University life for our soon to be Year 2 undergrads (2019 intake): social bubbles (bursting?), the new normal and hopefully no second wave

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

Previous thread

Well it's all a bit silly really given that they are basically one of the least at risk age-groups (unless, of course, they need to shield).

What I don’t understand is, if schools can reopen to much much younger children (and expect to be just about fully open in September) why can’t a lecturer stand on a stage 10m away from the nearest student?

I have a feeling it could be more about protecting staff than students?

Quite a lot of university staff are beyond the first flush of youth and potentially may have underlying health problems too.

Yes, I guess the lecturers could social distance, but not the students? By the way - great title for the new thread @NewModelArmyMayhem18 - thanks for keeping it all going xx

@bigTillyMint It’s still not clear that schools will be fully open in September. Some hospitals are fearing a 2nd wave in August. The only way schools can fully reopen in reality is if the requirement for social distancing is no longer needed.

Higher education: reopening buildings and campuses

For those at Durham lol

Love a bit of Pink Panther @bengalcat and soooo appropriate!

Yes vancleef i posted on another thread that many 2nd and 3rd yrs have already signed tenancy agreements with private landlords, sharing with students from other courses. so that ‘Bubble boat’ sailed last november when they were rushing to secure accommodation!

Also posted on that thread - am Hearing that some students are being told start date will now be mid oct rather than september. Does anyone know the rationale - are they being advised by govt that Corona virus is more likely to be over by then - and is any consideration being given to the fact that earlier would Have more chance of avoiding a clash with winter flu?

It may be that a 2nd wave is expected in August/September so they want to wait to see how that goes.

DD and her year 2 house share friends have decided that they want to move into the house as soon as they are able to because if there is a second lockdown they want to spend it together. They do a quiz once a week on Zoom, and I can hear much hilarity from her bedroom.

I sometimes wonder whether it's a curse or a blessing that most of our DC have already got their housing sorted for year 2. It forces their hand in a way. I still believe it's far better for them to be leading some sort of proper student life than continuing to live at home 'en famille'.

I agree. DD is an only child, and does see her friend just down the road (socially distancing) once or twice a week, but really misses her university pals.

DS isn't the most sociable of young adults (he's quite self-sufficient) and I am worrying about him being too long at home and not fraternising with his peers. I think he too is quite keen to get back too.

Sorry for over-use of 'too' in that final sentence.

DS2 is about to join in with the virtual open day 'at' the University of Leicester. Looking at their website, they seem to be pretty well organised for the coming September. Re accommodation:

How will social distancing be put in place within the accommodation?

UK Government advice often refers to members of a household. When you move into your accommodation, the other students sharing spaces (kitchen/bathroom) with you are your new household.

You will not be allowed any visitors from outside your household. This includes students from other flats in the same hall. You will have access to large communal spaces and outdoor areas where you can meet people from outside your household while following the social distancing guidelines...
le.ac.uk/ignite/ignite-faqs

I can't see any mention of those within an individual household only being able to on the same course, but Imay have missed something.

It seriously doesn't seem to be necessary, because there is no requirement for 'real world' household members only to associate with the same people outside the home (as much as one is allowed to), only go to the same shops as each other etc

Interestingly (and quite sensibly), those moving into university accommodation will only be allowed to bring one 'companion' with them and that person will be encouraged to spend as little time as possible within the actual 'household' space.

Yes, new and gin, i Also think that is an advantage. And if it doesnt work out they can always return home, so much better to give it a try! Thats the advantage of having signed up to tenancies so long ago!

Marching frogs thats very interesting. I hope the univs recognise that the unwelcome truth is that not all flats ‘work’ socially (and some can be positively dysfunctional!,) so students do need to have plenty of opportunity to meet up in large open spaces with others. (Outside will be problematic once its dark and wet)
Can also predict problems if one flat mate is less rule abiding than others and invites others round - what do the others do then? Report? Ignore?

And a bit oops as yes, I realise that this is a going into 2nd year thread (got one of those), but thought the Leicester example was interesting vis à vis the 'bubble' thing.

Sorry, meant large communal spaces, not large open spaces.

Did the guidance say anything about clubs and societies? I suppose some could work (rambling) - others more difficult.

And what about girlfriends/boyfriends staying over added to house-share mixing?

I get slated at home for saying such things but I don't think there's a lot of rhyme or reason to many of the policies in place (but I haven't been flouting the rules). They just don't seem very logical.

@NewModelArmyMayhem18 couldn’t agree more - it’s so infantilising for them to be at home again at this stage of their lives. They need to go and live whatever kind of independent life they (we all) can in this brave new world, no doubt break the rules and make mistakes but under their own steam. I actually feel worse for my older child who graduated last year and who had been living and working independently but has now moved back home due to uncertainty about his job going forward.

Hi, thanks for new thread, I dropped off the last one.
Dd expects to hear from York this week re a slot to arrange collecting her stuff from her flat. No idea what they will be offering next term, but she's quite happy working remotely at the moment.

@MarchingFrogs I think the point of your accommodation bubble being course mates is that it makes tutorials much easier if there are a couple of bubbles and a tutor so everybody is not distancing from everybody else.

DS is starting medicine in September and before all the bubble talk started said he thought that it would be helpful if the dissection/tutorial group could be a household. It also means they could easily discuss any course related stuff without having to shout to people they are supposed to be distancing from. Would also make some face-to-face lectures feasible if they could sit in clusters rather than all 2m from each other.

Clearly older students have their accommodation sorted and a lot of first years have already been allocated accommodation, but the universities might allow people to be members of two or three bubbles - that would still limit the number of non-distanced interactions.

DS also concerned about whether GF will be able to visit - she moved in with us for lock-down, so would be very odd if she could not visit him from September to December.

Hmmm - bit of a crazy concept that x students from x different households can suddenly form a new household without being cv tested? Also the idea that an all male student house should socially distance from an all-female one containing the gf?! And what about students in studios? Do they have to stay alone?
I just hope the Italian doctors who said that the virus is losing potency are right.