Address
Any mail sent to you while you are at Hild Bede should be addressed ‘College of St Hild and St Bede, Durham City, DH1 1SZ

Books
You will probably receive a book list from your department suggesting that you buy 444 books for your introductory reading – don’t!!  If you’re keen then buy/read the basic core texts, but please remember that all books listed will be available either in the university or in our (quite impressive) college library.  Our basic advice is wait till you get here and perhaps ask a second or third year which books they would recommend (they may even sell you some if they’re nice).

The Chaplaincy
The Chaplaincy is made up of students, staff and members of the Senior Common Room, who worship together regularly in Chapel, and seek to enrich the life of the College through pastoral care, prayer, and concern for the needs of the world. Anyone can be part of the Chaplaincy, which has within it one of the best choirs in Durham. The Chaplaincy seeks to promote the development of the whole person, as we each seek to understand what God has created us to be.  It is coordinated by a Chaplaincy committee. We also have a lot of fun!

Cleaning and Damage
A friendly squad of domestic staff cleans all College rooms.  They work every weekday and are allocated one or two blocks for a pair of cleaners– this means that you will get to know your cleaners fairly well throughout the year (remember that they will see your room at its worst!).  Cleaners will hoover your room and clean the sink once a week and empty your bin every weekday; any other tidying you’ll have to do yourself.
You will be notified what days the cleaners will be cleaning your room; try and help them out by having your room in a fairly decent state!  If a lightbulb fuses you can pick up a new one from Reception, take along your old one so they can safely dispose of it.  You are responsible for the upkeep of the room’s furnishings and any damage you cause will have to be paid for.  Unattributable damage will be portioned between ALL livers-in on a termly basis (see the College Community Handbook for more details).

Computer Room
We are lucky to possess the best college computer facilities in Durham, with around 38 networked computers in Hild Main Block.  All rooms have now been installed with internet connection points so if you have your own computer you will be able to access the internet from your own room. If you don’t have a computer, however, do not despair. We never have queues in the computer rooms due to the sheer amount of computers we have– if you need to surf, then Hild Bede is the place to be! You will be advised on how to register on the University network when you arrive in Durham.

Campus Cards
You will be advised on how to get this important card when you get to Durham, it is your library and DSU/NUS card and you will not get into the library or Union events if you do not have your card on you.  You have been warned!

DUO
When you are given your Durham email address and password, you will also be able to access DUO (Durham University Online), an online ‘Blackboard Learning’ resource.  Most courses use DUO as a teaching resource, posting important notices, details of seminar times, lecture notes and other useful information.  When you register, your courses will automatically display on your DUO page.  In addition, we have a Hild Bede area of DUO.  This is used for posting important notices from the Principal and SRC President, so please check it regularly.  You will also find application forms for Formal Dinners to download, SRC Meeting minutes and other such documents.  We have a very well used student discussion board which often produces lively debates, from who should appear at the Summer Ball to what we had for dinner the night before!

E-mail
The SRC has the following mail address:

If you have a question that you would like answered then send an e-mail to this address and Marc will get back to you as soon as he can.  Alternatively you can ring him on 0191 334 (office)8575/ (flat) 8514.  Once in Durham you will receive your own university e-mail address that you will need to check regularly, even if only for academic reasons.  To set this up you need to go to the Main Library, information about this is in the University Library Information pack which you will receive on arrival. The SRC President sends out an email every Monday morning during term time.  It is extremely important you read this email as it contains important information regarding college as well as notifying you about events that you won’t want to miss, such as formal dinners and balls.
 
FM Radio Frequencies
Radio 1                                     98.10 MHz
Radio 2                                     88.50 MHz
Radio 3                                     90.70 MHz
Radio 4                                     92.90 MHz
Metro FM                                  97.10 MHz
Classic FM                               100.30 MHz
Purple Radio                             Access through DSUwebsite

Guests
If you have friends visiting then it is fine for them to kip on your floor.  If your parents want to visit, the college has a number of guest rooms they can stay in, although it is advisable for them to book in advance through reception.

Gowns
There are only two occasions on which you will need to wear a gown whilst you are in Durham.  The first is on the first Wednesday, for the matriculation service in the Cathedral, for which you will be provided with a gown by college when you arrive, you are charged £4.00 for this in your first term’s bill.  Remember to return it to the Domestic Bursars.  The second time is on your last day when you graduate and you will need to hire this gown especially from the University outfitters.  Do not buy a gown – it would be a complete waste of money.  

Health
During your first week you will need to register with one of the Health Practices in Durham.  Remember to bring your medical card to Tea on Tuesday for medical registration and brief check-ups.  Most Hild Bede students register with the Claypath and University Medical Group.

University Health Centre:
This is located on Green Lane and is a small practice reserved for students and those who work in the University.  You can book an appointment by  phone (0191 386 5081) and it normally takes one to two days to get an appointment.  They also have nurses who are able to visit you in college if you are really ill.  The staff are very understanding of the problems that affect students.

Claypath Medical Practice:
This is closer to college than the student health centre (it is on the Hild Bede roundabout) and may be used for emergencies, but not for regular appointments.

If you are in need of urgent medical attention, then you should go to the casualty department at University Hospital, which is a short taxi journey away.  In the event of injury, college will pay for the taxi – see Community Handbook.

Getting an appointment with a dentist in Durham can be difficult and we recommend that you remain with your present dentist and see them in vacations.  There is also a Family Planning Clinic on Claypath and Nightline on Old Elvet which can help you with any problems and provide you with free condoms and pregnancy testing kits.

If you are ill during term time you must report this to the college office and they will inform your department.

Interviewee Hosting
An opportunity not to be missed!  Get a group together and volunteer to look after of group of young naïve interviewees for an evening. Chris Moore (College Community Officer) coordinates this and will be looking for volunteers in the first few weeks of term. It’s a great way to meet new people and  help show them how much fun Hild Bede is.

Library
The college provides a library (of over 40,000 volumes) and two reading rooms. It has undergone a huge refit over the summer, and by the time you arrive will be brand-spanking new and fitted with internet points. We have also just started up a charity dvd library for added procrastination to your term! The library is staffed during the day by a librarian, Judith Preston and in the evenings and at weekends by students who are paid a nominal fee.  Rules that apply in the Library are basically common sense, Judith will be pleased to explain anything or help you with any queries you may have and is always please to help you if you would like to volunteer to work in the library.  The Main University Library is on the science site and you will receive a pack about it on arrival in Durham.

Lost Property
There is a formalised system for the recovery of lost property.  Lost property should be taken to reception, where details of when and where it was found will be taken.  The item will then be tagged and stored by housekeeping; to claim lost property you must visit the housekeeping office, located next to the laundry room in the basement.  Items will be kept for six months after which time they shall be disposed of.  Please note that items left in rooms after the end of term will not be treated as lost property.

Mail
There are two post boxes in reception, one for internal and one for external mail.  External is that delivered/collected by the Royal Mail. Internal mail is free and links us up to all the colleges and departments and it is very useful for sending notes to tutors or friends in other colleges.  Be warned however – it is unreliable and e-mail is often a better option.
Mail is stored in the post room from Monday to Sunday.  There are three pigeonholes for each letter of the alphabet: each week, the post is moved downward, so the current week’s post will always be in the top pigeonhole.  At the end of each term, the mail is shredded so don’t forget to check all the pigeon holes before you leave at the end of each term just in case the LEA had a rethink and decided to double your student loan…

Meals
All meals at Hild Bede are provided so there’s no shopping, cooking or washing up to worry about.  It is possible to opt out of weekday lunches (but you only get about 80p per meal) and to do so you must fill in the form at the beginning of each term.  You may opt out of a few weekday lunches to suit your needs, but opting out of all weekday lunches will only give you a return of about £35 per term.

The dining hall operates a cafeteria system, the first thing you need to do is collect your meal card which will be stored in the racks around the dining hall.  Then join one of the two queues and when the opportunity arises pick up a tray.  Now it gets tricky… The main think to remember is that two is the magic number – whatever it is you will be allowed only two courses.

Breakfast:
Cereal, porridge and cooked breakfast each count as one course.  The cooked breakfast consists of any three from sausages, bacon, eggs, baked beans, mushrooms, tomatoes etc.  You are allowed to take two cereals for breakfast but are not allowed to take two cooked breakfasts.  Bread is available and you can have as much as you can eat, there are toasters in the dining hall.

Lunch & Dinner:
Fruit juice, hot meals, desserts and a piece of fruit each count as one course.  There is a loop-hole in the system (although not a very big one!), in that if you do not want to eat a big meal you can take three pieces of fruit – despite the fact that this adds up to three courses.  At the weekend ‘high tea’ is served, which translates as Saturday – sausage, chips and beans, and Sunday – toasties, salad (as much as you like) and chips. We now have the new salad bar which is all inclusive - take what you want but eat what you take!
Snack Bar:
This is an alternative at lunchtime and gives the option of a lighter meal.  You can choose three items.  The normal choice is toasties, pies, baked potatoes, fruit, cakes, crisps, chocolate and biscuits.