I’ve been offered a place at Durham University in England, and was wondering if anyone had experience at Durham and would be willing to share from an American’s point of view-- as university in the UK can be pretty different from here in the US. Pros and cons are both really helpful!
Durham is usually a great collegiate experience!
Some pros:
→ you are a member of a college within the university, so you have a ready built community, You will have ‘college parents’ (older students who are studying the same subject) who are a great source of info, both over the summer and when you get there (and next year you will have your own ‘college children’, and by 3rd year the family relationships are extensive!).
→ Durham is great town
→ the university is (esp by UK standards) pretty flexible
→ there are a lot of really smart kids there, with a good work/play balance, and a deserved reputation for being generally nice
Some differences (from a US student p.o.v.) (not necessarily cons):
→ although it is flexible by UK standards, the courses are much more structured than they are in the US
→ the university / profs / adults are much more hands off than in the US- they expect you to pretty much take charge of yourself- other students are where most of your help/support comes from- 1st years tend to bond pretty fast, b/c you are a;
→ there is much less continuous assessment, so you need to be disciplined and keep up with your work yourself so that when finals roll around you aren’t caught out. Also, don’t pay any attention to students who act as if they aren’t doing any work- I guarantee you that they are, just when you aren’t looking- making it look effortless is a cultural thing.
→ UK students drink A LOT. No matter what your current relationship is / is not with alcohol, do NOT make the mistake of thinking that you can keep up. Seriously. And never, ever drink a punch.
collegemom 3717 has, as always, given an excellent summary but I’ll add a little more.
Background: my daughter is in her first year at Durham, studying English literature. Although she’s American, she has spent most of her life in Asia. She did attend an American curriculum high school where the great majority of students go on to college in the US. She also had planned to go to college in the US (and has visited more than a dozen colleges) and it was almost a last minute decision to go to the UK. She knew nothing at all about Durham when she applied, except that it had a good reputation for her subject.
Overall, she’s found the transition easy. Before starting, she was very worried about making friends, but as collegemom pointed out, being a member of a college really does seem to help one find like-minded people quickly. I was expecting her to take a couple of months to settle in but it took her all of 24 hours. The international students also arrive a few days earlier and since almost everyone of them is in a strange environment, they seem to bond more quickly.
Durham is a lovely town but small. This may sound like a disadvantage but there is a large number of student-led clubs and societies. I also recall reading that Durham has the highest proportion of students playing sport of any university in the UK. (But you definitely don’t have to play to fit in.)
Regarding the drinking culture, this was also something that concerned my daughter as she doesn’t really drink - at least she didn’t (but perhaps she’s changed!) She was worried she would feel left out but she hasn’t found this to be much of in issue.
As collegemom points out, UK and especially English universities are more specialised and less flexible than the US. If you know what you want to do, this is probably a plus. (It was definitely an attraction for my daughter.)
Overall she is extremely happy and thoroughly enjoying both the social and academic aspects of Durham. She has absolutely no regrets about choosing to go there. Having said that, most of her friends from high school who went to the US for college also seem to be very happy with their choices as well.
Hope this helps - and that you are happy whereever you decide to go.
Firstly congratulations. My D graduated from Durham and now back stateside, there’s alot to like and an excellent education for you if you have already selected your particular field of study. Durham is a city (has a cathedral) but has a safe river town feel, extremely picturesque, and a lively university town that thrives and is welcoming of the student population. There’s so much to share, if you have particular topic or line of question(s), do ask or send a private message.
PROs :
++ The 9-week semesters or “terms” work very well for an international student to make flight plans, and the 3-4 week holidays between the terms give you plenty of back home time.
++ There are decent number of American and Canadians studying at Durham, including clubs and events.
++ Getting there, you can fly into Heathrow then either fly to Newcastle or get the train from Kings Cross Station to Durham. Alternatively we enjoyed flying into Glasgow and then the train south to Durham. Train travel in UK is highly recommended, scenic and comfortable.
++ Living costs are very reasonable. The cost of food, clothing and transportation is cheaper than US. Pack light and purchase in Durham.
++ The University makes extra effort to host and help international students make friends and feel welcome. The collegiate system also helps.
++ We met other American parents at Durham’s East Coast events. Swap email addresses and share experience.
++ A UK education will differentiate you, and your major will be vigorous and detailed curriculum.
CONs :
– Not many American employers know of Durham Uni, you will have to rely on your own ability and network to find a job stateside. Parts of Durham were used in the filming of Harry Potter, so conversationally, and jokingly, say you attend Hogwarts and then describe Durham Uni further. That said, Durham Alumni do now host networking events in major US cities.
– For your visiting family and friends, book all hotel stays approx 6-months ahead. When term starts, ends, and at graduation, Durham is full of parents that mostly stay in the walking-distance hotels. I can describe details if you need.