Students (returning to home communities following tightening restrictions)

[Frazzled6]

Just a bit concerned that students in heavily restricted areas (come next week) will decide to go home to areas with less restrictions potentially spreading the virus (if they are asymptomatic) in their home communities. The government seemed to forsee this happening at Christmas but have they not realised that this could happen next week?

Why would they come back next week? Mine's only been there a couple of weeks?

They don’t get half terms like schools?

I think the OP means to isolate or have more freedom of home has less restrictions. Mine has no intention of coming home (2nd year house share)

There have already been instances where students have left Uni accommodation to avoid isolating or where their other flatmates have returned home (or not even arrived) because they prefer to online learn from home hence leaving some students on their own... So they are also considering returning home.

Fresher DD has friends who have started leaving - they've been threatened with being locked down in their rooms (no kitchen access, no 'household' group) if there is a case near them. I don't blame them - they are being treated appallingly.

Manchester is the biggest student city in Europe and lots of kids have already jumped ship.
Manchester is about to have all its pubs and restaurants shut. There is literally no point in them being here.

If you don’t have a student coming to your house I wouldn’t worry about what others are doing.

Totally understand... Just not sure the government realise that they are about to spread the virus in even more communities when they close the pubs...

Personally I think unis should have allowed students to learn from home and I think govt should have helped them prepare for it.

Mines in Manchester and has no intention of coming home, all her flat have had positive tests and have isolated. Out now this weekend, If the the pubs shut they'll still get together. Don't blame them!! Dd is still having some f2f although very limited.

Unis should never have fully reopened in the first place - they should have provided full online learning unless you need to be on campus for practicals.

I do have a student..I'm hoping she stays on campus until she knows she is virus free. I would not want her travelling back and spreading the virus.

I'm a mature student and in a group chat with all my school of the subject I'm studying. No students have been social distancing. All have been meeting in each others halls/rooms. Inviting lots of people over for parties. No wonder it's so bad at unis atm. Thankfully I'm older and live on my own so don't have to deal with it. In a few weeks we have a reading week so I can imagine others do too and they will head home. So yes alot of spreading will happen within the next few weeks

My daughter- final year - has said she won't come home for now because of the high rate among students there. How long she won't see her boyfriend though... they didn't see each other for 2 months at the start

My third year nephew has done this. Lots of partying in halls in Birmingham (high risk area) and now gone back home to his low risk area in the Sourh West.

I've heard of students at some Unis moving out of halls and into AirBnBs to avoid being locked down.

My two will probably stay but both report plenty of others going home already. One is in Scotland and says freshers particularly got away if they could quite early on.

There's a fine balance. Some are trying to be really careful as we were in full lockdown, and I know if two that are struggling (one has started self harming/not eating - this wasn't apparent last year). There's a waiting list for student support and they'll be some who really can't wait that long. Might be better to get then back to isolate as much as possible from rest of family.

Whether it's allowed or not I wouldn't blame students who did this. They've been treated appallingly. I wouldn't want to be there with how they're being treated.

Also a mature student, in my group chat if about 50 students I don't think any are planning on going home, most have just paid for their accommodation so probably can't afford to lose that money.

The biggest worry is how they are going to find work to support themselves, no bar jobs, limited retail etc. It's probably fine for now as they can possibly get Christmas jobs but come January you are going to have 1000s of students who can't afford to actually stay even if they want to. If the government want them to stay put/return after Christmas they are going to need to look at how they support them.