DS has applied to a "no cooking" university. He loves cooking. This is madness, isn't it?

[Thesearepearls]

Just that really. DS's first choice university (we've just done the application for halls) is a no-cooking university. The cooking facilities comprise a toaster, kettle and microwave. There is no cooking allowed for the entirety of his university course.

If you'd asked me what DS would do in a future life I would have given you two choices. The first is singing (he was a cathedral chorister and loves classical music). The second is that he would be a chef. He is absolutely gutted that he won't be able to cook. He cooks for us all the time. He's really keen on it and he is beyond disappointed that the next three years of his academic career will involve zero cooking.

It's total madness isn't it?

Maybe the halls building is too old to add a kitchen to as it may be listed? It's really not that ridiculous OP. Your incredulity makes you seem very naive. I lived in halls with a canteen but no kitchen facilities and it was fine.

And just because the university encourages halls living doesnt mean he has to live in halls.

If cooking is that important to him he would live in other student accomodation.

He finds friends who have a kitchen, they all chip in money for the food and he cooks. Or he gets a part time job where he cooks.

He's worried about going. If I dig down into the insecurity (which as many posters have pointed out is the main issue) I think he is worried about lots of stuff. He's a level-headed boy generally but I think he is worried about whether or not he's good enough and he will miss his friends/girlfriend

Post that and people will help. Post the nonsense about cooking and the choral skills and him being a whizz at theoretical physics etc. etc... no, you can't expect people to take the thread seriously (though you got some good recommendations if you can afford it... e.g. Thermomix, which is pricey... or a good old gaufrier/grille croque monsieur... sorry, I mean toasted sarnie maker).

If, in all seriousness, this is even the slightest problem and not simply a case of "huh? No way??! Oh ok then. Bummer.." then he absolutely needs a year out and this thread should have been AIBU to suggest to my DS he defers or reapplies next year?

I didn't live in halls. However, I had a very limited budget, so I cooked cheap veggie meals

Just read this thread to DH who managed quite happily at St Johns College (one of the oldest in Cambridge, the OP will find) with both gas and electric hobs in his staircase kitchens. AND he had a sink in which to wash his kale. He loved eating at the Buttery, however, says the food was great although he looked confused when I asked about the cinnamon.

Driving is also an important life skill, and some students choose to bring cars to college despite perfectly adequate public transport, bikes and footpaths. But there isn't enough room in Cambridge centre for colleges to have car parks for the students so they have to park on the Backs. Is that deeply troubling too, or just an environmental factor about going to university in a medieval market town?!

Anyway, this is all moot because Cambridge is not the 100% hob-free zone you seem to think it is.

Also, I think, sometimes, people forget what universities are for. They are not finishing schools or communes. Their purpose is, in a nutshell, to educate students as thoroughly as possible in their chosen disciplines, so that some of them will go on to further research or participate in certain professions. They don't take responsibility for teaching life skills: that's your job as a parent.

Few Cambridge undergrads are allowed to have a car there

www.quora.com/Are-students-allowed-to-drive-cars-in-Oxford-or-Cambridge-Universities

Naicehamble I can't imagine many students park on the backs, unless they have 50p per half hour for parking charges it may have changed, but I don't think I knew a single undergrad with a car.

frogsoup I knew two - both reckoned the car was completely essential when they arrived; one only bothered to bring it back after the first term and that was only to prove a point to everyone who said, WTF have you brought a car for you total loon

I knew one person in my year who had been given permission to have a car because she was a cellist and needed to travel with her instrument to out-of-town lessons.

I think it used to take me 6 mins to walk from my room to lectures. Google maps tells me the journey would take 14 mins by car, and that doesn't allow having a place to park at either end.

As a student (pre-google and satnav), I remember a car driver stopping in Jesus Lane to ask directions to the Corn Exchange, and it took a while to work it out. In fact, sad mathmo that I was, I later drew out the route and kept it in my wallet in case I was ever asked again.

Sorry, I really didn't mean to turn this into a giant derail about cars at Cambridge! My point was that the vast majority of students seem to cope without something they usually find indispensable, because it's simply not practical to accommodate it in a small town.

I hope your DS goes in the autumn, and loves it, and comes home and cooks you endless moussakas in his vacations, OP. He will be fine. He might even like college food - I liked it so much that I spent my holidays eating nothing but cottage cheese and salad...

I took my car to Oxford with me, but in order to do so I had to sign it over to the college boat club as they were allowed a quota of cars and some parking spaces. Got me own bazazza that opened the gates and everything!

My old college didn’t have any cooking facilities and also required you to pay for dinner every night in hall. They also required to you to live in for all three years. I don’t think this has changed. We did manage to get round it with also sorts of gadgets as one of my friends was a keen cook.

Now I’m much older I can see why they didn’t want people cooking in a medieval building to be honest. And there were so many other fabulous things on offer there that it more than made up. Cooking at home will give him something to look forward to when he gets home, and he will hopefully find loads of other interesting things to do. I’m not musical but the music opportunities are amazing, for a start. I wish him the best of luck. I hope he grows to love it.

NRTFT but if it's Oxbridge he'll only be away for 24 weeks in total so will have plenty of time to cook at home. Plus depending on the course they can be pretty intense so maybe won't leave much time for cooking anyway. Is Oxbridge worth the sacrifice?

I'm not sure op will read this but I wanted to apologise, I somehow got the wrong end of the stick thinking that this was a 'he might not take up his place because of it' kind of issue, when in fact the op had said nothing of the sort and it was only the fevered imagination of some other posters that had made the idea emerge at all! You sound very sane and grounded op. Cambridge is a different world and it takes a while to get your head around, the lack of cooking facilities is just the half of it!

Congrats on place: is he Choral Scholar too? My dc are both at Oxbridge Colleges, (one sings) both of which in advance said "very limited kitchen facilities, everyone dines together, part of the ethos of the community, bla bla. In the event, kitchen facilities have been ok-> good and quite adequate for cooking proper food. They both self cater far more than they eat in.

Oxbridge he'll only be away for 24 weeks in total

Per my earlier post, unlikely. The 'whole term' as opposed to the 'full term' is about 32 weeks. Even if they don't have supervisions after full term, many want to stay to use the facilities and have some more relaxed time with their friends than they can in full term with its intense lectures, labs etc (I'm assuming natscis much like engineers re workload). Many arrive early or stay late to help with freshers, open days etc etc.

Maybe it used to be different or arts types don't do this, but really, they don't trot home to mum for 28 weeks of the year!

Oh, OP. Is this your youngest child? It sounds like you are very close. I think a lot of your concerns regarding the cooking are deflection. Yes, he may be a bit put out that he won’t be able to indulge in his favourite past time, but you are clearly not unintelligent, and I suspect that you do actually understand that an ancient college building (no doubt listed) is of historical importance and is irreplaceable. The risk of a devestating fire due to cooking facilities would be high, and to allow such risky behaviour would no doubt push the insurance costs sky high.
I think you’re very worried about losing the company of your son for half the year or more. This is natural. Yes, he’ll miss his cooking, but not as much as you’ll miss each other. Chin up.

OP...Why won’t you say which uni?
Maybe he can batch cook when home and reheat in microwave provided? Do they have freezers?

She has. It's Cambridge.

This sounds like a catered hall - where the kitchen facilities are usually just limited to toaster, kettle etc (my experience of halls is 20 years out of date). Cooking facilities were usually only provided in self catering accommodation. Most students go into a flat in 2nd year - do it's only for a year.

He’s lucky. It’s hardly total madness. As long as he gets to eat if they have halls with catering. I’m sure he’ll find plenty to do besides cooking while studying. Doing all the shopping and cooking is a pain when you don’t have a car and I would have loved to just focus on studying and enjoying myself

Sorry, didn’t see that she’d named the uni. I guess they are catered for in the canteens...I do think it’s crazy that uni students have no facilities whatsoever to cook themselves an occasional meal though. Life skills are just as important as academic qualifications surely.

Errol I was not saying rush home to mum - more - long holidays and a choice as to what do with them , also between own accommodation and friends there are cooking opportunities very often.

OP if he is worried about not being good enough - well he's applied , they've said they want him and if he gets the offer , he is. I suspect it will be a great deal less scary in the event than in the anticipation. Truly.