Uni students... risking the wrath of mn..

[redgin]

Firstly, I have had 2 children go through uni and out the other side and I fully understand the emotional and financial aspects.

But

They leave home, expect to be treated as adults (rightly) and have their first taste of independence. After a summer debating the risks of going to uni this year in the middle of a pandemic why are they surprised they have to isolate in their rented accommodation like anyone else? That they have to follow the rules like the rest of the law abiding?

IMO they chose to go, they couldn't have expected normal, so get on with it.

It was madness to allow them to go with numbers creeping up. Students wouldn’t have been expecting to have to isolate in such numbers . The government are responsible for public health and they should have been making rules to keep students safe. If the news is to be believed they were warned by the scientists. Another example of government incompetence to follow all the others. Quite honestly I despair.

I agree it was stupid to encourage them all to go, only to do this to them. The government are so incompetent.

I don't think any adult would be happy to be trapped in a flatshare with maybe a dozen people who they have only just met. And halls of residence just don't feel like home, which is an added struggle.

In a lot of cases they were advised by their universities that they should come to their university because classes would be held in person, only to be told once they arrive that everything will be online. So they are paying rent and travel costs for no good reason.

I'm not surprised they are upset and in some cases depressed. Every year, universities lose students to suicide, and many students are reluctant to admit that they're not enjoying university. If I was the parent of a child at university, particularly a first year, I would be very very worried about them.

I agree, the current situation was entirely predictable. I was really surprised that so many students were still going off to uni this year, as I really thought that many would delay/defer. It was obvious that they wouldn't be able to have the usual student experience.

However, I don't think it's fair to put all of the blame on the students.The government and the universities knew this was coming too. The universities should have done more, but I understand that many would have been facing financial collapse without the student numbers.The government should therefore have stepped in with a requirement to move everything online and a rescue package for those institutions which needed it.

They’ve been encouraged to go though, many people were told not to defer as there would be face to face teaching, freshers etc. But now they’re not living like the rest of us are. I have a family member at uni and she has to message the people in her halls to say she’s using the kitchen so can they not come in, she has security guards shining torches into her flat at 3am to check for party’s, she isn’t socialising with anyone. I’m sorry but I’m in an area in lockdown and I am able to do more than she is

Some.of the classes will be face to face though so what were they going to do? There was never going to be a good outcome of this situation at all.

I agree. But in mitigation, they have to either be stuck with strangers unable to leave or stuck on their own for the first time in their lives and I can bet most were unprepared for it (despite what's going on if they never lived on their own it's hard). I personally would have just got on with things if I were in their shoes and chose to start uni this year. But most likely, I'd have deferred it for a year.

What was their alternative? There's no jobs and no travel. Many families can't afford to bankroll an adult for a year if they defer. I feel very sorry for them

Also to be clear, I'm very sorry for those who couldn't defer and their uni experience is well and truly ruined. It's not only about nights out but also bonding with others, new friendships, new social and life skills and if course quality of teaching. It's crazy and I am sad for them.

I wonder about food. When people are self isolating in hotels, the food is prepared and dropped off by the hotel. That's obviously not going to happen.

If students are locked in one flat together and sharing facilities for cooking (and maybe the bathroom), then if one has CV and it is passed on then the others may still be contagious after 2 weeks. Another alternative is that they are ordering food, which will be extortionate. Also how is the food delivered?

There is a big difference between self isolation at home and a student halls. I'd be pretty pissed off.

@caughtalightsneeze

I don't think any adult would be happy to be trapped in a flatshare with maybe a dozen people who they have only just met. And halls of residence just don't feel like home, which is an added struggle.

In a lot of cases they were advised by their universities that they should come to their university because classes would be held in person, only to be told once they arrive that everything will be online. So they are paying rent and travel costs for no good reason.

I'm not surprised they are upset and in some cases depressed. Every year, universities lose students to suicide, and many students are reluctant to admit that they're not enjoying university. If I was the parent of a child at university, particularly a first year, I would be very very worried about them.

I 100% agree with you. My children all absolutely thrived at Uni and the first few weeks of 1st year seals how they settle in. I am certain that these young people did not sign up to be imprisoned in their halls with hundreds of other ‘strangers’ and to have zero face to face lectures. My son is in his second year and am thankful he is on a work experience placement .

@Parkandride

What was their alternative? There's no jobs and no travel. Many families can't afford to bankroll an adult for a year if they defer. I feel very sorry for them

I think there were choices, for many, actually. Just there was a lot of guff about being back to normal by November (so many people still believe Johnson's lies) and also the British obsession with 'not getting behind'.

A year can be filled with all sorts of useful things, even in current times.

There are undoubtedly many families who would struggle financially, but many other who wouldn't too.

Best thing is to defer for a couple of years and get some proper life experience

Expecting face to face contact and then being told everything is online once you arrive is appalling. The universities should have made that decision before the students arrived so they could make an informed decision.

They aren’t being treated like adults either - unless you have security guards stopping you leaving your house

I think it's appalling the teaching was moved online long-term at some universities without telling students that would be the case in advance. Some would not have moved to halls of residence or rented when they could have stayed at home and do their course online instead (not that this is a perfect option, but at least they wouldn't have to pay extortionate rent!). The govt's handling of this has been shambolic and GavinWho? can't do his shoelace needs to go, and pronto.

@Porridgeoat

Best thing is to defer for a couple of years and get some proper life experience

Too late . Last year has been fucked up, and this year too now. How many years do you want them to defer for ? And if everyone defers the Universities will go bankrupt and there’ll be nowhere for future students to go.

‘Get some proper life experience’??

Where and how?? Can’t travel, can’t get a job, can’t get benefits?

It’s a shitty choice all round for them?

They were told it was ok to go back.
In some cases that they pretty much had to go.

Reckless endangerment on the part of the 'government', I'd say. One of the worst things they've done. Speechless.

Our local uni started their teaching weeks yesterday. On Sunday evening, after 11PM, they announced they would not be doing F2F teaching this week (to be fair, they have left it open to change this in subsequent weeks). Students are now being asked to wear masks and distance even within communal areas of accommodation.

I don't think you can expect young adults to predict that the uni will suddenly change what they're offering like this. They might not have expected normal, but surely they had a right to expect what the uni claimed they'd get!

Dd has 1 hour of face-to-face teaching a week, and she’s one of the lucky ones. I also agree with the comment about them not being treated like adults. If one flat in a tower block has a party the police deal with that flat, not put a security guard outside the whole block.

Dd is doing her best to be strong, likes her flatmates and is really quite a stoic character. But she’s also struggling with imposter syndrome after the results mess, doesn’t know when she’ll next see her boyfriend and the hot water in her cupboard, oops, sorry, en-suite, is not reliable.

I’m worried for her and, because she’s in a lockdown area, feel unable to pop up if I get a sense she needs some support, just as I think that’s far more likely than I normally would.

This years A level students were caught between a rock and a hard ace. Many unis weren'tallowing deferrals, especially for popular courses so they would have had to reapply for next year. Not usually anissue but if significant numbers did that then they stood good chance of not getting a place at all. Having h been passed around withtnd exam results then had all of a couple of days to make a decision that will massively affect their life chances. Add to that the loss of jobs in hospitality, a major gap year employer, they were on hiding to nothing. It's a bit of a nerve for those of us who are older and have never faced that perfect storm to criticise 18 year old for z lack of maturity.

Firstly a lot of universities are offering fave to face teaching. Every bodies experience of the world is being impacted by corona, I would imagine that some close friendships are being formed albeit in different environments from their parents. Closing universities for years isn't an option so that leaves doing the best we can with what we have. Missing freshers week is not ruining someone's long term opportunities. This first bite of the adult world is probably a little too real this year but they will pull through.

I'm sort of with you OP

It's a fortnight of contact isolating n, not a life sentence.

And yes it's hard, but it's not that hard; and I think we are doing most students a grave disservice by banging on about awful it must be. Yes floor wardens need to be on their toes thus year to ensure they spot anyone who really is in difficulty, but it should be against the expectation that most people will be absolutely fine.

It couid be portrayed instead as a bonding experience (dealing with shared adversity)

And concentrate as well on what is happening that is OK: slimmed down freshers week, sports and other clubs running pretty well (though no fixtures this term), libraries and labels open, tutors available, varying amounts of small group work. It's going to be ok.

Yes, they can't get shit faced and shag randoms this term. But they'll have years to catch up on that one