Interested in studying at Durham? Wondering what the first term would look like?
Let me share some highlights from my first term here at Durham in Van Mildert College, commonly referred to as Mildert!
Freshers’ Week
Still to this day, I remember the overwhelming nerves, the preconceived expectations, and the ‘picture-perfect’ version of Freshers’ Week I’d built up in my head before even travelling to Durham.
Each college will have Freps (second years in charge of looking after you, welcoming you) who plan events that help structure this week of uncertainty. From karaoke, bar crawls, a petting zoo, pizza night, sports and society fair, and the first welcome formal, there is definitely something for everybody.
You may feel pressure to make Fresher’s Week the BEST WEEK of your life, but the truth is that it is sometimes fun, sometimes exhausting, and sometimes it’s just… fine. The expectation of an ‘iconic’ or ‘perfect’ week can make it harder to enjoy. I just tried to simply have fun, meet loads of people and try new experiences. But if you don’t enjoy it, I found uni got better once normal routines kicked in.
Discovering college and Durham
One of my favourite aspects of first term was discovering Durham as a city, and my home for the next three years. I recommend taking time to get your bearings, going on walks, visiting other colleges, and trying the wonderful restaurants and cafes in Durham. If you are a foodie, you will love Durham!!
My personal favourites are the numerous lunch cafés in Durham city centre, which are best followed by a scenic walk around the river. I also enjoyed visiting the Bailey (where colleges are located closer to the main town) and the other colleges on the Hill, neighbouring Mildert. Finally, taking the short train to Newcastle for a night out, shopping or the beautiful beaches nearby were lovely weekend activities during my first term.
Halloween Week
Halloween normally marks the midway point of the first term – and in Durham it is a busy week! My favourite part of this week was Mildert’s Halloween Formal – a fancy dress, three-course meal followed by bingo and darts in Mildert’s Bar afterwards. The week also included a few club trips, as well as fancy-dress socials. You will definitely sport some hilarious outfits when out and about.
Sport & Societies
Mildert is certainly a very competitive (and equally non-competitive) college when it comes to sport, but the first term has been filled with matches, training and lots of fun sport socials on a Wednesday night. During Freshers’ Week, a sports and society fair will be hosted, both at college and University-wide, where sign-ups and opportunities are on display. These societies and sports teams are a great way to make new friends, play or try a sport, and invest energy in college life!
My favourite sports societies I participated in last term were Van Mildert Netball and Cheer, with a highlight of dressing up as grapes for a Wednesday social and playing in matches every weekend.
Snow
Finally, one of the best days from last term was waking up to my window frozen, a frosted Van Mildert Lake and snow on Tees Lawn. Christmas in Durham is one of the most picturesque times – with snow days being truly distracting from the readings and putting off seminar prep for a quick college snowball fight, but undeniably a term highlight.
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