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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That is so funny @Piggywaspushed. @Ginfordinner I have always said that there is academic intelligence and the practical variety. The two don't necessarily go hand-in-hand, do they?

The letter might come back to haunt that student in years to come. Hope he's not studying something like sociology!!!!

I was even more puzzled The Times printed it to be honest!

What happens if a student is left all alone and no one finds out?

Where I work, students who have remained on campus are phoned weekly by the accommodation team and weekly by their personal tutors. Students who were not in en suite accommodation have been moved at no extra cost to en suite rooms. The campus shop and laundry remain open.

All students have been asked where they are currently living and whether they have support. They are asked to update this if the situation changes. They are also contacted weekly by email by their personal tutors and asked to confirm that they are ok. If we don't hear from them, then we follow up with a phone call. They are also asked to contact their personal tutors if they become ill, wherever they are, as this may impact on their work.

There is also a Covid helpline that students can call to report that they are having symptoms (mandatory if they are living on campus), or to ask for advice or practical support. If they contact the helpline they can be put in touch with staff and student volunteers who will bring them food and medicine. They can apply for an emergency hardship fund if they are experiencing financial difficulties because they cannot work and they can also request free emergency food boxes.

Student wellbeing run online appointments and there is a chat service available 9-5 every day for students who just want to talk. The student Nightline service is running online. The Chaplaincy and other religious groups also provide online services.

I think my DS would be tempted to go back in September even if they aren't meant to be on campus. Just to be with friends in a hopefully controlled environment - just different from family.

Even if still remote working I think that could be a little more conducive to study, especially as 3/4 of the group in the private house are doing the same maths course, so even without contact hours there is someone to bounce things off.

And if lectures are off due to lack of social distancing, they might be able to maintain tutorial classes or drop in workshop sessions for smaller groups.

I think my DS would be tempted to go back in September even if they aren't meant to be on campus dd will definitely do this if she can.

I think my DS can't wait to move into house with his friends .. ( and out of home !!)

It’s good to hear of all those safety-net provisions. I was also quite reassured by a different mumsnet thread yesterday which gave access to nhs england data on number of covid fatalities in hospital by date of death and also by age group. It seemed that there were about 50 deaths in hospital on 3 May in England (the most recent dataset). 87% of deaths are in patients aged greater than 70 years apparently.

You and Yours on Radio 4 tomorrow will focus on university education and the impact of the virus on students. They are looking for contributions if anyone is interested.

Mine is definitely hoping it will be ' business as usual ' insofar as that's possible in September and looking forward to moving into her houseshare . Me too .

For now she's settling into revising for exams , online tutorials and lectures including catchup .

I STILL can't get on to the student finance site... looks like it'll be paper forms for me!

Will try and catch this tomorrow

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000hvl8

Have thought hard about the limited teaching, still think son will want to go back in September.

Yes, that's the programme I was referring to upthread. Well done for providing a link.

Zandathepanda, Ginfordinner and anyone else with DC at Newcastle - any wind of plans? DS due to start in Sept having taken a gap year. He’s heard nothing about accommodation yet.

Nothing yet.

DS due to start in Sept having taken a gap year. He’s heard nothing about accommodation yet.

^this is the position dd is in (not Newcastle but Southampton) - she's applied from accommodation but heard nothing. It's complicated because she's not living at home anymore, she was planning to stay in her house share until September then move into halls ... but if teaching is online/campuses closed will moving to university even be an option for freshers? Two of her friends have decided not to go back for the second year (different universities), they have fairly difficult backgrounds & this year has been so disrupted they just didn't settle :(

No nothing LaBelle sorry.

www.themiamihurricane.com/2020/05/04/president-frenk-outlines-his-plan-for-a-return-this-fall-2/

The president of the University of Miami has given a fairly detailed outline of how they plan to bring students back in the fall.

He's qualified for the job: "During his long career in public health, Frenk has worked as a physician, Mexico’s secretary of health, an executive director at the World Health Organization, a senior fellow of public health at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and most recently served as the dean of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health."

It's an interesting read, and gives me hope that DD's university will be going back, especially as it's a similar size.

I think students would be very keen on returning to ‘normal’ after a terribly disruptive first year and would potentially be the best group to utilise an app of sorts to facilitate that.

I think it imperative that they be tested before going back and regularly thereafter; and that they are first in line for vaccines after NHS frontline staff.

That’s really interesting (& impressive!) Lobster.

As Frenk says we need to devise a way of coexisting with the virus as safely as possible .Delivering education on campus whilst maintaining social distancing is a major need . No doubt everyone has now developed meticulous handwashing techniques or sanitiser where soap and water are immediately unavailable .
Scientists are persisting in working on improving testing in particular a rapid test of viral presence and an antibody test that is specific and accurate . Current tests have variable turnaround time and a false negative rate of 20 - 30 % . Its a start though and testing can certainly with the above caveat given above some degree of reassurance and of course more data for analysis .

I know a testing company that have tested GPs. None had symptoms and 50% tested positive for covid. I’m horrified and relieved. Horrified that they’ve possibly been spreading it unknowingly but relieved to think many of us could have had it and have some protection. Testing and tracing is the way forward.

@simbobs why would students have priority over elderly and vulnerable people (amongst many others)? For the vast majority of that age group this disease will not have a massive impact, if any at all.

My reasoning is that they will be descending on various cities from the provinces, mingling , shopping etc. I feel that they should be cleared for take off. It is in reality impossible to justify the needs of one group over another, but older people seem, in my limited experience, much less keen on getting back to normal, and will not be mobilising as a body at the same time.

This of course may all be moot as our kids might well have graduated before a massive roll out of any vaccine that may be invented! In the meantime students, like a lot of workers, will need to be sensible in terms of distancing and hygienic and isolate within their new households if they fall ill.