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 :)

That's pretty tough Spin having to try and study and remember straight after a long summer where some of them will be working.

I remember this time last year when I was slightly apprehensive about what it would be like to have dd home for the summer - October seemed so far away. Ironic really, given this year.

DD is collecting all her stuff next week. My dutiful DH is practising
motorway driving with her as she's visited two uni friends and their gardens about an hour from here. Husband sits on his laptop working and waiting for her!

It's nice to be finished exams but she feels a bit in limbo. Still wondering if we'll get to take her on her Year abroad.

You must tell me which Spa Roses, I go to a reasonably priced one too!
Grim exams just after summer Spin, Did I get that right? It is all so tough. But I think a bit better than plans that suggested unis would be closed until January- alternate plans are now in hand at least!

Hope you are all good Kitten and your DD's internship goes okay? She's working?

I presume my DD will be as Covid safe as anywhere with a year in Europe. Or that is what I tell myself to cope with worry!

Best wishes all.

@Sunndowne, it’s good that your DD has been able to visit friends although not quite the usual post exam party atmosphere. (I like @OhYouBadBadKitten’s suggestion of cocktails in the garden for May week 🙂). I do hope the travel situation becomes clearer soon to end the uncertainty over your DD’s year abroad.

My concern for DD is that she (and the rest of her cohort) will start Trinity term tired rather than rested. I am hoping that she will get her replacement “research” project done and dusted in July/August and leave revision for second year work until September. There is a danger that she won’t take a proper break from studying.

DS says he will sit one of his A levels in the proposed Autumn exam series if he doesn’t get all the A* grades he needs for his Cambridge offer so both DC might be revising in September!

Wouldn't a spa be totally heavenly!!

I wouldnt like exams then Spin, I totally get where you are coming from.

Sunndowne I'd definitely rather be in Europe than here over the next year! I think that practically every other country is handling it more safely than we are. I look over with great envy!

dd is taking a couple of weeks off then has her internship. Time left over after for a break and theres an area of maths she wants to teach herself. She seems to be very fortunate with how its working out. Currently there is much gaming involved.

Good luck with your dds driving confidence - something we need to encourage too.

i think we’re in the same position with exams, spin, DS has been asked to vote on different options but they are encouraging the beginning on Michaelmas option. I think he would be happier to have them out of the way at the start but I guess there are pros and cons!

We are going to need a “Third Year” thread soon!

Sympathies re Michaelmas exams Bake. It does make sense to have them sooner rather than later. For some reason, DD is anxious about doing exams online in College accommodation (it will be a college owned house share for third year).

It doesn't sound good to have exams hanging over students all summer. It wouldn't suit my DD's learning style at all. So my huge sympathies. But it is what it is. We all have less good options occurring all the time because of covid.

Glad your DD is doing well kitten and still wants to teach herself. She's inspired!

So DD did have a virtual garden party today. Had been asked among other things to make a teach a dance video for them all to do during party! Her intuition told her it wasn't good! There were over 100 people there. And all the DoS. She's mightily relieved she didn't do it!!! But they think they could have put a dance show video clip up they did in Feb. Never mind. No cocktails but fun otherwise.

Enjoy heat wave!

Virtual Garden party sounds good fun @Sunndowne.
DD’s very popular college Principal hosted a Zoom call on Friday to address everyone for the last time (it’s a small college!) as he is retiring.
DD is feeling quite low which isn’t like her at all. Obviously she is not hugely enamoured that her much anticipated Borneo trip has been replaced with exam revision but I think she feels that her course has become quite muddled and the online project work is drifting haphazardly into summer. She normally thrives on being busy but I suspect she is lacking the structure that is normally provided by labs/practicals and her extracurricular training to create the right balance.

so any of you who have followed thread and may remember that my DD has suffered with her confidence and the rigours of Oxbridge: a big imposter syndrome. She couldn't sleep at all during exam time Year one and it affected her final result. Was good enough but not her best.

Her results for second year came 3 days late - a major technical glitch and people were on holiday so couldn't fix it!! But result came at lunchtime today and she got an amazing result! Love her! She tries so hard! And work is tough- sure many of you know this well!

But I'm chuffed for her. Best wishes all.

Very well done to your dd Sunndowne, that's brilliant of her!

Thank you kitten

Great news sunndowne, it’s lovely to hear of their successes!

Thank you Bake! so proud and relieved for her. She tries so hard!
Good luck to all

That is such good news @Sunndowne, very well done to your DD.

Thanks spin
Onwards and upwards!

Any news yet about your DD's year abroad placement @Sunndowne?

Yep. It's happening. Starting soon online in England with current intern from Cambridge then going to office abroad in August. We're going with her to find a flat.
Just looking into how she pays her rent without big interest charges. Think a Monzo card might help. Need advice actually . Her salary is minimal, it is internship definitely. But the two companies she is working for are amazing opportunities for experience in areas she wants to pursue.

Trouble is we have to get short housing contracts in case of further lockdown. Current intern has been stung by this.

Ah goodness, lots to think about and organise. I have experienced the difficulties of securing short term rental contracts so you have my sympathy. Good luck to you and your DD with the final preparations. You will emerge experts in yet another aspect of life!

I hope everyone is well? @Sunndowne, I hope your DD has successfully navigated the all the obstacles and her year abroad is underway in some form?

DS1 managed to come through A Levels virtually unscathed (AAA) and is going to Cambridge. He is annoyed not to get the A* in Maths but mainly relieved that his place didn’t depend upon it. (His school are appealing the whole Maths cohort so he may benefit indirectly).

He is waiting for information from college about when to arrive. DD1’s Oxford college have given DD1 a strict arrival date and time on Sunday 4th Oct so I am anticipating a lot of packing/unpacking and driving that weekend!

DD is working long hours on her research project and ramping up revision for her Part 1 exams. She will, hopefully, reap the benefit in Michaelmas term after the exams because she had to complete all the Third year lectures up to fifth week after Easter so will only have labs and tutorials to worry about. It should be back to normal “timetable” after fifth week!

Hello Spin and all,
So hopefully DD is going by herself early Sept. Our plans to help her were scuppered when news said imminent full lockdown in area of Spain. Luckily, I have voucher for accommodation.
She is working for company online at moment and is making virtual friends with people going. Have expensive insurance and now Cambridge are insuring too. We are sending her (reluctantly on DD's par) to international student halls until she finds where she wants to live. Don't want her alone in an airbnb in covid uncertainty.
Fantastic news about your DS spin. Congrats!

We had early 21st here yesterday and I realised our DC so far have done better than us- was always the plan ! Let's hope covid doesn't ruin their prospects.
I said to Oxbridge people here yesterday, I hope there is not too much lockdown when they return. But there is a pike in Cambridge cases at moment ! Sorry, doom and gloom.
Best wishes

*spike

Shall I start a new thread so we can all shuffle over?

In the mean time.
www.ox.ac.uk/news/2020-08-15-university-statement-2020-admissions

Utter, utter nightmare. I feel desperately sorry for the students who have been shafted by this farce, but have sympathy for the universities. What on earth can they do?

Sunndowne some adventures require more courage than others. I'm sure you must be so proud of your dd and the experience of this will help her to grow into an even more resilient and experienced young woman, ready to tackle the world.

What a good idea to have an early 21st.

I know that dd is pretty desperate to get back to university, where she is in control of her own world and back among what she loves.

So much uncertainty and shifting of plans. Fingers crossed for September Sunndowne. And thank you. Celebrating doesn’t feel quite right. It is more relief than joy; the run up to results day was horrible with twists and turns reported daily. We had a bottle of Prosecco at home with a Chinese takeaway and an early night!

The universities have my sympathy too. I can’t help feeling that releasing results a month earlier would have given more time to resolve some of the problems.

My vote is for new thread or name change of this one.

Agree A' level situation is a nightmare for everyone. That take away sounds like it was a good idea spin.

So fingers crossed for flights! Rebooked for 7th but after that: next flight out. Late night and I'll book hotel at airport. Never planned for DD to travel like this. I'm super supportive/ protective/involved at every stage usually!' thanks for moral support kitten.

Fingers crossed for all those disappointented 18 year olds!