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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DS just weighed himself and has put on 5kg in 2 weeks! I commented that he seemed to have lost weight when he came back. Perhaps he was just getting back to where he should be.

I think if they’re sporty they’re going to put on weight with the reduction in training as well as enjoying home food

Alicatz66 there may be another ‘incident’ round here if Dds or Dh ate a whole packet of jammy dodgers!!!

After my ‘big’ shop there were quite a few nice bits which I told people to stagger eating. They didn’t. Maybe by the time we are eating baked beans on no toast they will realise. I am using it as a learning curve for them. I am not nipping to the shops for odd items. We are running out of eggs but that’s it.

..as far as more ‘basic’ items go.

I keep buying Brie which we all love. However, the DC are getting through a wedge in about 24 hours and don't seem to consider it necessary to ask if they should leave some for us???!!!!!

Four teens at home must be a very big demand on resources @HoldMyLobster!

I wonder whether “old” unis have more money and so not so desperate for rents? Deffo true for Oxbridge, and probably Durham and others like?

I am another with food disappearing at a rate of knots

@ZandathePanda ... agreed ... the Dodger eater will be sorry when we are fighting for the mystery boxes in the freezer !!

@bigTillyMint that will be part of the issue, I'm sure. I seem to recall that Cambridge University is the third-largest landowner in the UK after the Church of England and the Queen.

I think some of the universities that were reported to be teetering on the brink a year or so ago will probably not emerge from this pandemic as going concerns.

I left a pad shopping list out last night for everyone to fill in. Went shopping this morning queued at co-op only six in six out, I know it is more expensive but said to OH I am spending bugger all on anything else so happy to pay extra for food. Plus to my mind the weekends are for key workers to shop not me. DS did put things on the list. Next shop trip he can walk down and get his own bits he will have been isolated for 14 days by then.

I'm living with 2 teens who are both 'studying'. I am working from home. My shopping is huge each week, especially with treats as I am struggling to get fruit and veg. I am going to start visiting local shops now and avoid supermarkets.

I have also noticed that my 2 are bickering and snapping at each other a lot, both are getting out of bed later and staying up longer. I'm going to suggest they cut the lawn today, that should be interesting!

Yes bickering here but that’s not knew. Anyone else having to endure late, loud ‘house party ‘ calls? It’s a great way to keep in touch but why do they start when I’m going to bed? They have all day!!

We have always been a routine obsessed family. DS2 (15) still going to be at 10 pm every night and getting up at 7 on the dot.

DS1 obviously slipped into more student habits at uni but, since being back, has reverted to bed at 10.30! Gets kicked out of bed at about 10 am. I am hoping he will lose a bit of excess weight while back with us with a reduced intake of pure crap and alcohol.

More X Box than usual here at the moment, children's TV has made a comeback ( I never thought I'd hear the Horrid Henry and SpongeBob themes again!) and there is a lot of lolloping plus a daily purposeful walk.

No idea if DS is doing any work : he claims to be...

DD2 16 is early to bed and to rise, tidy and on the quiet side.
DD1 19 is the opposite so clashes are frequent. She’s started to talk with her friends about moving in to her second year house in the summer(August) if all of this has calmed and I think it might be a good idea.

DS and DD have adopted well past usual bedtime habits in a matter of days (and DS is like me usually an 'early to bed and early to rise type). He still seems to be doing some work but not a great deal.

DSis - who doesn't have children - is trying to persuade me that 'managing' with food left in the house will cut it with teenagers. A healthy rice cake or Ryvita as a substitute for toast with lashings of butter and jam/marmalade/Nutella? I don't think so. There would be anarchy.

I watched a Netflix disaster 'road movie' last night (with Forest Whitaker and Theo James). I came out the other side feeling rather miserable. Think I may need to stick to thrillers and romcoms in these strange times.

I'd be up for a bit of a retro kids' TV fest. I've heard Mallory Towers is good and have clocked 'Get Even' although the latter is probably more YA TV.

I do know DD had a 24 hr assessment to do yesterday and it was completed after a mini disaster with the WiFi and uni software not playing nicely.

Oh and the Wii has been dusted off!

Just popping in to say dd is at Swansea and it's been brill. Full waiver of accommodation, all work online and dd has been working everyday and talking to lecturers. She's gutted to be home because she loved it there.

I've been so impressed with the uni all year tbh. It was her 2nd choice but we are both relieved she didn't get her first choice. Hope it survives

We had to admit to our DS that we had got rid of his Play Station when he left home , he was not very happy .... is now going to buy himself a dart board, if he can find one .

That was risky @Ragwort. I’d have bagged it up and put it under his bed!
That’s nice to hear @Tonyaster and I know all of DD’s lectures are online anyway, always have been. She’s just not watching them daily but that’s how she works, procrastination is her thing.

My DS had a "virtual 'Spoons table" gathering in his room last night, complete with cans of cider. Sounded very jolly, and let him happy. He is lost without his social life, but I must nag him to get back to work next week. He has lost momentum completely.

On the subject of getting back to work though, aren't they officially on their 'vac' now?

Yes @newmodelarmy DD is but she didn’t do any work in the last week of term!

DS seems to be doing some work now... DD trying to complete diss, etc.

No gaming here (other than on phones) - DS was never really into it and sold his old xbox before going to uni. Rest of us not remotely interested

Ours still going to bed late and getting up late. Get cabin fever each day and start chasing round the house like maniacs

Sleeping hours all over the place here too, and struggling to keep up with the demand for carbs! Think I’ll bake a couple of loaf cakes today

DS (final year) struggling with motivation to do the last bit of editing having been given an extension on his dissertation and told the finals will be more like an extra piece of coursework than exams with info to follow.

Dd (1st year medic) still at boyfs family home, has timed exams in what would have been the first two weeks back. She’s motivated and is trying to study but boyf (1st year oxford) has a rather more relaxed approach as his exams were due in June and has had no indication that they’ll still happen anyway.

The first thing DD did when she got home was order a Nintendo Switch (lite), she figured she'd got enough money in her savings (although she did OK it with us first) with her not spending money on food in the next few months (we have reduced our contribution for the time being).

It tentatively looks as if NTU won't be charging for the 3rd terms rent BUT it's unclear if she needs to clear her room by a certain date (if it has to be cleared out by next term it's unlikely to happen). So we await further instructions. They're also announcing what's happening with exams etc next week.

I baked scones yesterday...... I'm THAT bored (not that I'm complaining - we are in the privileged position of all being at home for the duration).