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?

Fabulous suggestion Quizee!

I'm not quite getting the significance of him being a cathedral chorister?
But then I only went to Liverpool

There are no hobs! Literally no hobs. There is a microwave and a toaster and a kettle. I'm going to buy him one of those whatitsname things as his going to university present.

I have no clue what theoretical physics is. It would be good if someone could explain it in words of one syllable. The only thing I managed to dredge out of DS is that it didn't have any experiments. Well, no shit. DS's second choice was Manchester (ooh Brian Cox) but Manchester seemed to be offering higher grades - not sure how that works - plus DS solemnly assures me that astrophysics is dull as. I tried to assure DS that no course with Brian Cox could possibly be dull but he wasn't buying it.

Slo cooker!

Kid is probably very well off Margaret so why not indulge him? Except that cooking is perfectly possible anyhow and his recipes sound vile so perhaps curbing his excess in its infancy might actually be kind.

Always best to be upfront when bragging, my lad has just graduated from reception, so proud.

There is no fucking way I'm ever cooking anything in a microwave.

That's the thing I'd be most pissed off about.

OP all the best for your son on the 16th . As he is doing physics I am sure he will find ways to cook! There are lots of Bunsen burners/ice machines/water baths in the science labs.

Except that cooking is perfectly possible anyhow and his recipes sound vile so perhaps curbing his excess in its infancy might actually be kind

I don't really know how anyone can cook properly with only a microwave a toaster and a kettle but I will defer to your knowledge

His recipes sound vile - haven't given you any of his recipes but just you go dissing a young kid on the start of his journey.

The reason I started this thread was because I don't actually think that kids should have a no cooking option. You have no opinion on that subject. That's fine.

What this thread was intended to be about is the fact that in this day and age there are still universities around where it is not possible to cook. Or not possible to cook properly. And that is bonkers.

Tbf, if you are are wanting to list various things about Cambridge and Oxford that are really not logical or reasoned, in the 21st Century, not having a full kitchen to cook in would probably come WAY down the list. Oxford and Cambridge are like that - full of very, very, very outdated practices, that some people think are 'qauint', some people think are wonderful, a lot of people think are odd. They are done because they are a very old 'tradition' rather than because it enhances the learning or the way students can live.

He has applied to a "no cooking" college not university - plenty of Cambridge colleges have better cooking facilities than the ones you describe. If it was that important to him he could have chosen a different college.

Can't be very healthy to not be able to cook at all. You don’t know how much fat, salt, sugar etc is going into catered food.

I would find alternative accommodation if I were him.

If he's interested in theoretical physics, he's either doing Natural Sciences, so will do some experiments (and some other sciences) before specialising if he's still into it, or he's doing Maths, where again he can eventually specialise to the applied side which is largely theoretical physics. (Stephen Hawking, one of the great theoretical physicists worked in the Maths department).

I studied Maths at Cambridge thinking I was going to be a theoretical physicist, but ended up loving the pure maths more.

BBC Food recipe for moussaka with cinnamon.

Is he going straight into theoretical physics or does he do a bit of everything in his first year and then by year three he majors in theoretical physics?

OP, my friend was in halls for all her time at Cambridge. I remember her looking at me with a horrified expression as we discussed plans for The Future and saying “but what am I going to do? I don’t even know what a yoghurt costs in a real shop.”
Disclaimer: she was (sort of) joking and is now working at another college based uni so hasn’t ever had to find out.

I suggest you buy your DS Diana Henry’s latest book, How to Eat a Peach. She looks at menu composition as well as recipes, so he could spend term time thinking about balancing menus and then cook when home. I sympathise, cooking is how I reset my brain after a crazy day.

You've said he shoves cinnamon etc in stuff. It actually does sound vile. If you don't want opinions don't post in AIBU.

He can cook in any college, you're making a great big fuss about nothing.

YY you are right daddaddad he has applied for natural sciences although it was a close call between that and maths. He loves maths almost as much as he loves cooking!

And yes you are right AlexanderHamilton it absolutely cannot be healthy just to eat in halls all the time that you are an undergraduate. I've clocked the menus. I'm not impressed.

He shoves cinnamon into moussaka

Cinnamon is a key ingredient in moussaka btw

He does not shove cinnamon into spag bol. He shoves oregano into that.

(indignant)

If it's a key ingredient for moussaka why are we hearing about it as though he's discovered gravity? (I hate cinnamon with a passion, so I'm biased, key ingredient or not).

"They are done because they are a very old 'tradition' rather than because it enhances the learning or the way students can live."

You will get flamed for that BackforGood. I assumed it was because of the intense short terms, and new students wouldn't have time to get their heads around shopping and cooking among all the studying and partying. Students aren't allowed to have part time jobs or work during the Christmas and Easter holidays without permission either.

The food in Cambridge halls is amazing! Wtf is all the fuss about?? Also I lived out for two years.

God, you're getting a hard time @Thesearepearls

Luckily your ds will already have cooking as a life skill. He sounds lovely, hope he finds a pot noodle flavour he likes

Erm you are not hearing about it as though he's discovered gravity

I mentioned (in passing) that we spent hours talking about cinnamon and why it makes a difference in certain foods. To demonstrate that DS is interested in food, not to illustrate that he had some kind of weirdy obsession with cinnamon

A key ingredient of moussaka is cinnamon. Just so that you know. it's also good to salt the aubergines - that's another conversation i had with DS. Now you can colour him as some kind of weirdy salt/cinnamon obsessive.

Hi OP, I would love it if my child had a no cooking option.. DC hates cooking . Enjoy your last summer together with you son and spend lots of time cooking together