Students returning to university ?

[RockingMyFiftiesNot]

Not sure how I feel about this one.
Various friend's children are returning to university next week. From their perspective I can see why they would want to return and why their parents would be happy for that.
I'm concerned about the potential impact on the spread of the virus. We live in a city with one if the highest student populations in the country and our numbers went through the roof when students returned after the summer. Regular stores of police breaking up parties (stating fact, not judging..... pretty sure I'd have been partying too at that age) and whole halls being quarantined.
I know students were tested before coming home at Christmas but even if they are tested before returning, it's not to say that they aren't still incubating at the point they are tested.
Happy to debate - just made me feel a bit nervous about a repeat of the post-summer rise in numbers

@RockingMyFiftiesNot what impact?

Where students have followed the rules, isolated before they move and in many cases have been tested by the university on their return then arguably there is no impact.

I have read the thread. You are making sweeping generalisations and assumptions but not said how it affects your life.

l am a student, I don't know any students who think this. The vast majority are aware that it's shit for everyone and don't think they should be a special case

This is my experience too. With a couple of exceptions, I am really impressed with their resilience and positive outlook.

The majority of students I have one to one interaction with have moved back to their uni accommodation.

My ds has been at uni due to practical elements of the course. He only mixes with his kitchen group which are effectively his household. He goes for walks to do food shopping and talks to his kitchen group. This poses no more risk to the local population than any other household. In fact given that my ds has taken a covid test at least once a week since being back he poses less risk than the town population as he would find out if he had it asymptomatically. There are also regular checks by hall security that the rules are being followed and kitchen groups not mixing. When covid spread amongst students in September and October things were different with pubs open etc. I think students should be vaccinated before the start of the next academic year so that they can have a more normal university life with gyms and other campus facilities open and clubs allowed to run so they can make friends and enjoy sport etc

I don't think it's a good idea. Especially while we're still in lockdown! University stedents are the ones most capable of studying online, look at the amount of people in this country that get a degree via distance learning with the OU etc. Obviously it's very unfair not getting an in person education since their fees will be much more than those paying for online courses but as for socialisation, everyone is suffering the same.

The return last year was filled with problems with many students wishing they'd have stayed home. While this is ongoing nobody will get the complete 'uni experience' anyway.

I got shot down when I questioned this a few weeks back. I live in a uni city, and as I predicted our numbers have risen since the start of the month. We went from low rates of infection - they are now over three times higher than they were since students began to return.

It makes no sense whatsoever for anyone to be moving when teaching is online. For students who need to be in uni because of lab work etc then of course they should be moving back to uni. The rest, no. We are all living under restrictions. None of us like it. I have every sympathy with students who got an utterly raw deal. The unis and the government were not open with them from the start - this was never going to be a proper uni experience.

[quote VanCleefArpels]@RockingMyFiftiesNot what impact?

Where students have followed the rules, isolated before they move and in many cases have been tested by the university on their return then arguably there is no impact.[/quote]
"The area is currently the Covid-19 hotspot of England, with cases rising each day as the virus spreads through, predominantly, university halls of residence."

From a reliable newspaper re numbers here after unis reopened. Obviously not only the return of students but it is a major reason why we haven't been out of tough restrictions since the summer.

Our biggest uni here has moved all education online and has asked students NOT to return unless they are exempt or ha e specific personal circumstances (like the PPs who said their children had nowhere to study at home). But still, people on here will argue it's ok for their child to ignore that and go back because they'd rather be with their mates.

I live in a university town and DS is on a gap year. His friends are 3/4 back and 1/4 at home at various unis including Durham, Bristol, Exeter, UEA, Manchester, Hull, Nottingham.

Those that are back in their flats in halls did so because although they are abiding by lockdown rules they are living with a group of friends their own age rather than at home with parents trying to work from home and potentially homeschooling younger siblings. It is not a normal uni life but is as normal as it might be in the circumstances. Just because they are a student doesn't mean they are (a) entitled and (b).breaking Covid guidelines.

I bet there are locals in the uni town you live in who are breaking rules more than groups of students who have found a way to live together and generate their own fund within their uni household.

Loads of our students are back. One of my first year tutees told me that 12 out of his flat of 14 are back. This is despite the university saying they wouldn’t charge students for rooms they aren’t using.

DS1 went back to his private rental which he is paying for the Friday before the latest lockdown was announced. The University said things would be as normal at that point.
He is not 'with his mates' as the one mate he lives with has not yet returned.
So he's rattling about in the house on his own, doing lectures online and working on assignments. He's not seen a friend or a member of family face to face since he went back so about a month now.
He goes out for food and that's it.

I lecture, I'd love them to return but realistically most of my students (and I teach about 600 over various classes) haven't opted for accomodation this term so I doubt we will see many return this academic year.

RockingmyFiftiesNot - if it is a reliable newspaper source why don't you either link to the source or name it and provide the date. Are you sure it is not an article from October when there was the issue in unis?

I bet there are locals in the uni town you live in who are breaking rules more than groups of students who have found a way to live together and generate their own fund within their uni household.

I don't doubt it that for one minute. but not all students are as responsible as the children of those on this thread. But why introduce another huge risk factor when the university itself is telling students not to go back?

I'm sure there are locals breaking the rules. I am not having a go at students - I have sympathy for the utterly miserable situation they have been placed in. I know many will be behaving sensibly, but it is a fact that infection rates in my area are rising, where all other regions are seeing a fall in numbers. The difference? We have a uni on our doorstep. The virus moves with people. I don't agree with anyone moving long distances if they don't need to - whatever the reason.

@SeasonFinale

RockingmyFiftiesNot - if it is a reliable newspaper source why don't you either link to the source or name it and provide the date. Are you sure it is not an article from October when there was the issue in unis?

I don't want to give away details of where I live. The report was from October- but that is the concern I have raised all through this thread - that we will see a repeat.

If someone can link me to details that prove that 'almost all students have had it' as has been said elsewhere AND proof that they can't get it again, then I would accept I am worrying about nothing.

Posters who have children who want to go back to uni/ are back are always going to put their children's wants first and defend their decisions

Dd hasn’t gone back to ‘uni’ but if she wanted/needed to we would support it

And your ‘entitled generation’ comments is really unpleasant, i would absolutely agree with you that students should be obeying the rules and not mixing etc, but they have the right to continue with their lives while following the guidelines

Most of DD's university friends have been back since just after new year, second and third years in private accommodation.
Getting shopping delivered, getting on with their work and sticking to the rules. DD is much happier as she's with friends and has access to the gym.

but it is a fact that infection rates in my area are rising, where all other regions are seeing a fall in numbers. The difference? We have a uni on our doorstep

Our towns infection rate is rising as well...no uni though

I do wonder why you chose to live in a university town if you dislike students so much, OP.

I don’t think I could bear to live somewhere where I had such a negative view of an entire section of the population.

@RufustheSniggeringReindeer

Posters who have children who want to go back to uni/ are back are always going to put their children's wants first and defend their decisions

Dd hasn’t gone back to ‘uni’ but if she wanted/needed to we would support it

And your ‘entitled generation’ comments is really unpleasant, i would absolutely agree with you that students should be obeying the rules and not mixing etc, but they have the right to continue with their lives while following the guidelines

Yes I agree it wasn't a nice comment and I apologise for that. It was the result of the frustration of everyone justifying why their child should be allowed to travel back to uni, in spite of uni advice to the contrary other than in exceptional circumstances. as another poster has just proved since ' DD is much happier as she's with friends and has access to the gym'

I'd love to see my adult children for more than an outside walk in the cold , let alone go to the gym or see my friends.

I've been able to spend time indoors with my children only on Christmas Day and for a very short window when we were in a lower tier.
Not solely due to students of course, but having people travel back Into the city from all around the country is introducing unnecessary risk, and that was the reason for this thread

@FamilyOfAliens

I do wonder why you chose to live in a university town if you dislike students so much, OP.

I don’t think I could bear to live somewhere where I had such a negative view of an entire section of the population.

What a ridiculous conclusion to draw from my thread. It's about unnecessary travel of people from all around the country back to the city which could cause a spike in numbers as it did after the summer. They just happen to be students., and in most cases it is not necessary.

DS has gone back. He socialises with his house and they get food deliveries. He works better with his housemates. The poor lads are doing a practical course & have had no practical stuff since March last year. Goodness knows how they will get accredited when practicals are compulsory to do so. All the students I know have seen no-one except their families over Christmas so I can't see they will be spreading virus any more than anyone else. It was different in September when lots has been abroad & caught it on holiday.

It's about unnecessary travel of people from all around the country back to the city which could cause a spike in numbers as it did after the summer. They just happen to be students., and in most cases it is not necessary.

So if they just happen to be students, why the comment about them being “an entitled generation”?

Yes I agree it wasn't a nice comment and I apologise for that

💐

I think everyone says stuff they don’t actually mean especially in stressful situations

And i do understand especially about seeing adult children, two of mine are home but ds1 who is 22 lives with his partner. I cant go see him for a walk cos everyone knows I’ll be rugby tackling him to the ground for a hug...i cant be trusted!

There is good evidence that there was almost no transmission from the student population to the wider town population at the end of summer. Schools returned at start of September, cases started to spike, student returned generally end of sept/Oct when they were already up from the school transmission back to families. High numbers of students have exams now and want somewhere quiet to do them and also they (where not refunded by uni or 1 or 2 large private halls) are paying rent because the government has not supported either unis or landlords to solve this issue. In my view they've been totally ignored by government and are an easy scapegoat. Hope they vote with their feet when they can at the next election. There are around 2 million of them and a further 5 million if you add in FE. So not such an insignificant number.