Here are my general observations on life in Durham. Moving to a foreign country is never an easy transition. I hope to share experiences that will better accommodate those are transitioning to Durham.
Housing
I will defer speaking on housing for families. This is primarily for single students. There are two options which correspond to the two most popular college choices for international students: (1) St. John’s College and (2) Ustinov College.
(1) St. John’s. I am currently a member of St. John’s College. St. John’s has a theological leaning as it trains ministers for the Anglican Church. St. John’s runs an apartment complex called St. Margaret’s Garth, a 7-10 min walk from west of the city centre and classes. The apartments are dedicated primarily to St. John’s postgrads (although I am staying in an apartment with undergrads who are students at another campus – not really sure how this works, I was only happy for a place).
The apartments are shared by 5 students who share a living room, kitchen, and 1.5 bath. The rooms are approximately 12×6. They include all utilities and are very economical given their proximity to the city centre. For shopping, there is a Tesco Express (1 min. away) and a Tesco Metro (5 min. away) at the city centre. As far as fast foot, which there isn’t a large selection at Durham, the west side contains a majority of them. There is a Burger King, Domino’s, Subway, and Fish & Chips all within a 3 min. walk. St. Margaret’s is a 2 min. walk to the bus station and approx. 5 mins. to the train station.
(2) Ustinov. Ustinov College is primarily a conglomerate of post-grad students. Ustinov is relatively new so they have the newer amenities. Unfortunately the apartments are located at the southern part of Durham. It near the main library of the campus. As far as i’ve noticed, there are not a lot of food options there. The apartments are a 12 min. walk to city centre/classes (unless you are an Engineering student).
Honorable Mention. Many students live in private housing at Gilesgate. Gilesgate is a new part of the city at the Northwest and contains many places to shop, including a SuperTesco. Unfortunately, Gilesgate is at least a 15 min. walk to class. Why is walking distance a concern? In case you didn’t know, it rains frequently and turns rather cold in England.
Searching for Housing. Here are a few sites that list flats (apartments) to let (rent):
- www.studentpad.co.uk (run by Durham Student Union)
- uk.easyroommate.com
Rent for a room over (UK#)70 per week is excessive. Prices escalate the close to the city centre. It is important to view private accommodations before signing a contract. If you are coming to Durham during the summer (i.e. at least a week before classes begin), you can contact Event Durham at 01 91 334 2887, who let out dorm rooms for (UK#) 15 per night (when I called, I believe that I had to omit the ‘9′).
Food Have’s and Have Not’s
Durham doesn’t have
- Ranch or Italian Dressing – has Caesar, French, Oil & Vinegar
- American Peanut Butter
- French’s Mustard – has small quantities of mustard.
Durham has
- Heinz Ketchup and Mayo
- Mexican mixes and sauses/salsa
Banking
There are several options for bank accounts, such as Lloyd’s, HSBC, Barclay’s, etc. Right now I’m going to go with my US account for now. My bank doesn’t charge a withdrawal fee and there are ATMs here who waive the fee as well. I get the market rate for that day, which is good because I don’t loose money on the spread like exchanging money. I’ve used the card to pay rent and shop at Tesco. Before coming, however, you need to work with the bank on setting your daily limit for Point-of-Sale (POS) purchase. If this doesn’t work, try a credit card and pay it off at the end of the month, which may be more secure.
Cell Phone
I bought an Nokia N97 cell phone before I came. I am going with a pay-as-you go number, with Orange. I use my phone more for text messages and wifi internet surfing than actually calling. I bought the N97 because I thought there was a Skype application with it. Apparently, UK mobile carries pressured Nokia to delay their release of Skype Wifi apps for cell phones. If this is available when you buy, take this into consideration. I recently set up a Skype account so that I can talk with family and friends back home using my laptop ($.02/min; free Skype-2-Skype).
Laptop
Make the switch to Mac. I did right before I left and it’s one of the best moves I’ve made. Almost everyone who carries their laptop around has a MacBook or MacBookPro. It’s a worthwhile investment as most of my connection back home (video feeds,pics, and calls) and school work will be via laptop. No need for TV. Honor the football sabbath with a MacBook Pro.
