At the beginning, because classes were in English and I was not used to that, I took language classes from the Language Center and they were quite a lot of help to get used to studying in English.

Durham is a beautiful city and university with great social opportunities. The traditions are very strong at this school. It feels today like how Oxford and Cambridge were twenty years ago. Sometimes administration can be a challenge, many people have difficulty in knowing how to pay tuition and the university is slow to respond to emails. Also, there are far too many international students and just students in general. The university’s expansion plans are causing a drop in the school’s national and international rankings and causing the university to be in danger of losing its character.

The course is mostly self-directed which I generally appreciate, but sometimes when it comes to expectations for different papers it can seem opaque.

Maintenance issues continue to be a problem though the room is spacious and has a great view.