University life for 'freshers' (2019/20) - first year campus life suspended, sitting out/surviving the pandemic and staying on top of studying [Edited by MNHQ at OP's request]

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

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This is quite interesting, albeit a different angle :

www.newstatesman.com/culture/tv-radio/2017/04/i-was-university-challenge-so-let-me-tell-you-why-there-arent-more-women-it

We watched UC last night as Durham were on. DD said she’d never seen any of them before. We normally manage a few right answers but I only got one last night. I was smug though as the team didn’t get it! Can’t even remember it now as my memory is so rubbish

One of the Durham team was at DS's school - I managed to do a 'Where's Wally in their upper school photo and found him very easily.

So the bottom line is it's due to media sexism putting women off from wanting to take part?

Mind you some of the guys don't exactly get an easy time of it, do they? Thinking that there's been lots of vitriol aimed at Brandon (Imperial team).

Have you seen the film Starter for Ten? It’s a good comedy about UC!

I think trying to get on the team attracts a certain sort of student - a bit like the ones that go in for that gifted children comp that’s on TV each year.
Needless to say DS did not recognise any of them and both of my DC think it’s way too nerdy to watch

No I haven't seen it but I will see if I find it on Netflix or Amazon Prime as it looks just up my street.

Just as I thought @bigTillyMint. Definitely a niche viewing and participant market, I would have thought. As I've often commented, most of the team members have a certain type of 'timeless' old-fashioned look that could have as easily put them in a 60s/70s team as a 21st Century one. Certainly true for all the team members in yesterday's episode.

We are a bit of a nerdy family (well, apart from DD) so it's just up our street.

I always want Jeremy to ask them useful questions like:
What temperature is a wool wash on a standard washing machine?
If you gave your 16 year old brother 2 x 500mg tablets of paracetamol at 8am at what time could you give him ibuprofen?
How long can you keep food in a freezer if there’s a power cut?
What colour are super sized tampax?
(Second one is a trick question btw)!
(Last question due to a very bright boy student I knew asking about ‘flavours’ of tampons in a biology lesson - I may have had to have left the room to compose myself).

@ZandathePanda, love those questions

Those are excellent questions @ZandathePanda - have to laugh at the flavours of tampons!!! Still, that's the type of thinking outside the box that you perhaps would expect of someone very bright?

Is it just me or has it ramped up in difficulty

It would be interesting to see a UC where they do ask "common sense" questions as per Zanda's suggestion. I wonder if the really nerdy students would be able to answer them.

‘Timeless’ is a good description.

@Benjispruce

That reminds me. Is The Young Ones available anywhere?

It seems to be on Now TV (free seven day trial offer)

Dd has just found out she has a ‘first’ for the first year . The Uni are only going to take the first semester’s results. I know they don’t officially count towards the end degree classification but it’s a fantastic start. Very proud mumma.

@Ginfordinner, I bought it on DVD to show the kidults and it was soooo dated 😂

Well done to your DD @ZandathePanda!
Shame all of the unis aren’t doing that.

That’s brilliant @ZandathePanda!

Zanda does that mean that she has no exams then? DD still has to take exams.

She had an email today to say that as long as she passes her exams she will keep the grade she achieved in her first semester, but if she surpasses that grade it will go up.

Thank you!
Gin they have swapped exams for 3 long essays but they only have to pass these. So as not to disadvantage anyone, the results will be on the work from the 1st semester. Of course, Dd will still be up half the night on deadline day because she’ll want to keep up her average!

Thank goodness DD worked hard then. Her average score for the first semester is excellent as well. I hope both our DD's do well enough to keep their grades.

Well done to those DC riding high with course work results.

DS did less well in the piece of work he has submitted since being at home than in all of the others submitted over the two terms to date. I suspect home is a less conducive environment for peace, quiet and the 'head space' to study that being at uni. Doesn't entirely bode well for his 'open book' end of years particularly if DD is still studying from home instead of at school.

@Alicatz66 - Your post made me sadder than I thought I would be. Think I have tried to ignore the fact that everything will be all closed up and that they've missed a huge part of their first year.

DS loves university, and I feel for all of them that they are missing so much. DS is quite pragmatic about it, but then he is certain that they are all going back in September and things will be 'back to normal'. Maybe this is the part that I am not so sure about ... But let's stay hopeful.

In his spare time (lots of it!) DS is teaching himself Excel, and might move on to Python. He is also considering looking for a farm job - probably just to get out of the house for a bit!

I feel the same @blametheparents .. DS took a while to settle but was loving uni life ... he also needs to get a job once things are eased a little .. let's keep hoping they can go back in September x

Hi everyone.

I've dipped in and out of this thread as a lurker since DD went off to uni in Sept (might have posted in an old name too) and found it amazingly helpful and reassuring to read especially in the early days and, of course, when all this kicked off and the unis started sending students home

I wondered if anyone on here had a DC who was due to do a hospital placement next term and, if so, if they knew what would be happening instead .

I've started a thread here so as not to derail this one

I think for our associated university, first year nursing students aren't going on placements at the moment. The second and third years can opt in to work as a band 3, and those working notes will count towards their practice hours.

I'm sure they'll get more details soon, but waiting to hear is horrible.