Durham Colleges

3

Hi! I was recently offered an unconditional place at Durham for law and it’s likely my top choice. However, I need help choosing a college.
I’m looking for good en-suite accommodation, nice/pretty or at least very clean campus, and a good balance of social life and studying. I don’t care about if its catered or not.
For reference, I love shopping, football, and am quite social/talkative. I don’t need a super posh college, but I would prefer one that isn’t super quirky (not that it’s bad, it just doesn’t fit my personality). I also care a lot about alumni networking.
Thank yall!

Reply 1

MerrineGexko27

8

Hiya! Huge congrats on your offer!!

I’d recommend you check out Josephine Butler College - all rooms are en suite and it’s right next to the Botanic Gardens so great for views. It’s sort of known as a very friendly college so socialisation shouldn’t be a problem. It also has plenty of societies (more than most other colleges I believe), including football. The only problems that I can see in terms of what you want is that the college is about a 30 minutes walk from the sports campus where matches are played, which isn’t the nicest when you’re tired after a long game, and also 30 minutes from the city centre where the shops are. Afraid I don’t know much about alumni networking there though.

I’m sure there’s other colleges that have what you want so I would recommend taking a look at the college websites, but Josephine Butler is the one that immediately popped into my head :smile:

(edited 2 months ago)

Reply 2

bidd,

3

Hi, I’ve received a conditional offer and I was wondering if you could help me out, I don’t know how (and can’t find where) to apply for the colleges. Thanks in advance.

Reply 3

DurhamRep Mia

Official Rep

6

Original post

by Gracieevan08

Hi! I was recently offered an unconditional place at Durham for law and it’s likely my top choice. However, I need help choosing a college.
I’m looking for good en-suite accommodation, nice/pretty or at least very clean campus, and a good balance of social life and studying. I don’t care about if its catered or not.
For reference, I love shopping, football, and am quite social/talkative. I don’t need a super posh college, but I would prefer one that isn’t super quirky (not that it’s bad, it just doesn’t fit my personality). I also care a lot about alumni networking.
Thank yall!

Hey, congrats on the offer! 🎉

First thing that might ease your stress a bit is that Durham colleges are far more similar than they are different!! No matter where you end up, you’ll get clean accommodation, access to good facilities, a strong academic environment, and plenty of social opportunities. Colleges can feel very different online, but in reality the day-to-day experience overlaps a lot more than people expect.

I am from Josephine Butler and chose it because it’s modern, en-suite, and self-catered, which is a big priority for me. The rooms and facilities feel well-maintained, and the campus has a more contemporary vibe rather than anything overly traditional or quirky, which suits my personality.

Regarding location, I like that it’s on the Hill Colleges campus: it feels calm and green, but still close to other colleges, the sports facilities, and easy transport into town for shopping and going out. For football and sports in general, Butler has a strong presence, which is another plus.

My biggest advice would be don’t overthink it. Rank colleges based on practical things you care about (room type, location, facilities), and then trust the process. People almost always end up loving their college because it becomes their community, not because it was objectively “the best” on paper.

I would also recommend checking out The Durham Student on Instagram/TikTok and via this Website to see what other students think about their colleges and for some authentic content about college life.

Mia (DU rep)

Reply 4

QFH

2

Re Durham colleges it is important to take on board that you will initially submit your preferences. You will then receive a preliminary college allocation. However your final college allocation will not be confirmed until after results day. Some will get their first choice, others will be allocated much lower down their list.
My son got his 3rd choice. A friend prioritised gowned and catered accommodation, but was allocated ungowned and self catered.
Ultimately, nothing is guaranteed until a firm allocation is made

Reply 5

Wired_1800

20

Original post

by Gracieevan08

Hi! I was recently offered an unconditional place at Durham for law and it’s likely my top choice. However, I need help choosing a college.
I’m looking for good en-suite accommodation, nice/pretty or at least very clean campus, and a good balance of social life and studying. I don’t care about if its catered or not.
For reference, I love shopping, football, and am quite social/talkative. I don’t need a super posh college, but I would prefer one that isn’t super quirky (not that it’s bad, it just doesn’t fit my personality). I also care a lot about alumni networking.
Thank yall!

Choose St Mary’s.

Thank me later.

Reply 6

Henry567

12

Original post

by Gracieevan08

Hi! I was recently offered an unconditional place at Durham for law and it’s likely my top choice. However, I need help choosing a college.
I’m looking for good en-suite accommodation, nice/pretty or at least very clean campus, and a good balance of social life and studying. I don’t care about if its catered or not.
For reference, I love shopping, football, and am quite social/talkative. I don’t need a super posh college, but I would prefer one that isn’t super quirky (not that it’s bad, it just doesn’t fit my personality). I also care a lot about alumni networking.
Thank yall!

I’m in Cuths in parsons field and love it. The locations great (10 min walk from town) and you’re likely to get an ensuite, also self catered

Durham Colleges

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