Oxbridge 2020 (thread 10) - the path to the first term (just one slight hurdle to clear first)

[DadDadDad]

For better or worse, there is a bit of a bond of mutual experience between parents whose DC go through the Oxbridge application process. Thank you for your companionship so far - and thank you to others who started the earlier threads in this series.

This thread should take us to the start of the first term (whatever form that takes). All welcome here, but for many of us hopefully this will be the place for practical support as we help prepare these peculiar* young adults to spread their wings.

But the first item on the agenda appears to be the small matter of judgement...

*or for those who chose Oxford, very peculiar.

Parking info came with College info. Basically, we use the carpark at college for drop off then move car to a nearby carpark at one of sports grounds for up to 2 hours.
For Oxford, central college issued a temporary parking permit for 20 minutes!! Dropped off stuff and then moved car to party and ride and bussed back into centre.

Park and ride!

Haha party and ride much better!

Ugh, we haven't heard yet but DS's college at Oxford is right in the thick of it and doesn't have any obvious car park, so I suspect it will be a 20 min slot. Not sure how we are going to manage it given the size of DS's packing list. He's already filled up a large holdall with just shoes...

DS says moving in day in Oxford is one endless traffic jam. We are trying to work out if we can park at Park & Ride and the three of us can carry his bags and cases between us. P&R stops outside Queens and DS's college is a couple of mins walk from there. What do you think?

Also had planned to take him out for dinner before we left, but he said with deadpan lack of glee, 'Unless we have a Room Zoom' which seems to be the Covid alternative for freshers' get togethers.

The zoom get togethers seem to be very raucous - at least at DS1's college. They were playing Secret Hitler until late the other night and kept me awake.

I hadn't heard of it before but it made the laugh a lot.

https://secrethitler.com/assets/SecretHitlerr_Rules.pdf

I realise that will 'out' DS1's college if any of your DC were also playing 😉

That sounds brilliant @sandybayley. Not DS's college I'm afraid. He has a zoom call tonight with his college/subject group. I asked whether he might want to consider making it more fun by adding some structure to it and he told me (not unreasonably) to "stop, just stop it".

I'd be on for a MN Secret Hitler session!

No outing Sandyas it seems that it's popular in more than one Fresher's Zoom.

Feeling a bit sad about moving in day....DD1 received an e-mail from her Oxford college yesterday offering various 40 minute slots on Mon 5th/Tues 6th October to move in (and only one additional person allowed to help DD1 move in during that slot). Totally understand the need to minimise the number of people milling around due to COVID, and I know it'll be chaos, but I'd been hoping she might be able to move in over a weekend so that we could go and stay overnight and take DD2 (now back at school Mon to Fri) who is already tearful about the prospect of big sis moving away. Looks like either DH will take her without me, or we'll both go but will have to leave DD2 to go to school then be home alone while we do the trip there and back in a day (it's approx. a 3.5 hour journey one way).

MiniJelly, DD1 moved into her Oxford college on a Tuesday two years ago. The start dates of the central colleges are staggered to help mitigate against traffic chaos. I know things are different with Covid, but to be honest, even without Covid, moving in day was a high speed unpacking of car, ferrying bags and boxes up and up staircases and then pretty much leaving DD to get on with it. There was a lot she had a to do that day and she was whisked off to the first event. We arranged to visit DD during the first school half term which is conveniently around the "fifth week blues". DS actually stayed overnight with DD in college and we picked him up the following morning. DD had a better knowledge of her college and Oxford after five weeks and enjoyed showing everything off to us.

An update on numbers from the Cambridge college I posted about a while ago.

They normally take on around 105; they had offered 174. the numbers actually joining is 126. Accommodation found in college for all freshers.

Curious about the missing 48, all of whom would have acceptable predicted grades.

Thanks so much Often - your insight has honestly helped me to feel better about it - I know you're right about how rushed it will be, and had already been wondering about an October half term visit with DD2 (although who knows what lockdown restrictions will be in place then?!); also I have a "big" birthday a few weeks after half term which falls at a weekend, and wondered about a celebration somewhere near/in Oxford for that....my twin sister went to Wadham 30 years ago, and could maybe join us with her family for a nostalgia trip :)

Curious about the missing 48, all of whom would have acceptable predicted grades.

Apologies for not having scrolled back to your previous post, but one obvious answer re some of them, at leas, would be that their CAGs didn't match up to their UCAS predictions?

Surely some of the 'missing' 48 could be internationals? And a very small number who've decided to go elsewhere in the circumstances?

And maybe some voluntary deferrals too?

Plus a few mathematicians who missed their STEP grades?

Plus a few mathematicians who missed their STEP grades?

Indeed. Even if one takes the uncharitable view that not all the final 'A level' grades would actually have been achieved, had the exams taken place, the relevant STEP exams really did and their word was binding, so to speak.

Note though that Cambridge announced no one was REQUIRED to defer. Given conditions etc perhaps quite a few chose to when the request for volunteers went round.

I'm getting a bit anxious about moving in day as D1 has not heard back from the Accommodation Manager. She was told to email her re: request to arrive at the weekend as I have hospital appointments on Monday - and it's a 600 mile round trip. All she's heard so far is that the likely date would be the Monday.

She was away with friends for a few days and nearly came home in a panic when she got an email asking why she had not updated her depts (joint hons) on what she's been reading - she didn't know she had to. It seems that the single hons had been sent an email about this, but she hadn't, she doesn't want to say this because she thought it sounded like she was making excuses! And this morning my darling little cat died, she was 20¼, so we are all rather upset.

DD has to move into her college by the 27th. She's joining the choir, and they have to arrive early to start choir practices!

DS goes on Sunday for a three week bridging course run by his college. This feels a bit strange because he is going but will be back in three weeks for a week before going properly. I think his is the only college doing this and it is the first time they have done it so he was very relieved to find out it was still going ahead with COVID. I don't supposse anyone else on here has children going to the bridging course (it is a very small college and this course is for under represented groups (apparently being from a state school in the midlands makes you fall into this group!

No bridging course for DS1 although he has a 25 hour (I think) online course to complete and various books to read. Still looking at a move in date between 2 and 5 October. His is another small college (part of its charm!) but it's not the most efficient at organising stuff.

I've blocked out the four possible days for his move. A bit sad that it will be drop and go as in previous years I think there would have been cake and tea for parents but it's my loss not DS1's. And I am sure there will be lovely opportunities in the future to see the college properly with DS1. Maybe even a proper open day with DD when those are happening again.

I’m hoping and planning that we’ll squeeze in a last hearty lunch with DS before waving him off. Still no start date for him (nor DD...).

I’ve ordered his gown. DD had my Oxford undergrad gown but shunned my women’s felt hat. Apparently it’s all mortar boards nowadays. (Just call me Roger Relevant.)