Join our new host Tian as she sits down with first-year students Lilly (Computer Science BSc) and Prem (Natural Sciences BSc) to explore what it’s really like to study a STEM degree at Durham University.
From the journey that brought them here to navigating contact hours, choosing modules, balancing academics with life outside the classroom, and the challenges and joys of their courses, they share honest insights into the Durham student experience.
We also discuss expectations versus reality, making friends, being women in STEM, and the advice they’d give to their younger selves. Whether you’re considering a STEM degree at Durham or just curious about university life, this episode offers an authentic glimpse into the student journey.
0:00 - Durham Student Trailer
01:00 – Durham stats: what do Lilly & Prem study?
01:53 – Lilly’s route into Durham
05:51 – Prem’s route into Durham
09:39 – Expectations vs reality
11:36 – Contact hours explained
13:21 – Choosing modules
19:01 – A typical day in STEM
26:39 – Life outside the degree
32:16 – Challenges & favourite parts
40:28 – Being a woman in STEM
44:26 – Advice to their younger selves
Durham Student Trailer
Hi there, I’m Tian, and I’m part of The Durham Student. Today I’ll be joined by my friends Lily and Prem
to talk more about what it’s like being a STEM student. Before we get started, we’re going to ask an icebreaker question:
what is your favourite emoji? I think my favourite emoji has to be the smiley face
with smiling eyes and rosy cheeks. Mostly because it’s my most-used emoji.
I feel like I’m always smiling. People often say, “You’ve got such a lovely smile.”
I’d probably say the stock graph emoji, the green upward line.
Optimism is always needed, even if you do maths.
Great segue. Now we’re going to ask you your Durham stats. Durham stats is something you get asked during Fresher’s Week
Durham stats: what do Lilly & Prem study?
as a quick introduction. It’s your name, college, year, and degree. I’ll pass over to Prem.
Hi, I’m Prem. As Tian said,  I’m a member of Josephine Butler College.
I’m a first year and I study Natural Sciences. My name is Lily. I’m also a first year and I study Computer Science.
For people who don’t know about Natural Sciences, what subjects do you study within that? I study maths, computer science, and economics, which is interesting.
Awesome. Some people watching may be prospective students,
so what was your route into Durham? What did you do for A levels, and how did you decide?
Lilly’s route into Durham
Durham was the university you wanted to go for? Well, I did computer science, maths,
further maths, and physics at A levels. So I did four A levels, which was kind of intense.
I always knew I was going to do computer science at university, mainly because I really enjoy it and I have a passion for creating apps and games
that can be used to help people. I’ve always wanted to do something different and bring something new to the industry.
I feel like with a lot of games and apps out there,
there’s still so much room to create things that can have a positive impact on people’s lives.
My route into Durham was actually quite unusual, because Durham was the very last university
I added to my UCAS list, right before my school deadline.
I was applying to Cambridge originally, so I needed a fifth university.
I did a Google search for the top universities for computer science in the UK,
and at the time Durham came up as the fourth best in the UK.
So I thought, “Okay, I’ll add Durham,” without thinking too much about it.
Later, after admissions tests and all the stress,
I found out I wasn’t going to Cambridge, but Durham gave me an offer.
What surprised me was how early it came through. I got my offer from Durham in early November,
and people kept saying, “Durham doesn’t usually give offers until January.”
So I started thinking, “Okay, Durham really wants me here.”
Originally, I thought my insurance choice would be Manchester,
but deep down I realised I didn’t want to go to a city university.
I’m from Leeds, which is already a big city. Being in Durham has meant I’ve made friends I wouldn’t usually have met,
including Tian, who’s also from Leeds, which is really sweet.
The message I’d give to anyone considering Durham is:
don’t be afraid if it wasn’t your original plan. And don’t feel like getting rejected from one thing
means it’s the end. What I’ve learned is that every so-called rejection
is actually a redirection. You might not realise it at the time,
but later you see that things worked out for the better. And that’s where you were meant to be. So that’s how I got into Durham.
Thank you so much, Lily. That was really sweet. And how about you? First of all, to preface this, I’m from Manchester.
Prem’s route into Durham
Well, Lancashire, actually. So I’m technically at war with these two. Lancaster versus Yorkshire. Google it.
Anyway, I also applied to Cambridge, but not really with the intention of getting in.
I mainly wanted to experience the admissions process. One of the reasons I chose Durham is because the Natural Sciences course is very flexible.
Unlike some courses where you’re locked into biology, chemistry, and physics, at Durham you can mix and match the science subjects you want.
For example, if you want a Computer Science and Maths degree,
you need a 50–50 split. But with Natural Sciences, you don’t have to stick to that structure.
That’s why I ended up with my slightly unusual combination of maths, computer science, and economics. Next year I’m considering maths and computer science,
with an 80–40 credit split. That’s credits, not percentages. I promise I’m not that bad at maths.
I also applied to St Andrews because the Scottish degree structure is flexible,
but it’s a four-year course, and they didn’t want me either.
Durham was going to be my first choice anyway, because it’s much closer to home. It’s a direct train away, and it’s a three-year course.
Manchester also accepted me, but they asked for three A stars.
That’s why I ended up picking Durham over Manchester. What’s even crazier is that the following year, they reduced their offer to one A star and two As.
Three A stars was wild. Even Cambridge didn’t ask for that. It felt like they were trying to be better than Oxbridge.
I’m very glad I ended up at Durham.
For maths, for example, Durham teaches  harder content in first year. But first year doesn’t count towards your final degree classification,
so it’s a great time to tackle the harder material.
Topics like real analysis are usually  taught in second year at other universities,
but Durham often teaches them in first year. Although if you’re a student like me, you can choose to take it later.
I think this really shows how unique and flexible Natural Sciences is.
You don’t hear about it much unless you do your own research. Apparently the course has been around for over 100 years,
which surprised me. For this podcast, we wanted to include both single honours and combined degrees,
so people can hear the differences. Now we’re going to take it back to your A-level mindset.
What were your expectations before university? Before coming to Durham, did you have any assumptions about what it would be like?
Expectations vs reality
My main assumption was that Durham would be very posh, like Harry Potter land. I mean, we do wear gowns in most colleges, so I get where that comes from.
But it’s not really like Harry Potter. We do have independent thought.
Another assumption was that everyone would be posh, but that’s not really true either.
In different colleges, you can really see a strong sense of community. For example, at Josephine Butler, we have a really good community.
We’re not posh, we’re just normal people. For me, my expectations were more about how much time I’d have.
When I was doing A levels, I thought university would give me a lot more free time.
I expected maybe two  or three hours of lectures a day, and then the rest of the time free.
Part of that was because my older brother went to university and told me he found his degree easier than A levels.
I don’t know if that was because of the time element or because he enjoyed his degree more.
So I expected that living away from home, I’d have a lot more free time.
But I’ve learned that, especially as a STEM student, that’s definitely not the case.
Contact hours explained
Definitely not. So how many hours do you actually have? Roughly how many contact hours do you have? Just to clarify, contact hours are the lectures,
seminars, and anything scheduled on your timetable. For me, it varied quite a bit. In Michaelmas term, which is term one,
I had about 23 contact hours. In Epiphany term, which is term two,
I had around 18 or 19, because one of my modules was independent study.
So it didn’t have any lectures, which made a big difference. But overall, it does vary quite a lot. In STEM especially, it tends to be heavier.
For me, in term one, I had about 24 hours a week.
To put that into perspective, I have friends with only 6 to 10 hours a week,
but that’s usually because they’re studying humanities. In term two, it was very similar for me, and it actually increased to around 25 hours.
That was mainly because of my elective. In first year, for computer science,
you get to choose an extra 20-credit module from another department.
I chose a maths module, which added tutorials and about an extra hour a week.
Wow. So when you were choosing your modules,
Choosing modules
for your elective, and for all your modules, how did you go about deciding? When you were choosing modules,
was it based on interest, career goals, or something else?
For Natural Sciences, it’s a bit more complicated than that. Even though we don’t have compulsory modules,
you still need certain modules to progress each year.
For a straight Computer Science student, there are five core modules you must take
to be able to progress into second year. With Natural Sciences, progression works a bit differently,
but there are substitution mechanisms in place.
For example, in maths there’s a second-year module called Mathematical Modelling. I take a module called Computational Thinking for Computer Science,
and that actually counts towards progression even though it’s not the maths version.
So I chose modules mainly based on progression requirements. For maths, that meant calculus and linear algebra. For Computer Science, Computational Thinking.
For economics, Principles of Economics. Because I wasn’t allowed to take the maths module in economics,
I also took Probability and Statistics instead. That still met the progression requirements.
I ended up with one free choice module.
In Natural Sciences, you need at least two subjects,
each worth a minimum of 40 credits. So I couldn’t do 80 credits of maths and only 20 of the others.
I had to choose between Computer Science and Economics.
I value life, so I chose a Computer Science module.
I picked Programming Black, which also helped with progression. It only runs for one term, so I had more free time in the second term.
Also, our lecturer sometimes sings during lectures,
which was great. Natural Sciences might sound complicated, but the support is really good. Our Director of Natural Sciences is amazing and helps you navigate everything. It’s honestly not as hard to choose modules as it might seem at first. There’s also a rule for second-year progression in Computer Science where you need 80 credits across first and second year. That’s another reason I chose a Computer Science module. Programming Black worked well for me, both academically and for my timetable. Now Lily, you also chose Programming Black. What made you choose that?
For Computer Science,
we can choose between Programming Gold and Programming Black.
Programming Gold is aimed at people with less prior programming experience. Programming Black covers the same content, but at a much faster pace.
Because I did Computer Science at GCSE and A level, I already had that background. So Programming Black made more sense for me, and it finished in term one.
For my elective, Discrete Maths wasn’t my first choice. When choosing electives,
you also have to think about timetabling and prerequisites.
I originally wanted to take a psychology module, linked to my interest in helping people
and understanding social behaviour and how people think. But the timetabling clashed, and some modules had prerequisites.
You often need A level background or other qualifications for those.
So I chose Discrete Maths instead. After researching, I realised it’s very relevant for Computer Science,
especially for decision-making and some second-year modules.
I chose it because I knew it would give me a strong foundation for year two.
Awesome. Thank you so much for explaining that process.
Doing that research before university is really helpful when choosing modules.
You both gave some great tips there. Now that you’re actually in Durham,
A typical day in STEM
What would you say your typical day looks like? I know we’re currently in exam season,
so we don’t have lectures right now, but what does a normal day look like?
So basically, I wake up in the morning and wish I had the desire to do maths,
but instead I go back to sleep. That’s quite realistic for a university student. I’m trying to be honest with you all here.
Then I wake up properly and realise I’ve got a 9 a.m. So I quickly shower, make some tea, and head off to my lecture.
That waking-up struggle is something every university student experiences.
In Michaelmas and Epiphany terms, I had a 9 a.m. most days,
except for two days where I started at 10. I’d usually finish around 1 p.m. for lunch,
except Fridays in Michaelmas, where I didn’t really get a proper lunch break. Timetabling can be a bit intense, especially for Natural Sciences.
It sometimes feels like everything gets scheduled on a Monday.
My Mondays were pretty brutal, but the flexibility helps. In maths, for example, you can move tutorials around a bit.
After lectures, I’d go back to college. As a first year, that’s about a 15-minute walk.
I usually cook lunch, or at least what I call cooking.
That usually means pasta and something simple. Nothing too complicated. I’d then take a proper break. Just because you’re at university,
doesn’t mean you should be studying every waking hour. Taking breaks is important, otherwise you burn out.
In the  afternoon, I’d sometimes have another lecture, but most days I didn’t. At Durham, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are usually free in the afternoons. Thursdays were busier, although I’ll admit I  didn’t always attend everything.
Do go to your lectures. Don’t be like me.
In the evenings, I’d do some studying, reconsolidate what I’d learned,
and then relax a bit. Burnout really isn’t worth it.
Most lectures are recorded as well.
In maths and science, we often rely more on solid lecture notes
rather than recordings, especially when using whiteboards.
For economics and some other subjects, textbooks are used more heavily. So the teaching style can vary quite a lot between departments. For me, as a computer science student, Mondays were always quite intense.
I often had lectures from 4 to 6 p.m., just because of how things were scheduled.
On Tuesdays, I’d have practicals in the morning, a lecture, a break, and then another lecture.
Wednesdays are usually lighter in the afternoon, mainly because of sports and societies.
Thursdays were my busiest days, often a full 9 to 5.
Fridays eased off a bit later in term, especially when certain modules finished.
Overall, it really depends on whether you’re a STEM or humanities student.
STEM tends to have more in-person lectures and practicals,
but less independent reading compared to humanities. That’s why going to lectures is important, because practicals build on previous weeks.
Even though the days can be busy, it’s important to make time for things that aren’t related to your degree, so you can de-stress.
And that leads nicely to the next question. You’re both really busy people,
but you still manage to do things outside your degree.
How do you do that?
Life outside the degree
We always get confused between Epiphany and Easter.
Michaelmas, Epiphany, Easter. Easter is the revision term. There are two E terms, so forgive us.
When it comes to life outside your degree, time management is really key.
You need flexibility, especially during revision periods. For example, I make sure I revise a certain number of hours,
but I don’t follow a strict schedule for exactly when I do it. Obviously, if you have an exam coming up, you revise before it.
Revising after an exam isn’t very effective.
Having flexibility means you can still do other things. College life offers a lot of opportunities.
For example, we have formal dinners at college, and I make sure to go occasionally. I’m also part of a few societies, including a political society.
In my college, I’m part of a society called slacklining,
which is like tightrope walking between trees, but a bit more sophisticated.
I was also part of a college fashion show, as the photography lead.
Flexibility is really important, especially with events that happen at set times.
For example, we did photoshoots for the fashion show, so I kept one weekend day free.
You don’t need to revise from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. You can revise in the evening. I personally find that more effective.
Yeah, time management is basically the key.
Following on from that, I’m also involved in fashion shows. Durham actually has quite a strong fashion show culture. Many colleges run their own. There are also university-wide fashion shows.
The biggest one is the Durham University Charity  Fashion Show, or DUFFS.
There’s also Revival, and the Walk On Charity Fashion Show.
I’m one of the fashion directors for the Walk On fashion show.
It’s a big role. We source garments from
student designers around the UK,
organise fittings, and manage everything backstage on the day.
I joined because I enjoy sewing and crochet in my spare time.
People sometimes assume STEM students aren’t creative, but that’s not true.
We do have creative sides, and it’s something I really value.
Working with fashion designers has helped me appreciate how much effort goes into creating things.
Durham has societies for almost anything you can think of. There are over 100 societies across colleges, and you can even start your own. At Josephine Butler alone, there are over 70 societies.
So whatever you’re interested in, there’s probably something for you.
We’ll speed things up a bit now. Let’s move on to the next question.
What do you most enjoy about Durham? Actually, let’s start with the negatives. What has been the most  challenging part of your degree, or what do you not like as much?
Challenges & favourite parts
And on the flip side, what have been your favourite parts?
My least favourite part isn’t my degree. It’s this hill in Durham called Cardiac Hill.
It’s the steep hill between Lower Mountjoy and  Upper Mountjoy. It’s brutal.
Maths and computer science are up at the top, but most lectures are at the bottom.
So you end up trekking up it all the time. Durham is just a really hilly place in general.
I actually brought a bike, which helps. I even strap bags onto it.
The hills feel bad at first, but you get used to them.
As for my degree, maths is hard.
My linear algebra lecturer once wore a T-shirt that said that.
That pretty much sums it up.
One of the best things about Durham is the college system.
You meet people doing all kinds of subjects through  your college, not just your course.
That’s how I’ve made a lot of friends here. Also, for computer science, you get a lot of steps in.
You’re constantly walking up and down the hill.
If you have practicals in the maths and computer science building,
you’ll be trekking up Cardiac Hill regularly.
Honestly, if you come to Durham, you might not even need the gym.
I’ve heard it’s called Cardiac Hill partly because there are lots of defibrillators along it.
So don’t be misled by the name. But if you like hills, there’s even a hill-walking society.
Another challenge for me has been timetabling.
Until exam season, I never had a day with nothing on.
I always had something Monday to Friday.
But looking back, I think I actually prefer that to having loads of independent reading time.
If I had lots of reading hours, I’d find it harder to stay on track.
Whereas if I know I have a lecture, I know I have to be there. It gives structure to my day, and I think that suits me.
Some people prefer more freedom, and others prefer a routine.
Durham also has  a lot going on because it’s collegiate. The community can feel really close-knit.
In my college, Hild Bede, I haven’t talked about it much yet, but I’m really happy there. I’ve made great friends. It actually wasn’t my first choice. You rank colleges before you arrive,
and allocation is a bit random. Hild Bede was my sixth choice.
But it’s still been really good,
and there are lots of things to consider when choosing. For example, catered versus self-catered colleges. Catered means meals are provided, and self-catered means you cook for yourself.
I preferred self-catered, because I can make exactly what I want.
Some days you come back and you just want one specific meal,
and it’s nice to have that choice.
Hild Bede is a big college, and it’s currently on a newer site.
The original site is being renovated. I’ve heard that last year some students had to be evacuated
because of issues like asbestos.
So I’m grateful to be on the newer site. The rooms are bigger and more modern.
We’ve got ensuite rooms and three-quarter beds, which is halfway between a single and a double.
I really like it, and I’ve made lots of good friends. Bonus question for you, Lily. As a woman in STEM, doing a male-dominated degree,
how have you found that experience?
It’s interesting, to be honest. I knew choosing computer science meant
I wouldn’t walk in and see loads of people who look like me, especially as a woman and a person of colour.
But for me, it’s been a really positive experience.
I actually enjoy being in spaces with people who are different to me.
It shows that it doesn’t matter what background you’re from.
What matters is your passion and what you’re going to bring to the table.
Computer science is a big course. There are around 300 people, even if not everyone turns up to every lecture.
It can be easy to stand out,
but I’ve found people on the course are genuinely nice.
There are stereotypes that computer scientists are antisocial, but that hasn’t been my experience. A lot of people are approachable and friendly.
And honestly, there shouldn’t really be a stereotype.
In the real world, you need to be able to communicate,
hold conversations with clients, and work well with other people.
Computer science is broad,
and it’s good to have people who bring new perspectives.
For me, it’s about showing people you care and bringing passion to what you do.
Being a woman in STEM is a strength, not a weakness.
That’s beautiful, Lily. Thank you so much. You’ve given such a realistic insight into Durham.
Final question: what tip would you give to your younger self,
or to prospective students thinking about STEM at Durham?
If you do maths, actual maths, try not to rely on your calculator too much.
At A level we used calculators a lot, but at university you usually don’t get one.
For maths, you generally get no calculator at all, except sometimes in statistics.
So if you’re used to checking answers on a graphical calculator,
that won’t work anymore.
A lot of us are actually bad at arithmetic now. We can do the maths, but not the basic calculations.
So my tip is: don’t over-rely on your calculator, because you won’t have it at uni.
My advice would be: don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Lecturers have contact hours, or office hours, where you can go and ask questions.
In computer science we had lots of coursework throughout the year,
so your grade isn’t only based on exams. Some modules are a third coursework, or even 50%.
If you get stuck on an assignment, don’t be afraid to email the lecturer.
I think I could have done that more. University can feel intimidating, especially when lectures are in big halls.
Sometimes lecturers ask if anyone has questions, and it’s just silence.
But you should use the contact hours. They’re there for you. And it’s also nice to build relationships with your lecturers.
Networking is really important. These lecturers are often top in their fields.
Even if a lecture feels boring, think about what it takes to teach that many people.
If you show genuine interest, lecturers really appreciate it.
And they might be working in
a field you’re interested in, so it’s worth speaking to them. They’re not scary people. In maths especially, the lecturers are very chill. Sometimes you go to office hours and end up just having a chat. They’re genuinely approachable, so don’t be scared to talk to them.
Thank you so much for joining us on The Durham Student. I think you’ve definitely debunked the myth that STEM students aren’t social. You’ve talked for almost 50 minutes, so thanks for staying until the end. Post your favourite emoji in the comments, so we know you made it this far.
And yes, we do touch grass. It’s Durham. It’s everywhere.
Good luck to those of you with A levels coming soon. We hope to see you in Durham.
And we’ll see you next time. Bye. Adios.
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