Chads vs Castle

I have two offers from Durham and have been given these colleges - i can also pick which one i want to go to no as i can just switch it round for whichever course i pick. Both are great colleges so i'm unsure - any advice ?

I have two offers from Durham and have been given these colleges - i can also pick which one i want to go to no as i can just switch it round for whichever course i pick. Both are great colleges so i'm unsure - any advice ?

Hi there
Chads and Castle are different in terms of their size and the types of rooms offered. Castle is the biggest bailey college so has a bigger library, bar, and a lot of green spaces. Whereas Chads has a more intimate vibe and you will often run into people that you've met before because it's super small.
You also have a higher possibility of getting a shared room in Chads than in Castle.
In terms of costs, Chads' JCR membership (battels) is £30 whereas the same for Castle is £165. Although these are optional costs, it does make a difference if you decide to buy the membership. More details on optional costs for both colleges can be found here: Additional costs
Here's a blog about college life at Castle: https://studentblog.webspace.durham.ac.uk/college-life/
I can't find one for Chads at the moment but hopefully this will give some guidance
-Himieka

Heya,
I'm currently at Chad's so if you have any specific questions lmk!

Hi !, thanks so much, i do have a couple of questions. what's the general vibe of chads is it a bit more of an introverted or extroverted college ? i've also heard chads has some of the best libraries - which is quite important to me as i'm doing English lit, is this also true ? finally , i'm leaning a lot more towards chads but i'm worried about sharing a room, only a little - i'm at boarding school so i've done it a lot in the past - but do they try and put you in a room with someone w similar interests or is that just a myth ?

Hey!
So firstly the membership - membership fees are paid to the JCR, which are then used to subsidise events and give money to different groups in Chad's (e.g. sports teams). I'm not really sure why Castle charges so much, but at Chad's we still have a number of events including multiple balls a year, a fashion show, a College Day, as well as lots of other college events, so I wouldn't say we offer less?
Regarding the vibe of Chad's - it is a very small college, so if you are looking to just blend in, it's quite difficult, as everyone knows everyone. However, I wouldn't say this is a bad thing as it's a great way to make lots of friends. We have a mixture of introverts and extroverts, and wouldn't consider ourselves a 'party college' (although we do have our moments). In Fresher's Week we make sure to offer both club nights out as well as nights in (e.g. paint and sip, murder mysteries etc) because we know not everyone will want to go out every night, nor stay in every night. So overall, you will find yourself knowing pretty much everyone in your year, and a lot of people in the years above, but that doesn't mean you have to be extroverted, it's just because its a small college - and being catered helps too because you'll see everyone at meal times.
Libraries - we currently have 7 libraries in college, so we are definitely one of the colleges with the most! They cater for a wide range of subjects, as well as English. We also have a great librarian who can help source books. You'll also find that Durham will give you access to a lot of online resources too, and I'm sure the English Department will also have a library (although I don't do English so cannot confirm this, but I would be surprised if they don't have a library).
Room sharing - 40% of rooms in college for first years are shared, so the likelihood is that you will get a shared room. Once you have a confirmed place at the college, after results day, the college will send you a form which will allow you to tell us about yourself (e.g. your daily routine, habits, hobbies, favourite music etc) and from there roommates will be matched together based on compatibility. So you should get someone with similar interests and routine to you, and we find the majority of roommates have a great time, and quite a few live in houses together in 2nd year.
Hope that all helps!

This is incredibly helpful, thank you so much! Chads sounds like the perfect place for me so i'm going to confirm it over Castle!

Thank You! Is there a reason the Chads membership is so much cheaper , do they offer less ?