The CDE of University Life (2019/20 cohort) - assignments, flat-hunting, Halloween and the end of their first term fast approaching

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

Previous thread - Obvs the end of term is looming sooner for some than for others? I guess the Oxbridge posse will finish by the end of November or just into December?

Mines at Durham -Hasn’t mentioned strikes but does have a few assessments to submit and an exam I think .

@Jano69 my DS has 4 to submit by Friday too. It would be good if they even got £50 back!

@simbobs same for DD. She (and we) seriously wondered what she is paying 9K for if she can teach herself

Simbobs DD is in the same boat, she wants to stay in the uni halls but there's 8 in her group of friends and the flats sleep 6. I think a couple are considering moving off campus so it should work out OK. I'm quite impressed she's even had the conversation already.

No strikes here that we know of, it's weird to think they're all gearing up for the xmas holidays as it only seems a couple of weeks ago they were going.

Dd (Durham) says they've been told that if a lecture is missed due to the strike, then the work that would have been done then will not come up in the exams.
I think she's not got many missed though.

DD's uni has a plenum tommorow to discuss actions for the 29th. Students and lecturers are involved.
She has handed in enough gradeable work already to stop stressing out - the students' term for this is "to be green carded". Lot's of the lectures and texts are in English and work has to be handed in in the appropriate language.

Edinburgh striking. DD says all her work is up to date, so just revision this week as they have exams soon.

Two weeks tomorrow she'll be home. Can't believe we haven't seen her for over 10 weeks. Speak to her on the phone approx every ten days and she regularly messages/sends photos which helps.

Just got a message from DS telling me he had found a house for next year in Nottingham... was worried as thought he wasn't even looking ... going to live in Lenton with all present flatmates.

Only 2 1/2 weeks and DD will be home . How time flies , it only seems like yesterday she went .

@Alicatz66, Lenton must be the popular student area as DDs friend is in a house there!

Just spoken to DD who is bored and it’s only Tuesday, day 2 of 8 days of strikes. I am furious on her behalf that they are not being reimbursed. She sounds helpless, feels they’re not being considered. If they want to charge their ‘customers’ extortionate fees, there really should be reimbursement when they don’t deliver.

I had a look at Durham’s FAQ page for students regarding strike action and not one of the FAQs is about reimbursement!

No mention of it at York either.

She’s losing ALL of her contact time and had no direction or instruction at all.

DD will be home in just over 24 hours. Assuming the Chicago traffic to the airport isn't too bad, the security lines at O'Hare aren't too long, and the the weather doesn't do anything other than what it's forecast to do. They're saying rain and ice but hopefully no snow in Chicago.

She's actually bothered to register for TSA Pre, and has booked a very early taxi to the airport with a friend, so I am hopeful she'll have a better journey than we did last time (we were delayed 24 hours).

Am quite excited.

Luckily we don't have to think about loss of money because of climate week as education is mostly free.
It's absolutely neccessary to change behaviour on all levels of socitey and universities schould be accelerators for change ( Ideally - that is! )

Just had DS home for a couple of days. He had popped in but been staying with gf and started feeling unwell. It's just a fluey cold but I think he has given it to me!
It gave us a chance to try and get him to reality check his accommodation plan for next year. He agreed that some of his mates would probably drop out once their parents were faced with being guarantors for the rent, and may consider staying where they are, but together.

Why would parents back out of being guarantors?

Congratulations to all the Nottingham students securing accom for next year. We have just signed for a studio in the City Centre. It looks lovely but is a bit expensive but he is happy to have a double bed again as he suffers in a single in his halls.

I think DS only remembered to tell me about house to ask me to be the guarantor!!

@minesawine ... My DS struggles in a single bed too .. he's massive .. new house has 7 double rooms apparently!! ... wish I owned a student house !!! ..

Benji from what I've read elsewhere (MSE probably) if students are renting out a whole house together rather than signing individual tenancy agreements, the parents become guarantors for all of them. So if one drops out, the landlord can go after any of the parents for the debt if they can't fill the empty room. So it's not just being a guarantor for your own child.

Something like that anyway (clearly not a lawyer ).

No, I’m only guarantor for my DD.

I'm guarantor for DS only, definitely not the other 3 tenants.

Didn't mean to panic anyone, it's just something to look out for

You are right Raptor, it happened to a friend of mine, her DD was in Manc uni. A housemate had a fight with her boyfriend and they smashed a window and punched a hole in a door. As well as her DD being traumatised my friend received the bill for repairs as she was guarantor for the whole house.
No wonder parents are not keen to sign.