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Original poster

Going back to university??

81 replies

nostaples · 05/01/2021 09:45

Does anybody know if this is allowed. DD1 says all her friends are going back but I don't think they're supposed to. I suppose they can't be stopped though?

OP posts:
Original poster
nostaples · 05/01/2021 11:30

'Not mixing with other households. It is good for their mental health to be with their peers.'

Sadly you don't see the conflict there.

In a flat of 8 students, 7 might follow the rules exactly and 1 might not. That is how it spreads.

And I have absolute sympathy with the kids who see even the one out of 7 mixing and then wonder why they are bothering so stop bothering.

OP posts:
AlexaShutUp · 05/01/2021 11:30

I live in a small university town. Our infection rates skyrocketed when the students came back in October, and it did spread to other parts of the community. I have huge sympathy for students as they haven't had a good experience over the last few months at all, but I really don't want them to come back here if they don't actually need to be here.

SoupDragon · 05/01/2021 11:33

your tone is unnecessarily confrontational.

As is yours. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I don't think you can extrapolate anything from your son's experience.

I didn't. I clearly said that I wasn't.

How do you propose I keep my daughter at home at aged 18 - lock her in her bedroom?

I never said you should. You asked it it was allowed. It is. You clearly don't want to "let" her. That is your decision to come to with her.

Original poster
nostaples · 05/01/2021 11:33

@ListeningQuietly that's ok then, we won't worry about the 1300 students at Leeds who had Covid or the 770 at Northumbria. Shall I go on?

OP posts:
milkybarsid · 05/01/2021 11:34

My dc is going back to private rented house because there are 3 other adults WFH here and he hasn't got the physical space and peace and quiet to study properly plus our broadband is shit. He has crucial exams soon.

I am hoping if challenged this is all enough justification but I'm in a state about it if I'm honest.

SoupDragon · 05/01/2021 11:34

You clearly want to hear something different though and are misinterpreting what I am saying so I'm off.

I can't bear this any more.

Original poster
nostaples · 05/01/2021 11:35

@SoupDragon you get that there's a wider issue here don't you that goes beyond my daughter (who has already had Covid) and your son? And that I began the OP with the question 'I suppose they can't be stopped though?'

Guidance before yesterday's announcement was more clear. The latest instructions don't seem to have mentioned university students at all.

Clearly this is a problem that will soon get worse.

OP posts:
Original poster
nostaples · 05/01/2021 11:37

@SoupDragon I'm sorry you missed the notion that I was testing the water in the OP and gauging what other students are doing and what the risks are and how other people are interpreting the guidance, which is not very clear.

I agree that you are better off leaving this thread since you are frustrated by a nuanced discussion.

OP posts:
MrsMiaWallis · 05/01/2021 11:42

Dd is staying at home despite paying rent on her flat. Staying at home deffo till mid feb then will reasess. She's sad as she will miss friends and bf but is concentrating on work for the next 6 weeks.

Seaglad · 05/01/2021 11:43

My daughter's experiences is the same as @VanCleefArpels.

One of her flatmates came home here with her as flights to her country were cancelled and they have seen no one else, other flatmate stayed put seen no one, one went home and the last has moved out. They work better there and it's more fun as a flat. So they will be going back at the weekend unless they are forced not too. Uni will refund rent after next weekend if they choose not to go back, but the default is not to refund the rent.

MrsMiaWallis · 05/01/2021 11:43

But she has a nice study space here and our rates are very low so far - her uni is in Wales where the rates are terrible.

Original poster
nostaples · 05/01/2021 11:45

@Seaglad did the university contact your dd about the rent refund?

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movingonup20 · 05/01/2021 11:49

Dd2 is already back dp's dd is going back on Saturday, dd1 isn't sure yet. They are paying rent there so have every right to return but need to then stay out

pumpkinpie01 · 05/01/2021 11:51

@nostaples probably vague/no instructions for uni students as they keep being conveniently forgotten about. No refunds of any proportion of tuition fees ,the government have told them to stop trying to campaign for this as it wont be happening. Leeds has a very high student population over 35,000 students so 1300 infection rate is actually lower than what I would have expected personally. My DD19 is going back to Uni next week, she had covid in september and got tested again before she came home for Christmas.

movingonup20 · 05/01/2021 11:53

Dd1 just called me, her halls are saying it's fine to return (if they refused they would have to refund!)

NameChange84 · 05/01/2021 12:01

The University I work at had already resumed Face to Face teaching yesterday (we’ve taught F2F since September). Students who wished to had returned to halls over the weekend or their private accommodation. All our students and staff have been entitled to symptomless tests on campus if they wanted one meaning we never had a significant outbreak.

We had it confirmed by email today that we were no longer allowed to teach face to face and that halls must close. All teaching is going online. Food outlets shutting even though they were takeaway. Still trying to get clarity on what’s happening with the libraries/resource centres. Basically we are back to March.

In terms of Private Accommodation, there’s nothing we can do. Students are entitled to move back in there if they wish. Worried about our international students who weren’t able to fly home over Christmas and who live in halls. However, experience tells me not to worry. Our university has been absolutely first rate at handling the situation all along and I know they will take care of those still on campus and provide as high a standard of delivery as is humanly possible.

Original poster
nostaples · 05/01/2021 12:05

Wow, the diversity of responses, interpretation of the rules by parents, students and the universities themselves is quite worrying.

OP posts:
Seaglad · 05/01/2021 12:06

@nostaples Not sure why you would ask that so maybe I'm misunderstanding? I believe they were all emailed but not sure whether it was in an email to all students or just those in Uni accommodation.

Original poster
nostaples · 05/01/2021 12:07

@Seaglad it's another thing for dd to weigh up. If she gets a rent rebate for staying away it's a no brainer. So far she's head nothing very clear from the university.

OP posts:
Original poster
nostaples · 05/01/2021 12:08

She's having a real dilemma. As I say, most of her friends, fellow students have gone back/ are going back.

OP posts:
VanCleefArpels · 05/01/2021 12:12

@pumpkinpie01there is zero justification for refund of fees as the university is still providing an education, albeit in a different way.

Seaglad · 05/01/2021 12:12

Ah, I see! Yes, agree not what all Unis have said. Also, dd is at uni in Scotland, we live in England so we may not have the same requirements/law/guidance as for your daughter. And other circumstances.

PomBearWithoutHerOFRS · 05/01/2021 13:11

My DD went back bloody yesterday! Boris was making his speech as she arrived...
We hadn't heard from the uni at all.
That said, her room in halls has heating and unlimited hot water, shit hot wifi, and the communal areas get cleaned by professional cleaners, and doesn't have her brothers in it. She's better off there than here, materially speaking. it
All the work for her course is done online, they have Amazon lockers and delivery pick up points for shopping.

junglepie · 05/01/2021 13:19

@NameChange84

The University I work at had already resumed Face to Face teaching yesterday (we’ve taught F2F since September). Students who wished to had returned to halls over the weekend or their private accommodation. All our students and staff have been entitled to symptomless tests on campus if they wanted one meaning we never had a significant outbreak.

We had it confirmed by email today that we were no longer allowed to teach face to face and that halls must close. All teaching is going online. Food outlets shutting even though they were takeaway. Still trying to get clarity on what’s happening with the libraries/resource centres. Basically we are back to March.

In terms of Private Accommodation, there’s nothing we can do. Students are entitled to move back in there if they wish. Worried about our international students who weren’t able to fly home over Christmas and who live in halls. However, experience tells me not to worry. Our university has been absolutely first rate at handling the situation all along and I know they will take care of those still on campus and provide as high a standard of delivery as is humanly possible.

Are students being asked to vacate halls then if they are already there? Dd went back this week as she can't properly work from home due to 3 younger siblings now all home learning and an older brother working from home! I am wondering if she may be sent home though (she's a First year, in halls) and if so if she'll get her rent back. Money is super tight as you can imagine and she can't do her normal catering part time job either currently....
Original poster
nostaples · 05/01/2021 13:29

This is why I'm so confused. It's such a mixed picture and the truth is that some international students never went home, plus the fine print says that if students need to go back to university then they can. In practice I'm not sure how far universities (are able to) enforce this. So I have advised dd1 to wait and see what is happening, what other people are doing and what the situation is regarding rent before she makes a decision.

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