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]

Previous post

I realise that but to my DD the 3rd term was ultra exciting socially and she was so enjoying the whole uni experience.Im not clamouring( a pp’s word choice)for a refund for this year but I do think that if the second year is to be online, there will have to be a rethink regarding fees.

As I’ve said upthread I feel the next year will be a mix of online and campus experience - fingers crossed! However for reason already stated by me and others I can’t agree with you on the fees issues. If anything if the universities lose the foreign student cash cow there may be a “clamouring” from the universities to increase fees or get a govt bailout - either way we will all be paying for it in future via the tax man one way or another!

There is a very interesting article today on timeshighereducation by Matt Jenner. I signed up for free updates when another posted recommended these.
He comments that “emergency remote teaching is not online learning, and that students will not be blind to this.”

While we are prepared to fund quality education......

Given the speed things developed I’m not sure anything other than “emergency” teaching was possible. I’d like to think that with the time available between now and September academics will be putting together a scheme of work that provides as best they can an equivalent learning experience for next year

While he is right that having to move online with few resources and little training is far from an ideal situation for many academics and students, MJ is hardly an unbiased critic - the whole article is essentially a pitch for his company.

Bookmarking, as I had lost you due to my inactivity. Whilst most students (and their parents) resent paying for the 2nd half of this year I am actually more concerned about what will be happening from September. DS has an automatic pass to 2nd year but what will that involve? Obviously we don't yet know but the answer will play a huge part in my DS's enthusiasm for continuing in higher education. I also have a DD whose 3rd, but not final, year has been massively disrupted. Both of mine are also having to pay for accommodation that they are not occupying, too. At some point I want to see the issue of students/fees/uni etc dealt with at the podium in the daily briefing. DH has submitted this as a 'member of public' question.

I think students and parents are feeling peeved that (in both my DC cases) they had no teaching at all during the strike, and now can’t even go to the library (obviously this is not at all lecturers fault) and may not even be getting online teaching or any sort of support.

Just praying that online teaching / f2f gets started up and libraries reopen, possibly with SD at the beginning of Autumn term now so they can actually continue their degrees, and live in the accommodation that they are paying for.

You are right sim there is no conversation about universities at all at national level. The journalists have never asked about it.

I am worried about what happens with DS's house for next year the most tbh.

piggywaspushed my DD won’t be seen for dust the day her tenancy starts - her housemates feel the same and I don’t blame them. Even under lockdown type rules (which please god will be loosened by then anyway) it will be more fun for them than being at home!

I meant more about it being ready on time, DS forgetting about it all re deposits etc etc. His mate has already gone back because he has an NHS placement there, but is obviously in the first year accommodation at the moment.

Everything is so weird! I am feeling a bit down in the dumps today.

@VanCleefArpels, my DD will be doing the same as soon as her diss and other work is submitted - hopefully early June.

DD is really hoping she can get back up to the NE in the late summer. I’m hopeful uni will operate in a close to normal way by late September when her term starts. It’s 5 months away!

Mines looking at old lectures online , done an exam and had an online tutorial today - she seems happy enough . Of course she’d rather be in Durham .

Neither of mine have any uni work now. DS is talking about moving in with a group of friends in our nearest town if the lockdown allows association outside the home after next week. The house belongs to the family of a friend and he would need to pay a notional rent, but it would save me money. He has so lost his motivation. I tried to encourage him to do some work even though it would not get marked but he can't see the point.

I have two students at home and they're both constantly working on college stuff - Zoom classes, seminars, presentations, homework, group work with other students in all sorts of locations. I feel like they're getting pretty much the full amount of academics they'd be getting face to face.

Their academic staff had 2 weeks to prepare - I've been really impressed.

@HoldMyLobster it sounds as if your DC are getting good value for money (given the circumstances). Other DC less so. DS has work to do to complete by the end of May and a stats exam, so he's still working during the day.

There seems to be a huge disparity in provision! They all had the same amount of notice. Which uni is that @HoldMyLobster?

@HoldMyLobster is in the U.S. @simbobs so they probably have a different attitude. Same way that private schools over here seem to be doing teaching whereas many of those in the state sector are just being left to get on with what is essentially a stack of homework.

Mines at Durham and yesterday spent most of the day online doing Uni work - she had a 9am lecture this am and asked me to wake her , in addition to her alarm , before I went to work .

Course work has finished for DD but she has 2 exams to work for - even though they are essentially open book and they have a no detriment policy so it really doesn’t matter she is taking it quite seriously!

DD is still doing online lectures. Unfortunately her CFS has kicked in and she is often just too tired to take anything in. She has an exam in three weeks, and just needs to pass that to keep her excellent grade from the first semester.

She and her friends message each other a lot and occasionally have a Zoom get together where I can hear much hilarity coming from her bedroom.

They are hoping that restrictions get lifted sufficiently for them to move into their socond year house and spend a bit of downtime together before they go back to their studies.

DD is stressing about an essay that’s due in 5 days.Finding it hard to focus I think. Exams soon too.

Benjispruce my DD is finding it really hard to focus. She has always worked better in a library or away from the house. It hasn't helped much by DD2 singing all the time so there was a bit of an incident 2 days ago when DD1's online tutorial was interrupted by DD2 singing very loudly. My hubby has now emptied out the shed at the bottom of the garden and turned it into a study area. Kept him busy anyway! It's so hard for them all. DD1 said that being on lockdown is making the prospect of 2nd year accommodation even more exciting.

Well I have cheated, DS is skint, wanted an ASOS shirt, which I said he could have when essay finished, it was, so shirt bought. He can have the spray on ripped jeans when next project completed. Bribery still works here

DD1 said that being on lockdown is making the prospect of 2nd year accommodation even more exciting.

Same for DD. One of her friends messaged her the other day and told her she was missing her. It made DD's day.