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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DS had a fanciful notion that he would be able to seamlessly move his kit from his halls over to his second year let but clearly the unis want their rooms emptied out before the end of this academic year. So that plan well and truly scuppered.

He's gone up on the train today. Said it's deserted.

@Dunlurking & @MrKlaw No that is my older daughter in Leeds. I have no idea what’s happening about Ds’ Bath accommodation for next year. It’s half rent for July & August I think but we haven’t been asked to set up a standing order yet.

@DrMadelineMaxwell it’s this month.

Well, that's not going to leave much notice, is it? Thanks for the heads up. Hopefully they'll reply to our email and she'll get the chance to book in.

Haven't posted on these threads for ages. Hope everyone and DCs are well.

@DrMadelineMaxwell you may remember that my DD is also in Vanbrugh and she received the booking email on Monday lunchtime so your DD might want to chase it up if she hasn't heard by now. The time slots for Vanbrugh are pretty much the same as Dunlurking mentions for Halifax - from 20th for a week, 2 hour slots with an hour between (when hopefully they will wipe down the door handles and stair rails etc).

I do remember. Is she enjoying it?

We did chase it up, thanks. And DD finally got the link mid afternoon today. Slot is booked for the Saturday so DH or I will wizz her up there for the afternoon to get her stuff.

It will be good for her to have all her stuff back home and stashed in the summer house out of the way as she sometimes finds she needs something she didn't realise she would miss when she was only thinking she was leaving it behind for 4 weeks.

@DrMadelineMaxwell I’m glad it finally came through and you’re sorted. @NewModelArmyMayhem18 I hope you get sorted okay for the move. Hi again@JennyWreny.

As there are a few York mums on here can I ask if any of your dcs had the awful bug in mid October last year. The cough lingered for months after. Started as dry cough, then secondary pneumonia in my daughter’s case (which I diagnosed as a retired GP as she refused to go to student health). Now they’re beginning to suggest COVID was around earlier in the autumn I’m just wondering. She did have a couple of Chinese students in one seminar group but not from Wuhan she says. One of her flat mates got it after her and was also quite ill and on antibiotics. I’m pretty sure it was another nasty virus that was going around which I saw in the flu and infectious diseases stats, but dd beginning to wonder if it’s worth getting an anybody test.

*antibody

DD is enjoying York - or at least she would be if she was there!!! She's a bit frustrated to be back at home this term and is missing her friends. I hope they can manage to do the mix of face to face and online that they are planning for September.

@dunlurking my DD had a bad cough at the beginning of Oct which she went to the GP for and was diagnosed with a chest infection. She also had one for much of Jan/Feb/Mar which she said felt the same as the one in Oct. One of her friends had a constant cough from freshers week until Easter. I wouldn't be at all surprised if DD has already had CV.

She's pleased to be able to go and get her things at last. Lots of her summer clothes are there which was annoying a few weeks ago when it was really hot.

Our university says results out start august so a month later than normal.
Then again exams for us first years have only just finished and original time table was mid may. So longer needed to mark and clearly much higher chance of cheating (university had sent out emails saying they are detecting a lot of cheating) I assume this is more paying people to write exams type. Our group has been good with most questions just reserved for technically matters / what is the word count etc.
And the poor chap who realised it was 1600 words max not 1600 words each with 46 mins to submission!
(I mean it was in front of exam so that was stupid!)
Also we have been told during sone exams that they had the word counts wrong on the paper and it should be the lower amount we had been told previously!

@Dunlurking Dd was one of the lucky ones and was fit as a fiddle thankfully.

Dunlurking - I'm sure storage can easily be sorted. DD was at home before lockdown, she organised boxes to arrive on the Monday (she travelled back that day) and everything went into store at 9am. She organised it all herself

@DrMadelineMaxwell thanks for that. Good your dd wasn’t ill. It was nasty. @JennyWreny thanks for that. Yes my dd was looking forward to this term. She’d done her 4 essays due start of the term before the end of March, and started her revision so was most put out when they cancelled the essays and the exams (unlike you @burnoutbabe - that sounds awful) and told them they’d all passed the year. She had 2 weeks of online stuff this term and was done. She was so sorry to miss summer events and volunteer work she’d organised. Plus a university trip to Thailand to volunteer with elephants has been postponed a year.

Thanks @starfish4. That’s extremely organised of your dd. York have sent details of a storage company as response to students’ blanket request to extend the collection dates but dd now saying she wants it all home!

@Decorhate that’s a good deal only paying half rent July and August!

Well the normal monthly rent is very expensive - around 50% more than Dd pays in Leeds. So it helps a bit.

DD has just told me that I have to pay the first rent instalment on 1st July. I suggested that as no-one would be in the house perhaps they could negotiate a cheaper deal with the landlord. Unfortunately one of the students has a poor home life and wants to move into the house asap, even if it means being on his own, so it looks like full rent from day one

DD mentioned in passing yesterday that her housemate is moving into their new place in early July, directly from the existing flat. It did not occur to me that this probably means that she also has to start paying rent then. DD is not planning on moving back to her uni city as soon as that, thankfully. I'm using the dog as emotional blackmail to get her to stay as long as possible. There is nothing much for her up there before term starts but she may feel that she should go as her friend will be alone.

I didn’t think it mattered - Landlord is charging DS half rent for July, but they can’t move in until August and then its full rent. Basically they’ll charge you full rent as soon as you’re able to move in - they don’t care when you can actually move in.

I assume half rent is a holding fee to give them continuity of income while they clean/prepare it.

@MrKlaw The half rent for July & August seems to be a Bath custom. Not sure it is done anywhere else. Dd in Leeds has always paid the full amount over the summer. But as I’ve said before, Bath full rents are 50% higher than Leeds so overall they recoup their money by making the normal months higher anyway.

Cardiff is half rent for July and August but no moving in until Sept. God knows what's going to happen with Wales though!

Think it varies by landlords - DD in Liverpool tenancy starts September but her bf in same city starts full rent from July? Elder DD in Cardiff was always half rent July and Aug so long as you didn’t move in. Still both cheaper than uni halls.

Dunlurking I have sent you a pm.

Hello everyone. For those posters who are teachers, hope it’s not been too stressful grading your pupils - I know they were finalising GCSEs this week at little Dds school. In fact my little Dd should have been doing her last GCSE now but instead she’s asleep!!

I hope your little DD is OK Zanda

Ginfordinner it’s a long process :( but at least she didn’t have to do GCSEs. Thank you.

Uni Dd is not happy as some modules have been cancelled as the lecturers have been made redundant. She knows some of them and will be sad to see them go.

Not one of her 6 flatmates is doing the same course next year! So much for social bubbles. I noticed the NE had quite a high infection rate so maybe it will have settled down by October when they go back.

Here you are!