Oxford Uni - end of term pick up?

[roisin]

Hi!
I presume this is a bit of a mad scramble! ds1 seems incapable of finding anything out. As far as we can tell, he has to be there on Friday of 8th week, as he still has lectures and stuff that day; probably parties that evening.

But we are fairly certain he must vacate his room by 10 am on the Saturday; along with almost all other undergrads in college.

Any survival tips gained from experience?

[DadDadDad]

seems incapable of finding anything out

I'm sure Cambridge students will be pleased to see this confirmation of the calibre of Oxonians...

Seriously, can't you just text / email and say "we're assuming you need us with the car to collect your things on Saturday xx/xx. Let us know when you know what time and where's the best place to park" then leave it to him?

[TheComforter]

I'm with Daddaddad. Turn up at 9am, leave it to him to get his arse in gear.

[DadDadDad]

(And that is a survival tip because he's intelligent and surrounded by people who know the ropes and he's an adult, so leave it to him to sort out)

[Themodernuriahheep]

If he is seriously good at blagging he might be able to find a cupboard in which yo store a coffee pot. But don't count on it. They need the space for the interview candidates ( remember that stage?).

10 am is certainly what us usually said. It really depends on interview schedules. If he is in a grotty bit it's easier to operate on undergraduate time. But by about 12 afaik there are pissed off people.

[DadDadDad]

Memories are coming back now of when I was at Cambridge university (careful not to give away which one), there was a storage room in a basement where I could leave a trunk of stuff over a vacation. I think we also used to leave belongings in our rooms, but those were the days before colleges were conference centres which occasionally let undergrads use their rooms.

[Themodernuriahheep]

Quite.

And how could I have possibly guessed from your post that your tendencies were pale blue?

[Molio]

Mine have never been collected by 10am, ever, and it's always been fine - noon has been the absolute earliest. They can't expect a parent to set off from home at a ludicrous hour or to pay for an overnight stay. Which college Roisin? Some are better than others at finding storage space for ordinary mainland students. DS3's accommodation won't even be used for interviewees so quite why he needs to bring all his stuff home God only knows.

[Molio]

Parking is easier if you miss the rush :)

[HocusUcas]

Molio , I would have thought you would have had resident's parking rights by now .

[tantalisingduck]

We picked up DD1 before 10 each term end during her first year. I seem to recall parking permits being issued to park for very short periods of time on the yellow lines near college.

DH shared Molio's mindset that parking is easier if you miss the rush, but determined that earlier rather than later was the solution. DD1 was told to be ready and packed, bags all lined up, by 08.30 if she wanted a car collection. She found the best way was not to go to bed at all on the last night.

She lived back in college in the third year, and by then had befriended the bowler hatted porters who snuck us in to the main quad for 30 minutes to load up right by her room.

[Molio]

Later rather then earlier fits better with my natural body clock duck :)

Hocus I was ushered into the Principal's private parking space not long ago but that was more on account of the large size of my car/ small size of the lane/ my lack of dexterity on the manoeuvring front rather than any acquired importance.

With that kind of bringing-traffic-to-a-standstill skill set, the tiny number of colleges with drive thru quads and amiable porters are the ones to go for, I agree!

[Themodernuriahheep]

If you didn't go by a certain time, there were relays of sighing Scouts wanting to get in and clean and go home.

[DadDadDad]

Well, this is a fascinating discussion, but I wonder if the OP is actually going to come back and read all of this?

[FishWithABicycle]

Pshaw. Is this person not now an adult?
Every single one of my 9 terms at Oxford ended with me packing what I could into a trunk and dragging it along to the college box room. Then everything else into a massive rucksack and two wheely suitcases, then got the bus to the train station and a train up to Scotland. No parents required. No car required.

There are very few colleges that you could sensibly park anywhere near.

[Molio]

Very few box rooms seem to remain Fish. Also, I can't think of a single college that you can't park near, provided there's no 'sensible' caveat - people are all over double yellows, but with permits from the college which are more elastic than than they seem, if there's a problem eg a not yet packed up child.

IME 18 - 20 year olds are adults when it suits them, but not always.

[roisin]

Thanks all for the help.

Apologies for delayed response - life rather hectic atm and hadn't been on here.

When they arrived cars were allowed to park in college for a set period of time, but I assumed that's a special one-off offer for freshers?

[Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g]

Can't help about parking as we don't have a car, but our son's deadline seemed to be noon, which was manageable. He was not able to store anything over the vacations unless he paid to keep his room, so to keep costs down two or three other family members would take the coach up to Oxford to help carry his stuff to and fro. He took far less than most students, as far as I could see from looking at the vast amount being packed into cars all over the city centre!

[GreenSand]

15 years ago, the while of Oxford city centre ground to a halt while cars parked outside colleges to collect kids and stuff.

I'd say get in early, and get out early! Take lots of patience, and expect it to be horrible. Certainly, I cursed if I went into town at start /end of term.

[Molio]

roisin the permits are issued each time - nothing special about freshers. I think some parents plough their own furrow on the timing front, and with good reason. I mean it's ok to expect Londoners to show up at 10am but not parents from the extremities.

[HocusCrocus]

Something of a result here. DS has found he can leave a couple of boxes of stuff. Re IME 18 - 20 year olds are adults when it suits them, but not always he has decided it doesn't suit him on this occasion and has asked me to get a couple. As it suits me for less stuff to come back over the holiday I am choosing to indulge him .

[CakeUpWall]

DS has to be out by 10, as the rooms are used for interviewees/ paying guests pretty sharpish. He is only allowed to leave his little fridge; no storage facilities for UK students for other stuff.

He has a full timetable right up until the end of the Friday, so he generally stays up all night packing. I set off at stupid o'clock, arrive at about 8am, he gets the parking permit from the porter, we load up and Bob's your uncle. Home by lunchtime (Devon.) It's no bother, if you arrive before the rush.

[Molio]

Hocus I've had the two box request this afternoon (and like you, delighted to comply, even though DS lives within a skip and a hop of a Sainsbury's)!

[HocusCrocus]

Molio, my indulgence was easy on the phone. Any tips on how I can actually get two boxes down there welcome ( needs to be the day before pickup.) ! I feel a googling session coming on.

Also - not sure if it was this thread but also had some news on room temperature from him. DS has a bay window (where his desk is). Now the temperature has dropped, this area of his room is very, very cold (cute windows but old single glazing). The bit nearest to his door to the corridor is very warm. He is juggling the heating so as not to create a localised weather front in the middle of his room. There is a good deal to be said for the modern annexes. .

[M48294Y]

What an incredibly niche thread! How amusing.

[M48294Y]

What is the full story here? That students aren't allowed to leave their things in rooms over the holidays and therefore the parents are expected to collect them and all their stuff at the end of term?? How infantilising and what an absolute pita, if so.