An outsider’s perspective on all the quirks Durham University has to offer

“Do Durham students have a shorter life expectancy?”.

This was the question my Aussie mate Issy asked me as we trudged, violently hungover, towards Durham Gardens in a pitiful attempt to cure our pounding headaches. The question came after she’d spent just one weekend on the sesh with me and my friends – during which we made sure she experienced “Duzzah” in its full, unfiltered glory.

Her comment got me thinking: What does Durham actually look like from an outsider’s point of view? From someone who doesn’t know what Hatfield Wall or Chad’s Tree are, or what exactly the Mary’s Mile entails. To them, does Durham feel like something straight out of Harry Potter, or something else entirely?

What followed was a weekend-long, pseudo-anthropological study of Durham culture: The habits, traditions, and unspoken rules that we, as seasoned Durham residents, barely even notice anymore. Either we’ve grown used to them over time, or we’re simply too immersed to see how strange they might look from the outside.

Over just a few days in Durham, Issy encountered a whole range of peculiarities, the kind we rarely stop to question, but which feel immediately obvious to anyone new.

So, what does Durham look like through fresh eyes? Here are the main culture shocks Issy experienced.

Why are Durham people all so stylish (and attractive)?

First of all, thank you, Issy. I’ll be taking that as a huge compliment.

“Why are all the men here so fine?” – a direct quote I would like to add. Apparently the mullet, signet ring, Tom’s Trunks, and Ralph Lauren combo has gained an enthusiastic Aussie supporter. And if we are all being totally honest, who blames her.

But it’s not just the Durham men deserving of recognition. The girls are equally, if not more, stylish. Effortlessly put together, always on trend, and somehow managing to look like they’ve stepped straight out of Vogue on a casual Tuesday afternoon. It’s unsettling. And impressive.

The fact that first year doesn’t count…?

This isn’t unique to Durham, but it was something Issy and I found ourselves reflecting on during our weekend there. I was genuinely surprised to learn that in countries such as Australia, every module taken at university contributes equally towards your final degree.

Personally, I rather like the British system. There’s something reassuring about the way it treats first year with a degree of generosity, “only” requiring students to pass. It acknowledges that for many, the transition into university life is far from straightforward.

For most, it’s the first time living away from home, in a new town, surrounded by new people, new expectations, and an overwhelming number of new opportunities. By easing the academic pressure in that first year, the system allows students the space to adjust, to find their footing, and to grow into life at university.

Durham lingo

Durham speaks in its own language, and becoming fluent takes time. From “BNOCs” (big names on campus) to “JCRs” (Junior Common Rooms, Durham’s version of a student governing body), from stash (the college merch everyone seems to own) to “Twatfield,” each term marks its own small but unmistakable Durham-ism.

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That’s before you even get to “Thridges” (The Three Bridges on North Road), “swanning,” the act of going to the Swan and Three Cygnets (arguably the best pub in all of Durham) and countless others. At several points during our shared weekend, I’m fairly sure Issy was wondering why everyone appeared to be speaking almost entirely in shorthand: a blur of initials, local references, and mysterious phrases. What, for instance, is the “Billy B,” and what does it possibly have to do with bumblebees?

It was only over this weekend that I realised how unfamiliar, and at times quietly alienating, this vocabulary can sound from the outside. Not in an unwelcoming way, but as a reminder of just how deeply embedded these phrases become once Durham starts to feel like home.

Durham lore

Once you have learnt the language you are immediately confronted with another prevalent and notorious facet of life in Duzzah: the lore. Need I only mention the battle of the two Durham nightlife titans DJ Dave & John Klute?

Then there’s the ever-present college rivalry: Hill vs. Bailey (and we all know which one is better…). Every college has its own bar, own drink, own sports teams, societies, and fiercely defended identity. People go hard for their colleges. I have to admit, I do bleed bede.

And somehow, in a city that feels both intimate and insular, everyone knows everyone. Step out for the evening and you’re basically guaranteed to run into a familiar face, whether that’s a blessing or a curse is entirely situational.

Durham nightlife

As mentioned at the beginning, Issy had the distinct pleasure of experiencing true Duzzah nightlife, namely, a boat club ball followed by what can only be described as a three-day bender. Hence the quote that inspired this entire article.

Over the course of this, she quickly discovered just how tight a grip Durham nightlife has on its students. Few things hold them in quite such a firm chokehold as VKs, a phenomenon not unique to Durham, but one that British university students everywhere seem entirely powerless to resist.

Then there’s the sacred end-of-night ritual. Whether it’s Angels or That’s Amore, the final song brings arms slung over shoulders, voices raised in unison, and an entirely predictable, yet somehow still inexplicable, wave of goosebumps.

And perhaps most impressively of all is the fact that Durham students somehow manage to go out almost every night of the week and still be academic weapons. This is helped, no doubt, by the carefully scheduled Durham’s nightlife, where each club has its designated evening. Dare I say, SNK 🙂 .

The beauty of Durham 

As Durham students, we often forget, or perhaps overlook, the extraordinary beauty of the town we study in. When you’re so completely immersed in a place, its surroundings can begin to fade into the background, rendered almost invisible by familiarity.

Nowhere is this truer than with Durham Cathedral. Its beauty is genuinely breathtaking, both inside and out. Yet because we pass it every day, it’s easy to forget just how impressive it really is. You become, for lack of a better word, “abgestumpft”, eye-blind to its grandeur.

So consider this article a gentle reminder. The next time you’re walking along Palace Green, passing beneath the shadow of the Cathedral, or even heading past the SU, fun fact: It was designed by the same architect behind the Sydney Opera House (and I’ll leave you to decide which one’s more famous), take a moment. Pause. Look around. (Pro tip: maybe skip the Cathedral spire tour… unless failing your degree is on your agenda).

Whether gothic splendour or brutalist concrete is more your vibe, Durham has a quiet way of offering beauty in all its forms. And as Issy so perfectly put it, “it feels like an honour to study in Durham – a place full of lovely, vibrant scenery and equally lovely, vibrant people.” I think we can all agree that she is right. Maybe Durham students do live shorter lives, but they certainly live very load ones 🙂

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