The Student Room Group

Possibility of getting single ensuite for Durham Uni

To put it shortly, I have a not-so-serious medical need but wanting to apply to colleges that don’t have that much single ensuite rooms as an international student. Preferences are St Chads, Hatfield and Castle / Mary’s (haven’t chosen between the 2)

I have mild skin allergies which I need to constantly apply medical creams or even take allergy meds for months to stop having rashes all over my skin, and this is definitely going to be a problem if I were to share a room / bathroom with someone

I know that I need one single ensuite room just to have a bathroom myself to deal with the skin problems (and disgustingly dealing with the aftermath of my mess myself) that I have, but I still want to opt for St Chads because I’m deeply attracted to its vibe and lifestyle, and I don’t think that switching to other colleges (possibly the furthest hill colleges) is worth it just because I have a skin condition.

It is already an ongoing issue back in my home country, but it just intensified after I came to the UK and it’s starting to be unbearable.

Should I still go for Chads (and hopefully they’ll give me an single ensuite) or go for other colleges (which I’m sure it’s definitely not my cup of tea)?

I’ll be grateful if someone can help me out with this, thanks!!

p.s.: will it be wise to ask about it on st chads instagram webpage or email them about the issue(?)
Original post by Anonymous #1
To put it shortly, I have a not-so-serious medical need but wanting to apply to colleges that don’t have that much single ensuite rooms as an international student. Preferences are St Chads, Hatfield and Castle / Mary’s (haven’t chosen between the 2)
I have mild skin allergies which I need to constantly apply medical creams or even take allergy meds for months to stop having rashes all over my skin, and this is definitely going to be a problem if I were to share a room / bathroom with someone
I know that I need one single ensuite room just to have a bathroom myself to deal with the skin problems (and disgustingly dealing with the aftermath of my mess myself) that I have, but I still want to opt for St Chads because I’m deeply attracted to its vibe and lifestyle, and I don’t think that switching to other colleges (possibly the furthest hill colleges) is worth it just because I have a skin condition.
It is already an ongoing issue back in my home country, but it just intensified after I came to the UK and it’s starting to be unbearable.
Should I still go for Chads (and hopefully they’ll give me an single ensuite) or go for other colleges (which I’m sure it’s definitely not my cup of tea)?
I’ll be grateful if someone can help me out with this, thanks!!
p.s.: will it be wise to ask about it on st chads instagram webpage or email them about the issue(?)
Hi there

I appreciate that skin allergies can be very frustrating but I doubt that the allocation team would consider it to be serious enough to allocate you to an ensuite room when there is limited availability. Chads and Hatfield especially have very few single ensuites, so the chances there are much less. If you really want a single ensuite, your safest options are the 4 hill colleges including South, John Snow, Stephenson and Butler.

The individual colleges will not be able to assist you with this on DM. Once you are allocated a college, you will be sent out a room preference room in which you'll get the option to fill out any details of medical conditions for which you require a certain type of room. You can mention your situation in there. Emailing them now wouldn't make a difference because you haven't been allocated a college yet, so I'd suggest waiting until later.

-Himieka

Reply 2

Original post by Durham Students
Hi there
I appreciate that skin allergies can be very frustrating but I doubt that the allocation team would consider it to be serious enough to allocate you to an ensuite room when there is limited availability. Chads and Hatfield especially have very few single ensuites, so the chances there are much less. If you really want a single ensuite, your safest options are the 4 hill colleges including South, John Snow, Stephenson and Butler.
The individual colleges will not be able to assist you with this on DM. Once you are allocated a college, you will be sent out a room preference room in which you'll get the option to fill out any details of medical conditions for which you require a certain type of room. You can mention your situation in there. Emailing them now wouldn't make a difference because you haven't been allocated a college yet, so I'd suggest waiting until later.
-Himieka

Hi there, I was wondering about the same thing, with slightly different circumstances. I have quite severe stomach issues, which cause nausea and IBS symptoms. The Bailey colleges appeal to me more, but there's obviously a smaller chance of getting an ensuite. What would be the chances of getting an ensuite room with the above medical issues?
Original post by Anonymous
Hi there, I was wondering about the same thing, with slightly different circumstances. I have quite severe stomach issues, which cause nausea and IBS symptoms. The Bailey colleges appeal to me more, but there's obviously a smaller chance of getting an ensuite. What would be the chances of getting an ensuite room with the above medical issues?

Hiya

I'm afraid I can't be the judge of what medical conditions will qualify to give someone an ensuite but you can definitely give it a shot by making a strong case for yourself. I would say though, that it's better to go for hill colleges where you will have a much higher chance of getting an ensuite as it sounds like it's an important factor for you. IMO, hill colleges also have bigger facilities, especially sports facilities, JCR spaces and gyms. You can also always walk around the bailey and go to bailey college bars if that's attractive to you.

-Himieka

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