Second year Oxbridge (2019)

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

I guess our dc would be known as Sophomores in the States Slightly scary eh?

This is a place to chat about the slightly strange and somewhat intense world our dc now inhabit during term time. It follows on from www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/3381401-Oxbridge-Freshers-2018

If parents of prospective oxbridge dc have any questions, we are happy to try our best to answer from our limited experience and perspective :)

I had a lovely visit :) Really nice to catch up with dd.

Been summoned to attend a perfirmance on Friday night. Just booked hotel!

Glad you had a nice time oybbk.

Glad it was a lovely visit kitten, we are due our first visit this term on 7th March, the week before he comes home!

I’m so glad I’m not the only proof-reading Mum, I’ve learnt such a lot and it makes me feel like I’m helping him a bit!

Wow so much news on here! Glad everyone is doing well and have had lovely visits with DC.
DD is unfortunately on crutches after an accident last weekend. Taxi fares to lectures and labs are already mounting up!
Glad I’m not the only proof reading parent .

“Has had...”

Oh dear often!!!! I have also been paying for taxis as she's had rehearsals all over town which are late and working so hard. I felt she was tired liable to accident to do much night time cycling.

DD had a good supo with her grumpy supervisor today. I did my bit, I proof read!!!!!😉

Gosh! Perhaps I should proof read my messages!

Hope your DD is moving freely soon often.

Glad you had a nice time kitten! Join in protests?😊

Enjoy performance roses

Ah well I got the weekends wrong, it's the w/e after next

College wi-fi was down nearly all day after a power cut. Came back around 8.30ish. Oh she was grumpy!

Baked if you are another cam we could wear a red carnation and wave.

Oybbk wouldn't it be great if there were a Frankwippery in our midst to organise a meetup

Aw roses love the idea of the red carnation but I’m Oxford! On second thoughts though, I would happily masquerade as Cambridge just so I could sample Fitzbillies!

How have we never mentioned out proof-reading skills before? I love it when I find he’s used a sneaky casual contraction in his essays, it’s (excuse the pun) become quite a challenge!

hah! no protests for me, I'll embarrass dd on another occasion

dd is my proof reader. I wouldn't have the foggiest as to whether raw hat she was writing was correct or not!

In terms of Easter vacation coming up, how are various colleges coping with the fact that students may not be able to go home? dds college seems to be doing a pretty good job in ensuring that students can stay if needed.

often sorry to hear about your dds accident. Will college not pay for the taxis to lectures?

Oh no I missed the accident. Get well wishes to Often's daughter.

I have asked DD to check re college paying for taxis. It’s a bad sprain so no Varsity dance this weekend Her college isn't geared up for crutches but the lovely librarian has reserved her a ground floor seat in the library and there is a lift in the Nat hist museum :)

Just re-read all 11 pages. Love this thread. It’s so helpful and kind - your responses to purplepooch is proof of that.
Thank you ofteninaspin for asking about the mouse situation. In the end I emailed the College accommodation & bursar and got a very good response as to the actions they were taking. Over the Xmas hols they carried out the work they said they’d do & my DS has had no visitors of the rodent sort this term.
Thank you to all of you that responded regarding DS’s close friend dying. He coped in College with the support of his gf & friends like you said he would. When he came home at Christmas he had a very big long cry with me as we had driven through the village where his friend had lived and we had a good chat about him. Unfortunately the inquest is yet to happen (it’s imminent) but at least I know he will express how he’s feeling.

Sunndowne my DS had the exact problem with missing important emails that went to spam about tests to do for internships but he too was given another date. He had missed them during his collections. So glad your DC sorted it & that they were successful. It’s good to know as my son wasn’t & I wondered if this was because he’d asked to reschedule but your DCs experience shows you still have the same chance.
Thank you.

OhTheRoses Our DS’s room stinks!!! His bin is always overflowing - usually due to a panic clear up of mess before we venture in 😂. But don’t let it worry you - they’ll know where everything is - so don’t tidy!!

Sorry me again!
I forgot to say - OftenInASpin I loved your bike story - picturing the Porter test driving your DD bike really made me laugh 😂

Had a trip to Oxford yesterday which was lovely. It was still really busy, even with coronavirus worries. DS is coming home next weekend and this was my first time seeing his room for this year. He thought it was hilarious that I made his bed and emptied his (overflowing-where did I go wrong!) bin. It’s safe to say that his room is a pigsty, he’d also run out of pants, as have all his flat mates as their washing machine broke down last week! It’s awaiting a part for the repair so we had to deliver emergency pants.

It’s good to hear that your DS was so well supported by his friends swimmer, they do us proud with their maturity sometimes don’t they?

Good to hear from you again Swimmer, it's been a tough time for your ds.

dd is home next weekend too :) I do wonder whether they will end up having an extended break this Easter, though that would be tough to manage with those who are having to stay in College over the hols. dds college is being very supportive to those who can't go home this time.

I am looking forward to having her back.

😂😂bakeandyarn love your emergency pants visit - we’ve had to take walking socks & passport before!!
Yes levels of maturity do them proud at times like that.
ohyoubadbadkitten it will be lovely to have them home again. DS has actually enjoyed his second year despite what’s happened so I’m very relieved.
My thoughts too are with those students who won’t be able to go home and with the student who’s been diagnosed with virus.
We too have wondered whether area closures may happen before they go back 😬

Awww, swimmer your DS has had it hard! Glad he's still enjoying it. Regarding intern apps, I think it is really hard. DD happened to have niche experience which helped. My DS kept on applying and applying but it eventually came good.

Waves to eachother at cambridge or beyond would be fun. Is nice to see such a supportive bunch of parents
on here coz they've really signed up for a hell (beauty)of a challenge!

Went again this week to see my DD performing in something way out of her comfort zone. She did fine. But most impressive were the audience, so encouraging!! It seems that so many of them feel we're in this together.

DD tells me there are a few snooty at cambridge but on the whole, just people that really go for it. And sometimes intelligence makes people more empathetic. My DD has had a mostly good experience with people there.

Haha. I've gone off track a bit! Oh well. My thoughts!

Coronavirus!!! Uggh. All balls,cancelled if just one case.

Of course there's the serious side that some poor people get really poorly despite being young

There’s 2 cases now at Oxford. Hope they’re ok.

bum :(