Heading towards year 3 exams (uni 2017)

[Xenia]

Continuation of www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/3538808-heading-towards-year-2-exams-uni-2017 as we have reached page 40.

Hard to believe they are all in year 3 now and many will finish university in June 2020.

Bettybattenburg - sorry, my DD isn't at Bristol. (The implication of what she said was that this was specific to her department)

Not understanding about it not covering the dissertations?

This grad will not go down... is manna from heaven for some them..... however to be fair my sons have been 2/1 or 1st right from year 1 and worked very hard. One said the email from Bristol was very long and the other began reading it to me before they got interrupted so I haven't read it or been shown it. It certainly all seemed to be well organised. One of mine has a dissertation due in a week or so (their subject at Bristol I think has them in earlier than most others) and he other has until May and has an essay to do first.

The change to the academic side of things is nothing compared with the change to their final term but if it is for the great good (IF it is........) then a price worth paying.

I expect the student letters are all on the Bristol website. The Durham letters are all on its website and I've just been flicking them up myself to save bothering DS4. He's sitting on a high first at the moment so is very pleased about the no prejudice thing. My main concern about him for the moment is that a box of very pretty Easter eggs for his house has gone missing somewhere in Tyne and Wear.

I meant nothing changes with the dissertations, though as they haven't had access to their supervisors then they should be putting something in place for those affected. I won't get any allowance for my dissertation despite the fact that my supervisor/tutor has left with no warning (to me, the university knew months ago) a week before my dissertation is due.

Xenia from what you've said your twins have worked hard from the outset, I remember you saying the same thing re A levels. My DD is the same, she's been a 1st or 2/1 all along but is stressing about getting a 2/2 but that's how she is - she was convinced she hadn't done well at A levels but A*AA proved her wrong. Not that A level grades are even relevant now of course.

My DD has worked hard throughout but was hoping to improve her grade in years 3 and 4 as the course moved from the general to the specialism. But putting a floor under achieved grades is really all they can sensibly do.

That's really shit, Betty. I hope that your department gets its act together and makes adjustments. Make sure you have an email trail documenting your position.

To think only a few months ago we were chatting about final year plans for lots of the DCs and looking forward to celebrations and graduation ceremonies!
The world has certainly turned upside down very quickly.
What an appalling way to be treated, Betty. I know these are unprecedented times, to use a cliche, but there's no excuse for a lack of common courtesy re your uni not keeping you informed about something so crucial to your studies.
DS2 seems ok still. We checked out the Australian press and it seems the PM wants all those who can't financially support themselves to leave. This shouldn't apply to DS as he has savings in both his home and Australian bank accounts. He also has medical and dental insurance for the duration of his stay. He has made friends from the local community as well as on campus so he has a good social support network.
Hope those Easter eggs turn up, Goodbyestranger!

That stinks Betty. I get it now.

DS’ dissertation went in before all this blew up.
He’s borderline between two grades but doesn’t think he’ll achieve the higher mark now because they simple can’t complete their group assignment in the way they planned.

I think the betty daughter has the better attitude than my sons being pretty sure of their likely degree result.

One has had a very helpful tutor in touch with him on the dissertation due in May. My son is concerned the topic requires access to books in the university library which is now shut. I think his tutor let him borrow her copy of a book and when he looked that book up on line it was selling for £1200 so he is going to be very careful with it. I think it's a signed copy. She also suggested he could expand the topic a bit so on line materials might be used. He is not starting that until his next essay is finished however.

It is certainly a huge change in lots of people's lives and seems to be so much like so many books and films I've read and watched over the years (fiction) and history too - we were on an old leper colony island in the Seychelles last summer on a trip - that concept of those around you might infect you has been so much part of the past of mankind. and my sons were comparing today with the AIDS epidemic too. About 1m died from AIDS related conditions in 2018 for example. 60,000 have died of covid 19 so far.

Just noticed a new thread on this board asking for info on Bristol, specifically re MH issues and not having been able to visit - probably quite a few on here who could give some useful input?

Just talked to DD - she and her BF are still revising diligently for their assessments, but as they're not graded she's feeling less stressed than otherwise.
Then they'll do one rather than two projects, of some type which can be done at home. As this means half the normal workload she's planning on volunteering to do online tutoring for schoolkids - not sure if this is an initiative by her uni or a general one, sounds like a good idea.

Errol I'll go and look at the Bristol thread, thanks for the heads up.
My university, who I am almost on the verge of naming and shaming, are being appalling beyond what I mentioned a few days ago. I'll be leaving and not finishing my qualification at this rate.

Reading University (STEM) has been appalling. Not listening at all.

Betty get it finished if you can. It's so hard when you feel unsupported. Make sure you have all your requests in writing / emails.

DD seems to be getting into the swing of home study now thank goodness. She has been able to negotiate what help she gets regarding extra time etc, which she would have at uni.

Dh's dilemma. Hair too long. Should he go for a man bun, or let his daughter cut it.

He went for the latter. Not that bad. And it should improve with practice. She is already suggesting that she could cut it regularly, and be paid.

DH had the foresight in February to order some clippers. I let him set the length (so any mistake on that was his) and then did a pretty neat job. Fortunately all over at one length with a little trimming round the edges works on him. No need to mess around with a different length on top or front, Nature has obviated the need for that.

I doubt I will now, it's not going to make any difference at work and I was just going to do it out of interest really. I can't say I'm that bothered about it now.

Sorry I've been MIA. DD1 heard like Errol's DD that she shouldn't be graded lower than her 2nd year exams or anything she has submitted this year. She does have exams in May/June but they are open-book. She achieved a first last year, so the news has taken the pressure off, although she is very keen to do as well as she can.

@goodbyestranger is DS4 home now? I hope the Easter eggs turn up!

My DD2 is a 1st year and her exams have been cancelled. Her 3rd term was only ever going to be 4 - 5 weeks so that's all gone. She's not really got much to do. We suggested that she get a job at a local supermarket but as my ancient dad is with us (albeit in rude health), she's reluctant. Any ideas for keeping her meaningfully occupied welcome. She's currently working on Duolingo as she hoped to go to either Japan or South Korea this summer, so is keeping those languages up. I suggested getting her violin out, but that went down like a lead balloon so she's not completely desperate.

Although A levels and GCSEs are not happening, trying to rank students is the new hassle. It's my first year of supervising the EPQ so I have been marking all the submissions I have in so that they can be ranked. The person in charge has 3 teachers in his team who are new to it this year - poor sod! He will have to collate the submissions from 4 groups. Tomorrow morning I'm having a video call with my usual line manager about trying to rank our A level and GCSE students. There aren't too many of them, but even so, it's a daunting prospect.

Thank you Malbec no DS4 is still in Durham but yes, the pretty Easter eggs finally turned up yesterday after doing a circuit up and around the A1. He's pretty cheered by the no prejudice rule too. If it works out, he's got himself a very comfortable first off the back of last year - although I think all marks go on the transcript, so I expect he's working up there, as far as he can (all libraries closed, no internet in his room etc etc) Apparently panic buying of veg means only aubergines are left in Durham Tesco but he likes aubergines luckily :) All the very best with the ranking - rather you than me.

Glad the eggs arrived. My daughter (2nd one) says her egg has not yet but we think it may be with the porter at the place where she lives. Son 1 suddenly decided he wanted an egg - i get those who want one one nice one each from Hotel Ch. - but they only have some substitute easter thing but he happy with that and even that it will only come on 21st. So no egg problems there.

One of the student twins is up early again as his dissertation is due today. As with the 3 older children he asked me to read it just for typos. It was really good and mostly free of them but I picked up the odd one so can start my real work now. His twin's dissertation is not due until May nor his essay for 2 weeks so he is just relaxing at home - they are both at home.

Thankfully the woods opposite our house which were becoming so so full of people and suddenly had masses of litter in them (they never get litter in there) yesterday were clean up (council? I was surprised but my son thinks that is the only explanation) and a tape has gone over the car park at the other end of the woods so now only those fit enough to walk here and want to go into the woods from this end are likely to be in there now so he says it is much more peaceful now for their daily walk or cycle. One twin doesn't have a bike and his twin has an off road and a road one so they are sharing those but it does mean one of them is not on an off road one if they go off into the woods - minor issue compared with the financial carnage of many businesses with which I am dealing for work.

Glad the goodbye son is getting his food. I ventured out to Waitrose for the first time in 3 weeks last night thinking as it was late there would be no queue but I had to queue for 20 minutes. When I left at 8.30pm there was no queue so may be that is the best time. I got most of my foods and the twins are doing their once a week shop for their food tonight at Tesco locally. I was trying to get a duck for my non vegan son and I for Easter Sunday but could only get 2 breast pieces - even so they look nice. He will have another go tonight. As we are the smallest Easter family group for decades I expect we will cope with less food anyway.

As last working day before bank holidays clients seem to be chasing me a lot today so I had better get started.

The true story on that news item

Sorry wrong thread!

Just catching up - I will look for the Bristol thread.

@goodbyestranger, are there many left in Durham? DS left a month ago and has just started studying again - thankfully only a first year

@Needmoresleep, DD shaved DHs hair off using these clippers I used to use on DS when he was a toddler With his agreement!

Town is much much quieter bigTillyMint but not dead. There are three of them left in the house and clearly a few people around - I'm assuming mostly final year students living out. There are obviously a fair few in colleges too, although they've sent Castle and Hatfield students to one of the self-catering colleges to allow their rooms to be made over to key workers needing accommodation away from home. My guess is that most first years cleared out right at the start.