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]

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@mum2eim dd's finding it hard to focus too. She's got exams starting next week and is worrying about them because she doesn't think she's doing enough. She's helping at the Covid response foodbank 2 days a week, which is good for her to get out, but she is worrying that if she can't do the open book exams how she will ever get through 2nd/3rd year exams.

Hi! I've name changed but was here a very long time ago.

Dd1 is a college rep and had a meeting yesterday. Her uni has said prepare for a Jan 2021 restart.

Sorry if this has already been discussed!

January next year wow that is pessimistic and will throw accommodation problems into high gear.

I know. I am trying to cope with the idea I'll be paying for a house she won't be using.

I daren`t tell my DS of this, he and his girlfriend are having a tough enough time as it is being apart. If they knew this was a possibility god only knows how they would stay motivated.

@Querlouse, is that for all year groups?

According to dd they are considering online education from Sept then freshers in Jan and full uni from Jan onwards. That applies to year 1 and 2

Oh gawd, that will scupper things from now on then. Will take some unravelling, if they ever do.

I did wonder on here once if it would not be better for kids to start in January, would save a mad panic on results and places. Would that mean they would be in uni. for the summer though, a lot of students have jobs back home.

So online teaching for the first term of second year? Fair enough. The kids can still move in to their accommodation and some aspects on campus may be open if distancing can be maintained.

No guarantee that campus will be open if all tracing is online for first term. Could continue being similar to now with library closed, halls closed, union bar closed, etc. Nobody knows yet. I’m an academic and yes, prepping for online teaching up to Jan.

I imagine any reports about unis are as reliable as ones about schools, to be honest!

JacobRees but Halls etc are not “closed” everywhere. DD knows several people who for a variety of reasons are still in Halls and the on campus supermarket and a couple of eating places are open for those still there and staff etc. Libraries could easily adopt social distancing / crowd control measures so I do think that for some anyway it will be near business as usual from September. Sunday Times article today said this will be particularly true for Medics, Vets, Lawyers and other courses where there are profession requirements within the degree courses

Yes at our uni there’s a few students still on campus but very few. Staying on campus has been discouraged. Certainly hope things are different in sept.

I'm repeating what dd told me piggy. I thought it might be useful info. Obviously they are looking at all options. Feel free to ignore.

I just think there are so many rumours flying around and we need to be clear that no one knows, including those at the top of educational institutions. Sorry if I sounded rude, but,as a teacher, I have got fed up of the 'my sister's friend's auntie told me that schools are definitely going back next week' threads!

Ok. I did find it rude. It was a college rep meeting where they are working with senior management. Sorry if other threads have annoyed you. I've no idea about schools

My point is I would be amazed if the management of a uni knew any more than your normal mortal, seeing as heads of schools know nothing... hey ho.

It's being discussed seriously, it's not set in stone.

Forget I even posted! I forgot this board has its own teacher police to be honest. I'm sure you know best. I genuinely thought it might be interesting information, I certainly found it interesting.

It is interesting. But it is finger in the wind stuff. I am glad it is being discussed and it is interesting information, so long as we see it as probably guesswork. I am not teacher police. It is well known on this thread that I have a feckless DS in first year.

I didn’t think @piggywaspushed’s post was rude at all. As we discovered at the end of last term, each uni took a different stance. It’s good to prepare for the possibility of still being closed in September, they’ve got the time to! However, I’m sure we can all agree that we all want life as close to normal for our DC in a September.

Ireland’s plans for a phased relaxation of lockdown looks promising and I guess the UK’s will be similar.

Ireland do seem much more with it...there seems to be more trust in their government to do the right thing there, too...if such a thing exists!

On the Daily Fail website there was some suggestion that arts undergraduates will go back last. I guess as people have pointed out up thread those doing 'hands on' degrees need to be there to get their practical experience in.

That's in The ST as well.

As a fellow teacher, I agree @Piggywaspushed. The Telegraph apparently said schools will reopen in June - like that journalist know more than anyone else!

If libraries remain shut, very difficult for Humanities, etc students who have to do a lot of reading.

I think everything is up for grabs in every setting - education/business/leisure and all scenarios are being discussed. There are no simple solutions unfortunately.