Oxbridge applicants 2018 part 3

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Looks like we need a new thread.

Does Oxford do the same thing as Cambridge in starting their weeks on Thursdays?

I'm unsure I thought it was Sunday? It's all very new to me my DD is the first one in our family to go to university too!

You must be incredibly proud of her. Good lass :)

If it's like Cambridge then 0th week is probably the week before lessons start. Only they have term and full term.

Oxford full terms start on Sundays (unlike Cambridge). Lectures etc start on Mondays (unlike Cambridge). I think compulsory residence starts on the Thursday of 0th week = the week before full term starts. Often exams take place on these days.

Many colleges have conference trade arriving immediately at the end of term, so often there is very little flexibility with drop off and collection deadlines. Depending on course and party schedule, sometimes you can pick them up on the day before.

The exact times/dates that they have access to their college rooms, will depend on their residence contract. In ds1's college, 1st years could return on the Tuesday of 0th week each term, I think.

I have one at each of O and C: it can be quite a learning curve!

ds1 (Oxford) seems to lose the ability to use a regular calendar during termtime and just refers to "Thursday of 4th week" or " Monday of 6th"....?! This doesn't seem to happen at Cambridge at all.

At Cambridge full term - ie lectures - always start on a Thursday. In ds2's college, the residency contract always ran from the previous Sunday or Saturday. (But he often had exams, and tutorials before full term started.)

AMA

The exact details of when they get kicked out for the vac probably varies according to the college. I doubt they're quite that rigid in practice (everyone's transport there at the same time would be a nightmare for one thing).

That's really useful roisin thank you. So if students need to be back on the Thursday of 0th week I guess DD will either be getting the train or we need to take a day off work....

Thank you all so much, it looks like il have to take a day off work ( won't go down well )

Thankyou roisin that's really useful information.

Riverbank DD has an official Oxford diary that has all the term dates/names/week numbers etc in. I think it's been really useful to her to help get her head around what happens when.
Hers was a gift but its not too expensive and you can buy them online: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Oxford-University-Pocket-Diary-2018-2019/dp/0198826699/ref=mpssa111?ie=UTF8&qid=1536614907&sr=8-1&pi=ACSX2366SY340QL65&keywords=oxford+diary+2018%2F2019&dpPl=1&dpID=41spueJBpbL&ref=plSrch

Another vote of thanks to Roisin

(who I must acknowledge, also helped us privately)

I am buying and packing for DS who is entirely unconcerned by the whole process. if it were up to him, he'd just turn up with two pairs of jeans and a calculator ....

He has been instructed in the art of laundry. Previously the house-elves attended to that. He's okay on the cooking front, but the whole washing machine thing is entirely new to him.

Good luck to everyone!

Wash tabs - no measuring out and no mess hopefully!

Wash tabs - no measuring out and no mess hopefully

Actually, a lot of uni laundries only allow detergents that go in with the wash, not in drawers - I think the latter can get gunged up and be harder to maintain. So liquitabs are often the best choice. And if they're likely to wash anything wool or silk make sure they know to use non-bio - one of those things which may not be obvious to them. And check they know what not to tumble dry (DD has enough woolies she doesn't try to wash them just brings them back home at the end of term where we can dry them flat).

HesMyLobster i'm going to order the diary, thats very helpful thanks so much.

Me too!

You are welcome

Sometimes pick up/dropoff times/dates are not ideal for us, so they use the train with minimal stuff, and the bigger 'kit' is picked up at a different time, at our convenience.

This term, ds1 will go down by train with minimal luggage - as if for a week's holiday; then dh will take his full packing a week later.

Lucycat, at Oxford yes,usually "students need to be back on the Thursday of 0th week" and often ds1 had exams or supervisions on this Thurs/Fri/Sat. However, in his College I think they had access to their rooms from the Sunday of 0th week anyway each term, even in first year.

There is a VACRES (vacation residence) form that they can submit to request accommodation for additional days, outside of their standard contract. These dates come with a charge, of course, and in busy colleges with a large vacation conference trade, they may not be able to stay in their own room. Mine have used vacres a lot for a variety of reasons and it has always been possible: it's just a point of going through the correct channels and making sure the right paperwork is submitted on time.

dd has ridiculous restrictions on when we can drop off, so it's going to mean setting off before dawn. Fabulous!

If you're a long way off, a hotel somewhere closer can make sense, I don't think DH has done the round trip in one day thus far. Morning rush hour can be bad enough on some of the approach roads to Cambridge anyway (my company is on the science park, I get regular mails about blockages on the A14 which make me glad to work from home!) . Doubtless similar applies in oxford.

That's really useful to know Errol. Do you know what Saturday traffic is like? We did think about just parking in a multi storey but we will have dds bike on top of the car, so it will mean us having to stop just before we enter, remove the bike and then drive in.

Eep!

Some may have gathered I'm an overplanner who likes to have every microsecond planned out on something like this. Unfortunately I have no clue as to how it's going to go.

It must be doable though. I'm sure that people do actually manage to move in and don't circle cambridge aimlessly for 8 hours hoping to be able to drop off which is what I'm envisioning at present.

I don't know about Saturday traffic, especially not in the central area. Plot the route in an app which lets you specify arrival time might help, of course.

Yes, they do all seem to manage to get in and unpacked somehow, though my guess is this is facilitated by a proportion of parents overplanning! The hill colleges are doubtless easier, but DH is also a pre-planner and had figured out where there might be residential streets with a bit of available space (doubt this is at all relevant to central colleges) so he could dump her and her stuff, get out of the car park and then walk back to help.

Just had a call from DD re closures on the A14 this weekend (there's a major road improvement project ongoing) which she thought might affect retrieving her from her internship in Suffolk ... from a quick look at Traffic England there may be a few night closures in the next few weeks, that's a site well worth checking esp if you're travelling in the small hours.

So our plan for college in central Oxford is to off load most things in the 20 mins we can have outside college and then move car to car park. Probably won't work that way but we can only try.

Hubbleisback - our plan too!

Saying this to hopefully reassure everyone, whichever place... it does get congested around the central colleges, no question, but it does all come together, honestly! Do what you can to facilitate unloading quickly - laundry bags with handles are perfect for bedding/ towels etc; plastic crates again with lids & handles and nothing to carry loose (obvious I know).

DD goes up on 2nd October, so it sounds like they stagger arrival dates to ease the congestion a little.

It's coming around quickly now, mine can't wait to get stuck in - difficult seeing everyone else beginning to head off to universities (ie it's making her more nervous!)

That’s really helpful jaguar I’ve bought crates with lids and handles and ikea bags for bedding and towels. We haven’t planned the actual clothing packing yet but I think that could go in a couple of those big laundry bags too. It’s good to know that drop off days seem to be staggered, DS goes on 1st October (eek!). Most of his friends are going in the next week or so, it was their last night out all together yesterday. He says he feels a bit like he did when he started secondary school, I think they just need to start now and get on with it so that they realise it will be ok.

Just read through this thread .
Got to say am quite taken aback by the number of helicopters here. Not all posters, granted, but some posts sound like it is the parents sitting the exams not the Son/Daughter. Tbh, if they need so much hand-holding, be it emotionally or just in terms of practicalities, I’m not sure they are even ready for university, never mind Oxbridge hothouses. Why are mothers staying up to all hours with them, checking exam rules & regulations etc? I Guess times have changed ...

Lit crit - yes include but only if one has a genuine interest and willing to discuss at interview. Quotes - no. Other reading - no need for it to link necessarily- it can be example of wider reading.
Lastly, nothing can be perfect and sorry to be harsh but if you are a candidate for English, you shouldn’t really be finding it so hard to write.. she is obviously a perfectionist and no doubt worrying unecessarily.

Is she overseas? She must have seen the list herself?

Step back a bit