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Higher education

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

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

970 replies

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 19/02/2020 19:28

Previous thread

OP posts:
Shimy · 19/03/2020 17:30

DS still planning to travel back by transport next week. It’s still unclear wether he needs to clear out his room. Am I right in thinking there won’t be a resumption after Easter hols at any university ? Are they all clearing out their rooms?

Shimy · 19/03/2020 17:38

Surely if we’re to go into lockdown we will get official notice?

Benjispruce · 19/03/2020 17:42

Many still are. MIL (over 70)still going to gym, coffee mornings etc. On another thread, businesses are encouraging customers!

Benjispruce · 19/03/2020 17:43

He’s not locking down London so rest of UK ok too, so we can stop panicking about that at least.

Benjispruce · 19/03/2020 17:44

@Shimy some universities have said online after Easter, others haven’t yet.

ZandathePanda · 19/03/2020 17:53

Newcastle have said on Twitter if you take everything and hand back your keycard, they won’t charge for next term. Dd v. upset as didn’t get to say goodbye to flatmates and the finality of handing in the keycard.Sad

Shimy · 19/03/2020 18:09

I’ve calmed down and found answers to my own questions. It was all on the website, DS just hadn’t looked. They are welcome to leave their belongings till end of academic year. That means thankfully no need to drive up there having just been there last weekend. DS has also decided to come asap as his department has closed. Hope everyone else’s dc is also either home or arriving soon.

Ginfordinner · 19/03/2020 18:21

That's a shame Zanda
Most of DD's flatmates and friends were still there when I collected her. They helped carry all her stuff (far too much stuff IMO) down to the car, and gave her a lovely send off. They have all said that they want to meet up over the summer if everything is OK. Another parent was collecting and she has invited DD and the rest of the friendship group over in the summer if they can make it. I have done the same.

DD has still got lots of work to do, and has a lab report to do for next week.

bigTillyMint · 19/03/2020 19:09

@ZandathePanda, that’s really good that they can get their money back. Not heard anything like that from Durham. But DSs stuff is still there anyway Hmm Sorry she has had to leave without proper goodbye.

@Ginfordinner (your name makes my mouth water every time I see it!) how lovely for your DD as she has struggled with health/going out.

HostessTrolley · 19/03/2020 19:41

Ooh, dd at imperial (first year medic in halls) just had an email saying that if they notify their desire to end their accommodation contract and empty their room by a given date in April, they won’t be charged the summer term rent.

Shimy · 19/03/2020 19:49

@Hostess I hope other universities extend that generosity Hmm.

bigTillyMint · 19/03/2020 20:21

So do I!

Benjispruce · 19/03/2020 20:27

Me too!!

juicy0 · 19/03/2020 20:54

And me!!

Baytreemum · 19/03/2020 21:08

QMUL will also let us out of our residential contract if we vacate DD’s room but I don’t know how to do this as we aren’t sure if we can get back into London.....

Benjispruce · 19/03/2020 21:26

Why wouldn’t you be able to get back into London?

Benjispruce · 19/03/2020 21:27

I’m sure Boris said tonight that there are no plans to put London into lockdown.

justasking111 · 19/03/2020 22:58

DS back home. When I picked him up at the station he said " I am going to self isolate for seven days" I nearly crashed the car!! never thought he would be this mature. He came in went straight into shower all clothes in laundry basket to put into washing machine.

The downside is that he has the remnants of a cold, when he coughed tonight we heard it above us OH visibly jumped in his chair.

Piggywaspushed · 19/03/2020 23:09

Well DS's stuff is still all in his room. I am not sure how responsible it is of unis to encourage family days out to pick up stuff. What really does it matter to them if there is stuff in a room. No one is using it.

bengalcat · 20/03/2020 05:58

Looking forward to ‘my baby ‘ coming home today / this evening .

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 20/03/2020 06:40

@Piggywaspushed I'm with you. It's just being bloody-minded for universities to say that they've got to have cleared their rooms to not have to pay next term's rent! DS came home on the coach (we are a car-free family). He couldn't carry all his stuff. Of course with the benefit of hindsight he should have stayed up until this coming weekend and one of us would have gone up to collect him (and clear the room).

These are exceptional times and they require the ultimate in flexibility I would have thought.

OP posts:
Piggywaspushed · 20/03/2020 06:51

It just feels like a British mindset that everyone should keep soldiering on. In secondary schools now, nearly all teachers can , and should, be working from home. But DH's school have ordered his staff in for a MEETING on Monday (so that's 100 people in a room with manky keyboards etc). In my school, staff have volunteered to do 5 a side football. I cannot get beyond this.

Rant over...

Lincoln is being a bit weird. Everything gone online but not expecting students to leave really. Beginning to wish we had told DS to stay put but when you fall ill, your perspective does change.

I suspect unis have, like so many others, fallen for the 'young people don't get ill' line.

Although I am 'WFH' if worst comes to worst I shall have to take DS to clear his room at some point.

He is moaning about being home, but I think once he had realised his nights out at the pub were gone and his daily haunt of Morrisons had no food, he would have changed his tune.

There is no point in phoning the uni today because what can they say really... but unprecedented times really should mean they should drop that clear your rooms nonsense.

The penny does seem to be taking a long time to drop!

Piggywaspushed · 20/03/2020 06:53

shimy sounds like your is being more reasonable! Lincoln has no said there will be no resumption AFAIK. They just keep saying 'it's all online'.

minesawine · 20/03/2020 07:07

I was part of the London panic and rushed up to NTU to collect my very reluctant DS DS only to hear on the drive back that there was no lockdown. NTU are letting students keep their things in their room so we brought back lots, but not everything.
Poor DS is really missing his friends and is already bored. I have told him he needs to get into a study, exercise and gaming routine. Its gonna be a long summer Wine

simbobs · 20/03/2020 07:33

Mine is still socialising with the same group of friends as normal. We have told him he can't bring them home (DH vulnerable) but have stopped short of telling him to stay away himself. It is likely that he will spend most of his time out, returning for the occasional meal, shower and change of clothes. If there were proper online lectures we could have some kind of routine but nothing so far. It doesn't help that his phone is on its last legs...

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