POST OFFER VISIT DAY 2021

Welcome to John Snow College (the best College in Durham)! John Snow is a safe, inclusive and welcoming community, as soon as you arrive you become a member of the family. We will support you, encourage you and help you grow. Becoming a member of John Snow College helps you to realise there is so much more to University life than receiving a degree and a qualification.

Have any questions for us? The College is holding 2 Post Offer Visit Days (February 17th and March 20th). On the day, we will have introductory presentations from the College Principal, Vice-Principal and JCR President. This will be followed by a live Q&A session with students from John Snow College. We look forward to seeing many of you there and introducing you to our College!

PLEASE ALSO JOIN THE 2021 JOHN SNOW POST OFFER FACEBOOK GROUP TO KEEP UPDATED!

Sports at John Snow

At John Snow we have plenty of Sports teams for you to join. The greatest aspect of College sport is it does not matter whether you have played before, if you are super competitive or just want to play for a bit of fun all of the teams are welcoming and inclusive. Joining a sports team is a great way to meet people you otherwise might not see day-to-day! We are very proud of all of our sports teams that represent us playing weekly matches against other Colleges!

Our Sports:

Men’s Rugby

Women’s Rugby

Basketball

Men’s Football

Women’s Football

Rowing (John Snow Boat Club)

Phoenix Cheerleading

Netball

Societies at John Snow

There are so many societies you can join at John Snow, it's a great way to meet people with similar interests as you. All of the societies are welcoming and inclusive, it does not matter if it's something you have never done before, if you haven't done it in a while or you just want to give it a try. There's something for everyone at John Snow!

Our Societies:

Music Society

Blizzard Theatre Company

John Snow Charity Fashion Show

Baking Society

LGBTQ+ Society

Art Society

FemSoc

Plant Society

Book Club

Events at John Snow

Throughout the year we host tonnes of events from small games nights to massive College Balls, there is always something going on or something to look forwards to!

Formals

Formals are run by the College and you will have a Welcome Formal during Freshers’ Week and then two after that, one in Michaelmas term (first term) and one in Epiphany term (second term). These are amazing events bringing whole year groups together and are a great reason to gown up and if anything give you a good meal!

Snow-cials

Snow-cials happen throughout the year (every couple of weeks during term time), we have had Murder Mysteries, Halloween Great British Bake Off, Valentines, Movember: Dye or no Dye, Deck the Halls, Pride and so much more.

College Balls

The Winter and Summer Balls are two of the biggest events of the year with 400+ attending, they bring the College together to celebrate. They are always amazing events not to be missed!

College Day

At the end of the year the whole College comes together to celebrate the year, with food and drinks vans, live music entertainment, awards and whatever else we can come up with, it is like our own mini-festival!

And more…!

These are not all of the events we put on during the year, the John Snow Charity Fashion Show, Concerts put on by Music Soc, plays and other drama pieces by Blizzard Theatre Company include some worthy mentions! There is always the opportunity to get involved, no matter your interests.

The Junior Common Room (JCR)

Somewhere you will have seen the letters JCR knocking about, but what is the JCR? JCR stands for Junior Common Room and is the Undergraduate body of students, in effect, you are the JCR.

The JCR is represented by elected officers (students) who run certain aspects of the student experience such as Sports, Societies, Freshers’ Week, Balls, Promotions and all sorts of other things!

When you arrive (or before) you can choose to opt-into the JCR levy, this gives you a number of benefits including cheaper events tickets (as much as £15), being able to join our sports and societies, being able to run for positions on the JCR Committee and so much more. This payment will cover your full three/four years with us, those who opt-in will look back on their time with us and see all the benefits of their membership.

John Snow is a big family, a welcoming and inclusive community which allows you to feel like you are at home straight away. Those who come to John Snow never really leave, we bleed blue through and through.

Questions and Answers!

Does John Snow College have a college song?

At the end of a John Snow event you can always 100% be guaranteed to hear ‘Angels’ by Robbie Williams come on and belt out ‘I’m loving John Snow instead’. 

What is John Snow College known for amongst other colleges?

For being the best. No, (but yes) we are known for being upbeat, a tightknit community and just all round enthusiastic. You will always know when John Snow are about, we are just about the happiest, most enthusiastic people around, we may not always win every sports match but guaranteed we were having the most fun. At the end of your degree it can be hard to leave John Snow (talking from personal experience, I could never imagine leaving) because you build such a strong, supportive network and community. 

Where can we get our gowns for the Matriculation ceremony, and do we hire them or buy them and do we need them throughout the year?

Details will be circulated once you have a confirmed place in September regarding how you can buy your gown online before you arrive in Durham. You will also be able to buy a gown when you arrive on Move in Day; alternatively, if you are a liver-out other arrangements can be made to ensure that you have a gown when you need it. We are a formal College meaning once a term we come together for a formal dinner where you will need to wear a gown for so you will need a gown for your whole time with us! A pre-order option will also be available when offers are accepted. 

What will the library be like?

There is not a library on the Mount Oswald Site; however, the Bill Bryson Library (open 24/7) is only 15 minutes’ walk away as well as the Teaching and Learning building, which has study spaces. You can find more information about both buildings below: 

Bill Bryson Library (More commonly known as the Billy B) - https://www.dur.ac.uk/library/using/libraries/mainlibrary/

Teaching and Learning Centre - https://www.dur.ac.uk/estates-developments/projects/tlc/ 

How long is the walk to the main sites?

Bill Bryson Library/Science Site – 15 minutes 

Town Centre (Supermarkets, Shops, Clubs etc) – 30-35 minutes 

There is also regular public transport from Mount Oswald to central sites and the Town Centre, which take around about 3-5 minutes depending on traffic. 

Are all the rooms next year en-suite? How many rooms per floor in new buildings?

Many of the rooms in College are en-suite, apart from those in the Townhouses. There are between 6 and 10 rooms per flat, and will share a kitchen. 

How intense is college level sport (i.e. how many times a week is training)?

In a usual week, you will usually have at least one training session lasting 1-2 hours and a match on the weekend. College Sport is very relaxed; you can be as competitive or relaxed as you want to be! It does not matter if you have never played a sport before or not, you will be welcomed with open arms!

How often do the JCR put events on, especially at first, to try and meet new people?

In Freshers’ Week, we have an event every night (last year we had nine nights of events)! We have club and quiet night options so there is something for everyone. We’ve had a Roller Skating disco, an Art Night, Board game Night, Pub Quizzes, and Escape Rooms and even ventured to Newcastle. We have a dedicated team of Freshers Reps (who are current second, third and fourth John Snow students) who will be there throughout Freshers’ Week! There will be plenty of opportunities throughout Freshers’ Week and the entire year to meet people through JCR events, sports and societies!

Is feeling homesick normal? And what do you think are the best ways to deal with this?

Everyone at some point feels homesick. Coming to University is a big change for most people and can be hard. We have a dedicated team of Welfare Reps and our two Welfare Officers there during Freshers’ Week to help, they will be available to talk to and ask advice from. We also have College Student Support to help you if you do feel homesick. My personal advice for homesickness is to make your rooms homely- somewhere you enjoy being and going out and meeting new people. When I made my friends at University, we built a strong family-like bond! It will take time but we are here to help! 

What is the nightlife like?

There are several nightclubs in Durham, including Klute, which used to be the worst nightclub in Europe. Newcastle is also a quick ten-minute train journey away. 

Durham Nightclubs:

• Players

• Fabio’s

• Jimmy Allens

• Klute

• Lloyds

• Babylon

• Wiff Waff 

I am worried that I will not get on with my flat mates

This is a very natural worry, and something that everyone thinks about! We try to match students as best as we can on their interests and needs; for example, this year we had several all-female, vegetarian/vegan, and quiet flats. There will be plenty of opportunities to create friendship groups outside of your flat from your degree course, Sport and societies. The majority of students get on with their flatmates and develop very strong friendships! If you really do not get on with your flatmates, we might also be able to move you to a different flat. 

Will we be told who were going to be sharing a flat with before we get to Durham so we can talk a bit and organise who’s bringing what kitchen utensils etc?

Unfortunately, you will not know who you will be sharing a flat with until move-in day.

What sort of activities happen during freshers?

We make sure to provide at least two options a night for events so that there is something for everyone! Details on these events will be released in the following weeks leading up to Move in Day. There are also two Freshers’ fairs, one in College where you can sign up to all of our Sports and Societies and one in the SU (Students Union), which happens over two days where you can join SU Societies and DU (Durham University) Sports. 

How do you join Durham and college sport teams?

For College Sports teams you can sign up at the College Freshers’ Fair and will automatically join the team. For DU (Durham University) Sports you can sign up at the SU (Students Union) Freshers Fair. For DU sports the standards are a bit higher and there are several processes to go through before making the team but if you can I would definitely suggest giving it a go if you are good at a particular sport! Here is a page with a bit more information about DU Sports! https://www.dur.ac.uk/teamdurham/

What kind of support is there for mental health within John Snow as a college and the university in general? How easy is it to access?

We have our John Snow Student Support Officer Gini Bedford, who is available through drop in sessions and bookings in throughout term time to support students.  Her Office will be in College and is easily accessible. There is also support available through the general University, you will be able to find more information through the below link:https://www.dur.ac.uk/counselling.service/mhadvice/

Are there quiet halls available in the accommodation?

Yes there are! When you receive your accommodation form, you will be able to select this as a preference.

Do John Snow students have access to other college's Libraries and Bars?

John Snow students will not have access to other College’s Libraries but will have access to other Colleges Bars except when the College is having an in-house event they may only allow students of that College to use the bar. For example, during Freshers’ Week all bars are usually restricted to College students only. The majority of the time though bars are open to all students! 

Is there a toastie bar?

We will have a Café/Bar which will sell food but we will not have a specific toastie bar (though they might be on the menu)!

I’m non-binary and I’ve just been looking at the formal events/graduation dress codes. What options are there for someone who is neither comfortable in the highly masculine suit styles required, or in a dress?

We have recently adopted a gender-neutral dress code, you can choose to wear a pin or tie and whatever you are comfortable in.

IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT OUR JCR PRESIDENT, JACK JUDGE AT SNOW.JCR@DURHAM.AC.UK