Durham boasts high rates of student satisfaction, which, in part, helped it earn its title as University of the Year in The Times and The Sunday Times 2026 guide. A major contribution to this is the extensive guidance freshers receive during their first week, thanks to the help of Freps.
These second and third year students run Freshers’ events, serve as the first point of contact for students requiring transitional support, and ensure that those in the city for the first time are safe and well-guided.
However, with the focus so deeply channelled on the freshers themselves during that first week, the Frep experience often gets forgotten. So, The Durham Tab spoke to Freps to understand how they really felt about their time Frepping.
There’s a different Frepping experience across colleges
There isn’t one universal Frepping experience
What immediately becomes clear after engaging in a few minutes’ discussion with Freps from Josephine Butler College, St. Aidan’s, St. Hild and St. Bede, and Grey is that Durham Uni’s Frepping experience is not universal. JCR colleges, for example, have a considerable amount of autonomy in how they set up the Freps’ training and activities. One Frep from Grey reflected on their entire week of training, saying that although it was apparently mundane and repetitive at points, there were detailed explanations of how to manoeuvre drunk students to safety. This was guidance she feared was lacking for Freps from other colleges, with only a few days of training.
Equally, colleges are responsible for sourcing their Freps – yet the numbers at each one seem to differ drastically. Even though the Frep-to-fresher ratio varies, colleges with fewer Freps continue to accept a limited number of applicants into the position, turning away many willing volunteers who would more evenly balance the workload.
Freps have reported feeling drained by long working hours
Unfortunately, a lower Frep-to-fresher ratio resulted in long working hours – particularly in catered colleges like Grey and Aidan’s. Multiple Freps from these colleges reported working as long as 20 hours during the Welcome Week itself. This was said to include two or three club nights, meaning students were working until 4am. This is in stark contrast to colleges such as Hild Bede and Josephine Butler, where Freps could not work more than eight hours a day.
However, as a result of the longer working hours for Freps in colleges like Grey and Aidan’s, strong bonds were created with their assigned fresher.
Also noteworthy is that this was Hild Bede’s first year of adopting a less formalised Frep system, allowing Freps to drink for the first time and work fewer hours – a change, the head Frep agreed, which seemed to make the process work more smoothly.
There were often instances, though, where Freps at some colleges reported being unable to leave, despite not having assigned duties left to complete; this supposedly left them on “standby” in case they needed to perform unexpected tasks. This resulted in many Freps saying they grew increasingly frustrated, as a lack of rest began to affect their mental wellbeing.
Durham University said it appreciates the huge contributions Freps make in volunteering their time. A spokesperson continued: “Our college staff and common room leaders support ‘Freps’ to manage their commitments sensibly. No Frep should devote excessive hours to this voluntary role.”
Students have remarked on the lack of food provision for Freps
As was well-reported last year, Freps are now only entitled to one meal provided by the university a day – even in self-catered colleges. However, this requires Freps to leave college to source their own food.
This was particularly difficult at colleges further away from the town, as well as the majority of second year accommodation. Students in these locations found themselves unable to cook, instead relying on more expensive takeaway options. While college JCRs, including Grey, Josephine Butler, and Hild Bede colleges, tried to counter this, frequently ordering food for their students or providing snacks themselves, further standardised food provisions from the university aren’t granted. This appeared to leave little parity across colleges during mealtimes.
Durham University said: “The offer of one free meal per day reflects the maximum time input expected.
“With the exception of St John’s and St Chad’s which have separate arrangements, the offer of one free meal per day applies for up to 12 days ahead of the start of term.”
But there were many positives to the Durham Uni frepping experience too
The Frepping experience still seems worth it
All this said, the Frep experience also proved to be highly positive. Despite long hours, many Freps said they really valued the new friends and experiences the opportunity granted them. Frep socials were arranged at multiple colleges, allowing genuine bonding to occur between the teams created.
Many also referenced the strong feelings of fulfilment they had when interacting with the freshers themselves. The strength of the college system is really shown through the Freps’ strong sense of community and college pride, demonstrating to the freshers the warm and distinctive atmosphere present at each college.
Frep traditions have likewise emerged from this system – Freps at both Grey and Hild Bede reflect fondly on the collegiate competitiveness on matriculation days, each trying to steal the other’s banner in college-wide capture the flag-esque antics.
So, despite the exhaustion and seemingly inevitable Freshers’ Flu, four out of the six people I interviewed strongly agreed they’d repeat the Durham Uni Frepping experience in their third year. The positive effects certainly can’t be denied.
Whilst Freps acknowledged that changes to the system could be made, especially in instances where their welfare doesn’t feel prioritised, the genuine connections fostered and the wider JCR pull them back.
“Why would you even do this?” I asked my own Frep in 2024 when I started at Durham.
“Because someone did it for me,” he responded. That is the selfless attitude of many of these volunteers, and that is why Freshers’ Week continues to foster the special memories it does for so many.
A spokesperson at Durham University said: “Freshers’ Representatives volunteer to help new undergraduates settle well into their college and the University. We appreciate the huge contribution they make, alongside staff, common room leaders, and others.
“Our college staff and common room leaders support ‘Freps’ to manage their commitments sensibly. No Frep should devote excessive hours to this voluntary role.
“The offer of one free meal per day reflects the maximum time input expected.
“With the exception of St John’s and St Chad’s which have separate arrangements, the offer of one free meal per day applies for up to 12 days ahead of the start of term.”
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