Durham University- music and colleges
I am a year 12 music student considering applying to Durham to study music. I was just wondering if anyone has been there or knows much about the course and could let me know if they recommend it and what it’s like?
I study the clarinet and jazz saxophone at the royal college of music junior department on a Saturday so I am very keen to have lots of performance opportunities alongside the degree, but I’m also not entirely convinced on conservatoire as I don’t really want to stay in London and I like the student and community experience of a university.
I also wanted to ask about the college system- are there some better than others and if so which would you recommend for music? Also, I’ve seen them either being addressed as Hill or Bailey colleges. Does that relate to where they’re situated?
If anyone could help answer these questions that would be amazing!
Thanks,
Tallulah
I study the clarinet and jazz saxophone at the royal college of music junior department on a Saturday so I am very keen to have lots of performance opportunities alongside the degree, but I’m also not entirely convinced on conservatoire as I don’t really want to stay in London and I like the student and community experience of a university.
I also wanted to ask about the college system- are there some better than others and if so which would you recommend for music? Also, I’ve seen them either being addressed as Hill or Bailey colleges. Does that relate to where they’re situated?
If anyone could help answer these questions that would be amazing!
Thanks,
Tallulah
Reply 1
I can't say anything about the music course, but I might be able to help with colleges.
When it comes to whether some are better than others, it's a bit subjective. Different people like different things: if you want an older college with lots of traditions, go for the Bailey. If you want a newer, fresher-looking college, go for the Hill. If you want self-catered accommodation, all those colleges are on the Hill (though not all Hill colleges are self-catered!). If you want a big college with lots of people, go for a Hill college like Collingwood (Durham's largest). If you want a smaller, quieter college, go for somewhere like St Chad's or St John's (the two smallest). They all have different qualities, and it's up to you to decide which are positive and which are negative! But don't worry too much about it - most people absolutely LOVE whatever college they end up in, and not everyone gets the colleges they tell Durham are their favourite (you'll rank the colleges in order of preference, some people get their top preference, others get their bottom - it can be a bit random!).
Because the colleges can be so randomly allocated, you'll find a mix of people in all colleges, some musical, some political, some sporty, etc. You'd also probably have friends outside of your college anyway, from your lectures and societies, so I'm sure you'd find people like you wherever you go! Lectures and academic stuff take place outside of your college too, so your college choice has no bearing on your degree and vice versa. St Aidan's has a bit of a reputation for being musical, but don't necessarily put too much weight on that. Collingwood has just got a new recording studio as well, so they have musical elements too.
Hill and Bailey does refer to where they're located. Bailey colleges are in the centre of Durham, right next to the cathedral and castle. Hill colleges are a bit further out (unsurprisingly up a hill), but Durham's quite a small city so everything's quite close together anyway. The exception is Hild Bede - that isn't Hill or Bailey and does feel further away than anything else, but don't necessarily let that put you off.
I hope this has helped! Feel free to ask any other questions you have. I hope you find whichever college is right for you! Don't necessarily take what I've said as perfect - different people will have different takes, and, of course, everyone loves whatever college they end up in!
Try this website as a guide - it's written by a Durham student and gives a sense for each college. https://www.palatinate.org.uk/an-updated-honest-satirical-review-of-the-durham-colleges/
When it comes to whether some are better than others, it's a bit subjective. Different people like different things: if you want an older college with lots of traditions, go for the Bailey. If you want a newer, fresher-looking college, go for the Hill. If you want self-catered accommodation, all those colleges are on the Hill (though not all Hill colleges are self-catered!). If you want a big college with lots of people, go for a Hill college like Collingwood (Durham's largest). If you want a smaller, quieter college, go for somewhere like St Chad's or St John's (the two smallest). They all have different qualities, and it's up to you to decide which are positive and which are negative! But don't worry too much about it - most people absolutely LOVE whatever college they end up in, and not everyone gets the colleges they tell Durham are their favourite (you'll rank the colleges in order of preference, some people get their top preference, others get their bottom - it can be a bit random!).
Because the colleges can be so randomly allocated, you'll find a mix of people in all colleges, some musical, some political, some sporty, etc. You'd also probably have friends outside of your college anyway, from your lectures and societies, so I'm sure you'd find people like you wherever you go! Lectures and academic stuff take place outside of your college too, so your college choice has no bearing on your degree and vice versa. St Aidan's has a bit of a reputation for being musical, but don't necessarily put too much weight on that. Collingwood has just got a new recording studio as well, so they have musical elements too.
Hill and Bailey does refer to where they're located. Bailey colleges are in the centre of Durham, right next to the cathedral and castle. Hill colleges are a bit further out (unsurprisingly up a hill), but Durham's quite a small city so everything's quite close together anyway. The exception is Hild Bede - that isn't Hill or Bailey and does feel further away than anything else, but don't necessarily let that put you off.
I hope this has helped! Feel free to ask any other questions you have. I hope you find whichever college is right for you! Don't necessarily take what I've said as perfect - different people will have different takes, and, of course, everyone loves whatever college they end up in!
Try this website as a guide - it's written by a Durham student and gives a sense for each college. https://www.palatinate.org.uk/an-updated-honest-satirical-review-of-the-durham-colleges/
Reply 2
Hi TAgreen.
I’m an alumna of Durham
Music and currently one of my children is studying music there too. It’s a long time since you posted so it may or not be as relevant now. So when I applied a LONG time ago (!) I was just allocated a college. The business of asking applicants to state their college preference is though, fairly longstanding now. I just wanted to reassure you that the college you get allocated will be randomised because their system is to use a set up that keeps rotating the numbers until the colleges are full. it is not a failure to get a college you didn’t put high in preference and you will end up loving your college because it’s about the students though architecturally you many prefer one over another. Durham is completely impersonal about this process, preferring to allocate despite applicants preferences, whatever they say. Personally, I think Durham should ditch the process of letting applicants think they have a say in their allocation, as it leads to inevitable disappointment when one gets the 14th college in order of preference. It is again, nothing personal and they only consider disability as a reason to be allocated a certain college. They have oodles written about this in their accommodation part of the website answering every which way they can, numerous questions they get asked eg. Can I be allocated a college near to my department? Ans. no etc etc
The truth is OF COURSE it is better geographically for a music student to live in one of the Bailey colleges for their 1st yr, because they’re right next to Palace Green and the cathedral where the music dep is. BUT as I’ve said, allocations do not take that into account. Similarly, scientists who would be geographically better served by being in one of the Hill colleges. The departments have no say whatsoever where their students are placed so for example they can’t intervene to say, my student does 4 hrs music instrument practise a day and could do with not having to walk from music dept back for 20 min up the hill to meals etc . It’s just not easy because every department at Durham is separate and compartmentalised and there isn’t joined up thinking on this. To be fair they have many students to try to accommodate and probably are very pressured so have taken a stance which rules out any negotiation and in some case common sense. If I was running the place I’d try to sort this out because the current thinking is that nowhere is that far to walk to which may be right, but when you have a lot of music it would be obvious to situate a student in their 1st yr at a college near to their department just to help make things a bit easier. The stance is that Durham wants to ‘mis it up ‘ a little and integrate students from all disciplines so that there is not simple stem subjects in one place and humanities in another which I agree with absolutely BUT there are so few music students it would not be notable to distribute them among the Bailey colleges and ther’d still be a good mix. Seemingly this hasn’t occurred to anyone yet…! All colleges however have music practise rooms but if you are in a large college it can be a scramble to book, there are a tiny number of music undergrads in each college but many musicians from the other degrees who want to practise also. So you have to speak up and express your needs and the colleges will do their very best to help you. The colleges are really really helpful and they want you to succeed. I hope that’s helped. Durham’s gorgeous and if you go you will hopefully love it. Good luck!
I’m an alumna of Durham
Music and currently one of my children is studying music there too. It’s a long time since you posted so it may or not be as relevant now. So when I applied a LONG time ago (!) I was just allocated a college. The business of asking applicants to state their college preference is though, fairly longstanding now. I just wanted to reassure you that the college you get allocated will be randomised because their system is to use a set up that keeps rotating the numbers until the colleges are full. it is not a failure to get a college you didn’t put high in preference and you will end up loving your college because it’s about the students though architecturally you many prefer one over another. Durham is completely impersonal about this process, preferring to allocate despite applicants preferences, whatever they say. Personally, I think Durham should ditch the process of letting applicants think they have a say in their allocation, as it leads to inevitable disappointment when one gets the 14th college in order of preference. It is again, nothing personal and they only consider disability as a reason to be allocated a certain college. They have oodles written about this in their accommodation part of the website answering every which way they can, numerous questions they get asked eg. Can I be allocated a college near to my department? Ans. no etc etc
The truth is OF COURSE it is better geographically for a music student to live in one of the Bailey colleges for their 1st yr, because they’re right next to Palace Green and the cathedral where the music dep is. BUT as I’ve said, allocations do not take that into account. Similarly, scientists who would be geographically better served by being in one of the Hill colleges. The departments have no say whatsoever where their students are placed so for example they can’t intervene to say, my student does 4 hrs music instrument practise a day and could do with not having to walk from music dept back for 20 min up the hill to meals etc . It’s just not easy because every department at Durham is separate and compartmentalised and there isn’t joined up thinking on this. To be fair they have many students to try to accommodate and probably are very pressured so have taken a stance which rules out any negotiation and in some case common sense. If I was running the place I’d try to sort this out because the current thinking is that nowhere is that far to walk to which may be right, but when you have a lot of music it would be obvious to situate a student in their 1st yr at a college near to their department just to help make things a bit easier. The stance is that Durham wants to ‘mis it up ‘ a little and integrate students from all disciplines so that there is not simple stem subjects in one place and humanities in another which I agree with absolutely BUT there are so few music students it would not be notable to distribute them among the Bailey colleges and ther’d still be a good mix. Seemingly this hasn’t occurred to anyone yet…! All colleges however have music practise rooms but if you are in a large college it can be a scramble to book, there are a tiny number of music undergrads in each college but many musicians from the other degrees who want to practise also. So you have to speak up and express your needs and the colleges will do their very best to help you. The colleges are really really helpful and they want you to succeed. I hope that’s helped. Durham’s gorgeous and if you go you will hopefully love it. Good luck!
Quick Reply
Related discussions
- Durham versus King's College London
- Piano at University as a non-music student
- Durham University Freshers thread 2025
- Exeter or Durham?
- Extracurricular drama at Durham
- Durham colleges
- Manchester vs Durham decision
- Durham University Applicant Thread 2026
- UCL or Durham Law?
- can you change durham college?
- Can I get into uni with two btecs and one a level?
- Help from Durham history students
- The Big 'Recommend Me Durham A College' Thread - Mk 2
- Choosing Durham, Edinburgh or Sheffield
- Psychology at Uni of York vs Durham Uni
- Durhammmm uni - primary education
- St Chad's College Durham Music Room?
- Collingwood
- Grey College Durham Offer Holders 2025
- Bath vs Durham vs Exeter Bio BSc offers
Latest
Trending
Last reply 3 months ago
Official Durham University Offer Holders Thread 2025 entryDurham University
194
269
How The Student Room is moderated
To keep The Student Room safe for everyone, we moderate posts that are added to the site.
