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

I start as a (very) mature student in September at Sheffield uni. From the communication I have had so far it will be a mix of online and small groups face to face. I suspect that from September to December it will be mainly online content which suits me fine.

It's completely different for students moving away from home though, really feel for them.

The OfS expect universities to have plans in place by 18 June so I wouldn’t expect anything firm from many universities before then.

I love that idea Fortyfifty

fortyfifty Post qualification applications gets looked at every few years. The scenario you paint looks and sounds ideal but the reality isn't as simple. It's a logistical nightmare.
What would we do with 2nd & 3rd year students? When would the 'summer break' take place (which isn't a summer break for staff but is the only time we have for research and planning)
what about those applicants who can't afford to travel and might struggle to make the most of those extra months? Especially during a recession when jobs just won't be there?

I offer a January start for my course....the uptake is dismal.

@lesbihonest

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 .

Welcome! I started my SALT course this year and I'm bloody loving it!

I don’t see how this would work at all. For a start some students have smaller budgets for accommodation, so if they were told they had to live in block A, because they study french, but it cost £7k a year....and the accommodation they applied for was only £4K a year, then what??
Also, what about students doing combined degrees - like English and history - would they live in an english block or history block?
What if you wanted to change course? Would you then have to change your room? What if there wasn’t a spare room in your subject accommodation?
What if you didn’t get in? Then there would be a spare room in the history block, but the student who needs a room, studies maths?! Would the maths student not be able to have a room?

@flamingochill

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

My daughter is in y13. UCAS sent an email a few weeks ago, saying the government are putting a limit on how many students unis can accept this year. It said if you had an offer and get the grades, you’re in. I think it’ll be harder this year to get in if you don’t get the grades. It also said that next year the government are allowing unis to have 5% more students, to make up for this year. And there will be extra places next year for nurses, medicine, paramedics etc.

I think a lot of people will defer from this year personally.

Domina ❤️ I’m going back into my second year - I had to take time out Feb 2019, was due back this winter but changed to Jan 2021 (I’m only due to do one exam from semester one) . I’m all fingers crossed I can actually go back, I’ve missed it ! Are you an undergrad?

It's not ideal, but it's better than not going at all, or being on a virtual course for three years. I did spend most of my first year with the same 15 or so people, most of whom either lived with me or who were on my course. It got claustrophobic at times, definitely, but Big Brother was taking of around then so we had that as a reference point.

Presumably there will still be safeguarding/pastoral services in place in case something goes badly wrong.

How on earth are universities supposed to accept 5% more students next year? Magic up accommodation and teaching room?

If I had a place this year I'd be going and hoping that I had a more normal experience by next year.

I think it’ll be harder this year to get in if you don’t get the grades.

I think it will be easier this year. The sector needs students to go to university this academic year. The 5% 'increase' is actually a cap on student numbers to stop some universities 'poaching' huge numbers of students from other institutions.

Some of that 5% will also compensate for EU/international students who won’t now be coming.