP

Original post by Anonymous

I'm writing from the perspective of the mum of a first year university student who it takes a long time to reach by car. I know the majority of first years settle in relatively easily, but some can be desperately homesick and in need of support, and feel lonely as well as overwhelmed by the amount of work university courses demand (so different than A levels). The romantic pictures of constant parties and instant best friends can be true, but not always, and at last not as fast as the fantasy idea of university suggests. These challenges are not spoken of enough when these choices are made. We very much wish she were closer to home, and though we are still finding ways to address this, it is much more difficult than any of us imagined. If you are anxious about the distance, do weigh this aspect of your choice quite seriously, especially if you have the option of a closer-to-home university you like.

Thanks for all the replies and I hope that Anonymous Mum's daughter is OK - did she get good support from her college/ the university?

Still not made the decision, has anyone else reached a conclusion yet?

Attending Durham from far SW/ Devon/ Cornwall

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