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

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It's a lot to think that they have paid a fortune for their accommodation but...
DD was home 2 weeks early for Christmas due to strikes.
And a week early now for the same.
And isn't being asked to go back at all before next year. Lectures online so she's not missing out on input in her subject.

@SchrodingersKitty hope you're okay.

Apparently Student finance is going to say that even if they have to be at home with on-line lectures for the last term, they will still get the full loan.

It's the unknown that's so hard. Apparently Durham is going to make an announcement about exams tomorrow, and dd's expecting it to say it's online for first years at least.

I really hope Durham reopens as normal after Easter it maybe a week later. I’m surprised some universities are already saying they won’t be opening normally for the rest of the year. A month is a long time for this virus as we’ve seen already. Their latest student email says library now closed too, don’t go to pubs, sports off. DD is stuck there until Saturday as she can’t bring all her stuff back on the train. Would have got her last weekend only they said they could stay. Several students are awaiting covid results too. My school year 6 are off on a residential as though nothing has happened. Very surreal.

One of my clients is an insurance company that specialises in paying out sick pay benefits here in the US. They're pretty hot at anything to do with illnesses.

They've closed their own offices for 7 weeks.

It doesn't give me much hope that this will be over any time soon :-(

And yes - I do feel terribly sorry for these students. What a shit thing to happen. My DD was absolutely loving college, her band, her acapella group, her studies, her friends, the play she was about to help put on - everything about her life. She's said goodbye potentially forever to the seniors. I know there are other things to worry about, but I do feel devastated for her, and even more for her final year friends.

Was going to pick up DS tomorrow from Bath, but he asked to wait until Friday because Bath sent an email saying they’ll remain closed for the rest of the year.

No idea what to do about exams or whether we are supposed to move them out of accommodation!? Maybe we can leave that for later and just get the basics out for now.

They’ll have had such relatively little contact time - wonder if they should resit the year but without additional cost?

@Benjispruce can’t see this being remotely over until autumn at the earliest.

Does seem a shame to not go back until September now. Mine wasn’t that affected by strikes but it’s a crappy way to start what should be a big new chapter in your life

I’m clinging to hope.It seems that leaked email was true then and not a hoax. I do hate being lied to.

Looking for tiny positives - the fact DS wants a couple of days before coming home means he’s at least a little settled where he is. We get such little from him apart from ‘fine’ that it’s reassuring to know he’ll miss others a bit :)

I’ve been pretty blasé so far - been wfh for 10 days already (not a fan). But this has made me all melancholy

DD will probably be off school next week - she’s got GCSEs so god knows what they’ll do

Your remark about melancholy is timely MrKlaw - I wonder if we really even know what the impact will be on people who live alone, now work from home and see nobody in the evening and at weekends.

yes facetime, skype, etc - but, you know. I do think the impact may be tremendously lonely for people living alone. Sorry, not at all relevant to this thread!

What happened to the suggestion that higher temperatures might kill it off - is that now disproved (presumably Italy is hotter than it is here)? If that were true then returning to university in May might not have seemed so far fetched.

My DD2 has GCSEs too. No idea what will happen there. She got great mock results too so it will be a shame if she forget the chance to take them.

*didn’t get not forgot

DS home on Thursday, not that willing but worried travelling across country may be curtailed next week. He is adamant he does not want us to collect him and clear out his room. So he is leaving very expensive computer tower, monitor etc. there. He thinks he can collect it later in the year. Who knows. Just glad he is coming home.

She is worried about the long term effect of this on getting a job etc. Plus final year will be tough if they assess on two years worth of learning at the end

All students will be in the same boat, so they will all be equally disadvantaged.

I have been told at work that I am high risk so I have to work from home for the next three months. Shops are being cleared of stock by panic buyers round here. At least we have farm shops and smaller businesses as well as supermarkets.

The roads were quiet today, and I got to work in record time.

Busy day here so sorry to be responding to questions a couple of pages ago.
DS in NE is staying put and moving to remote teaching this week but I anticipate they will be asked to leave at the latest when the two week Easter Break starts. His Foundation year this semester is all assessed work so he can complete at home if necessary. He has already applied for same accommodation for next year and thought he might get same room. That would be great if he can leave his stuff there locked in his room, as a 600 mile round trip would be tricky due to fairly immobile ill husband at present.
DD in US is in her final semester and so this is really testing her resilience, having to say goodbye as friends leave. Graduation was in May but seems very unlikely to happen then. So much that she was looking forward to has been changed. Uni has said that there will be reimbursement for housing and food now not being used because of having to leave, but will take time to calculate /refund. They are also supporting stuck International or financially challenged or unsupported students who cannot leave the city.
She and another Brit are leaving together for the Airport tomorrow and have a hotel booked for the night, flying Thursday. Departure brought forward due to imminent 'shelter in place' restrictions so she worried she might not get to the airport on the day. She will complete a final thesis and do online papers in her other subjects. Fortunately the Grade Point Average for your degree (not like here) is over the 4 years and fairly set by Christmas of the 4th year.
Her concern immediately is she will self isolate from us in the house as her dad is ill and then what the graduate job market will be like once all this is over.

We are taking each day and making decisions as best we can. Stay safe and as well as possible, all.

Just wanted to let you know that supermarkets are recruiting! Did a shop in the nearby town yesterday and happened to get the manager on the till at the checkout. She chatted and asked how things were and I mentioned both dcs were coming home from uni today and one already knew she wasn’t going back next term. She immediately asked, “Do they want a job?” They’ve always employed a few older people there so I suspect they’re losing them to self isolation. Students are perfect as they hopefully won’t be too much at risk of hospitalisation. Feeling a bit ambivalent as I’m in the vulnerable category so don’t want them bringing CV-19 home. They have holiday jobs in the village shop so hoping there will be enough work for them to stick to that and not take on 2nd jobs in a supermarket. They will be delivering food to old people in the village so shouldn’t increase their risk really. But anyway - just a thought for any out there who’s dcs might be in a position to take supermarket jobs.

Was going to collect DD this week, but she had a headache yesterday and has been unable to sleep due to coughing all night

Oh no @ginfordinner I’d go and get her.

DH is in a high risk category so I don't think it would be a good idea.

Oh what a worry. Can you isolate her in the house somewhere with separate facilities as far as you can?

@Ginfordinner She thinks different medical schools are taking different approaches. But for sure she is being a little self absorbed about it! I have tried to bite my tongue & make soothing noises. I really hope her year group will be allowed to help in some capacity or get voluntary work elsewhere.

It is stressful for everyone Decorhate , so I think tongue biting is the best approach. At least one of DD's flatmates is staying until next Friday so she won't be completely on her own.

DS has old school friends at UEA with him. The ones doing medicine (and in first year) are already helping in local hospitals apparently. I commented that it was a baptism of fire so early on in their training.

Sorry to hear that your DD is poorly @Ginfordinner.

The self-isolation thing is fine and dandy if one lives in a reasonably large house, otherwise not so easy...

I meant a bedroom not a wing! I’m being sent on a first aid course today as normal!!

Wondering if others will turn up.