Preferred College

•

whether it’s catered or self-catered (I chose self-catered since I want more flexibility)

•

whether there is a chance of sharing a room (I’m autistic so I really couldn’t)

•

whether there are gowned formal dinners

•

What kind of rooms are available (en-suite, shared, paired)

•

Clubs and facilities

•

Scholarships

1.

catered vs self-catered: if you don't want to worry about cooking, go for catered colleges. Self-catered colleges give you more control over what and when you eat.

2.

type of room: some colleges like St Chads offer shared rooms. If you want to avoid them, go for the ones which have majority of single or ensuite rooms (look at hill colleges). Details of which type of rooms are available in each college are in this comparison table- https://www.durham.ac.uk/colleges-and-student-experience/colleges/compare-our-colleges/undergraduate-college-comparison-table/

3.

location: although all colleges are located in fairly close proximity to teaching sites, you might want to choose one that's closer to where your classes will take place in case you're running late (happens quite often if you have 9am classes). Finance and accounting classes will be confined to the science site and occasionally the business school, so I'd suggest going for hill colleges.

4.

big vs small: hill colleges tend to be bigger while those like St Johns and St Chads are smaller. This means smaller facilities like bars, sporting areas, social spaces, etc. You'll also probably see more familiar faces often in a small college.

5.

gowned vs non-gowned: as the name suggests, in gowned colleges, you'll wear a gown for matriculation and formals. It's not a massive consideration but more a matter of personal choice!

6.

additional costs: costs for a JCR membership (not mandatory to purchase), gym facilities, college societies, gowns for matriculation, college sports teams etc can vary from college to college. For instance, Butler's gym membership is £20 while that for South is £75. Also, colleges offer different scholarships/bursaries so it's good to check if you're particularly interested in any.