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University of Durham

Old Shire Hall, Old Elvet, DH1 3HP DURHAM, United Kingdom
4.20 / 5 based on 90 reviews.

Reviews
International Partners
Programmes
Accreditations
80% of students recommend
90 reviews
Housing
4.0/5
 All experiences (90)
Student life
4.2/5
 5 stars (42)
Academic
4.5/5
 4 stars (36)
Languages
4.6/5
 3 stars (12)
Expenses
3.9/5
 2 stars (0)
Overall
4.4/5
 1 star (0)
“It is definately a good university to attend for a year. Due to the small size of Durham, however, I am not sure I would like to stay any longer than that, as I am used to living in a big city.” Read Review
timsloan, United Kingdom

University of Durham review by Tim

Review by Tim, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
Computer Science/IT, Independent
HOUSING    
Personal assessment
Cost
KEY:
Couldn't have asked for more.
Pretty good.
Could've been better, but didn't lessen the overall experience.
Disappointing.
Facilities
Location
Cleanliness
Space
Type of housing: On campus
Arranged by: Host university
If returning, I would choose: On campus
Why? Living on campus with other students gives you a greater opportunity to interact and make new friends.
Personal comments:
The location was fantastic, living on campus in the centre of the city. The majority of students were international students, so there was a good mix of nationalities. The facilities were decent, but the overall cost was more expensive than could be found if accomodation was arranged independently.
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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STUDENT LIFE    
Personal social experience
Activities
KEY:
Amazing! Hardly had time to study.
Plenty to do when I had the time.
So-so.
Did not get involved.
Nightlife
Travel
Overall
Describe host city: Student life dominates the city
Activities, Nightlife: Takes place mostly within the university/student environment
Travel: Takes place both within and outside of the university/student environment
Personal comments:
The nightlife isn't great in Durham. Most people stay within university colleges, which have their own bar's, or make the short trip to Newcastle, which has much better nightlife. Durham is a pretty place with a very old cathedral, which is the focal point of the city. All the sporting activities are organised through the individual colleges, which makes for a lot of sport should you wish to take part.
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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ACADEMIC       3.0 / 5
My academic experiences
Quality of courses
KEY:
Fantastic.
Pretty good.
Could've been a bit better.
Disappointing.
Variety of courses
Availability/access to resources
Interaction with teachers
Interaction with other international students
Interaction with local students
Course recommendations:



My opinion of the university assessment
Exams at end of course
KEY:
Liked it.
It was alright.
A bit annoying.
Didn't like it.
Exams throughout the course
Essays and/or projects at the end of course.
Essays and/or projects throughout the course
Overall
Personal comments:
In terms of computer science, the library isn't great. Several times I went looking for books, which the library doesn't have.

This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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Language difficulties
Social
KEY:
No problems.
I coped pretty well.
Sometimes it was difficult.
It was a constant struggle.
Educational
Administrative / Institutional
Overall
Language of instruction: English
Was learning English a key decision factor?
No, it wasn't.
Personal comments:
I wasn't affected, as the language spoken was my native language.
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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EXPENSES    
The accessibility of student needs
Second-hand text books
KEY:
Very easy.
Minimal effort.
Accessible but required effort.
Almost impossible.
Second-hand household items
Computers / Internet
Administrative
Money from home
Main source of funding:
Family
Other sources of funding:
None
Work opportunities:
I didn't want/need to work
Personal spending habits:
There aren't enough shops in Durham to create competion over prices, so they remain relatively high.
Food, Travel, Overall, Housing: was more expensive than at home.
Telephone: was the same price as at home.
Nightlife: was less expensive than at home.
Personal comments:
The university is very strict about paying fees on time. I had mine in one day late, and was fined £50.
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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OVERALL    
Important to choosing this university...
Academic reasons
KEY:
Very Important.
Important.
Not really important.
Unimportant.
Culture
Costs
Activities
Campus life
Party / people
Weather / Location
I wish I had known...
It is best to get a student discount card for train travel at the start of the year, as using the trains is very, very expensive.
In my opinion:
I loved it but I'm not sure everybody would.



During my experience abroad, I ...
Became familiar with another culture
KEY:
Happened all the time.
Happened quite a lot.
Happened a bit.
Didn't happen.
Traveled
Improved language skills
Met people from other countries
Became more independent
Partied a lot
Experienced a change in life
Advanced my studies/career
Personal recommendation:
It is a very good university and has a large, postgraduate community. There are less international students at undergraduate level.



FINAL COMMENTS

It is definately a good university to attend for a year. Due to the small size of Durham, however, I am not sure I would like to stay any longer than that, as I am used to living in a big city.
This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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