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Chemistry Research, Durham University
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Catered and Self Catered colleges.

So I know Josephine Butler is fully self catered, but I'm interested in the others. Can you choose between catered or self catered when it comes to applying for accomodation? I can't find anything definitive online or in the prospectus.

Also, what do you think of Collingwood?
Reply 1
PJ991
So I know Josephine Butler is fully self catered, but I'm interested in the others. Can you choose between catered or self catered when it comes to applying for accomodation? I can't find anything definitive online or in the prospectus.


Josephine Butler is the only fully self catered college (I think...not sure about Ustinov, but thats a postgrad college) Cuths offers part self catered which you can apply for after you get an offer, but I don't know too much about that so it's best to ask somebody who is going there/there.

Also, what do you think of Collingwood?


Grades permitting I'll be going there in October. It's not self catered. It's one of the newest and biggest colleges. What do you want to know about it?

Take a look at this
Chemistry Research, Durham University
Durham University
Durham
Visit website
Reply 2
MrGumby
Josephine Butler is the only fully self catered college (I think...not sure about Ustinov, but thats a postgrad college) Cuths offers part self catered which you can apply for after you get an offer, but I don't know too much about that so it's best to ask somebody who is going there/there.



Grades permitting I'll be going there in October. It's not self catered. It's one of the newest and biggest colleges. What do you want to know about it?

Take a look at this


I was just looking for opinions on it, because I like the fact that its big and in an area of Durham I like. Because I'm considering putting it on my UCAS form. I'm considering Hild and Bede, Collingwood, Cuthbert's and Mary's.

So if I wanted self catering, my only options would be Cuthbert's or Josephine Butler? Unless I chose not to turn up for meals, but still pay.:eek3:
Reply 3
PJ991
I was just looking for opinions on it, because I like the fact that its big and in an area of Durham I like. Because I'm considering putting it on my UCAS form. I'm considering Hild and Bede, Collingwood, Cuthbert's and Mary's
.

Yeah, when I visited Durham for the first time Collingwood seemed the nicest college to me. There maybe a few other people on here who picked the other colleges so you can ask them about thier choices. Here's where you can ask about Mary's and here's a thread about Cuths. If you post in there I'm sure somebody will be able to answer any questions you have about them. Just found the Hild & Bede one here. :biggrin: If you have any questions about Collingwood I'll do my best to answer, but I'm not there yet (or may not be there atall...) but I'll do what I can...

So if I wanted self catering, my only options would be Cuthbert's or Josephine Butler? Unless I chose not to turn up for meals, but still pay.:eek3:


Yes. If you go to another College then you may aswell turn up to the meals. I wasn't to fussed on the idea of Catered when I applied but I'm sure I'll grow to like it. :p:
Reply 4
Well it seems I'll have to take the plunge on applying to a catered college. So Collingwood it is. I don't think I'd like to share with anyone.

University is about 18 months away, but I want to get it all sorted as soon as possible. Number 1 is going onto my form.
Reply 5
PJ991
Well it seems I'll have to take the plunge on applying to a catered college. So Collingwood it is. I don't think I'd like to share with anyone.

University is about 18 months away, but I want to get it all sorted as soon as possible. Number 1 is going onto my form.


You have plenty of time, so just look round the websites of other colleges before you make your descion. If you've done that already...then fair enough. If you have any questions I'll do my best to answer them.

Good luck.
PJ991
So if I wanted self catering, my only options would be Cuthbert's or Josephine Butler? Unless I chose not to turn up for meals, but still pay.:eek3:


Pretty much. Keep in mind that most floors probably won't have ovens too so cooking in halls would be difficult.
Reply 7
PJ991
Well it seems I'll have to take the plunge on applying to a catered college. So Collingwood it is. I don't think I'd like to share with anyone.

University is about 18 months away, but I want to get it all sorted as soon as possible. Number 1 is going onto my form.

Collingwood does have some shared rooms, although as far as I'm aware we have one of the best ratios of shared:single rooms of any college. To put it in perspective I believe there are about 30 shared rooms for first years and there are roughly 320 freshers each year. However, even if you do get a shared room they are absolutely massive and all of them have en suite, so they do have their plus points :smile:.

Oh and our kitchens don't have ovens (like most catered colleges at durham) so you don't really have the option of cooking for yourself. There are toasters, kettles and a fridge... that's about it :p:.

If you have any more questions about Collingwood do ask :smile:
Reply 8
Morgan141
Collingwood does have some shared rooms, although as far as I'm aware we have one of the best ratios of shared:single rooms of any college. To put it in perspective I believe there are about 30 shared rooms for first years and there are roughly 320 freshers each year. However, even if you do get a shared room they are absolutely massive and all of them have en suite, so they do have their plus points :smile:.

Oh and our kitchens don't have ovens (like most catered colleges at durham) so you don't really have the option of cooking for yourself. There are toasters, kettles and a fridge... that's about it :p:.

If you have any more questions about Collingwood do ask :smile:



The prospectus says it doesn't have any shared ones, both standard and en suite.

Anyway, even though I'm fairly local, I've never used the buses in Durham city, so do you buy a bus pass to get into town. I know it isn't too far, but if you're running late...
Any ideas how much this costs?

What are sports facilities like at Collingwood?
Reply 9
PJ991
The prospectus says it doesn't have any shared ones, both standard and en suite.

Anyway, even though I'm fairly local, I've never used the buses in Durham city, so do you buy a bus pass to get into town. I know it isn't too far, but if you're running late...
Any ideas how much this costs?

What are sports facilities like at Collingwood?

Are you sure that's what it says? If so it is definitely wrong, there are shared rooms, all of which have en suite. No single room (available to freshers) has en suite either.

I'm afraid I don't know, I've never bought one or looked into it. I don't think you'd need it though :smile:, it's not that far from Collingwood.

The sport facilities are quite good :smile:, we have a well equipped gym and a tennis court (there might be two, can't say I ever used them I'm afraid :p:). Maiden Castle isn't far either if you want to use the university facilities.
Reply 10
PJ991


Anyway, even though I'm fairly local, I've never used the buses in Durham city, so do you buy a bus pass to get into town. I know it isn't too far, but if you're running late...
Any ideas how much this costs?


You really won't need it. Chances are, even if there were buses, that you'd spend longer waiting for a bus than it would take you to walk into town. I doubt that many students in Durham have been on a bus here.
Reply 11
PJ991


What are sports facilities like at Collingwood?


Collingwood JCR website
Sports at Collingwood

On the sports front Team Wood won the overall college sports league in 2008 in convincing fashion finishing with a 300 point advantage over second place. Collingwood are current champions in Hockey, Netball, Cricket and Squash earning with the help of other sports teams ten trophies last year.


Collingwood are said to be quite good at sports, so I suppose they must have some access to decent facilities.
It's worth pointing out that if you want self-catered, you don't share at Cuth's, that's only a possibility if you live on the bailey as that's the only area that rooms are shared at.

As for which college you choose, depends what's important to you really, whether you are the type to go out drinking or just the type to sit around and not. While every college has every kind of person, some have more of each type than others. If you want to be around locals, I believe Cuth's - for whatever reason - has the largest number of them. Other colleges will have the best bar (well actually, that's Cuth's too to be fair.. :P), the best gym and sports facilities, the best catered food.. and so on.
Reply 13
The prospectus I have for 2010 says for Collingwood:
340 single rooms
0 shared rooms
198 en-suite single
0 en-suite shared

And back on Cuthbert's, apparently there are 196 single en suite and 0 shared ones, so are these the self catering ones that MyNameIsDave has mentioned?

Anyway, thanks everyone for stuff about sports and buses :smile:
PJ991
The prospectus I have for 2010 says for Collingwood:
340 single rooms
0 shared rooms
198 en-suite single
0 en-suite shared

And back on Cuthbert's, apparently there are 196 single en suite and 0 shared ones, so are these the self catering ones that MyNameIsDave has mentioned?

Anyway, thanks everyone for stuff about sports and buses :smile:


The en-suite accommodation is at Brooks House, which is entirely self-catered and no-one shares. Parsons Field has lots of accommodation that isn't en-suite, but is again self-catered. The Bailey - which is the old-fashioned part - has some sharing and is catered. There's more self-catered rooms than catered available, and lots like the Bailey, so it's quite easy to avoid sharing.

When it comes to picking accommodation you also get to rank the options, by first to last choice, so if you can't get for example an en-suite room, they'll give you a non-ensuite self-catered room instead if that's your second choice.

As a local, I think self-catering is the best option simply because if you ever head home for a day or two, you're not gonna be paying for meals that you aren't even there to have.
Reply 15
PJ991
The prospectus I have for 2010 says for Collingwood:
340 single rooms
0 shared rooms
198 en-suite single
0 en-suite shared

And back on Cuthbert's, apparently there are 196 single en suite and 0 shared ones, so are these the self catering ones that MyNameIsDave has mentioned?

Anyway, thanks everyone for stuff about sports and buses :smile:

:confused:, I really don't know where they got that from because I've been in a fair few of them, they definitely exist :p:. The website quite clearly mentions it too:

http://www.dur.ac.uk/collingwood/accommodation/

I guess it's possible that the shared rooms aren't being used next year but I don't know why.

For the record though the single en-suite rooms aren't available to freshers, they are for finalists, postgrads etc.

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