Durham In a Different Light

More than a half of the first trimester has already passed, so I can share my experience so far. Firstly, something about the recent critical point in my life – the departure to Durham. It is definitely not easy to leave home and set out to a completely new place, however, it is much better than the time of uncertainty and waiting before it. No one knows what exactly to expect, so it is difficult to resist a fear of the unknown and nervousness.

For me, a big advantage was that I had already been at Durham University for Open Days, so I had an idea how the city and the University look like. I also didn’t have to worry about getting lost somewhere at the airport. I had a very good impression from The Open Days, so it helped me a lot to be really excited and look forward to my forthcoming second home. One great thing was that the University had organised a welcome service for international students, so there was a bus waiting for us at the airport in Newcastle to take us to Durham and then another one straight to our colleges. 

The first couple of days were arranged only for international students, so that we could buy all necessary equipment, set up a bank account and adapt a bit before the arrival of British students at the start of a Freshers‘ Week. During this time a group of older students took care of us, and they were really friendly and helpful, answering all our questions and also organising a diverse program for us, from board games and quizzes to arts and crafts and even a space party. A great experience was a matriculation in a cathedral, which was our official entry to the University, and a formal dinner to welcome us to the college. 

Except that, there were also Freshers‘ Fairs of all students‘ societies and sports clubs. I was interested in a lot of them, so it was quite difficult to choose only a few. I think I eventually signed into too many societies because as soon as lectures started, I found out that it is not realizable for me to engage in all of them. I have made use of a membership only in a Philosophy Society and a Yoga and Pilates Society so far.

I also attend an introductory meeting of the Effective Altruism Durham society, which is a part of an Effective Altruism community all over the world (one of these societies is also in Prague – Efektivní Altruisté Praha). This society is fairly new in Durham, so there are no regular events yet, but I hope it will start soon. This first meeting was very inspiring, its main goal was to acquaint us with the main ideas of the Effective Altruism and plans of this society for future. One possible way of having a positive influence is by donating to proved and effective charities. Another option is to do something meaningful and helpful directly, either as a job or as volunteering. This is what the organisation 80,000 Hours examines, which is very closely related to the Effective Altruism and on its website it provides useful advice about which aspect to consider when choosing a career path. I have to admit that after reading some of these articles I started to think about my future career much more than before, but I don’t have a clear image of it yet. I think it is best to consider more options and decide later.

Another reason why I haven’t had much time to spend on societies so far is that I have been focusing more on practising my English by attending courses of academic language available for Durham students from the English Language Centre, to adapt to studying in English as quickly as possible. Understanding lectures is not as difficult as I had imagined (at least in terms of English), but with casual conversation, it is a bit worse. Usually I can communicate without problems, but situations when I have no idea what is the conversation about also sometimes occur.

Regarding my studies, I find all lectures very interesting, although sometimes a little bit faster than I can grasp. However, I suppose most undergraduates have to get used to this. Physics seems to me more time-consuming than Mathematics, which I enjoy a bit more. In order to dedicate deliberately more of my time to Mathematics, I have signed up for a Mathematics competition organised by the Imperial College London. The first round will take place here in Durham in a few days, so I am looking forward to that. I am curious what impression I will have afterwards, but at least I will have an opportunity to try to solve different type of problems than I am used to.

Durham is also a venue for many different cultural events. I appreciate especially a variety of concerts taking place here. I really enjoyed a concert in the cathedral with the Mozart’s Requiem being the main part of the program, but I am even more excited about a forthcoming concert which I am planning to go to, as it will include the composition Vltava from Smetana’s Má vlast (My Country). I expect to feel a nostalgia while listening to it, but I am sure it will be a strong experience for me.

Recently, Durham hosted a big event, a light festival Lumiere, which attracted many tourists and during which Durham became a city full of resourceful and imposing light installations. But more useful than some lenghty descriptions are pictures, so this is how Durham looks like in a different light:

 

 

Durham v jiném světle
Durham v jiném světle
Durham v jiném světle
Durham v jiném světle
Durham v jiném světle

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