Fighting our way through 1st year uni (starting Sept 17)

[HSMMaCM]

Continuing the previous thread.

Exams, assessments, essays, etc.

Support, or lack of it.

Will they all get accommodation for next year and can they cook a balanced meal yet.

My DS has said the same bTM, he will effectively start his Easter break a week early although has said he can access everything he needs here so will work at home instead.

We are lucky, no strikes in Swansea as far as I know.
Another little thing making me feel DD made the right choice for her

My dd says most of her lecturers are not union members, so she is largely carrying on as normal.

She is not coming home until just before Easter. She is bringing one of her flatmates with her, a foreign student who has never been to London before. DD is looking forward to showing her around.

... not that I wish to worry the general population - but DS and his course are spending next week at Hinckley point.

We have told him please try and not touch the big red button (or have I watched too much Simpson’s) !!

Eve I think they'll just spend the day eating doughnuts

bigTillyMint

DD is in her third year and is badly effected by the strikes. She is doing a stem subject and finds lectures invaluable - she has only missed a couple over the whole three years so missing so many in her final term is just awful. The students are doing what they can but it's making her extremely nervous. There still doesn't seem to be an end in site

My son is in 2nd year and 4 hour practical cancelled this morning. Unlikely to be rescheduled. Very frustrating for them.

Mixed with my dd's. Some lectures / seminars are going ahead and others are cancelled.

Two things annoy me. The first is that they do not have the courtesy to tell them ahead of time whether they are cancelled so lots of students turn up to find out last minute that they are not going ahead. Extremely shoddy behaviour.

The second is that the content in these sessions will still be examined. The studious ones are attempting to self teach but without a bit of guidance they are starting to worry. Disgusting.

My DS is studying engineering at Southampton and hasn't been affected at all. I really feel for those students missing out.

It is appalling. Very luckily for DS his department seem to be carrying on as usual. *KeepKalm’ he is also doing a STEM subject and I honestly don’t know how those who are missing stuff can manage. It’s virtually nine to five and missing lab time would be disastrous. So very grateful for DS’s lecturers keeping going so far and really sad for those DCs who are struggling with it.

OrigRights I wonder if our DSs know each other!

Dunno! No easy way to find out without telling everyone who we (and our sons) are!

DS said they won't be examined on content from cancelled (due to strikes) lectures.

He's not coming home now... will be next week.

No DC here for Mother's Day

No dc for me on MD either Horse. I'm planning to give myself a lovely day.

It's most unlikely mine will remember MD and I've strictly told DH that he is not to remind them after ds1 was mortified to get my birthday wrong last month. If they don't start learning to be responsible for remembering these things themselves they'll end up relying on someone else probably a woman to think for them for ever.

Oops sorry. That's me.

I'm going to visit MY mum on MD. I don't get to see her very often, so it will be a nice day

Yestotallyunreasonable you may be surprised! DH and I had exactly the same conversation for exactly the same reason and I forbade him to remind DS. However, today what is obviously my Mother’s Day card has arrived in the post. It’s early but he remembered!

Horsemad although DS’s department isn’t affected by the strike (yet) they were also told they wouldn’t be examined on strike-affected work. What would worry me though is that while they may not have that work in this summer’s exam, surely it would have to come up in finals; it’s part of the syllabus. Also, for engineers, vets, medics etc, it could be something which is important for a future career, either as a specific piece of knowledge or as a building block without which it’s more difficult to progress.

MD isn't until May 13th over here. DS will have been finished for nearly a month by then. His year is split into two semesters and the second one is finished by the weekend of the 21st April (he could possibly have an exam on that Saturday, but he doesn't think he will.) Seems so early to finish for the summer - not back until September! No wonder they take 4 yrs to get a bachelors degree.

Lazy dog - wow that's a long break. DD finishes 23 may, even though term ends 23 June.

So sorry for those affected by the strikes. They are obviously for a good reason, but it's not a battle our children young adults should be fighting.

One dd's e mail from university - we will not be removing questions from exams

I am not impressed.

Also the staff are not being well served by their union who had a brilliant window of opportunity for negotiations and have instead shot themselves in the foot by calling for 14 additional days of strikes (over and above the ones already scheduled).

Are they stupid? In order to be successful through strikes you need the sympathy of students, parents and the general public. That will vanish if they don't engage in talks.

Awww, my first born has remembered me. That's made my day that has, and makes up for not being able to see him last week.

Noooo Do2Little

Given that DD's lecturers have all been on strike all the days so far, I am now NOT in sympathy with them if it is another 2 weeks

Mothers day card arrived here. Big MUM in middle of the envelope, address in small writing nearly obliterated by postmark. I did msg him to say don't you know how to address an envelope!!!

I know!

www.ucu.org.uk/article/9392/Universities-face-14-days-of-strikes-during-exams-if-pension-dispute-not-resolved#.WqFeZA_NnUo.twitter

DS IS COMING HOME!!!

I really didn't mind when he said he wasn't coming home for MD but I am very happy he is! ❤️