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

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

Previous thread

There is rather an assumption everyone ahs super duper tech isn't there simbobs !?

Durham is slowly closing down but DD says all her block of friends are mainly there and about 2/3 of students around college remain but only the canteen is open. Libraries closed. Hence organising rounders matches etc The emails say colleges still operating and no decision about next term as it depends on government advice. DH driving up to get her tomorrow and will probably clear the room as it’s 200 miles away.

UEA remains open but with central services restricted and open for limited time.
DD is home with most of her third ya but is super reluctant to clear her room entirely. She's clinging on to the hope that even though lectures are online her and her flat mates might return to halls after Easter and enjoy living together again.
She came to the supermarket with me last night and I thinks it's starting to dawn on her that even without a total lockdown life is different. It may be hard to get food and other supplies, there will be no going out and I think the reality is they'd be bored and hungry very quickly with no social life, bar or clubbing!
Luckily we are local so can easily return to empty her room if necessary

What really does it matter to them if there is stuff in a room. No one is using it.

Perhaps the university wants to go in and give everywhere a proper deep clean?

Newcastle were one of the later universities to cancel face to face teaching, but I am beginning to think that it is because they have been getting everything put into place for online teaching.

They have been pretty good at emailing the students and keeping them up to date with the latest developments as well.

The students all getting together for their last hurrahs makes me think of the last days of Pompeii.

I'm glad that DD is at home, and have made inroads into the washing mountain.

DD certainly has online work to do, and they have been told that they will be sitting online exams but she doesn't know when, and would like clarity on that. She is annoyed that the medical students don't have to take any exams and that they have passed the year. Also all the final year medical students won't be taking any exams, and all but a very few will graduate this year. I suspect that the course leaders are needed at the hospital. Also the new graduates will be all hands on deck at the hospital as well.

I read somewhere that ICL are offering empty student rooms to key workers in London which does make sense.

Dd is not going out socialising en mass with friends from school but is spending time with boyf at his house or ours. Both families don’t have anyone that’s either symptomatic or in at risk groups and are wfh, and Dd and boyf are trying to do a couple of hours work in the mornings. Mainly driven by her as she has exams straight after the Easter break - his exams are also online but at the end of the academic year so he’s more motivated to sleep than to work just now

@Ginfordinner that’s not the same for medics everywhere. Dd just did mocks at home this week and has first year exams after Easter. They’re sticking to the same exam timetable, they will be online but with time restrictions and the exams are being structured with the assumption that students will have textbooks so will be focussing on applying rather than recalling knowledge. She’s a first year medic.

Perhaps the university wants to go in and give everywhere a proper deep clean?

This I very much doubt. They will have all summer to do this.

I just wish we could get tests so that I know whether or not DC are carrying the virus. They are mainly outdoors or in someone's house but DH is beyond twitchy.
@Piggywaspushed I get what you mean about tech. I think we would be ok, and I guess that DS could access material elsewhere. He needs better guidance from uni, though.

Benjispruce Dd and Dh will be probably be joining you in the queues on the A1!

Also, bad news for little GCSE Dd, the school are already setting work for ‘extra evidence’ for GCSE. Since she’ll have little evidence since Jan I hope this won’t disadvantage her!
Grrrr

I'm off from London to Bristol this morning. DS2 is planning to go back after Easter even though it's all online as he "works better there" . Assuming he can, of course. DS1 is in his final year at Southampton and also plans to go back - nothing has been said about how they will award the degrees.

My hunch zanda is that schools are panicking (not quite right word : we have had FA advice!) and that extra work will not be needed. Grades proffered up by schools will be rubber stamped unless they look suspect (eg suddenly the whole cohort has a 5 and above in maths and English when previously it was 50%) and then evidence will be sought. Which is likely to be evidence of data keeping, not actual work.

Just my hunch.

I think if the government actually said there would be no league tables this year, schools will be less inclined to 'cheat'.

Most teachers really would prefer to award students grades themselves : we are usually better judges of ability than exams/examiners.

I am optimists about that one thing...

Piggy thank you. She only missed one mock due to illness. She may go in and see that teacher today. This time 3 years ago it was all about exams, exams, exams and a bit of prom talk. My university Dd had so much evidence with past papers etc from Jan onwards so it’s getting me a bit twitchy Dd2 hasn’t got that. However I think universities/employers for years to come are going to raise their eyebrows at any results from 2020. So glad older Dd did her A Levels last year. Feel so sorry for this years lot.

I haven't posted since last weekend - what a mad week.

DS went down with a cough over a week ago and has been self isolating in his room for 7 days. He is 100% well now but was freaked out by the whole experience. We were anxious for him.

Most of his block/friends are still in Durham and he's happy to be away from the London chaos. DH is bringing him home tomorrow and we're pretty much vacating his room as have no idea when/if he's going back.

I'm WFH but feel guilty about my privilege when I see the efforts of our NHS, teaching and supermarket staff.

I'm spending time with my elderly parents today - mainly staying outside in the fresh air.

I think employers will soon forget which year the predicted grades were used - it will get lost in history. I'm pretty certain GCSEs are dead for ever. DD, Y12, may be the last cohort to apply to uni with predicted grades rather than grades in hand. Coronavirus has sparked an education revolution.

Now slightly concerned we’re all going to pick up the lergys when mass collecting Dds on Saturday!!
Newcastle beautifully staggered the entries to 1000s on student in precise 10 min slots - there are about 10 parking spaces.
What time do you think is best to aim for?

Benjispruce Dd and Dh will be probably be joining you in the queues on the A1!

The A1 was pretty busy yesterday

@ZandathePanda the parking at Park View yesterday was even worse than on drop off day. The building work has encroached even further into the area you can take a car into. I would get there very very early or very late, or park on the road outside and take a trolley if you have one.

I ended up driving through the "parking" area several times before I could find somewhere to park up. Good luck.

What are your plans when dcs are home? If they get fidgety I can imagine them wanting to meet up with friends and potentially downplaying the risks. Are you going to try and enforce certain rules or allow them flexibility? Could be a friction point (I know it will be with my year 11 DD)

It's pretty easy for us as we are rural and DD would need to rely on mum's taxi to see anyone. She has a lot of work to do, and will socialise online. She doesn't have lots of friends locally anyway.

Haven't thought about 'house rules' as yet @MrKlaw but much more likely to be an issue with DD (a bit younger than yours) than DS. I imagine a week into the current situation, she will be craving her friends' company.

Good luck and safe journeys to all those collecting DC today and over the weekend.

My DD is at home (gap year) she is not going out particularly, but is still meeting up with a couple of friends but at home rather than in a public space. I know it’s not ideal but with no work (her waitress job has been cancelled) and no academic work, she needs some outlet! And tbh she’s probably at less risk than helping out at the village shop where she volunteers a few hours each week

DD is year 10 and has had work set via Google classroom.
DS is coming home tomorrow.
Myself and my husband are WFH.
If DS wants to live here then he is going to have to abide by some house rules - eg getting up at a reasonable time, maybe getting a supermarket job, doing his lectures at the advertised times. DD needs to have a good role model so that she does her school work properly - I can’t have DS waking up at 11am and going to bed at 2am. It’s not fair on anyone, least of all her. He can also be her maths and science tutor should it be required.
Harsh? Maybe, but nothing is easy at the moment.

I have my student daughter and her boyfriend home, as well as two high schoolers age 14 and 16.

No one meets up with friends. They chat online or by phone a lot.

If you're on official holiday you can get up late. Right now DD is on Spring Break, but her boyfriend is carrying a heavy online courseload, so he's working hard while she's napping a lot.

The high schoolers have school 2 days out of 3, and on those days they're at their computers working, taking part in classes, etc. On their 3rd day they relax and I give them a couple of chores to do.

We try to go out for a walk or run each day.

Occasionally DH or I go out to get food or prescriptions but the rest of the time we WFH. DH is desperately trying to keep a company up and running.

We've been doing this since last Saturday and it's been OK. No one's delighted with it but they understand why we're doing it.

I'm pretty sure we'll be locked down fairly soon anyway. California is, Chicago's on its way, I think New York will have to be fairly soon...

On Newcastle’s website they are saying due to staffing you will not be able to enter the building and collect your belongings. I am presuming this is when the majority have left (this weekend)! I’d advise everyone’s DC’s to clear their rooms just in case.

Newcastle due to staffing, what about the students still there. mmm. very odd.

Someone said somewhere that the government were looking at halls of residence, hotels, as spare beds for patients.