University life for freshers (2019/20) - we're hopping towards Easter with a pandemic to avoid **Title edited by MNHQ**

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@zandathepanda do you know whether the library will be open? Newcastle is DD's home uni and I think she was considering going there rather than staying home once she gets back from France so that she can use the library to complete some assignments. It was somewhat dependent on her finding accommodation but it may be useful to have a heads up.

Lincoln just announced it is going online so will see what DS says now.

Lincoln Uni did rather breezily announce how well Lincolnshire is holding back the tide!

I am not well, now. Not CV symptoms : just general unwellness but everything gets magnified and one starts to stress rather more.

If he comes back he can bloody well bring with him the 21 toilet rolls he said he has!

online lectures, lack of contact time, two sets of strikes.. This year has been a doozy so far. Can't help but think it'll affect how they do in exams and thats huge for their future

oh Bath announced they're going online from end of tomorrow and no face to face teaching. Nice of them to send me an email - oh no, its hidden behind a link on their homepage for me to find myself.

@Mrklaw adjustments will have to be made and most of the student body will be affected.

I have a friend whose DD is a 2nd year at Birmingham- told that’s it for the year!

Yes S1 also at Bath coming home on Wednesday. Annoying as he was here for the weekend & I had a feeling this would happen. Could have saved a train fare.

I find it odd that universities are making these decisions ahead of the government. Surely you would stay open unless you had to close. This will cause them huge problems including financial ones to sort.

For the rest of the academic year Mr Klaw or just this term?

I don't know about whether it will affect the degree results though - universities could lower the thresholds I suppose? - but could well affect the level or at least 'amount' of knowledge most students end up with, which matters more in some subjects than others, perhaps?

The uni Dd is at and the uni I work at are now both online lectures only for rest of the academic year. I don’t have to go back to work until sept. It’s all a bit surreal.

I dont think there will be any financial problems for the unis.

They won’t offer any refunds on fees as the content is there, it’s just online. Universities don’t generally promise a set amount of face to face hours a year. So they will just say content is still being provided. Libraries remain open. Halls remain open.

Agree Benji. afaik these decisions are not 'government policy'. I wonder if DfE or DoH has a 'view' on what is happening?

Obviously realise these decisions have to be taken by the individual university in the interests of the staff, students, wider community and this may vary from university to university.

Though on another thread (called something like why close until september?) an academic poster has said that there is a huge amount that can't be done online - discussion groups, team working etc - and in stem there is lab work, art/design studio time.

I think it also raises a conceptual problem, fittingly enough! - if all the content can be done online why run up such huge debts to 'go to university'? If it's for the social life and university experience (and realistically it partly is that which a lot of students are paying to get), going online hinders that because many students are, as we see, just going home to work. Clubs, societies, sports, presumably just stop meeting.

It will vary from uni. to uni. of course. Laughing at DC being told to bring toilet roll home. Not fancying the journey and picking everything up. Plus should students self isolate when they get home? My DS has a dad going in for an urgent op. in a couple of weeks, so that needs to go ahead.

I am now checking the website, they have seen fit to but a coronavirus banner at the top to click on hallelujah. I will just keep checking that because DS will be the last to realise what is going on.

@Canitreallybehappening20

Says until Easter, but they'll continue to monitor and are putting in place measures to continue remote teaching next term should it be required.

Clearly this hits those graduating this year the most, and perhaps less of an issue for first years, but still not great to lose a large chunk of a relatively short (3 year for DS) course

NTU has a statement on their website saying they're pausing face to face teaching for this week and then moving online from the 23rd. It also says although they hope to resume next term, it's possible that it'll remain online until sept.

DD seems to be wanting to stay there, but whether that will stay the same if there's a mass exodus we shall see I want her home

@Canitreallybehappening20 I agree and have had the same thoughts. When I emailed Durham about a refund of tuition fees during strikes(DD lost every single day-16?) the reply said tuition fees cover the whole uni experience not just tuition! I’m seriously wondering why they are there 3 years. Increase contact hours, shorten the holidays, provide value for money and get it done in 2! Very angry right now.

Also, where is the logic in online lectures when halls, communal dining, gyms, bars and libraries are open?

Sounds like the only people being protected are the lecturers. What about the cleaners, catering staff and security?

It will be very interesting to see what happens about accommodation costs if the universities opt to stay 'virtual' for the rest of the academic year. They cannot truly expect students to return and pay full rent when not there. Clearly this isn't about students willingly breaking contracts but about what is safe and recommended to flatten the pandemic spread.

Academically yes I suppose it may hit final year students the most, but in some ways they are already getting ready psychologically to leave university.
Whereas 1st yrs just getting settled and trying to immerse themselves in the university experience are perhaps not having the best experience ever, particularly if there have been strikes! Yes not the most important aspect of the current situation, but it's not great for them. Particularly where the decision has already been taken for the rest of the academic year.

Don’t know about the library simbobs, sorry.
I think the universities are different to schools as the young people are so vulnerable. There would be many situations where an individual could be ill and there would be no one to check on them (especially first years with en-suite facilities in halls).

I fear that will be their get-out clause. Halls are open, libraries are open so you can stay and pay! Hardly the point of going to study at a university.

2nd years who have had the 3rd term cancelled can’t get a refund on private accommodation Mar-Sept!