Local Students

So, you’ve decided to do things slightly differently and stay at home for your first year. You’re certainly not the first, and Cuth’s has student’s like yourself to thank for its very existence. It was after all, founded by people who didn’t want to live in college accommodation. Living in the family home whilst at uni has both drawbacks and benefits. Hopefully the following information will help you maximise the latter though.

First off, there are a number of reasons people stay at home whilst studying. Perhaps you are a young carer, maybe you’re trying to dodge a gargantuan student debt post-graduation, or maybe you’re simply not ready to leave home yet. All are perfectly valid reasons, and staying at home has a number of benefits:

• The transition to university life tends to be easier because you are already in the comfort zone of your home.
• You have the luxury of your home comforts.
• You save a lot of money on accommodation and living expenses, and you can even save your student loans for that shiny new motor, or self-funded postgrad degree if you’re feeling studious. I’ve even heard of people invest their student loan in the stocks and shares (this is NOT financial advice though!).
  

  St. Cuthbert's Society, founded by those who wanted to do things differently

Of course, living at home when starting uni is a different experience to living in, and it comes with a few challenges. However, they are challenges that are easy to overcome.

Every year, the same questions are asked by local students, so I’ve put them up here and answered them for you.

How many fresher’s week events should I come to?

In short, come to them all. Some people only choose to come to 2 or 3, but I personally don’t think this is sufficient to bond with people. Come to as many as you can. You won’t regret it, they’re great fun.

How am I going to get back home after the night time events?

There are a number of options open to you. If you drive, you can simply drive in and park your car nearby. If you’d prefer to have a drink, there is always the option of taxis. However, these can be expensive if you live a long way from Durham. A useful idea is to see if there is anybody living near your area when you start the term so you can taxi share. One thing I would say is that make sure you book them in advance – Durham taxi queues are notoriously slow moving.

The final, cheapest option, is to simply bring a sleeping bag and crash on somebody’s floor. Obviously this is not the most comfortable option, but it’s a good way of making friends! Some people say that they feel cheeky doing this. However, Cuth’s is the kind of place where everybody looks after each other, so I highly doubt you will have any trouble finding a place to sleep, even if that’s on one of the sofas in our JCR! If you feel that your ability to access social events is being restricted due to you living at home, please email either myself or Rach Rodgers and we will see what we can do to address the situation.

I have a car, where can I park?

The official university line on car use within the university is that we shouldn’t use cars because Durham is congested enough and spaces are limited. However, I personally think it is unreasonable to expect this of students who will be travelling longer distances to get to university, and if you do need to bring your car, there are a number of places to park. A good option is to use one of Durham’s park and ride systems, which are quite efficient and can take you literally to the door of your lecture theatres. Go to http://www.durham.gov.uk/Pages/Service.aspx?ServiceId=1112 for further details. This service also gives you student discount.

If you are only looking to park your car for a cheeky hour, there is plenty of streetside parking in and around the city centre, a lot of which is in very close proxmimity to lecture theatres as well as our sites at Cuth’s (e.g. Old Elvet). Charges for streetside parking in Durham range from 40-80p per hour, depending on location. Also, this parking is free from 6pm-7am, so if you are having a night out, you can leave your car overnight for no charge. Just make sure you but a couple of hours on for the morning!

You can also apply for a university permit, although just remember that you are not guaranteed to get one. Go to http://www.dur.ac.uk/estates/carparking/ for more information.

I will be commuting to Durham, am I entitled to reduced bus fare?

Yes, Go Northeast offer a “get around” bus pass for students, which costs about £50 per month. However, this offer is for some reason, only open to under 22’s. This is, from what I can see, ageist, as we have mature students who may also need to use this service, and it doesn’t seem fair that they are excluded. MILP Committee are currently working with the Society President as well as Durham Students’ Union to address this issue.

I don’t feel like I’m getting the most out of Cuth’s. What should I do?

Come and speak to us. Email us, text us, call us, write to us, just get in touch. We will make sure that you don’t feel like this for long. Our contact details can be found under “The JCR MILP Committee” section of this website.

I think that just about covers everything. On a final note, get involved! Come to all the events, formals, JCR meetings and Klute Mondays. Come to the bar, come to Brooks JCR for a game on the Nintendo Wii, come to the weekly pub quiz, come to everything, and I promise you you won’t regret it.

By Alan Bowman

MILP Committee Chair 2009-2010