University students possibly told to stay at uni over Christmas

[WearyandBleary]

This has just been leaked and Matt Hancock has done a non-denial.

This has shocked me. Why not tell old people to stay at home over Christmas instead? The mental health of our students is going to be horrific.

Dd can't do all hers online. But the blocks that aren't at university are in schools. And even in normal times they can source schools around the country, not just local to university. We live in a city plus have links with a number of schools so I'm sure they could be sorted best home instead.

Catered halls in a lot of unis are populated by at least half international students from cultures that dont celebrate Christmas. The uni I used to work in always provided them meals throughout the Christmas holidays, though some days it was packed lunches and a voucher for somewhere. So it is perfectly possible.

I would have been delighted by this...my parents less so. I hated the holidays. Christmas with uni friends would have been so much better

This is just horrible. Some students are away for the first time, lonely already thanks to SD. Vile. I’d ignore it.

This could be my mums last Christmas so my kids will want to be home. We make a big fuss of her and her dementia seems to always get better at Xmas (might be the port). If they want to stay that's fine though. I was in Oz for one Xmas and Argentina for another when I was younger. No phones or email. It's the being told that they can't do what every other adult is allowed is what makes me mad.

Absolutely ridiculous!

It depends if you have friends doesn’t it .

I’ll never forget working for the NHS and caring for a student who attempted suicide .

She was in horrendous distress because of her flatmates bullying her . She was very lucky she survived . It isn’t that unusual sadly - she was one of dozens of suicide attempts we saw in young adults, and that was precovid ...

I experienced the same as a student, total culture shock and bullying and feeling very, very alone . I also tried to OD .

Put that into today’s timeline and you wonder what the hell would have happened - and how many other students are facing this exact scenario .

Aside from the awful impact on students’ and their families’ emotional health, when I was at uni we were kicked out over the holidays to make room for prospective students coming to interviews over Christmas, and conference guests over Easter and the summer 🤔 I guess probably none of that will be happening now.

@MadameBlobby

I agree that this would be absolutely appalling. Just how much are out young people going to be expected to put up for the sake of saving the older generation who as a class have done fuck all for them?

What a very strange post. "Done fuck all for them"?

I imagine all interviews will be over Zoom this year.
And maybe all tele-interviewed going into future, too.

If only the government had actual policies rather than posting on forums like this to test the water and get feedback

I will be planning on an hours trip to 'test my eyesight' to coincide with Christmas. I will need dc to help navigate.

@StephenKong well said

So the students who have chosen to remain living at home, but may go to uni once a week for their face to face lectures can still travel far and wide? I work in a FE college with over 2000 HE students doing degrees. Their Halls of Residence require them to vacate during the Christmas and Easter break, they only pay for 32 weeks accommodation. My DD started at uni 130 miles away last week. My biggest fear is her being unable to get back for the Christmas hols ( she, on the other hand would be more concerned about missing her cat.)

@StephenKong one of mine worked on Covid wards and the other in a supermarket. I feel they have done their bit. And now are owed so payback to keep their mental health safe. Otherwise this is going to be a tragedy worse than Covid. Meet ups outside need to be organised, maybe some lectures outside - like it was suggested lessons were ! Small groups in so maybe on a rota. They need people. It can be done.

I can just imagine the house parties in student areas .

DS lives with 6 friends - they’d blummin love Christmas together.

Unis are doing first term online so I think this is to start moving them home now.

@BabyLlamaZen mine aren't. Science subjects have lab work and one of mine will be on the farm 1 day a week. Can't handle a cow over zoom. Or see a baby born. Their courses say they have to be in their cities. So they need support to make this work.

I feel really sorry for them.

My daughter is doing performing arts. She has 1 day per week on Zoom the rest is all face to face.

Well it all seems to be going well in Durham Uni today

I live in a university town and so far several hundred darlings have returned, partied without a care, and 50 have tested positive for Covid. In early October several thousand more will be descending on us. I can’t even imagine what our numbers will look like come November.

Some Unis are testing everyone who walks on campus. So picking up lots of asymptomatic cases. Which would have been missed if not tested. This does make figures look much worse at some Unis.

What a very strange post. "Done fuck all for them"?

Strange? Really? Do tell me what the typical gold-plated pension, cheap house price, jobs for life, entitled, pulled the ladder up behind them, Brexit voting baby boomers (as a class) have ever done for the younger age groups other than fuck them over? I’m all ears.

Unis are doing first term online so I think this is to start moving them home now.

Some might be, but not all.