International Students

Congratulations and welcome to Trevs – we can’t wait to meet you!

First of all, take look at the www.dur.ac.uk/international/newstudents where you can find most of the information you need.

Secondly, it is recommended to arrive a few days before Freshers’ Induction Week begins (late September / early October) to give you some time to settle in before all the UK students arrive on the Sunday. During International Students’ Welcome Week (a few days before the induction week) you can manage things such as bank accounts, Visa check, and get to know your fellow international friends. We have an amazing week planned for you! ☺

Have you done the following?

  • Completed an AS12 reply at: www.dur.ac.uk/undergraduate/study/apply/offer/as12
  • Returned by courier all the forms and photographs to Trevelyan College including:
    • ‘Early Arrivals’ form for accommodation and meals in College and, if appropriate,
    • Ordered a bedding pack from College which will be in your room on arrival
  • Followed the online enrolment procedure and uploaded a digital photograph (otherwise it will be taken during first week)
  • Booked at International Student Welcome Service at https://www.dur.ac.uk/international/newstudents/airport_trainstation_welcomeservice/durham_autumn/ (Optional, deadline is September 22th!)
  • Gotten the necessary vaccinations (meningococcal type C) and checked if you need a tuberculosis certificate (https://www.dur.ac.uk/undergraduate/welcome/medical/)
  • Made sure to check your email regularly? That is one thing you’ll need to get used to!
  • Sent me (Clemie) a message/email to have a chat, ask questions
  • Got excited for International Freshers’ Week!

Have you got the following?

  • CAS for your Visa. This will be have been processed by the International Office/Admissions Office ([email protected]) and sent to you by email for checking and then by post
  • Transfer of money/Banker’s Draft
  • Travellers’ cheques or currency (pound sterling) for the first few days in Durham
  • Basic Insurance cover is included in your Residence charge but you may want to have some personal possessions and travel insurance
  • A supply of prescribed medication

What to expect during Freshers Induction Week?

  • Passport and visa check
  • Verification of identity at Trevelyan College
  • Collecting campus card and meal card at Trevelyan College
  • University enrolment and modules online
  • College and University Matriculation Ceremonies
  • Induction lectures by your department
  • Academic Language Test (not everyone)
  • Police registration (not everyone)
  • Formals, Freshers’ Bop, Freshers’ Fair
  • Meeting amazing people…!!

Travel Information

Traveling by air

The nearest international airport is Newcastle Airport but you may also arrive from London Heathrow or Manchester Airport.

Traveling by train

The nearest train station is Durham Station. Tickets from Newcastle always cost the same, but if you travel a longer distance buy the ticket online (http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/). The earlier you do so the cheaper it will be.

Travelling by taxi

There will be taxi cabs available from both Newcastle airport and Durham train station. Depending on the company, prices from the airport to Trevs vary from £40 to £60. A taxi cab from Durham train station to Trevs is about £6. You can find some local taxi numbers here: http://www.durhamstudent.co.uk/thedirectory/taxis/

The International Office offers a Meet and Greet Service from Newcastle Airport and Durham Railway Station which you need to book before September 22th.

https://www.dur.ac.uk/international/newstudents/airport_trainstation_welcomeservice/durham_autumn/

Recommend to bring or to buy after arrival

Check the Handbook for more!

  • Toiletries (toothbrush, towel, toothpaste) and medication
  • Drying rack (On arrival. If you’re early, you may get a second hand drying rack)
  • Laptop
  • Adapter (UK plugs are 3-Pin plugs)
  • Bedding (pillow, duvet and covers, unless you ordered a Bed Linen pack)
  • Pay-as-you-go (PAYG) SIM card
    • A PAYG SIM card is more advisable than contract SIM card as some phone companies might ask you for bank statements which understandably you might not have, given that you have just arrived. So, it may be useful to get a PAYG SIM card upon arrival and decide whether or not you want a contract one afterwards.
    • If you are from the EU you will be able to use your current number without roaming tariffs, however this might change in the future depending on Brexit negotiations.
  • Clothing
    • Good shoes – Durham is quite hilly and can get muddy depending on the weather.
    • Wet/cold weather clothes – Durham is quite high up north and temperatures range from 3oC in winter to 25 oC in summer
    • Sports gear, swimwear – who knows what societies you may end up joining!
    • Formal dresses and suits (Lounge Suit/Black tie) for Formals, black/white for Matriculation
    • Fancy Dress – There are a lot of occasions at Durham that you may want to dress up according to the theme (eg. Halloween, Beach, Jungle, Masquerade, Pirate etc.). The Freshers’ Bop is a fancy dress bar night, check the Handbook for themes in Freshers’ week and maybe pack some fun accessories and masks! There are affordable costume shops in Durham though so don’t worry too much about it.
  • Photos or decorations for your room to make it feel as home as possible!
  • My personal tip: bring something from home that you can share with your new landing mates (snacks, traditional candy, tea, games)

Life at Trevs

Almost all Freshers live in college during their 1st year. You will move rooms at the end of each term and share a room for one term (fill out the Green Room Allocation form enclosed to show which term you prefer to share in). Many of my friends who shared 1st term also shared 2nd term and are now housemates. So room sharing is an amazing way for making great friends. Sharing in 1st or 2nd term means you can chose a single room for 3rd term which is nice during the exam period.

There are laundry rooms at college with washing machines (£3.50 per wash, soap is included), tumble dryers (free) and iron (free), a drying rack is recommended. All the payment can be made through your laundry fob (it’s like a little electrical key) which you will obtain in the first week. To save money, use ‘Colour Catchers’ so you can do your washing in one load (You can buy these in Tesco or other shops in Durham).

Each floor (we call them landings in Trevs) has a pantry, where you can find a microwave, a fridge, a toaster, a kettle, a sink and sometimes even a hotplate. Please do not bring or buy electrical appliances as you are not allowed to have these in your room. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are provided in the dining hall and you will have to show your College meal card at every meal. Brunch is served every Saturday and packed lunch is also available upon request, if you’re not in College during lunch.

You will have access to Wi-Fi everywhere in college. It may take a couple of days to set up your log in account so do please have a back-up in case you wish to contact your family in the first couple of days you are here. You will be able to use the computers in the IT suite otherwise. College also has a printer (5p per sheet of paper, https://www.dur.ac.uk/cis/printing/payment) as well as a photocopier (free).

Phone signal is relatively weak at Trevs however experience tells me that Giffgaff and O2 receive the best signals at College.

Bank Accounts

Durham University’s preferred mode of payment is Direct Debit (a way of paying regular bills from your account to the University’s account) which is linked to a UK current bank account. In Durham city there are branches of all the major banks: HSBC, Barclays, NatWest, Lloyds, Santander, Halifax, TSB, RBS, Nationwide and the Co-operative Bank. From experience, use a Bank which is easy for money to be transferred into and out of from your home country. Here are the steps to opening an account at a bank:

  1. Decide which bank you want to open an account with. This link may help you: https://www.bba.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/AE249_BBA_International_Students_Oct12.pdf
  2. Have your identity verified (passport check) and complete the online enrolment procedure.
  3. In College, order a bank letter – which has to be specific to the bank you want to open an account with – from Anne Allen (this may take a few days to process).
  4. Make an appointment with your bank, ASAP since they are very busy at that time.
  5. Go to your chosen bank with the bank letter, your passport, and some other documents depending on what the bank asks for specifically (e.g. a letter confirming that Trevs is now your address, maybe your UCAS confirmation letter), and hopefully your account will be set up soon after!

During Induction week many banks have open days where they’re keen to help students open new accounts and they will also be at the International Freshers Fair. If you don’t go to an open day do not stress- the people in the banks are absolutely lovely and are there to help/guide you. They are very used to dealing with students!

This site might help you with bank accounts:

https://www.dur.ac.uk/international/newstudents/lifeatdurham/banking/

International Freshers’ Welcome Week

During International Freshers’ Week (27-30th of September) you will get the opportunity to do a little tour around Durham, so we can show you the most commonly used banks as well as the main stores and shops, ATMs, Restaurants, Pubs, and other useful places. We’ll also help you with Wi-Fi setup and whatever you need help with. There will also be some events and fun activities to get to know all the other international students, so get excited!

For anything regarding enrolment, arrival, registration and other administrative things, don’t hesitate to call or email the admissions secratary! ([email protected],  tel.: +44 (0)191 334 7057)