Durham visit

 
9th - 16th June 2024

Durham University Orientation Session

 

Downloadable pdf version of Durham University Orientation Session (2.4mb)

Some key information and links from the presentation (above) are available on this page.

 

There are some pre-visit tasks for you to complete.

Welcome to Durham University

From your University of Durham team

Catherine Reading

Director of Professional Development

Shilpi Prasad-Martin

Regional Director - South Asia

Julie Armstrong-Gregson

Deputy Director

Rachel Harding

Senior Administrator

Travel to Durham

  • You will be met on arrival at Newcastle Airport.
  • Coach travel is provided directly to your accommodation.
  • The coach journey from Newcastle to Durham should take no more than 40 minutes.

 

Meet and greet times and people:

  • 3.30pm (15.30) - Catherine Reading
  • 8.00pm (20.00) - Rachel Harding

 Durham City

Durham is a small city with a permanent population of around 50,500 people. It is built out from the central Unesco Heritage Site of Durham Castle and Durham Cathedral. The university has buildings across the city (including the castle), but the main campus is just to the South and is about a 10-15 minute walk from the centre.

 

The main locations you will be using on campus are shown on the following map, which you can download as Campus Map (PDF) or Campus Map (JPG).

- 58 Stephenson's College [Accommodation]

- 65 Trevelyan College [Catering]

- 12 School of Education [Staff offices and teaching space]

- 50 Teaching and Learning Centre (TLC) [Main teaching spaces]

- 19 Sports and Wellbeing Park [Gym and fitness centre]

Programme of Activities

Please note that the evening meal on Saturday 15 June will be a fast food meal (to be decided) and breakfast on Sunday 16 June will be supplied to take away and consume before you get on your flight home.

Cultural Visits

As part of your stay with us in Durham you will be participating in a number of cultural visits to the following locations.

Durham Weather Forecast for June 2024

Although we have a forecast for June's weather, be aware that the weather can sometimes change frequently and it is not unusual to experience sun, clouds, rain and wind on the same day. It can also be normal for the temperature to drop down to single figure celsius at night.

Packing Checklist

The following are recommendations to consider when packing for this visit:

  • Warm jacket with long sleeves.
  • Raincoat or folding umbrella.
  • Sweater / jumper / fleece for daytime wear.
  • Comfortable shoes (preferably waterproof) for longer walks - don't bring too many shoes as they will fill up your luggage and you will probably not wear them.
  • Nice pair of floaters or sandals for evening walks.
  • Traditional clothes for social events.
  • Day bag - this might be a folding backpack, cross-body bag or fanny pack to carry any daily essentials and souvenirs.
  • Sunscreen - especially if you have sensitive skin - on warmer days the sun can be particularly strong.
  • Mobile phone - the university will supply a local SIM card to each visitor with a minimum. balance for emergencies. Make sure your mobile phone is unlocked for international use and will accept an alternative SIM card.
  • Wi-fi - the university has reliable wi-fi in all buildings including your accommodation - you will be issued with a password after you arrive.
  • Travel adaptor for mobile charging: The UK operates on a plug type G (it has 3 rectangular pins in a triangular formation). It's also good to note that the UK uses a 230v supply voltage at 50Hz, although most modern mobile chargers will accept this.
  • Keep your luggage weight under the permitted allowance - this allowance should be on your tickets. Leave some space for any shopping in the UK and be aware that if you go over your allowance you may have to leave things behind or pay for an extra bag.

And...

Cobbled streets

In Durham and Edinburgh there are lots of areas with cobbled streets (old roads and paths made of flattened or rounded stone cubes). Flat comfortable shoes or trainers are best on these surfaces.

 

Bank notes

You will be visiting Edinburgh in Scotland. English bank notes and Scottish bank notes look different, but both can be spent in either country. At the time of writing £1 (UK) is worth about 106 Rupees.

 

Travel money

You should carry sufficient UK pounds sterling for your personal expenses and any treats you want. As an estimate, anything between £100 and £200 (10,000INR - 20,000INR) should be enough. Shopping in the UK and Duty Free can be expensive so plan accordingly. Not all Indian bank cards will work in all places. Never buy your UK pounds from an unauthorised seller in India, even if they give a great rate, as fake/invalid notes are a risk.

 

Emergency Services

Once you are connected to a UK phone network (with your own SIM or the UK SIM supplied by us) you should be able to contact police, ambulance and fire services by dialling 112. In some rare circumstances this might not work with your Indian SIM card, try 0044999 instead.

 

Now go ahead and complete your Pre-visit Tasks:

Pre-visit Tasks

Thurs 30 May - Friday 7 June

  1. Revision of online materials

  2. Pre-session preparation

  3. Building skills

  4. Personal Development Plan