Applying to university is overwhelming – there’s no doubt about it. Deciding where to study is a huge part of that, and sometimes it feels like having to choose the character you want to be for the rest of your uni life. Hustle and bustle (think New York, think Gossip Girl), or a community where everyone knows your name (think Stars Hollow, think Gilmore Girls)?
Whilst city universities offer the former, campus universities offer the latter. It can be hard to choose – but what if I told you that you didn’t have to? Here’s why Durham University is (in my opinion) the best of both worlds.
City vs Campus: What’s the difference anyway?
City universities seamlessly blend in with the city itself. During my year at the University of Amsterdam, for example, I’d have politics tutorials with a side of canal views. We’d commute via bike, peruse the vintage markets between classes, and grab coffees at world-renowned establishments in bathroom breaks. It was all very main character energy, I admit, but the student community felt disconnected. With the campus being dotted all around the city, we had to forge connections elsewhere.
Campus universities are the opposite – think of universities in the USA. They’re microcosms, self-contained student communities with everything you could need. Student residences, academic departments, student unions, gyms, cafes and more, all on your doorstep. It’s easy, it’s comfortable, but sometimes it can get claustrophobic when your whole world is contained in one place.
Both have their perks – so choosing often feels like an impossible task.
Durham: The best of both worlds
But here’s the thing – Durham doesn’t make you choose.
As a city, Durham is historic and picturesque. It is full of cobbled streets, has a cathedral featured in the Harry Potter films, is bursting with quaint coffee spots, and offers countless hidden-away markets and stores selling artisanal trinkets (or maybe the odd jellycat, if you’re that way inclined). Student and city life are intertwined, with students scattered across town throughout various colleges and departments, giving a sense of hustle and bustle.
Yet, within the city, Durham’s collegiate system fosters that desired campus-like closeness. With 17 colleges to choose from, each offering its individual cultures, traditions and values, we students are offered a true ‘home away from home’ the second we arrive at Durham University, which was especially comforting for me, having arrived in England for university knowing nobody! My first college friends became my surrogate family, and we provided each other with that support network you find yourself needing as you familiarise yourself with a newfound university lifestyle.
The benefits of the college system don’t stop there. The Durham experience is one of gowned formals, fancy dinners, college balls, and festivals organised by students for students. Traditions like these, for me, really set the Durham University experience apart from the ‘norm’ because my life at university quickly became defined by so much more than the classes I was taking. On top of studying a world-class degree at an academically rigorous uni, I found time to invest in a new sport (made possible through college sport opportunities) and in expressing myself creatively in college theatre. On a practical note, colleges also provide another level of support at university. Each college offers wellbeing, financial and academic support services, meaning that getting help if you need it is incredibly accessible.
Choose Durham – so you don’t have to choose!
My year as a city girl in Amsterdam was phenomenal, but I initially sacrificed comfort and community for independence. Coming back to Durham, I realised this city never asked me to do that – I really do get the best of both.
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