If there's a phased relaxation of lockdown with young people allowed out, will you allow your DC to return to Uni?

[Bouledeneige]

My DD is in her first year of university. Her 2nd year rental house is available in July/August and she and her friends are thinking of returning for a summer of social fun. I am sympathetic to her desire to do so but wonder whether the students will obey whatever social distancing rules are still in place for them (if any). I've said to her lets wait and see what the government says. If such travel is permitted and they return, and even if pubs, restaurants and clubs are still closed they will undoubtedly be meeting up, having house parties etc etc.

But given that the expectation is that 80% of us will get the virus if, and until a vaccine is available then it seems then it seems that the 'new normal' will be for the lowest risk groups to be living with infection or the risk of it. Except for those with underlying health conditions who won't be able to join in, and for the risk of them infecting other people. I'm not sure therefore what that would mean for them if they wanted to return home for any reason. But reading the papers today it seems like the over 70s and most vulnerable people could be living in isolation for a year whilst rules are eased for others.

What are your views folks? Anyone else had this conversation? And my apologies if this is already being discussed on other boards - I will delete if so. As I said, I think the most likely answer is we will just have to wait and see.

Wow my 2 are still at uni and living in their seperate shared houses (one alone and the other still with housemates there). They are both adults and it never occured to me to run and fetch them, though I have offered since but they are both happy how they are. I trust them to make decisions about their lives.

My 3rd year is still there with a couple of housemates and if he decides to apply for a Masters will probably return when/if uni opens again.

I dont know.
The risk was 0.2% so if 20k students maybe 40 might die.
Though have to say people at uni drank too much and choked on V or got meningitis.
But yes im not sure dc going back to parties is necessarily a good idea (for them and everyone else).

I agree it's rather mixed between everyone is going to get it and we should try to avoid it.
I suspext lectures may well be online from sept as we had hundreds in a room all next to each other with different people per lesson and then all your social group.

Tbh i would advise anyone against going to uni this year after 'alevels' as it just wouldnt be normal

I’m not sure this is good advice - if they took a gap year that wouldn’t be normal either. Probably being at home a lot - not many jobs around- maybe some volunteering but it won’t really further job prospects. There will probably be very restricted travel for the next 12 months. I’d say it would be much better advice to do the first term online if needs be and hope there is a lot of progress in 2021.

Yes.

Young people are far less susceptible to falling seriously ill with this, much easier for staff at Unis to keep their distance than in primary or secondary, and they will be living away from home and older 'shielding' people.

When this is over we cannot afford a generation who have missed important elements of education.

I think the isolation of lockdown is especially hard and detrimental on 14 - 24 year olds.

They are adults, you don't get to choose. I have 2 student dc's

I would trust the guidance provided by the university on this. They won’t be starting up until it’s safe to do so. I’m a lecturer and we will not be seeing students face to face this year. Everything is cancelled/online through August/September. It’s possible we’ll be back face to face in for the new academic year, but there is also talk of the possibility of moving to an online format for next year. Students are generally young and healthy but they are awful vectors and will spread a lot of infections because they often have large social networks and likely to be asymptomatic cases. Universities also have staff to take care of, some of whom may be quite vulnerable. Some clinical academic staff have been redeployed and aren’t available to teach anymore. When things settle down and do re-open, I’d trust your dc to make the right decision for them. They should hopefully have a lot of support from the uni but also their mental health is likely to be bolstered by being with friends.

DD is planning to go back to Manchester as soon as she can. She might go and stay with her boyfriend first of all as she can't move into her house till August. None of her friends stayed up in Manchester - everyone has gone home so it would have been miserable for her to have stayed there. All her school friends have come back too. She has got the virus at the moment (like me) so even though she's missing college life there is some comfort to be home when you're not feeling good.

We have got back next term's accommodation fees and she is saving money on her student loan by being home so that will be useful for the summer as jobs are likely to be very scarce and there won't be much chance to build up her savings for next year either.

My DS is planning to start in the autumn at Sussex if he gets his grades. He is young for his age and would've benefited from a year out but with very little likely student type work and travel unlikely I think it will be better for him to go - even if it is restricted or there are further lockdowns.

Surely how you feel about it is immaterial seeing as uni students are adults and can do as they choose

But not if they intend returning home for holidays etc. My OH is on the most vulnerable list. We've already told DS (going to uni in Sept) that he won't be coming back home until OH is vaccinated. He can do what he likes when he's there, but he's not coming back into our home, potentially spreading the virus, as we're in a full lockdown.

They may be adults, but that works both ways. They have to be responsible if they want the benefits of coming back home during this crisis.

DD is hoping to go back before exams start in just over a month’s time .....even though the exams are now online.

If lockdown is lifted my 2 (final year/ final term) will probably go back as we have paid for their houses until 1 July (I have £3000) and they want at least a bit of their very last term, and i don't even support the current lockdown although we are abiding by it.

Also remember these are adults. They are not owned property of parents and parents do not control what they do.

It's been tricky for us. Our youngest son wanted to stay at Uni initially but his brother has just finished chemotherapy and we agreed it was better for him to come home. If he leaves he might not be able to come back home but I think he will go in early July to his new student house, if he doesn't leave before then. I can't see him observing social distancing very carefully once he is away from home but maybe I am being a bit unfair!

I think mine will be out of here and back the moment the cage is unlocked!

Surely how you feel about it is immaterial seeing as uni students are adults and can do as they choose Of course thats true. But my DD does take notice of my views and I hers. So if she was deliberately flouting the government's rules on social distancing right now I would disapprove and tell her so. Just as if I was drink driving she would let me know her disapproval. Because the behaviour of individuals impacts on other more vulnerable parts of society. And I am concerned about social distancing and public health working myself in the health field.

My original post was about students going back in July or August way before term starts as their houses will be available, and not following the social distancing rules which might still be in place. I was contemplating the implications for other more vulnerable parts of the population. This could have real implications for the dangers of a second wave of infection. And of course not all students could go back and ignore social distancing. Those who have underlying health conditions or are imuno suppressed might not be able to go back to uni at all given the wider student population's social behaviours. And those who have family at home who are similarly vulnerable might not be able to go home after that - maybe even for Christmas if we are at the height of a further infection wave (let alone a serious flu outbreak happening in tandem too).

But I guess since the scientists are assuming 80% of us will get it anyway, its quite immaterial what students do over the summer.

I realise that people have very different relationships with their kids on here. Some regard their kids as having left home when they go to university - I don't. Maybe because I've been lone parenting since she was 6 we have always taken care of each other. She makes her own choices and I do mine but we do listen to each other. Its rare she does things I really really disapprove of. And vice versa. Thats just how we are. And believe me she's no Mummy's girl - she's a very funky urban art student with her tattoos, piercings, clubbing, drink and drugs. Oh well.

This are the NHS England statistics for covid deaths up to yesterday

No. of deaths by Age Group in England till 5PM 25th April.
0-19 Yrs : 9
20 - 39 Yrs : 134
40 - 59 Yrs : 1480
60 - 79 Yrs : 7190,
80+ : 9607
Total : 18420

It really is not a disease which risks the young, I hope that when people are making decisions about the future they are based on actual not perceived risk.

Mine is still there and has made all arrangements to go back later this year

Laniakea is right. The risk to the students themselves is minuscule and there is plenty of evidence that they are not the super spreaders that people originally thought. I will certainly be pleased when my son’s course restarts and he will definitely be going back without a second thought.

Also not all students are reckless. Just before lock down my son in Bristol and teh 2 still in his house were really really careful, hand washing so much his hands are red and chapped kind of careful and when the university library was still open there were only 10 people left in it and they were miles apart. I have huge trust in my sons to be careful and sensible but of course not everyone is anywhere whether 85 or 20. I just want the lock down laws to end as they infringe civil liberties and I would rather have a higher risk of death to me and my family and a higher death rate in the country than this bankrupting of a nation.