Oxbridge applicants 2018 part 3

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Looks like we need a new thread.

Tired here too - just enjoyed a Dominos pizza before DD heads out into town with her friends tonight. Tomorrow we will tackle the HUGE pack of information that arrived from her college this afternoon. Including details of her new college parents! 😂

Ooh, my DD will be becoming a 'mother'(they're mostly single parents at Murray Edwards except apparently sometimes they have 'wives'...we've had a few slightly surreal conversations!)

Congratulations to everyone.
Errol- my DD was at Murray Edwards a few years back (MN helped me through it all back then too), and had an amazing time- as well as got very good at cycling up the hill! :)

How quiet has it gone on here! I'm shopping for commoners gown and mortar board!! Can't quite believe it!

Hubble, you may be able to get some second hand gowns from the Porter’s Lodge, if memory serves, before you go all in on shiny new ones. Call up and ask. I’d offer mine, but I think I ended up binning it after finals - the term ‘trashing’ is pretty apt!

I'm really proud of DS results and know that Durham is the right place for him (and I mentioned in an earlier post thst school certainly had doubts about whether Cambridge would be the right place for him) but can I admit to being a teeny bit envious of you shopping for gowns and mortar boards? This is the only place I would dare to voice that and , yes, I think the disappointment is for me and not my son!!

Err, Stepmum , my dd wore a gown at Durham, graduated last year. Needed for formal dinners at her college.

DS doesn't need to buy a gown, he can use his dad's, which was second hand the best part of 30 years ago! It has been used reasonably often for Harry Potter dressing-up!

Panda do you remember Ron's gown in Harry Potter (family heirloom) - that made me laugh so much!!

Step I have heard stories of people who have turned down an Oxbridge place for Durham. Yes my DS has gone for Oxford but it hurt to have to decline somewhere like Durham. Makes you wish you could live 2 lives.

Thanks for advice Hingle.

Thanks for all the positive vibes. We're positive here too - I was just having a moment! DS still waiting to hear which college he's in but is in no rush to take up my suggestion of ringing the accommodation office. "They'll contact me when they're sorted,"he says. He's more patient than me.🤔

dd will be able to buy hers from college when she gets there.

Goodness. That's actually only next month. Scary days.

Hubble yes I do, fortunately DH's gown is a bit tired, but pretty sure the style hasn't changed at all!!
We are just wishing DH hadn't got rid of his first dinner suit, again bought second hand in Cambridge almost 30 years ago, as DS is exactly the same skinny shape as his dad was then, before beer and middle aged spread caught up with him.

DD bought her gown from the college - they were told to bring cash for this. I think this is the norm, the style varies a bit between some of the colleges. The first photo she sent me was of her in her room wearing the gown and the most enormous grin. she doesn't have a mortarboard, I didn't know any undergrads did - maybe oxford is dressier

The gown is one size doesn't fit all, which

Sorry, premature post...
Which means that exactly what you're wearing underneath at formals may not matter too much.

Undergrad gowns at Oxford are much simpler than Cambridge; but, unlike C, they do need a mortarboard. Hardly ever allowed to wear it, but they have to carry it to matriculate and for formal exams 😂

Lots of paperwork done here today by DD - accommodation room survey, medical register with the Oxford doctors, contract with the college signed, books ordered and college parents 'friended' on Facebook 😄
Now to sort out changing her bank account to a student one & getting LOTS of passport photos sorted!

Sub fusc can wait a bit after buying books! 😮

goodness, that's a lot! It's so odd after all this waiting!

We’ve had a day in Cambridge! DD asked if we could go and have another look to show the DDog where she will be going and to try to make it all seem more real. It was so lovely! She’s feeling slightly terrified but also excited and can’t wait to get started now.

It was funny to see all the punts on the river in the sunshine, a totally different experience to my only other visit, a freezing cold and nerve-wracking interview day!

She bought a pencil case so the preparations have begun. Oh, and a college scarf which looks very fetching on the dog.

awwww :) I just relayed that to dd who wonders if we can take her cat to show him around.

She told me about the various societies she wants to join so clearly excitement is kicking in.

We've not seen Oxford in the proper winter yet as DD went for her 3 days of interviews on her own in December. She did say it was FREEZING though.

She's off to do interviews at the Leeds festival next week so she is trying to do all of the pre September 3rd paperwork now!
It's all getting a bit real.....

Haven't looked at this thread since the exams and popping back on to say thrilled that dd is in to Medward at Cambridge to read Nat Sci.
I wonder 'Errol' if your dd will be her 'mother ' !! Also thinking I might be able to pass on my old gown (nearly 40 years on).
Well done to all dc's and hope everyone enjoys their next steps.

That’s great news fiftyval, DD is doing Nat Sci too.

She’s working full time for the two weeks before they start, so we really need to get ready before then. I was thinking they would start on the 3rd Oct but now it’s the 26th Sept and we’ve lost a week we need to get more of a wiggle on.

That's lovely Fiftyval! Well done to your dd!

DS is a Natscier too :)

I do wish DS was home. I'd very much like to give him a hug be faffing around buying things for him

Love and luck to all DCs - are we all going to do monumental shops for kettles and toasters and duvets and bikes?

I dont think DS much likes cycling but maybe he will have to get into the habit. A top tip from a mate is to turn up with a tatty bike. All decent bikes get stolen anyway so turn up with a tatty bike

I have examined my garage. There's at least 5 tatty bikes in there. I'm hoping DS will take one of them away.