Oxbridge Applications (Part Four)

[Aurea]

Link to previous thread -

Oxbridge Applications 2019 (Part Three) www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/3474232-Oxbridge-Applications-2019-Part-Three

I see the other thread is full and am unable to find the next instalment (correct me if I'm wrong), so here it is.....

To kick things off, my DS has just firmed Trinity College, Oxford for Law (conditional AAB) and has insured Edinburgh (unconditional). He is Scottish so his qualifications are Highers/Advanced Highers. He achieved AAA in his prelims (mocks) so he's on track (fingers and toes crossed).

He went down to an Offer Holders day last weekend and had an absolute ball and met lots of lovely people. Roll on the next few months.......a small hurdle of exams first, mind.

How are everyone else's DCs doing?

It was worth trying though. So close. I’m sorry. I hope she has a happy gap year if she does defer.

Best of luck to all DC's off to university. Unfortunately DD's remarks didn't change anything and she's missed her Cambridge place. She's slowly coming to terms with it and is starting at her insurance choice in a week's time.

Sorry to hear that Hollybolly. So tough on them getting so close far but not quite crossing the finishing line. DS is also looking forward to taking his insurance offer at Durham although disappointed to be allocated an unpopular college without catering, after weeks of waiting. There's a part of him which wishes he'd never applied to Cambridge.

Hoping those of you whose DCs missed their offers settle well at their alternate universities. You'll probably find they come back at Christmas super happy and glad they are where they are - it often happens that way.

I heard this week of someone who missed his Oxbridge offer & has been rejected with 3A*s and 2As! It's a horribly brutal process.

Meanwhile, those of us whose DCs are going this year have about 3 weeks left before they depart. How are we all doing? Accommodation sorted out? Sub fusc bought?

My dd is excited, and is doing lots of preparatory reading. She did some budgeting too, but hasn’t started making any practical arrangements yet. I’m not sure how much to help her. For instance her school email which she used for applying is no longer in use from last week and even though she knows her Cambridge one she is not able to use it until she gets there. So is she missing vital information? She did email her college, copying me in, and saying her email address wasn’t going to work anymore and they could reply to her via me. I hope that’s enough.
She doesn’t know what is provided in the room or kitchen so I don’t know if she’ll need eg bin, lamp, chopping board, washing up liquid etc etc. She is dyspraxic so organisation is not her strength.

I know what you mean! Has your DD been allocated her college parents yet? DD has found them a great source of advice. Her kitchen ('gyp room') will only have a microwave, kettle, toaster and fridge- no oven or hob so she won't be doing much real cooking!

DD did find discover what would be provided in her room somewhere and I think there's a pretty standard minimum or bed, desk, lamp, desk chair, easy chair, wardrobe and chest of drawers as a minimum.

If your DD has her Raven log-in details she should be able to access all areas of her college's JCR website which for DD's college had more useful details particularly about rooms.

Hi,
I honestly hoped this thread would revive so we could a talk as it’s an exciting time.

DD’s oxford accommodation hasn’t been sorted and we were under the impression she wouldn’t know what accommodation she would get until she arrived.

A lot of extra reading to do and she’s not feeling very enthusiastic but must brush up unless she’ll be overwhelmed when it actually starts.

Finally managed to register online and get her new email address but still hasn’t got any indication of a timetable.
Anybody with DC’s already at Oxford can lend some help to when she should be expecting it?

I don’t want her to bother the college if they aren’t supposed to get it tell term starts.

From the student room she said the Braseone admin said not to buy sub fusc till you arrive so I’ll be leaving that to her.
Heard of long queues throughout freshers week but seems like a pointless trip if it’s not needed till matriculation.

Feel like the next few weeks may be hard when she sees all her friends heading off to uni and enjoying freshers and she’s alone at home but she knew about short terms when she applied.

Do you think girls are generally more interested in what's happening? DS has been contacted by his college parents but hasn't asked them anything and won't join the college Freshers Facebook page as he fears it's lame (or whatever the current equivalent adjective is). He has at least looked up images of his room type/quad and does seem a bit excited by that. He is particularly excited that he has a fridge in his room.

He was asked by the college back in July (Oxford) for a more permanent email address as he'd been using a school one as well, so he is getting college communication on that but has also just signed up to the Oxford email system and has got some introductory emails on this. He has started on his reading list but seems a little dilatory. Mind you, that is in his nature.

@Ontopofthesunset May be a girl thing or may just be a personality thing. My dd had an email form college parents about completely ignored it because she’s a bit shy.

She definitely seems more engaged than your DS because she has joined a Facebook chat but seems pretty silent in it.
I’m sure when they get there they will be more proactive.

Thanks for that. She will have college parents, but doesn’t know who they are yet. I’m most worried that she may be missing emails. She is going to email from my address tomorrow and hopefully it’ll be okay. I’ve been told a clothes airer is very important!

The complicated thing about Oxbridge is that each of the colleges does things differently.

DS knows his room and the names of his college parents, but doesn't have a university login/email address yet.

We did a trip to purchase sub fusc, not least because his college asks them to arrive on 7 October and gives them a very full day of activities on 8 October culminating in a dinner at which "gown is required". I'm sure they won't ban students from attending who haven't been able to purchase one that day, but it seemed like an unnecessary stress we could avoid.

In the meantime, DS loves his mortar-board so much, he has barely taken it off his head since

No pre-reading achieved yet. I'm hoping boredom kicks in once everyone else has gone off to uni....

DS's college gave links to three shops for mail order sub fusc as it said they needed it for the first week - so we've ordered the online package which was about £25.

DS is more concerned about his friends all leaving for their various universities than about his own imminent departure. There's been a constant succession of very late 'last nights' for people; he has been getting in regularly at 3 or 4 so his sleeping pattern is rubbish. There are now only the Durham, Oxbridge and gap year friends left, I think, after this weekend. So maybe he will start reading. I have tentatively suggested some shopping for things like informal waterproof shoes (ie not Converse).

@zxcv123 I was under the impression that the ´gown’ required for the college dinners meant just formal wear. The Brasenose admissions tutor said that students from all colleges wouldnt need formal dress till matriculation (2 weeks after term starts).

There seems to be some conflicting information nation.

Oh well she’s not very enthusiastic about the sub fusc funnily enough so won’t mind if she’s the only one who doesn’t have it and maybe the lines at the shops will be shorter if most people have already purchased.

May I join, please. My DD is off to Oxford and the other thread is all about everyone leaving and DD is still here!
She knows her college parents and there is also a meal next week for people who are going/at her college who live relatively locally. We did laugh that hers will be in Cambridge!
She has pre-reading and also some online stuff to do. Her college have sent her the books. She is also going early to go a bridging course. She's our last to go so going to be very quiet!

@strawberrieshortcake - oh well, I could be completely wrong of course. I thought "sub fusc" meant the whole white tie/mortar board ensemble and "gown" meant fling your gown over your casual clothes. However, if your DD is going to Brasenose, I would take your advice from them because all the colleges do things differently.

There's a lot of jargon to master isn't there? Anyone got their heads round Michaelmas, Hilary and Trinity yet!

Michaelmas - the one which Cambridge uses the same name for - is easy, it's the term during which Michaelmas daisies are in bloom.

@zxcv123 My DD isn’t going to Brasenose but saw on thestudentroom that the Brasenose admin had replied to a student saying that no students from any college need to have sub fusc until matriculation.

The names of the terms are a bit baffling- DD will have Michaelmas, Lent and then strangest of all Easter (which is the summer term). All of her friends have now left bar one so it will be a quiet couple of weeks for her. She is knuckling down to some reading but says it is slow going as she has forgotten how to read!
DD's Cambridge college doesn't have sub fusc or mortar boards, just smart clothes and a gown, so it seems quite informal by comparison to Oxford.

Yes Oxford is unusually formal in my opinion.
I think that the shorter terms are good in some respect in terms of more opportunities to work and gain experience but for now it seems they are just twiddling their thumbs while they wait to start.

Glad to have found this thread is active as most have now left on the other one!

Well DD seems to have been struck down by freshers’ flu before she has even left home! She is currently In bed with a full dose of raging fever, muscle aches and headache. I blame her recent nights out (celebrating with now departed friends) in our nearest small city which has just seen an influx of 15000 students. I suppose they brought 15000 sets of their non-local germs with them.
Maybe she’ll now be immune to the Cambridge freshers’ flu.
At least she is pretty much sorted as far as things to take goes. HER kitchen won’t even have an oven or hob so that cuts down on equipment.
How’s everyone else doing?

*Her not HER!

Good luck to all of you waiting for DC to go. DD started last year at Cambridge and I remember the anticipation and trepidation of these last couple of weeks waiting very well....

Thank you Biscuitburglar - DD now has Cambridge email sorted. And she is half packed. That’s good! I’m excited for her to go, but know I’ll be bereft when she does!

Probably a silly question. DD is off to her college in Oxford soon. I'll be vague in case outing it's not one of the old central colleges. I was just wondering what sort of variety of outfits she'll need. Obviously sub fusc she's got most of that. But what about formal day clothes? And evening wear? I remember lots of slightly posh drinks parties (Not Jeans) and also lots of formal occasions requiring black tie equivalent. But this was 1990s and at an old central college. DD's wardrobe is basically jeans plus her interview outfit (which she didn't wear!) of smart trousers and jumper. She doesn't really have much which is more formal. Should she? I realise that there are shops in Oxford (!) but I'd rather she had a few bases covered if she needs to.