I will be attending International Trade and Commercial Law at Durham University commencing this October 07.  I got an offer for accommodation at Josophine College.  Should I accept it or seek for a little studio with private kitchen?  Morever, I think living in a studio will be more private?  What do you think?  Which will cost more?

Also, I am a gym addict.  Is there any top gym in the city of Durham?

I would love to get in touch with those who will be joining Durham this October.

Panpilai   

hi panpilai,

there is a gym in josephine butler college. i inquired about this since i also go to gym.

mario

Mario,

Great! Then I have a gym buddy at Durham. Hope that I'd still have energy left for workout after study.

panpilai,

i guess you've heard by now that there's not much to do in durham. hope it will not be boring there. hahaha. going to the gym might just be a way to kill the boredom.

mario

who's finally going to durham university? im arriving on the 26th of september and will be staying at josehpine butler college.

mario

I finally accepted the offer. Do you know whether there is an "arrival day" or sth?

hi rumbi,

the student office advised that we should arrive in durham by the 26th of september. i also received e-mails already re list of courses for 2007-2008.

what college will you go?

mario

hi mario,

thx. I applied at Ustinov College. Because of my last-minute-application I didn't receive all emails yet. I will be attending the General LLM because I am interested in courses of both specializations. Where do you come from?

Jan

hi rumbi,

i'm from the philippines. i will be staying at josephine butler college. i note that most graduate students stay at ustinov college but i was assigned to go to josephine butler simultaneous with my offer.

how about you? where are you from?

hope to see everyone soon,

mario

Hi!

I have done my LL.M in Durham, and I can tell you that Josephine Butler and Ustinov are modern and very international, but if you can change you should go to other colleges like University College, St Chad, St John...because it is better located and you will also meet british students
Enjoy Durham

hi zazou,
much as i would like to change college, i don't think i have time to do that. i'm about to leave for madrid this tuesday and will be staying there for a number of days.

should i decide to transfer, how do i do that? i'll aprreciate yoiur advice.

thanks,
mario

hi mario,

I am from Germany. I chose Ustinov at a hint from an alumnus.

Hi!

It depends what kind of life you want to have in Durham.
I was a Member of University College but I lived in a house with British people in the Centre of Durham, which was much cheaper and more convenient. It was also a good way to get to know British people. Ustinov is more comfortable but more expensive and far away from the lectures, and with very few British students. 90% of the LL.M students are in Ustinov. If you want a real british college life, you should go to Hatfield, Castle, Chad, John...and for sport facilities, and the gym, everything is in Maiden Castle...

For the transfer, I don't know, you should call your college to ask.

hi zazou,

thanks for the advice.

when i got my offer letter in january 2007,i was already assigned to josephine butler college. Not having any idea about which college is best, i asked josephine butler college ("JBC") if i can change college because i was then afraid it doesnt have a gym facility. i cannot live without a gym because that's part of my daily regimen.

JBC replied it has a gym. Thereafter, i didnt ask anymore and felt complacent about everything. besides, i dont know much about durham.

all i know, apart from its reputation as one of the best univ in the UK, is that it has the 2nd worst bar in europe. im actually curious to see that bar and to find how worse that can be? hehe.

BTW, where are you from zazou? did u enjoy your llm in durham?

mario

Hi Mario,

JBC is a bit like Ustinov...so : far away, expensive....
All my friends went to the gym at Maiden Castle. I never went there because there are really nice footpaths in Durham to go running, and I spend much time climbing. But they were all happy with Maiden Castle.
If you don't want to live in JBC, I could give you the phone number of my landlady....there must be rooms available in my house...but there are really really small...But I did not care, because during a LL.M year you don't want to spend your life in your room. Moreover my roomates are really nice, and there are doing much sport (2 of them are climbers :-). They are all phD students and the house is located 5 minutes from the lectures and 10 minutes from Maiden Castle, by foot of course.
... I really miss the life in Durham...and..now...I am back in Paris in the Lawyer school (vergleichbar mit Referendariat)
Grüsse aus Frankreich

News: I had to change my college. Due to unprecedented demand for postgraduate students for accommodation, there were no remaining residences at Ustinov College. I changed my college membership to Hatfield and I'll get a room at Palatine House. Hatfield seems to be a really nice college, too.

Lucky you! Hatfield and especially Palatinate is a great choice!
Enjoy your LL.M!

hi zazou,

now i'm quite anxious about josephine butler college. :-) i don't know if my decision not to bother changing my college is a correct one.

is josephine butler college far from law department? if yes, how long with it take me to go to class? or is it bad because it's more expensive to live there rather than living in other colleges?

anyhow, i guess it's too late for me to do anything as i will be arriving in durham next week. in fact, i'm already in madrid visiting relatives and friends. weather here is perfect nowadays. weather in manila is too warm and durham's is too cold. i would have gotten sick if i proceeded to durham from manila.

best regards,

mario

Hi Mario,

you will get used to the weather in Durham...it is not too cold....
At your place I would bother changing college...because to go to the lectures, you have to walk about 30 minutes, most students take the bus...
Or stay in Butler, but live out. Even if it only possible in 2 or 3 months, I would do it...it is not a big deal to move in Durham....