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Durham or Queen Mary

Hi everyone, I'd like to ask for your opinions. I've received offers for the Criminology and Criminal Justice MSc from Durham University and the Criminal Justice LLM from Queen Mary University of London.
I'm currently leaning towards Durham because I'm worried about the high cost of living in London, though it's not that I can't afford it, so I'm still a bit hesitant. What would you choose
Reply 1
Original post by Anonymous #1
Hi everyone, I'd like to ask for your opinions. I've received offers for the Criminology and Criminal Justice MSc from Durham University and the Criminal Justice LLM from Queen Mary University of London.
I'm currently leaning towards Durham because I'm worried about the high cost of living in London, though it's not that I can't afford it, so I'm still a bit hesitant. What would you choose


Hi I know this is random but l have a question, basically ucas made an error where it says that my starting date for all courses is 2025 and I only say this yesterday and yesterday I emailed all universities telling them there was an admin error and to consider me as a 2024 applicant.
I am anxiously waiting for next week for them to reply but do u think they will let me change and be considered as a 2024 applicant, please reply I am so scared I cried so much last night
Original post by Anonymous #1
Hi everyone, I'd like to ask for your opinions. I've received offers for the Criminology and Criminal Justice MSc from Durham University and the Criminal Justice LLM from Queen Mary University of London.
I'm currently leaning towards Durham because I'm worried about the high cost of living in London, though it's not that I can't afford it, so I'm still a bit hesitant. What would you choose
Both are Russel Group unis, however, as far as I can tell, Durham does seem to rank higher for criminology (https://www.theguardian.com/education/ng-interactive/2023/sep/09/best-uk-universities-for-criminology-league-table). However, what mainly matters is what matters most for you! They likely have different social scenes, societies, courses, etc., so I guess it's rlly up to whatever you prioritise most out of that.
Original post by marg2838
Hi I know this is random but l have a question, basically ucas made an error where it says that my starting date for all courses is 2025 and I only say this yesterday and yesterday I emailed all universities telling them there was an admin error and to consider me as a 2024 applicant.
I am anxiously waiting for next week for them to reply but do u think they will let me change and be considered as a 2024 applicant, please reply I am so scared I cried so much last night
Firstly, and I know this will be challenging, but try to stay calm. Either way, it seems like you have a place for either 2024 or 2025, so perhaps you could take a gap year, do some travelling and/or earn some money if you want to. Secondly, it is likely worth contacting UCAS too, to see if the error is just how it appears to you (e.g. you applied for 2024 correctly, and have a place for 2024, but the error is that it is showing up as a place for 2025) and also to get them to accept it is their fault, if that is the case. Are you sure that it is their error, and not perhaps an accidental error of your own? I am not saying this is the case, but these things do happen, and if this is the case it might be easier to wait for 2025 (though it's still worth seeing if Durham/Queen Mary's has any earlier spaces, as if they have offered you a place with deferred entry, this often means you were a very strong applicant, as unis can be hesitant to give out deferred places in case they have a very strong group of applicants the next year)
Reply 4
Original post by Anonymous #2
Original post by marg2838
Hi I know this is random but l have a question, basically ucas made an error where it says that my starting date for all courses is 2025 and I only say this yesterday and yesterday I emailed all universities telling them there was an admin error and to consider me as a 2024 applicant.
I am anxiously waiting for next week for them to reply but do u think they will let me change and be considered as a 2024 applicant, please reply I am so scared I cried so much last night
Firstly, and I know this will be challenging, but try to stay calm. Either way, it seems like you have a place for either 2024 or 2025, so perhaps you could take a gap year, do some travelling and/or earn some money if you want to. Secondly, it is likely worth contacting UCAS too, to see if the error is just how it appears to you (e.g. you applied for 2024 correctly, and have a place for 2024, but the error is that it is showing up as a place for 2025) and also to get them to accept it is their fault, if that is the case. Are you sure that it is their error, and not perhaps an accidental error of your own? I am not saying this is the case, but these things do happen, and if this is the case it might be easier to wait for 2025 (though it's still worth seeing if Durham/Queen Mary's has any earlier spaces, as if they have offered you a place with deferred entry, this often means you were a very strong applicant, as unis can be hesitant to give out deferred places in case they have a very strong group of applicants the next year)


I haven’t had any offers yet
Original post by marg2838

I haven’t had any offers yet
I think you should probably have started your own thread instead of hijacking somebody else's!
(edited 9 months ago)
Reply 6
Original post by SilverPebble


I haven’t had any offers yet
I think you should probably have started your own thread instead of hijacking somebody else's!

I did no one replied I am so sorry but I’m just panicking so much
Original post by marg2838
I did no one replied I am so sorry but I’m just panicking so much


I just saw your thread on the UCAS forum... you asked a mere three hours ago! You need to have more patience. Please refrain from posting unrelated questions on other people's thread and just wait for someone to answer. As per the forum rules, if no one has answered in 24 hours, you can post again in the thread to bring it back to the top for more attention :smile:
Reply 8
Original post by lawofducks123
Both are Russel Group unis, however, as far as I can tell, Durham does seem to rank higher for criminology (https://www.theguardian.com/education/ng-interactive/2023/sep/09/best-uk-universities-for-criminology-league-table). However, what mainly matters is what matters most for you! They likely have different social scenes, societies, courses, etc., so I guess it's rlly up to whatever you prioritise most out of that.
I'm very interested in the programs offered by both universities, and since I plan to return to my home country after obtaining my degree, what I value more is the reputation of the school and the experience of studying abroad
Reply 9
Original post by SilverPebble
Durham and London are 2 very different cities - even if you just watch a few tourist videos on Youtube for each of them, you'll get a good idea of their differences! Which would you prefer as a place to live?
That's a great point, I really like the relaxed atmosphere of Durham, but at the same time, I'm worried it might be too boring, haha.
Original post by marg2838
Firstly, and I know this will be challenging, but try to stay calm. Either way, it seems like you have a place for either 2024 or 2025, so perhaps you could take a gap year, do some travelling and/or earn some money if you want to. Secondly, it is likely worth contacting UCAS too, to see if the error is just how it appears to you (e.g. you applied for 2024 correctly, and have a place for 2024, but the error is that it is showing up as a place for 2025) and also to get them to accept it is their fault, if that is the case. Are you sure that it is their error, and not perhaps an accidental error of your own? I am not saying this is the case, but these things do happen, and if this is the case it might be easier to wait for 2025 (though it's still worth seeing if Durham/Queen Mary's has any earlier spaces, as if they have offered you a place with deferred entry, this often means you were a very strong applicant, as unis can be hesitant to give out deferred places in case they have a very strong group of applicants the next year)


I haven’t had any offers yetSorry, I thought you were OP and had just stopped being anonymous.
Original post by Anonymous #1
I'm very interested in the programs offered by both universities, and since I plan to return to my home country after obtaining my degree, what I value more is the reputation of the school and the experience of studying abroad
I can't speak for Queen Mary's as much but I know several people who go to Durham and they all loved it there! I'm unsure whether or not it has a massive party culture, though I expect there are probably still some clubs and things, but it has balls, formals, etc., which could be of interest to you! At least in the UK, I would guess that Durham might possibly be more well known than Queen Mary's, though obviously that doesn't mean you will or won't have a nicer experience there.

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