Oxbridge Freshers 2018

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

old thread

A chat/support thread for parents of undergrads who have entered the quite frankly slightly odd world of Oxbridge.

Apparently we are parents to undergrads now

BTW, Student finance is open for the coming year. It's much simpler than the first time you submit it, but we have to submit our incomes too. You'll need your dc's CRN when you come to fill in your bit.

Thanks for the heads up re student finance kitten and good to know your dd has secured a lovely room.

DD is very happy with her room for next year. A lovely walk/cycle to lectures and labs. And the all important kitchen with a table and chairs! (Although the chef at this site has an excellent reputation too.)

DD has also managed to secure a college travel grant for field work this summer .

Sounds like good news for lots of DC. Lovely for them. My DD Has to wait a few weeks yet regarding room.

Fab stuff ofteninaspin. Well done to your dd! And hooray for social space.

DS will have to wait until October potentially for room. Came bottom of ballot.

oh no Hubble :( does that mean he might not get one? how does it work? Will he be top next year?

Hubble there should be potential for swapping if he's due to be top for third year. He needs to ask around. DS3 was low on the ballot for second year and got several offers to swap.

Yes Kitten he may not get room if no one rusticates. He could end up in a private house rented for him by the college but obviously with people he doesn't know.
I will mention that to him Goodbye but not sure how that would work.

Hubble with DS3 it was people who put a premium on having a really good room for third year. That said, DS3 was low but not absolute rock bottom - more like tenth from bottom. People approached him rather than the other way around. Much depends on what accommodation is available at the college in question. I'd say that if the situation is as parlous as you say he should advertise for a swap and hope someone else doesn't care about second year but is really set on third year. The one thing to hang onto is that if all else fails he has a fab third year room awaiting!

I know it sounds like an anxious situation, but fingers crossed that it works out well. If he ends up in a house it could be nice with some space and a proper kitchen.

Thank you kitten and Goodbye. We will try and remain optimistic.

I was second from bottom of the ballot and got a room in a not very nice college house with people I didn't know. But I was second from top in my final year and got the best shared set in the college. So it could be worth it in the long run.....

Oh no Hubble! Just read this. Hope college can help.
My DD Has taken a nice room which is low grade in a quiet corridor with lots of friends. Rooms have good views of garden. She calculated it would help her be top of the ballot in final year. Her room this year was a garret but She Has grown fond of it!! Ever the optimist!
However, new room in picture looks more Oxbridge- spacious and pretty. Big kitchen and bathroom nearby.

Ontopofthesumset that makes me feel worse actually. We would have preferred mediocre rooms every year.

Oh, I'm so sorry, Hubble! I was trying to show the silver lining. My second year room was actually fine; it just wasn't with friends and wasn't in the swanky new accommodation. But I had such a brilliant time in my third year with my best friend and the best views.

I really hope your son finds a good solution. It is all so stressful for them, but does usually work out OK. I remember ending up having two rooms to choose from, having watched most of my friends get places near each other - but actually I ended up getting closer to three new friends because we were living near each other, so it all worked out well in the end.

Thanks. I know you meant well.

My DD was near the bottom of the ballot and had to have a room in a shared house. But sublet by the college, utilities included, and with a cleaner every weekday so it's a completely different ballgame to kids renting houses at other unis. In the event, one of her best mates swapped into this house with her, the other two girls are fine (one seems to have become another good friend) and they've really enjoyed having a proper kitchen - they did a 'bridgemas dinner' for about 10 people. And they've got a garden.

Of course, they were near the top of the 3rd year ballot so have just selected exactly the rooms in college they want.

There really can be upsides to a house and being thrown together with different people - while keeping the old friends ... quite a lot of hers are at different colleges anyway.

Thanks Errol. I hope it works out well for DS. He deals with anxiety through visualisation but obviously at the moment he can't do that. Of all the people to be at the very bottom of the ballot!!

I'm hesitating to suggest this, but maybe he could watch episodes of The Young Ones and if he can visualise himself surviving that, he'd ace what ever comes at him

Hubble is there any chance of him stepping out of the ballot and renting privately with a few friends? It's quite late in the cycle to find a decent rental but by no means impossible.

OYBBK you are funny.

Yes Goodbye had thought of that but I don't think we could afford to pay Oxford rent during the holidays.

Hubble I do hope this works out well for DS and he isn't kept waiting with uncertainty until October. If the college rents the same few private houses each year, can your DS at least get an idea of where they are?

Three of my DC have rented Hubble and it's not much difference in cost overall for a standard Cowley student let (which is what all three had).

If he's got friends who'd be willing to do a private let, might they be willing to 'trade down' to share the house rented by the college? (Obviously only works if his pals are in the same college). Some students really like 'living out' in the second year.