FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How do I apply for accommodation at a Durham University College for my Pre-sessional English Language Course?
A. You can only apply for University accommodation after you receive your written offer of a place on one of the Pre-sessional courses run by the English Language Centre. We will email you with an accommodation booking form after you have received an offer of a place on the course from the English Language Centre. All enquiries about accommodation should be sent to: presesssional.accommodation@durham.ac.uk
Q. I would prefer not to live in College, how do I apply for Private Accommodation?
A. If you would prefer to organise your own accommodation privately you can contact the accommodation office on accommodation.office@durham.ac.uk or look for accommodation at Durham Student's Union Accommodation Office web site.
Q. I have submitted my accommodation booking form and paid my accommodation in full, when will I find out about my College allocation?
A. We will confirm accommodation allocation no later than a week prior to your arrival.
Q. Can I arrive early?
A. Requests to arrive early will be considered in exceptional circumstances on a case by case basis as we have a very limited number of rooms available.
Q. Can I stay longer than 24 September 2013?
A. Unfortunately we will not be able to accommodate any Pre-sessional students beyond this date, however the College you will be joining for your degree programme should be able to accommodate you from that day. If there are any problems we will try to assist.
All rooms must be vacated and keys handed into College Reception by 10am. Any items left after this time will be removed and recycled wherever possible and the remainder disposed of. Rooms not vacated on time may be charged at the daily rate.
Q. Can I get a refund if I decide to leave early?
A. No. All accommodation payments are non-refundable.
Q. What is a formal?
A. Formals are a two course meal served to your table, with wine and soft drinks provided. Formals are especially important as they provide an excellent opportunity to get everyone together.
Q. Where do I find my Pre-sessional student ID number?
A. Your Pre-sessional student ID number is on your Pre-sessional offer letter from the English Language Centre and correspondence from Josephine Butler College.
Q. How do students living in Josephine Butler College commute into the city centre on a daily basis?
A. Durham is a very compact city! It takes about 20 minutes to walk from Josephine Butler College to the heart of historic Durham and the city centre (and 25 minutes to the train station and Education department - the furthest posts from the College).
The Howlands Park and Ride facility (which you can use without having to park a car) is based just outside Josephine Butler College and it goes every 10 minutes into the city centre with various stops on the way. If students show their campus card they will only pay £1 return all day fare using the Howlands route.
http://content.durham.gov.uk/PDFRepository/Park-and-Ride_Route-Map.pdf