Durham or Bristol??

hello. i am an international student who has been offered international law and governance (llm) at durham and human rights law (llm) at bristol. the two seem equal in my opinion and the research seems to suggest that you should just to go whichever has more vibes.

i am foreign to the UK except for research and movies and i cannot tell what the vibes are actually like. i am career focused and durham seems to be a better choice career wise but bristol seems to be better for social activity and jobs.

which of the two is a better pick for international students?

thank you

Reply 1

Durham Rep Ghala

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

hello. i am an international student who has been offered international law and governance (llm) at durham and human rights law (llm) at bristol. the two seem equal in my opinion and the research seems to suggest that you should just to go whichever has more vibes.
i am foreign to the UK except for research and movies and i cannot tell what the vibes are actually like. i am career focused and durham seems to be a better choice career wise but bristol seems to be better for social activity and jobs.
which of the two is a better pick for international students?
thank you

Hiya,

Congratulations on your offers, Durham and Bristol are great Uni's! Contrary to popular belief, the social scene at Durham isn't as bad as its perceived. Durham is quite small so it definitely gives off picturesque town vibes but it offers a variety of different activities. Durham has several museums, a botanic garden, cathedral, cinema, theatre, etc. as well as the collegiate system. Also, its 10 minutes by train from Newcastle so that's a bonus 🙂 I'm an international student as well and I found Durham to be quite accommodating and not intimidating whatsoever, it has enough shops/activities so you don't get bored but not too much that it becomes a big bustling city (which I personally don't like). So if that's your vibe, then Durham is great for that.

You mentioned you are quite career focused which is great because Durham offers a range of support and resources for students in regards to their careers. There are a range of different opportunities from volunteering, internships, placements, part time jobs and graduate schemes which students can benefit from whilst at Durham. The careers and enterprises team at Durham is fantastic! They're incredibly supportive and will help you with all sorts of career aspects such as CV writing, how to hunt for jobs/internships, job interview preparation as well as help you look for graduate jobs before and after you graduate. Durham also has a range of different jobs/internships for students with the University like being a Student ambassador or working with the social media team at the Durham student! 🙂

Personally, being a student at Durham has pushed me beyond what I thought I was capable of career wise and as well as academically and socially, its definitely an extraordinary place to be. In terms of which is better for international students, that is entirely up to you and how you feel. We have various international campus visits you could sign up for if possible, you can visit the city and campus and see what its all about 🙂

If you're interested, visit International Campus Visits and book a tour, one of our student ambassadors will show you around! If you're unable to visit, that's totally fine, I'm available to answer any more questions and signpost you to more resources.

I hope this helps and best of luck!

-Ghala

Reply 2

Anonymous #1

hello

thank you for responding.

i have chosen Durham and i would love to inquire about possible accommodation options? i would like to secure a spot early as i’ve learned they get snagged up really fast.

i would also like some information as to how to go about satisfying the conditions in my offer, and paying my deposit.

kindly advise as to how best to communicate.

thank you.