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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Yes, I think most secondary school age pupils will have most likely seen friends over the past two months or so - DD certainly has.

You'd think that most of the universities with hospitals attached to their medical schools would easily be able to test undergraduates and other students.

You'd think that most of the universities with hospitals attached to their medical schools would easily be able to test undergraduates and other students.

I don't know about the UK, but this is certainly happening in the US. Unfortunately it hasn't been enough to prevent Covid spreading. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign has one of the most comprehensive and impressive testing programs - to the extent that it was held up as an example of what other universities (including DD's) should be doing. It wasn't enough...

news.illinois.edu/view/6367/1191139226?fbclid=IwAR2d8KLs49Cgr3f8xVBD6S6n18CNZkNNtet2v4hD0ZJo1k6cy5GpFyz1xqI

From that article... they are doing twice-weekly testing of all students but they are still having to do a lockdown for two weeks.

"For the next two weeks, the university expects all undergraduate students, for their own protection, to significantly restrict in-person activities. From now through Wednesday, Sept. 16, undergraduate students should avoid gathering in small or large groups under any circumstances. They should only leave their residences for essential activities including taking twice-weekly COVID-19 tests, attending class, purchasing groceries or food, going to work, engaging in individual outdoor activity, attending religious services and seeking medical attention."

Oh @HoldMyLobster oh that's a pity.

DD all packed and off to Durham early in the morning. Will miss her but won’t be such a wrench this time. The car is packed and DH is taking her. I’m shattered after starting back to school this week and DD2 y13. My class of 27 year 1&2 can barely fit in the classroom with desks and adults are squashed against the walls trying to distance. How can I refuse to help 6 yr olds with their coat and laces Boris??? Perhaps I’m not ‘robust’ enough. Still, I’ll keep washing my hands eh?

DD2 y12 rather- no distancing but masks in corridors.

Benji Same at our school. It’s absolutely bizarre the masks in corridors rule when they have being sitting next to each other with no masks. No idea what that’s all about!
We are just hoping the NE or our area doesn’t go into lockdown and that Yr12 Dd doesn’t give it to Uni Dd before she goes next week!

Well, DD has just left for Durham. Didn’t think it would be hard to say goodbye this time but I’m a soppy soul and it’s just so bloody far away! Anyway, car was packed, I’m sure others don’t take houseplants... It’s not always a smooth ride when she’s home but I do like knowing she’s around. At the same time, glad she’s getting her independent life back.

*@Benjispruce2 yes it’s never easy but I’m hoping the soppy sadness will pass more quickly this year, knowing that they are happy and getting on with their lives as they should. Took DD back to Liverpool this week and she was so excited to see her friends and about all the plans for their new house (which bears no resemblance to the student hovels I endured in the ‘80s) - not quite so excited by her impending exam! Just trying to stay busy - and hoping that this term doesn’t get disrupted by CV 🙄

That’s true @sergeantmajormum I’m over it already .

No idea wether I’ve posted here on it or not but just incase, I’m hopping back on the train .
DS goes back end of the month. Hoping feverishly that this time he joins something, a society, an activity..so long as it’s legal.🙄

@Shimy I get where you're coming from. Have encouraged DS to do the same but I'm entirely convinced. They need all the extras they can muster to put on their CVs given the current economic climate and how that may impact on graduate opportunities a few years hence.

DD has settled into her second year house nicely. A couple of the girls hadn't planned to go back until September, and came for a visit, decided that they liked it better in the house so they have stayed.

As long as DD is happy and setteld I am happy. She was bored and lonely at home, so I am happier for her to be in the house share than at home and our house is tidier and the fridge is less cluttered

She is only two hours away which makes it less difficult for us than for other parents.

@zandathepanda I remember your situation with DD2 and hope that you are spared any further health problems. My comment was about the majority but there are obviously important exceptions.
My DS claims that he is unconcerned about covid and just wants to get on with life. I do understand that, but wish he was socialising a little less. The issue for him is that this year almost all his friends from home are going away, as a few had taken a year out or had restarted 6th form, and they are leaving next week so they are trying to cram in as much as possible. It should mean that he comes back less than he did last year, when fear of missing out seemed more important than studying.

DD who is in her 4th year went back today. @Benjispruce2 yes they do take houseplants. I am worried about her because she is sharing with just one other girl who is now in a relationship. All their other friends graduated this year. I want her to try and make new friends but with everything online and a heavy workload I can't see how that is possible.

Ah simbobs don’t worry no offence taken - it’s been difficult for Dds as they have seen social media with their friends carrying on as before. They rationalised it by hoping that there would be greater herd immunity once she got to school .
Just our luck Dd has a flatmate problem before she’s even moved in! The other flatmates and her have been discussing it maturely though - it has made them closer in a bizarre way- which is good.

How is your youngest @Zandathepanda? Hope the flat mate problem is sorted. DD is loving her big room in her house so far.

I hope the flatmate issue is resolved soon @Zandathepanda, and your younger DD has an uneventful time at school.

DD has the smallest bedroom in the house they're in, but loves the house and the area.

Benji and Gin and others thanks for thinking of my youngest - she has slept all day after 2 days at school! Seizures are not every day now but she is so tired. She is extremely clever and her dark sense of humour is intact. I must tell you this story, which made me laugh. She had a one-off lesson at school for her class which the new teacher wanted to discuss everyone’s ‘feelings’ deeply. He made a few of them squirm, especially a new girl. He then asked Dd how she ‘really’ felt and she looked him straight in the face and said ‘bored’. He barked ‘what of my lesson!?!’ and she poker-faced back, ‘of the pandemic’. He didn’t ask her any more after that.
The flatmate situation will require help but can’t really discuss on here. Uni Dd has done me proud. She’s done so much helping with her sister in hospital and at home in some very stressful situations. She really really deserves to go back and have a great time. They all do, after so much disruption in their first year.

Ha ditto, so bored of it all.Sounds as though she has a strong character and thank goodness for that with all she’s endured. Are you no closer to finding out what it is?

Your DD2 sounds fab, Zanda. I think we are all bored of the pandemic, and then some

No - the brain injuries are typical of certain viruses but none were positively identified. Apparently this is not unusual. What is odd is that she didn’t have any flu or any symptoms beforehand. We just found her in her bedroom one morning. It is obviously a very unusual situation so we did wonder if it was another one of those weird Covid stories, as I was recovering from a chest infection at the time, but we’ve both recently tested negative. She was just incredibly unlucky that a virus got through the normal barriers into her brain. Bit of luck though with being the one year to sleep through May and June and still get good GCSE grades! Luckily the Dds can’t compare their results as, of course, it was only numbers for maths and englishs their year! Uni Dd got 2 A stars and an A at A Level so Dd2 has joked she can still beat her then!

Off to supervise another laundry load that’s suddenly appeared, needed for University. I expect I may be able to see more of her bedroom floor now....

Ha! Zanda - your DD2 sounds great - I'm with with her on the boredom of Covid. Also reminds me of the opening scene to "Normal People" - what a great series that was!!

Normal People, Series 1: Episode 1: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p089gyp5 via @bbciplayer

Yep. We all joked about that scene being her. Then episode 2 came along and it was a bit awkward .

🤣 Zanda, appreciate the awkwardness. Our whole family watched Normal People during lockdown - in separate rooms!!!

[quote NewModelArmyMayhem18]@Shimy I get where you're coming from. Have encouraged DS to do the same but I'm entirely convinced. They need all the extras they can muster to put on their CVs given the current economic climate and how that may impact on graduate opportunities a few years hence.[/quote]
Oh my goodness! I’ve repeated this a zillion times. When you get to interview and they ask, ‘So tell me about yourself’, what will you say? ‘What do you do in your spare time?’, DH has said he’s just going to have to figure it out himself and I agree. You can lead a horse to the water, you can’t force it to drink. They’ll all have to learn. He’s promised to join something, but he said that in first year as well.