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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My DD pinched one that I got for Xmas! I think it’s more for the nice smell though

Just to report back, DS's room in Lincoln was not as smelly as expected. It wasn't very clean and there was a lot of rubbish and 40 toilet rolls and 16 cans of Fanta Lemon.
Funnily enough, he seems OK with sharing toilet roll with the family but nearly cried when DH, DS2 and me each had a Fanta.

I get terrible hayfever too. Only thing that works is sucking ice cubes...

Ah, there was a time when he could have funded his journey by selling his 40 toilet rolls!

I know! And he left them at uni when there was a national shortage!!

Ha ROFL @Monkey2001.

Glad your trip went well.

DS seems to think UEA will let him pick up his kit in August... I suspect not!

@Piggywaspushed We also gained some toilet rolls when we collected Ds’ belongings on Friday. Though he had always claimed that there never was a shortage in Bath when we were moaning about it at home...

With the possible exception of Cambridge I always reckon the good folk of Bath are most 'my tribe' of anywhere in the UK, so would like to think they're decent and non-grabby at heart!

Argh one of the students for DS’ shared house has dropped out. Needs to check then I tract but I think it wasn’t a shared guarantee so they probably still have to pay Until a replacement is found.

DS came home on the train. I told him at the time to bring his stash but he claimed he would have been mugged for them!

The same has happened to my Ds @MrKlaw And the person who is dropping out is the one who had taken charge of the liaison with the landlord... Ds thinks she had found someone to take her place but it all seems very vague so far.

I’m used to my Dd going through a letting agency & signing a contract, setting up a standing order etc. I think in this case they are dealing with the landlord directly

Well, this year is certainly turning out to be eventful.

DD is in the middle of her last two weeks of the academic year. She has all sorts of papers to write, presentations to do, exams to sit, debates to take part in etc, so she's stressed.

Several of her classes have been cancelled because students cannot attend because they're in the midst of areas where demonstrations are happening, or they're taking part in demonstrations.

She's really struggling to concentrate and is feeling that holding exams while this is all going on is very tough.

Two of her classmates from high school were tear gassed last night, one was shot with a rubber bullet - he's OK. We're in a really peaceful part of the country so it just goes to show how this is affecting everyone.

Her friends who stayed at college in Chicago are OK - some of them are going to demonstrations, which is very scary.

I'd quite like life to go back to normal now.

Goodness! That sounds tough @HoldMyLobster. I hope your DD and her peers are OK. It's big news over her as well.

DD said that she knows a couple of students have dropped out of her course, but both of them are people she doesn't really like.

Did everyone see the thing about bubbles? How exactly does that work for second and third year students??

DD has just found out Glasgow and At Andrews have announced students won't be going back until January. She's at Edinburgh and was told in the week they'd still be doing face to face tutorials, but we're now wonder if they'll go the same way

@Piggywaspushed

Did everyone see the thing about bubbles? How exactly does that work for second and third year students??

I didn't see the thing you're referring to but DD said they were discussing bubbles with their tutors online (DD is doing a health sciences course that involves lots of practical group work/physical contact etc) ..... in the case of her course they will take into account students that live together, socialise together etc and basically look at breaking the cohort down into groups for the sessions that can't be done online. These groups will remain the same for as long as necessary due to Covid19 situation.

In DD's cohort for example there are a couple of groups of 5 or 6 students that live together so obviously they will be in the same bubble.

@Piggywaspushed I guess they may have to limit themselves to 'bubbles' with flatmates and then their course tutorial groups? I bit hard for those with social circles than span many different groups though?

For example when I was a student, in my final year I lived with four others who were also doing exactly the same subject as me so my bubble would have been very small indeed.

@piggywaspushed that was my first thought. All very well for those being placed in halls accommodation but for those going into second or third year, whose private arrangements have already been committed to, I don't see how it can work. DD isn't living without anyone on her course next year

No, nor mine! I can see it working in first year (although it does narrow their experiences it's doable) but my DS will be living with people from 3 different course ( 2 in healthcare so virus central...)

It's all a nightmare for the unis who seem to be getting no real guidance.

How will students lets work in Glasgow and St Andrews then?

What a mess!

Lincoln plans to recommence mid October.

My DS is living in a flat of 6 where one person is on his course, though they have always been in different seminar groups. The other 4 are on completely different courses. This would not work at all. Also, let's be honest, there is no way they are all going to socially distance for the foreseeable future.

@ifonly4 I don't think that is right. DS is starting at St Andrews in the autumn and he had an e-mail recently saying that they are still planning dual delivery - face-to-face for those who can get there, on line for others.

I think bubbles are very sensible for first years - would mean that they are allowed to socialise with at least a small group of people without distancing and if they do it be course, you could have seminars/tutorials with a couple of bubbles and a tutor managing to operate in a normal room with distancing.

@ifonly4 - Front page of St A website says:

Placemarking again .. grrrrrr . This thread doesn't save anymore in my "I'm on" threads .. don't want to miss a new thread !

I have added this to "I'm Watching" so that I don't lose it. I like to keep up even if I don't have anything to contribute.

Thanks @Ginfordinner ... oh dear .. you can tell I didn't go to uni !