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Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

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Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Higher education

University life for freshers (2019/20) - Christmas backpacking (or not) and festive homecomings with all the tinseltastic trimmings!

986 replies

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 11/12/2019 17:53

Previous thread.

OP posts:

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Baytreemum · 16/02/2020 17:14

Gin - yes! DD1 had exams in November, exams last Friday, exams in April, and “finals” in June! Plus posters, reflections, personal projects and a ‘write-up’ of 2500 words. We are feeling the pain too! No reading weeks, 2 week ‘breaks’ at Christmas and Easter..,,,,, roll on the summer hols!

Ginfordinner · 16/02/2020 17:16

No reading weeks for DD either. What is your DD studying Baytreemum?

Benjispruce · 16/02/2020 18:36

We are off to Durham tomorrow for a few days. DD has warned us she’s very busy. Her study load has increased but no exams just lots of essays and summatives. She got a first for her first one so she’s pleased plus her team finished 2nd in the netball league today.Hoping the weather doesn’t bring too many problems.

Ginfordinner · 16/02/2020 18:52

DD is in Newcastle and I don't think they have had anything like the kind of weather we have had.

Benjispruce · 16/02/2020 18:58

She did say playing netball was a bit tricky in the wind!

bigTillyMint · 16/02/2020 20:35

@Benjispruce, DSs football was apparently freezing and v windy according to DD who has been up there to see him in Durham and DGodSis in Newcastle!

Baytreemum · 16/02/2020 21:11

Gin - medicine, so we expected it to be demanding but we didn’t expect it to be quite so relentless in the first two years - it really is survival of the fittest! Quite a few have given up the ghost already! How about your DD?

Witchend · 16/02/2020 21:46

We've just got back from visiting dd up in Durham. Other than the weather (I've some impressive pictures of the river) it was lovely. I've never been before, but it's a really nice town, although ds has announced he will choose his university by not having any hills
Even on Friday night there was a nice calm feeling about the accommodation blocks, which is nice for dd as she would have struggled with being party central.
Hope the rest of you enjoy your trip up there!

Ginfordinner · 16/02/2020 22:34

Baytreemum Biomedical sciences, but the first year is pretty much the same as what the medical students are studying. She did apply for medicine initially, but was unsuccessful, took a gap year and decided that medicine wasn't for her. She is so glad that she isn't doing medicine now.

Witchend the hills were one of the reasons that put DD off Bristol.

Benjispruce · 16/02/2020 22:35

@witchend glad you had a good trip. Which college is your DD at?

Witchend · 16/02/2020 22:40

@Benjispruce Josephine Butler

Jano69 · 16/02/2020 23:48

No exams for DS although working hard on his summatives which are worth 40% of his first year exams.

So pleased you enjoyed your trip to Durham Witchend. Hope you have a good journey tomorrow Benjispruce. We're driving down on Wednesday morning and staying in a small apartment for a few nights. It has a washing machine so I may be kind and help the boy with a few loads of washing!

DS is still unable to play rugby after having glandular fever but hopes to play again after Easter. In the meantime, he's trying to regain fitness at the college gym and has also enjoyed playing mixed netball.

Benjispruce · 17/02/2020 07:32

Good to hear your DS has recovered well @Jano69. JB is further up the hill from Collingwood where DD is, I think. We are staying just outside Durham.

Jano69 · 17/02/2020 07:54

@Benjispruce Have fun in Durham!

MrKlaw · 17/02/2020 10:42

DS having issues with housing for year 2. One of his group is not sure about doing year 2 after poor results in exams so they don’t know if they can sign up for a 4-person house yet. Hopefully they’ll know quickly enough to not lose it

bengalcat · 17/02/2020 10:45

I'm going up to Durham this weekend . Hopefully " Dennis the menace " will have gone .

Witchend · 17/02/2020 19:07

Have a good time in Durham those who are going!
Dennis wasn't that terrible at the weekend-lots of rain on the Saturday, but dry by the Sunday. The river was very full though-don't plan on any riverside walks unless you're planning on swimming.

Jano69 · 17/02/2020 20:32

@Witchend Hope the river doesn't swell any further.

Only 31 posts to our new thread!

Shall we help @NewModelArmyMayhem18 with some ideas?

I'm thinking spring time and hurtling towards end of first year exams!

Benjispruce · 17/02/2020 21:31

Hi all. Nice dry and mostly sunny day in Durham today if a little windy. Enjoyed a takeaway tonight at our accommodation and DD has decided to stay over and enjoy the facilities. The river apparently broke its banks this morning but was down again by lunchtime. Was nice to meet some of DD’s friends and she’d tidied her room up for us apparently.

bengalcat · 18/02/2020 11:40

Might take my green wellies up then just in case .

Benjispruce · 18/02/2020 22:08

Another sunny, mostly dry day. Even managed a walk along the beach at Seaham- dog loved that. Durham itself is sooo busy with students it makes me wonder what it would be without the university.

bigTillyMint · 19/02/2020 08:03

@Benjispruce, we went to Seaham! Did you go to the fab 50s ice cream parlour?!
Durham is only a small cathedral city, but popular with tourists in the summer too.

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Jano69 · 19/02/2020 10:44

We're heading north now, should be at Durham around 4pm. Hope to get a good meal tonight and also plan to visit Seaham tomorrow or Friday. DH is talking about a walk along Hadrians Wall - have packed the walking boots!

blametheparents · 19/02/2020 11:48

Nothing much to report here.
Things seem to be going well. Fairly easy start to this term so DS has made the most of it by partying hard! So far, he has always known when to stop and knuckle down to some work - let's hope that continues!
Exam results from the Jan exams come at the end of Feb so that will be a good guage of how he is doing. He worked hard over Xmas so hopes to do well, but I don't think he is sure what 'doing well' looks like at university yet. For both GCSe and IB he was strong on knowing the curriculum and the mark scheme and always felt confident that he had done what he needed to do. University seems different, I think.

Ginfordinner · 19/02/2020 12:20

A mixed bag here. A family bereavement (not unexpected) followed by DD absolutely smashing her January exams and getting a high first. Then the shock of discovering that someone she used to play with as a child took their own life at the weekend.

I know the family quite well and am still in shock myself.

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