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College Life

Every Durham University student belongs to a college - a vibrant, supportive community that provides opportunities for you. In all honesty, your college life will reflect the energy, openness, and effort you dedicate to it.

The most successful students suggest that the key to a happy and meaningful college experience is to GET INVOLVED. Whether your interest is sport, theatre, music, social justice, community service, leadership development, politics, or more, there is an opportunity for you to engage, choices for you to make in order to create the college life you desire.
Explore our Junior Common Room (JCR)

As a member of University College, you can explore your own values, wellbeing, interests and course of study.  You can join a team, design the set for a play, workout with your neighbour(s), enjoy a concert, serve as a peer mentor, volunteer in the community, and so much more.  You can receive academic or personal support from a peer or a member of staff, learn about traditions different from your own, and create an opportunity if you see a need not being addressed.  There is so much to choose from and there are so many ways you can learn and grow, yet you must be willing to step out of your comfort zone and embrace the opportunities.  

Everyone has difficulties at times, and Castle aims to be a place where it is safe to reach out for help – and where help is at hand.  Support is offered through a variety of routes within and beyond Castle itself; we want all members of our diverse community to feel able to make the most of what we have to offer. 

Typical of University College students is a busy diary, time for study and friends, the willingness to ask for assistance, and a very bright future. The invitations will be plentiful, the doorways wide open – it is you who must make the choice to enter, to say yes and to create your University College Durham pathway.  We welcome undergraduate and postgraduate applications from anyone who is qualified for admission to Durham University. We admit students of all social identities and across all degree disciplines. Students take a whole range of degrees across science, social science and humanities, in quotas set by the University. We have around 200 international students every year, studying for undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.  

Find out more about studying at Durham as an international student.

 

The Gatehouse: for current students

The Gatehouse is our sharepoint site for all current students at University College

Find out what's happening this week in Castle, links to support contacts, handbooks and much more. Students will be granted access when enrolment is complete.
Click here to enter the Gatehouse
Castle Gatehouse
  • Middle Common Room (MCR)

    Castle MCR is a thriving, diverse and supportive postgraduate community based in the heart of Durham Castle.

  • Senior Common Room (SCR)

    Our SCR is composed of members of staff, including academics, support staff, and associate members of the University.

Middle Common Room (MCR)

Castle MCR is a thriving, diverse and supportive postgraduate community based in the heart of Durham Castle.

Senior Common Room (SCR)

Our SCR is composed of members of staff, including academics, support staff, and associate members of the University.

Student Blog

Highlights

Celebrating Diversity at Durham: Castle’s ‘Unique Week’

The Welfare Team at University College run campaign weeks once or twice a term. Find out more about Castle’s ‘Unique Week’ in our student blog.
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College Welfare

Student blogger Sunita Ramani talks about her personal experience with welfare and support.
Cathedral viewed from Owengate with Durham Tours purple app logo in left corner

Durham Tours

Fancy taking a virtual tour around Durham? Our brand new 'Durham University Tours' app is available now in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store!

Learn more about our virtual tours