For me, Durham was definitely the right university to choose. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to study at a high-ranking and academic university but is not ready to live in a large and very busy city. Complete with a beautiful cathedral and castle it is also ideal for anyone who wants to be surrounded by history.

History

Durham offers a history degree which you can make your own. You are able to choose every one of your modules, within these choose essays on aspects you are most interested in. The modules on offer have a broad geographical and chronological range, providing you with the opportunity to discover new periods and types of history. I was able to study medieval and Chinese history for the first time. You can even choose which strand of historiography you would like to study, these range for gender history to the history of nativism to microhistories, giving you the option to specialise quite early on. Another way you can personalise your degree is by taking elective modules in another discipline, modules from English Literature, Politics and International Relations and Modern Languages combine particularly well with History. In the first two years of the programme you have to study at least one medieval, early modern and late module, so if you only want to study one period of history this course may not be for you.

The lecturers and seminar leaders are very passionate about their subject and are always ready to recommend reading material and primary sources for essays. They have weekly office hours which you can attend for extra feedback or advice without booking, and many are happy to arrange appointments at other times with you. History students have an average of eight contact hours a week, so self-discipline and organisation are key to stay on top of the heavy workload. If you need a more structured timetable or would like a degree with lots of teaching hours, you might want to consider a different course. Every week you have discussion-based seminars which you have to prepare for in advance, and lectures which provide an overview of the course content. The seminars reinforce your understanding of ideas and themes outlined in the lectures and prepare you for the essays and exams. You are assessed through both summative essays and exams. Often the summative essays are due around the same time, meaning that the workload can become particularly heavy for periods of time.

The ‘Durham Difference’

Durham, unlike most other universities, is a collegiate university. Being part of a college community makes the transition from being at home and in a school environment easier. Colleges are far more than just a support network, they have a range of facilities, including libraries, gyms, common rooms, music rooms, and tennis courts. They also host social events throughout the year which include formals, college days and balls. All colleges have bars with their own character and signature drink, which make bar crawls particularly enjoyable. Drinks are affordable, a single vodka lemonade costs around £1.50. College bars also offer a place for students to work, the hours are designed to work around their degree.

Each college is unique, they are of different sizes and are located in different parts of the city. The older colleges are in the centre, whilst the newer ones are on the hill, some are fully catered whilst others offer self-catering. Therefore, there is much choice and most students find one that they will feel comfortable in. However, getting your first-choice college is not guaranteed: the ones in the centre of town tend to be more over-subscribed than the ones on the hill. Moreover, the facilities and events offered at each college differ greatly, some have larger bars and multiple libraries, and the more traditional colleges have regular gowned formals, whilst some others have informal ones more infrequently.

Each college has its own sports and societies; you can continue to play or try out a new sport or activity in a relaxed environment. Equally, if you want to be involved in larger societies or play sport more competitively there are a plethora of teams and groups at the university level.

Student body

The Durham student body is predominantly white, middle class, and many are from private schools. International students, minorities or those from working-class backgrounds can feel isolated. However, I have found that most students find friends they feel comfortable with and communities or societies where they can meet like-minded students or those from similar backgrounds.

Durham University is has really good facilities including the Billy B library, Lecture halls and Maiden castle (sports). Durham is quite a small city so you’ll bump into students all the time. It’s perfect if you prefer to be in a campus based university as all the departments are close by, you can walk to them! The collegiate system is a plus because it allows to meet lots of new and interesting people and makes you feel less alone.

Durham University maintains an excellent reputation for high standards in teaching, research and employability, making it an easy choice for me to study my undergrad in History. Whilst not for everyone, the Collegiate System makes integration easy, with the opportunity to live amongst a mixed group of people across subjects, with lots of opportunities for sports and extracurricular activity.

My Course (HISTORY)
Pros-
– Great department with a wide variety of research-led modules, spanning every continent and time period.
– Supportive professors and staff, open and friendly department in a beautiful setting. Marking is thorough and helpful with a quick turnaround.
-Lots of scope for independent research on a multitude of topics, giving a lot of freedom and support for larger projects such as dissertations.

Cons-
– Limited contact hours – which often called in to question value for money. Average 9 hours per week in first year, falling to 4.5 in final year.
– Expensive – fees have recently risen to £9,250 which does not go a long way in the history department in terms of contact time.
– Library – often competition for key course books, although most stuff is online nowadays. Caution to those looking to study niche, smaller or older modules!

LIVING
Pros-
– Gorgeous little city, northern location means that shopping is generally cheaper, as well as eating and drinking out.
– Accommodation – first year (college) with full catering options. Friendly with great amenities, each college with own library, social area, bar and sports facilities.
– Sports – great sport facilities and opportunities to play at both social and high level.

Cons-
– Expense – college fees are extortionate and house rental market rising too. To Let houses tend to disappear quickly within early months for the next rental year.
– “Boring” – small city with smaller clubs and bars. Nights out tend to end at about 2am. Though in close proximity, few tend to venture to Newcastle.
– Exclusive – expenses and elitism make for an exclusive environment, aside from international students, poor representation of minorities.