Congratulations and Welcome to New Undergraduate Students

Welcome from the Principal

Many congratulations on successfully gaining a place at Durham University. This is a great achievement for which you should feel very proud, and I am delighted to welcome you to Stephenson College.

I hope that coming to University will be one of the most rewarding and exciting chapters of your life. We have an excellent team at Stephenson who are here to give you all the support you need to make to the most of your time at University. Each year the vibrancy of the College is renewed by its new students and the energy and enthusiasm you bring.

From the moment you arrive, we want you to feel at home here and feel that you belong as part of our College community. The Freshers' Reps - the returning students who will look after you during your orientation and induction - alongside our College Officers, will ensure that joining the College and starting at the University will be a smooth passage to the life of a student.

An important way of getting the best and most enjoyment out of University and College life is engaging with the wide range of opportunities on offer. These include the many sporting, performing arts, intellectual and other social activities, that are available, many facilitated through the JCR (Junior Common Room). I strongly recommend you make the most of these opportunities, where you will experience new things, make new friends and in no time begin to settle into College and University life. I hope you will play an active role in the College and help shape and contribute to the JCR and MCR over the coming months and years.

The team at Stephenson College and I look forward very much to welcoming you soon.

Best wishes,

Professor Rob Lynes CMG
Principal, Stephenson College and Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor (Global)

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Welcome from the JCR President

Welcome to Stephenson College Junior Common Room! I’m Aidan Woodley, this year’s JCR President. I have just graduated with a degree in Physics and Philosophy and I’m very excited to have been elected into this position. I work as a representative for you, the students of Stephenson, and do lots of behind-the-scenes work to keep our JCR going throughout the year! To get in touch with me, you can email [email protected], or follow the President’s page on Instagram @stephenson_president. I look forward to meeting you all in September!

Aidan Woodley

JCR President 2024/2025

Welcome from your Senior Freshers' Rep

Hello and welcome to Stephenson College! Congratulations on the hard work you’ve put into getting to Durham, you are now officially one of our 2024 Freshers!

Sakura Doody - Stephenson Head Frep 2024/2025

I’m Sakura, your Senior Freshers' Rep (Frep) for this year, and a second year Psychology student here at Stephenson. My wonderful Head Frep team and I have been working hard for the past few months to create a Welcome and Orientation Week that is jam-packed with events for you to enjoy. We will also be joined by an amazing group of Freps, who will support you in settling in, introduce you to college life, and generally be friendly faces during the week (and maybe even throughout the year, as we are all Stephenson students ourselves!)

Your first week will be full of exciting experiences and we hope you will make the most of it and enjoy every minute! We have so many fun activities planned: there will be opportunities for you to try new hobbies and societies, you will have your Matriculation (where you go to the Cathedral to officially become a Durham University student), and, of course, you will meet lots of new people. However, we understand that it can be a tough time for a lot of Freshers, as the amount of change can be a bit overwhelming, so please don’t hesitate to speak to our student-led Welfare team if you have any worries at all - they will be around all week.

If there is anything we can do to ease your nerves before or during Freshers’ week, you can chat to us via the official Stephenson Freshers’ Instagram @stephenson.freshers or our email [email protected] and a member of our Head Frep team will get back to you as soon as possible. Remember to keep an eye on these social media pages and your email inboxes so you don’t miss any information we send you.

See you at Stephenson! We can’t wait to meet you!

Sakura Doody
Senior Freshers' Rep 2024/2025

About You

Please complete the About You Form as soon as possible. You have 7 days from receipt of your College confirmation letter to submit your About You Form.

UG About You Form

Key Information

Accommodation Information

Arrival Information

Welcome and Orientation Week

Student Common Rooms

Health and Wellbeing

Useful Information

Checklist

FAQs

College Information

What to do next - Enrol Online

Find out more

Enrol online

Enrolment opens eight weeks before the start of your programme.

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Transitioning to Higher Education Support and Information

Coming to university to study at any level can feel overwhelming. At Durham we want to help provide the most relevant information and support.

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Your first week in Durham – University Induction Week Events Timetable

The Timetable has been designed so College events don’t clash with any of your academic departmental events, but offer you lots of opportunities to meet your fellow Freshers, find your way around and settle into student life.

To help you keep track of where you need to be, and what you need to do during your first busy days at university, in your College and your Department, we have created a day-by-day University Induction Planner. This should help you to plan your schedule, so you don't miss anything - from being issued with your Campus Card or meeting the staff in your Department, to trying out for a sports team or joining a student society.

Your Personal Induction Planner

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Useful links

Matriculation

Departments

Library

Durham Students' Union

Enrichment

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Finding Your Way Around Durham

Learn more about the wider student experience at Durham

Student updates

Check out our student blogs to read more about life at Durham from our students. Don't forget to follow us on social media!

Highlights

What to bring to University

Read our top recommendations to add to your packing list ready for your arrival at Durham.
Welcome to Durham – and stop worrying!

Moving to University can be a daunting prospect but there’s no need to worry, you’ll feel right at home here.