Why Cuths?
Before arriving at Durham, choosing my college was something of a fixation. In March of last year I attended an offer holder day and, after becoming set on being on the Bailey, I toured round my top colleges. Being on the Bailey was quite important to me as it was near my department and catered— and, as a history student, I’m a sucker for old buildings. As I walked to the end of the cobbled street, we arrived at St Cuthberts Society (Cuths). From my first impression I loved the friendliness, chilled atmosphere, and warmth of Cuths. I was also drawn to the only fully student-run library, beautiful gardens, and the best college bar in all of Durham (I will not stand for any disagreement).
Community
Since coming to Durham, my experience has been shaped by the Cuths community (bleed green!). Something that aided this has been being catered. I was slightly concerned that I would be restricted by mealtimes but found that I adjusted incredibly quickly. The beauty of being catered is that you get time every day to talk, laugh, and eat with your friends. It allows me to spend time with people I would never have met otherwise, and my friends and I are often kicked out by catering staff for staying in the hall too long.
Accommodation
At Cuths there is a mixture of shared and single rooms, and I ended up in a shared room with a wonderful woman who I now can call my best friend. I can understand the reservations about having a roommate, but I was surprised how quickly you adjust to living together. We both have plenty of alone time, and you do get bigger rooms (ours even has a balcony!).
Sports & societies
At uni I was told there would be something for everyone to get involved in, and college sports and societies make this so true. At Cuths’ freshers fair, I picked up a leaflet for college cheerleading, which was one of the best decisions I’ve made. Despite never having done cheerleading before and not being the sportiest person, the team (joint with Hatfield) was welcoming and supportive, and quickly became like a family to me. It gave me the opportunity to form friendships with older years who treat me like their little sister. We recently competed in the college cheerleading competition, which was one of the best days of my life and a testament to the incredible team we have. At Cuths, you can get involved with so much at any level.
Junior Common Room
Something crucial to life at Cuths is the JCR. The JCR (although quite difficult to get the hang of) is a student-led charity separate from college that is responsible for everything from welfare to planning balls. I quickly got involved in the Outreach committee (charity work and volunteering) and recently ran to be next year’s Outreach chair on the JCR executive. It is an opportunity to get involved, make changes in college life, and shape the future of Cuths.
Events
One of the best parts of Cuths is the frequent events we get to attend. We have non-gowned formals every 2 or 3 weeks which are a fun opportunity to dress up with your friends; ours are always themed (e.g. murder mystery, pride, fashion show). One of my favourite Cuths traditions happens at formals called ‘noting’ where we send notes to our friends during the meal. Another major event in the Cuths calendar is the charity fashion show, which I was lucky to model for and was the best night ever! We also have 3 large balls a year, the most recent being the Feast of St Cuthbert. These are always so much fun and really cement the Durham experience.
I am so proud to form a part of such a beautiful community. If you get allocated to Cuths, just know it really is the best place on earth!
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