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

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

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Those grades are amazing, and especially so given her circumstances. No one from UCAS will be able to see the rest of her cohort's grades at the same time.

I think, personally, our DCs need to retrain themselves to think of 8s as spectacular. I wish Gove had never brought in the 9. I had an email from a wonderful student sad because she had an 8, and it made me sad.

Your DD's grades are better than her friends' because of her misfortunes.!

PiggyJr2 fell foul a little bit of the rank ordering, too, I suspect , getting 8s in subjects that he had routinely been awarded 9s in but those 8s will do!!

The awful situation with a disgraced music teacher resolved itself in a 5. Thank God for the CAGs there as I am sure the algorithm would have shafted the whole class.

I am in awe of your DD!

Ah thanks Piggy! There’s no point in complaining as she came out of it well all things considered. It’s the 3/4/5 misalignment of grades (as an ex-teacher) that I would be upset about for my pupils.
I am very concerned for her A Levels so it was good to get those grades ‘under her belt’. Her intellect is astounding - she’s been editing older Dds university work and older Dd had to admit she agreed with her.

@Zandathepanda, very well done to DD2. I agree @Piggywaspushed, effing Gove and his focus on the top of the top end 😡 8s are indeed fantastic. And good on her editing DD1s work

Re bills, DDs flat have always run an account that they paid £40 a month into to cover all bills. DD seems to be admin this year. Well she seems to be mum for the 3 boys, who are all bigger and older than her (21 and a shorty ) - they are even fting her with their ailments/issues

Thanks *bigTilly . I think your Dds way is easiest. They are setting up different standing orders to those paying the bills. All very complicated. Octopus are charging £101 per month for gas/electric combined and it looks like Dd will have her name to that which is a big one if there are problems.

Ah @Zandathepanda that’s amazing! Very well done to her. DD got 8888887665. She got a 9 in geography in November and March mock so that’s the only one she got lower and I suspect it was down to ranking as a fellow student got 9 but her parents are geography teachers so fair enough . We are more than happy.DD1’s bills are being sorted by a more organised housemate and we’re staying out if it.

Great news for your DDs @Zandathepanda and @Benjispruce2, and for your DS2 too @Piggywaspushed.

I think in DS's flat they are putting £40 a month each in a flat account. Not sure who the admin is but not DS that's for sure!

Thanks everyone and well done to your DS @Piggywaspushed too. I felt a bit for the teachers as they didn’t know the grade they put forward would be the ultimate grade. DD’s English teacher approached us worried as she’d pushed for a 9 but due to ranking she was worried what she’d ended up with-it was an 8 and she was satisfied with that, same as her mock. As has been said, there is no fair system but I do think that if pupils knew that schools would issue the final grade, behaviour throughout the course would improve in most.

@NewModelArmyMayhem18, sounds like £40 a month must be about right

DSs rental includes bills! But then college system is like an HE boarding school so that’s just the next step! Makes it way easier

I think you’re right @Benjispruce2

Quick question as DD’s first year in a house as opposed to catered. I was thinking £25 pw for food for a vegetarian. Sound about right? She knows how to cook.

That's fabulous news @Zandathepanda. I hope your DD2 is feeling OK now inspite of the seizures.

DD moved her stuff into her house share at the beginning of July and stayed for a week with some of her friends, then came home. She moved up properly a month ago and is coming home for a few days for a short visit. She is in a lovely house in Jesmond, and all the bills are included in the rent.

Hello Gin how strange we could be next to each other as Dd1 is in Jesmond too! They are offering flu jabs at Boots nearby so Dd has booked hers already. I seem to remember our Park View freshers were particularly hit bad that first term last year!

Are you going up to see her?

I will be taking her back up. There is a Boots very close to her house. I think She should have a flu jab.

Jesmond is really nice and has a lovely vibe.

DD chose her modules in July. She was lucky enough to be allocated the one she'd audited last year, so has already attended some of the lectures and discussion groups (as an observer) and already has access to the reading lists and online materials, so has done a lot of the reading already. It means she's going back prepared.

Ah my daughter just found out she has to stay home for the first term. Her college is only allowing 3rd and 4th years to move back onto campus. They’re shutting all the frat houses which takes away a lot of the housing. She’s gutted.

Everyone else's DC sound so organised. My DS still hasn't settled the issue of last term's rent with the provider, and since he plans to live there again this year it really needs to be sorted out, and would have been if DH hadn't suggested he negotiate with them to try and avoid paying for the unoccupied room.

I don't know how infection control is going to be managed amongst students from different disciplines, all of whom have some contact time, who come from different areas, and who are social beasts. If one person becomes infected there is no way that the rest will avoid it, and my DS popped home far more than I expected last year, mainly to see gf. Have any unis made statements about how Covid outbreaks would be dealt with?

Oh no @HoldMyLobster, that’s not good. I wonder if the same has happened to my friends son who is on a footy scholarship to an American college.

@Benjispruce2, I would think that would be enough for food. I know that when DD was cooking for the whole house (6) once a week, that would have been plenty as obvs cheaper to buy food for once a week plus breakfasts and sandwiches, etc.
I’m not sure how DS will manage with the shopping let alone the cooking after being catered last year!

Are many Durham second years in viaduct?

@simbobs, I reckon it will sweep through the unis - there will be little SD going on outside of any official teaching, etc. But many of the second/third years may possibly have had it already

@bigTillyMint I don't think my DS has had it, despite going to France and socialising extensively. We live in a low risk area, but the rest of our household has been very careful and I have a vulnerable DH. DS never even signed up with a GP last year. He didn't get Fresher's Flu but was quite poorly for a week or so in November and came home. He won't be able to do that this time. This time the plan is to live with 5 mates, one of whom has a serious underlying health condition and was shielding until a month ago. In the absence of face-to-face teaching (still unsure whether this is the case) I question the validity of the decision to return at all, but as more of DS's friends are going away this year (reducing the social circle here) he won't entertain the idea of that. It seems to me that there should be some sort of action plan communicated by universities in the event of an outbreak. And in such an event what on earth are we supposed to do about xmas???

I think most students will not get seriously ill if they catch it and should be able to look after themselves and so should not travel home to spread it. I think they have missed out on so much so far - growing independence - and they are desperate to get back.

I think we will just have to see how it all plays out over time - Xmas included.
However, shielding student in your DSs house... maybe they should stay at home for safety’s sake? Poor kid

Thanks @bigTillyMint. Everyone organises finances differently but I think it’ll be enough. She makes soups, curries, pastas, scrambled eggs, porridge etc.so cheap enough. We’ll send her up with a bag of washing powder and cleaning stuff each term and she’s earned £1800 over summer for socialising etc. We still pay her phone and travel home.

I know 2 people who have had Covid - one my Dds age (not socially distancing, had a bad headache for a day, only got tested as her friend was positive) and a person my age who got it months ago but still can’t climb a full flight of stairs.
It goes against all my motherly instincts but I feel she needs to see this one through on her own at university. She’s booked in for the flu jab and has a big medical kit.

DD is in the viaduct area @bigTillyMint and so are most of her friendship group. She is not worried about Covid at all but is happy to wear masks in lectures etc if it means some normality. Many of her group were ill in March with coughs and she thinks they’ve had it. Having said that they all had various ailments in the first term anyway so it’s hard to say. I’m really surprised that universities aren’t rolling out some sort of regular testing,especially with the local community in mind.

Newcastle Uni have teamed up with an old hospital to get a 3rd walk in testing place In the city but it’s getting there for I’ll students that’s going to be a problem.
They need volunteers to drop off kits to student houses a think.