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

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

Previous thread

Hmmm parkview is next to the RVI so that would make sense.

I'm with you @blametheparents .. DS will be home tonight .. so tomorrow it won't be lounging about but getting all his laundry done as I'm out of action after surgery .. he usually goes to the gym most days but as it's a city centre one that he'd go to by bus ... he can forget that for the time being !!

DS has had email from Imperial, they want them to say by next week if they want to continue halls accommodation (heavy hints that needed for NHS workers etc), so we have to get them out by the 24th April and then will not be billed for the third term. They will help pack up if students can't get back. Any students staying in halls may need to move to different halls for third term as I suspect they need the ones closer to the hospitals.

Wow what an emotional day at school. Very sad faces all round. You wouldn’t think primary school children facing an infinite holiday would look so glum. We are operating a rota so I’m off next week but working the week after. DD2 had s nice last day in year 11, signing shirts etc so I’m glad she got to say goodbye to her fabulous teachers and thank them. At the moment her prom is still on the cards for July. Soooo relieved she worked so hard for her mocks. DD1 busy packing in Durham. I’ll get her insured on my car again as I fear she will need to get out even for just a drive. M1 for DH tomorrow . Safe journeys everyone. Strange times.

I can't believe how much this has escalated in the last week. I had some friends round for coffee last Friday, and at the time all of our student DC's universities were BAU. Today we have them all at home, and now, listening to the news, everything is closing. Our CEO is doing loads of updates on Teams and doing his best to keep up morale.

I feel lucky that the company I work for is being proactive and sensible about people working from home.

And good luck to those collecting DC this weekend.

It's all so surreal isn't it, as you say what a difference a week makes!
Personally I'm thankful that bars and cafes have been ordered to close as it means it's not me saying no to DC's requests to see friends. Only this afternoon DS 15 wanted to go into town after school to get a drink and 'hang out' 🙈
It's going to be really tough for our children and young adults to be so isolated from all of their friends for an indefinite period of time, it might take a while for home life to settle down while we all adjust. I'll be relying on excess chocolate and gin and happily have plentiful supplies of both, for now!

Yes shutting down all the places where people might congregate is the only way of stopping it. But as they have been saying on the news, gatherings at peoples houses or even in the park have the same effect and they can’t stop them unless they go down the route France and Spain.

Not sure where that leaves us school teachers and TAs - they keep saying that schools have shut, but some of our local state schools have loads of children in. I think they have seriously underestimated the number of key workers and vulnerable children. Small children don’t get Social Distancing - but this doesn’t count as gatherings? Good job I’m currently robust physically and mentally

Anyone at Bath please shout and tag me if you hear anything about accommodation costs next term. I’ve emailed them but not heard anything yet

New Durham email- take everything with you as college buildings closing and international students being housed in fewer buildings. Key workers may use rooms. Compensation for next term being discussed.

If you’ve already left, possessions to be collected by 27/3 or they will store them somewhere for students.

A1 a bit of a nightmare (roadworks and overturned lorry) but Dh and Dd are back - they decided to go today, so drove up there and packed everything. They managed to get a parking space and there were only 3 families vying for the lift. Phew what a day! They are shattered.

tilly I wondered if that was because they decided to use the phrase 'keyworkers' rather than 'essential' as in other countries. I also heard they underestimated the number that had school age children...

Still procrastinating from Lincoln However, they are quite a parent friendly uni, so I am optimistic they won't suddenly say , come and get all your stuff by tomorrow. I think, like so many walks of life, they are underestimating the impact this thing could have on people and hope unis show compassion when they need to.

As far as I am concerned, other than the fact that it is probably manky, DS's stuff is doing no harm stuck in a room they can't use for anyone else.

Of course, if they do need the room for hospital staff we will do something... I do think that is unlikely in Lincoln at the moment.

Sorry if I appear selfish but DH will soon be told he can't leave the house, basically.

@Benjispruce, thanks for that - needless to say DS has not been checking his emails. We will see if we can go up asap - should be possible for DH and DS as not at work

DH has just left for Durham . DD had an interview for a fully funded internship overseas in the summer and yesterday was told she and one other got it but that it’s not going ahead. I still can’t take this all in. The only good that can come is a real appreciation of our usual freedoms when this thing eventually passes, lack of pollution, acts of kindness and stronger family units. I fear though that there will be a surge in divorces.

My DS claims to have been checking emails but I'm not sure I believe him, or at least he doesn't always read the content properly, so I have no idea whether they have been asked to clear their rooms. I had been urging him to sort out next year's accommodation, but as he didn't I guess that confirms that he will stay in current student flats.
DS is thoroughly fed up with the single topic of conversation now.

@simbobs is it on their website?

@Benjispruce the student flats aren't owned by the university, but I will check and see.

Have checked and there is nothing on the website but I know that they have been in contact with their students in respect of self isolation, which one of DS's friends is having to stay there and do.

@MrKlaw Mine is in Bath. Nothing from accommodation.

DS, DD and DH have decided no need to clear DSs room as all his stuff under his bed and they apparently will store it

Yes @bigTillyMint the email said they would take care and store stuff if it was bagged and labelled but I presume locked under the bed is fine. DD is home and in better spirits than I thought she’d be but early days. So much stuff!!!

So, DS is home.
Gave him a mass or hug and told him I wished he didn’t have to be here!
We had a lovely dinner and now he’s playing on the PS4 and talking to university friends.
There’s bigger issues, I know, but I’m gutted for him. It’s too big to think about everyone’s problems and so I can only focus on this at the moment.
Hope everyone is ok xxx

Is it official that they will not be going back? DS probably won't be, AFAIK from the website, but I don't know if that is universal. We have yet to find out whether he will have to pay the rent for the 3rd term. If he doesn't he will have a fair bit of money, which seems wrong.