Uni Students might have to stay in 'protective bubble'

[Kazzyhoward]

Looks like Unis are resorting to desperate measures. Proposals for "bubbles" where students doing the same course live together to share kitchens and other communal areas.

Probably sounded a good idea in theory, but nonsense in practice. Would anyone really want to be effectively "trapped" with a handful of people they've never met before, cooking and living together, with basically no escape (as everything else is closed), and to add insult to injury, they're all doing the same course as you, so no diversity, no meeting different people doing different courses etc.

I've just told my son who is about to "firm" his choice in a couple of weeks time to go in September and he says if they do that, he's definitely not going.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-52897727

My DDs uni says that students will be doing one module at a time in small study groups. I guess they will do the core units first and then hopefully things will have changed for the better later in the academic year to do the optional modules.

I shared a student hall flat with 4 others. We shared a kitchen. I would have no problem doing that again in these times. I think it would only really worry me if I had to share a bathroom. ...maybe if it were more ppl too.

Let's face it, no one touches the surfaces of a shared kitchen in student anyway xD theres more to worry about than corona virus on those lol.

Lectures might be tricky though.

My DDs uni says that students will be doing one module at a time in small study groups. I guess they will do the core units first and then hopefully things will have changed for the better later in the academic year to do the optional modules.

Which is fine if it's a single honours degree. What about something like natural science where there'll be few students all doing the same options - the one my son is contemplating is at Durham which had something like 15-20 combinable subjects within which basically all modules were optional (except for some subjects where earlier/simpler modules need to be taken before later ones).

*in student accommodation

I'm a lecturer at a Scottish university in the Humanities and that idea is completely impossible for us. In first year students have module choices in about 12 different disciplines. They don't choose modules until fresher's week. No way could timetabling match everyone up in that way. Ridiculous idea.

Which is fine if it's a single honours degree. What about something like natural science where there'll be few students all doing the same options - the one my son is contemplating is at Durham which had something like 15-20 combinable subjects within which basically all modules were optional (except for some subjects where earlier/simpler modules need to be taken before later ones)

Only Durham can answer than question. Maybe your son should contact them to find out?

Why not ask Durham what they are going to do.

As has already been said, every university will be making their own arrangements. The BBC article just quoted one way that Universities UK had suggested that the problem might be solved.

For all we know, the journalist seized upon the daftest suggestion because it makes better news.

Only Durham can answer than question. Maybe your son should contact them to find out?

He has but waiting for a reply.

This won’t work. Like social distancing in schools, it’s just stupid.

Then that's all he can do at the moment kazzyhoward
These decisions are not being taken lightly and need to be planned properly.
We are announcing our decision officially after our UG exam board next week (staff haven't even been told exactly what's happening yet) as staff are up to their eyeballs preparing for that which has been made more difficult due to the high number of extensions awarded to students.

I doubt Durham know for sure themselves. Many universities are still having to put all their energy into working around exams and other assessment.

I think it's very clear that large lectures will not be happening face to face for the next academic year, but those can be quite easily replicated by recording them. We already do that.

Small-group teaching will be harder to do. We are planning to keep going with them, but in smaller numbers to allow for social distancing. But that puts a huge strain on teaching accommodation. We've been told to be available to teach face-to-face Monday to Saturday, 9am-9pm. A seminar 7-9pm on a Saturday night will be bloody awful for everyone concerned.

In terms of bubbling us down - they could split our course into fairly easily teachable groups of about 17 or so (so about 15 when the skivers get factored in) - as it's a small course and we haven't got module choices. But we're the exception rather than the rule - and timetabling would still need to find space to fit us all in for double the sessions and double the staffing needed which is where it just falls down.

I think they're going to break our seminars down into smaller groups (please they put me in with the people I get on with and not with the skiving at the back of the class crowd) and then just do the lectures as online. It's going to be a nightmare if they don't timetable it sensibly though as it'll mean I end up having to commute for 2 hours for a 50 minute seminar randomly rather than a day of lectures with a bit of trapped time in the library.

I'm considering suspending for a year if schools are still messed up by then - and I've got the support of my department if I need to do so - but I don't really want to drop out of the group of friends I've made in the cohort if I don't have to - and I want to keep going as age is not on my side.

If I were meant to be starting university in September, I'd be looking very seriously into deferring for a year.

If I were meant to be starting university in September, I'd be looking very seriously into deferring for a year

And what would you do? Travel and working won't necessarily be an option.
Plus what if your uni won't let you so you lose your place and have to compete with next years applicants? Arguably, it might be easier to get in to a top university this year.
Deferring will be a sensible option for some but shouldn't be a decision made lightly.

My university will not be allowing deferrals due to corona virus, but I'm in Scotland where the continued of capped intake/no tuition fees have created a different situation to England.

If I were meant to be starting university in September, I'd be looking very seriously into deferring for a year.

Deferrals aren't always possible, so you might be limiting your choice of course.

If everybody deferred, their would be no room for next year's intake.

there!!!

@historyrocks

My university will not be allowing deferrals due to corona virus, but I'm in Scotland where the continued of capped intake/no tuition fees have created a different situation to England.

Don't know about deferrals but I've had initial discussions with my department (they understand I'm working on plan A B C and D depending on what's happening with schools) and they're happy to support if I need to suspend a year, or look at how they can shift modules to make me part time basically - they've been very supportive. Think the difference is though I'm already on the course, known to them and I've proven I'm a safe bet really in terms of the marks I've got this year.

If they run things as a day or so of very small group seminars and online the other days in the week for me personally it'll be great as I won't have to go down to campus - but if I was 18 I'd be thinking again about that one! Not sure I'd like what my uni is saying will be the entire year with no big lectures in person but small groups probably in person if I was living away from home either as then you're basically paying to sit in your campus bedroom logged on watching an internet stream which would suck.

I don't see why they don't delay uni start to January. It would be a great opportunity to permanently change the start date of university courses. In future, students could apply once they know their grades, have time to resit and not have to waste a year, have time to work or travel or volunteer for 6 months before uni starts, generally just grow up a bit and acquire more life skills before uni starts.

I'm sure there are a million reasons not to do this but from my view of naivety it seems it could be a good thing for students at least.

@domino, they won't be allowing deferrals for entrance to first year, unless there's a reason other than corona virus. I'm not sure how they'll handle this. The situation is very different in Scotland. We are still given a capped number of places by the Scottish government. Of course, some may choose to just not come this year. but they will run the risk of not getting a place for 2021. We have 10 applicants per place on a normal year so there's a lot more competition up here.

I'm sure there are a million reasons not to do this but from my view of naivety it seems it could be a good thing for students at least.

I wonder how many students would be willing to have their summer vacation starting in October.

Clearing is going to be busy this year! I know a couple of my son's friends who "firmed" their choices a while ago before it became clear about lack of face to face and lack of socialising etc. They're now adament they won't be going to their first choice and will go through clearing instead to try to get a place in more local Unis where they can live at home and do it all remotely, the idea being that if they're close enough, they can just travel in on the few occasions they have to be on site for meetings etc.

Actually a really good idea, FortyFifty.

I’m supposed to be going back to speech therapy as a mature student - I’m more than happy to do most of learning at home and practicals in my own locality, just travelling down for OSCEs and competencies etc - rather than move back down south into halls .

Suspect I won’t be allowed but it would be a hundred times easier .

I worry for current y12 as I think more y13 will defer their place if they do this.