Welcome To Stevo
Freshers, let’s make it count!
You’ve made it to the best college in Durham, get ready for the best few years of your life! With Freshers’ week just starting out I thought I’d share some final-year wisdom on how to make the most of your first year in Stevo.
Whether Stevo was your first choice or you were looking for the typical Bailey experience, you will undoubtedly love your time in college.
Despite not being a gowned college, we host two huge student-ran black tie balls a year and a whole load of locomotion dinners (chilled out formals) throughout the year so there’s plenty of excuses to dress up and get those cute pics with your friends!
We’re also incredibly lucky to have the coolest bar right in college with even more events throughout the year and discounts for JCR members so make sure to make the most of all the discounts and drag your flatmates to everything possible! You won’t regret it.
Stevo also has its own societies within college to get involved in from music to sports to my personal favourite: northern society. Your people are out there you just need to take the first step to show up. Society events typically take place on Wednesday afternoons/evenings which are always free of course contact hours so no worries of FOMO!
I’d also encourage you to venture out of the University bubble to appreciate Durham’s historic buildings and beautiful green landscapes. We are so lucky to live amongst one of the most stunning cities in the country (in my humble opinion) and there are plenty of nature and riverside walks to get stuck into throughout the year as soon as you shake off the freshers’ flu!
Speaking of Freshers’ flu, if you’re ever feeling a bit under the weather or need a bit of a pick me up, the JCR welfare team host great events to step away from the Uni stress and unwind and talk to likeminded people. More info on their events and how to access support is always available at @stephenson.welfare.
Finally a more practical tip: use the bus services in town! Marketplace Tesco may seem convenient for a few weeks but the prices very easily add up. In my first-year I (proudly) never succumbed to Tesco and always got the number 6 bus from right outside college to the local Lidl, Aldi or Iceland in either Gilesgate or Spennymoor for £1 a ticket! I promise it really isn’t as much of a hassle as it seems, give it a try with your flatmates and save your pennies for a pint.
During Freshers’ week there will be a lot of new information coming at you every day from all angles and it can be super overwhelming when trying to settle in to your new home away from home! The most important advice I can give is to get involved in as much as you can and take lots of pictures, you will never regret it! Finally, a huge congrats to all incoming freshers on making it to the best college in Durham.
Make the most of it all!
Stevo love.
Grace A. Bailey.