Durham University

[NotEnoughTime]

Hello.

How many of us are waiting for their DC to hear back from Durham? My DS applied back in October last year and is getting very down now he knows that others who have received offers are being informed that they will be told soon re college allocations.

I am usually a 'no news is good news' type of person but even I am finding it hard to be upbeat as I too am fed up

I wish they would just let him me know soon if he is going to get an offer or a rejection and then he can get on with his life and his A Level revision without this hanging over him.

I think Hatfield and Castle have positive cases.
I would be shocked if the others don't too.

Hild-Bede definitely has positive cases in more than one household

Listening to the interviews this morning, it occurred to me that perhaps either the college could have asked for volunteers, (or students who were still fit, healthy and going down to the dining room for meals could themselves have volunteered?) to help deliver meals to the self isolating flats, if the college staff were too stretched to be able to do it initially? Putting food into a takeaway box, that you would otherwise have been serving to your customer in person on a plate doesn't take that much longer.

DD - second year, elsewhere - was on a promise (possibly only with a degree of eye rolling, but I was asking her on WhatsApp, so she could roll away unseen) if necessary to do an Aldi shop and deliver it to the self isolating student, not as far as she is aware known to her, the DC of a 'virtual friend' of mine from another forum, who is at the same university and lives a couple of streets from her, but I think they have managed to survive without her this time.

I was just reading an article about students at various Unis complaining about the price of Uni provided food boxes. One of the students was at Stephenson so I guess they have cases too.
I think we can pretty much guarantee all colleges currently have positive cases plus households isolating.
Only to be expected. DD was fully aware that she would probably get it before she went!!

Anyone’s Durham dc going to make a break for home before cOvid gets to their college / hall of residence / household ?

I wanted my Ds to get on a train home, but he says he can’t ‘because the deadline e for online learning has passed’. I have no clue what this means and he hasn’t deigned to explain

Given that they now have his rent and catering money, I should have thought the uni would be keen to see him go ...

I know he should isolate when he gets home, but that’s better than isolating repeatedly in halls.

My DD with a rotating team of volunteers is delivering college meals, fresh fruit, drinks and post to households which are isolating at Hatfield. I haven’t heard of anyone being particularly ill or of positive results, I think they are just being extremely cautious. I feel so sorry for the kids stuck inside with no exercise for days on end. If 86% of positive cases are symptomless, and these kids haven’t even tested positive, it seems cruel to me to trap them inside. My DD has no f2f, lives in a studio, and is glad to get away from her laptop and see The library is deserted. It is a grim situation. Students are so isolated and many are very lonely.

It should have said “glad to see someone.”

My DS (Stevo) went clay pigeon shooting near Thirsk on Wednesday with the Uni society. At least he got some fresh air!!

Anyone wanting an outdoor sport the Durham Kayaking soc is starting sessions on the river next week. A perfectly socially distanced sport and beginners (my DD was one last year) are very welcome

I asked DD about the Radio 4 interview and it was one of the girls in her household bubble. Just a shame the interview went out the day the College got the food situation sorted, but yes, the first few days of them being locked down completely, it was pretty grim, and yes it won't have helped with the recovery.

By the time they get out of quarantine, none of them will have done any washing for almost 3 weeks, DD has promised to try and get her sheets/towels washed as soon as she's allowed to.

DS is in his final year and thankfully is in a small flat with one other guy, I told them to stock up on lots of store cupboard stuff and paracetamol.

His gf is in Mary's, as she is a college parent and is in forced lockdown. They have certainly been finding it very difficult to get food. The tone of the enforcements seem very over the top and intimidating.

I do sympathise to some extent with the university authorities trying to deal with a very difficult situation, but it hasn't exactly come out of the blue, they have had all summer to prepare for a variety of circumstances, and it doesn't look like they bothered at all.

This sounds like a complete fuck up and I think the students have genuine grounds for a serious complaint.

I feel so sorry for the first years, many of whom are away from home for the first time, and who haven't got a proper friendship network yet

Just had a great chat with DS. Rugby and cricket trials next week, so he’s been busy at the gym. He’s finding sorting his weekly timetable quite tricky - the intranet doesn’t always make it clear if a lecture is recorded or live with breakout ‘rooms’, plus remembering if he’s on week 1 or 2 of the fortnightly timetable of tutorials/seminars. Still, all a learning process...

My DD is in her final year and is in a house of 4. All have tested positive in the last couple of days . All are ok. Getting tested was very easy - just a walk in

I know from DD that choral auditions have all been going ahead, DULOG are currently auditioning for production team, and she has been rowing regularly. She has f2f on Thursdays, and has been booking slots to study in the Billy Bee as well as in her own (really rather lovely) room. Her household is sticking together and eating together. They are also drinking in the bar together, and supporting each other fairly well. Some have taken out gym membership and others are running together in pairs. I have been sending the occasional treat (dunkin donut trays, cupcakes..) for the household to share during study breaks.

@janinlondon It sounds as if your DD is getting on well! Super! Mine seems to be adapting too - has been socialising with support household, on walks, done zoom ballet classes and is trying click and collect at billy b cafe today with a course mate!

Glad to see some positive stories on here!!

One of DS's household has COVID symptoms so they're self isolating in their block. He'll be glad of the cards and backgammon I insisted he take

Some students in DS's bubble have received positive test results and so obviously the whole bubble are isolating.
However, DS has developed symptoms but can't get a test; he tells me that there are no tests in Durham for three weeks!
It looks almost certain that he is positive but I would have liked him to have taken a test so we know for sure.

Spoke too soon.... DS has managed to order a home delivery kit. There are just no tests at the testing centre.

@Suki2 Ds had a test yesterday and there were a lot of tests available then at the various sites around Durham. I think he went online at 1:30 to book it and was offered 2,2:30, 3, 3:30,...., 6pm

It might just be a case of what time of day yu log in to look for a test as they release them in batches.

He was told to expect the result with 48 hours, but it came back this afternoon after only 24 hours (it is positive).

@Suki2 My DS (2nd year) got a test last Thursday. Booked at 1pm, swabbed at 3pm and positive result by 11am the next day. So a turnaround in 24 hours. Might be worth having another try...

@Quair and @Jano69 thanks for taking the time to post, that's useful information. I've passed it on to DS..... he's thinking about whether or not to stick with his home test or try again.

So glad to have found this Durham thread! I have two questions: can anybody recommend a good food delivery service for students in isolation - a hill college? Can they actually get UberEats if they are in isolation...I would have thought not as they can't meet the delivery drivers? Also, is anybody finding that that their child is just not gelling with their allocated bubble? My dd was told in no uncertain terms yesterday by the college staff that she is not allowed to mix with other people outside her small bubble but she feels she has nothing in common with any of them bar one and she finds it frustrating - particularly as tutorials, classes, societies are not happening. She feels that in other colleges they are not so strict and people are being able to mingle more whilst remaining sensible in small groups under 6. She hasn't been partying but just seeing one or two in other small groups because she said otherwise she would spend all day on her own in her room since her bubble are not at all sociable. I think it's so tough for them all that Covid means they can't hang out with people they would naturally gravitate towards. She is beginning to wonder why she is staying there if she can't make friends outside her bubble and will spend most time in her room post isolation. Anybody else have a child who is thinking of leaving and starting afresh next year?

DD's in a house of 3, with 2 others doing the same subject. One of them has a car so they're doing click and collect shopping, and other than that only going out for a tutorial once a week.
They're as safe as they can be, and I suspect will build really good friendships over isolation.