University 2020 :8: Use the CAGs, don’t use the CAGs...

[MillicentMartha]

...if you can use the mocks, then use the mocks but not if they're higher than the CAGs.

And hopefully on to university!

Old thread
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/3993327-University-2020-7-Results-tombola-roll-up-roll-up-pick-a-prize?pg=39

The Edinburgh dining arrangements sound ridiculous. Have just spent a couple of days in Edinburgh - eating out and staying in hotels. The city is busy, bustling even. Hand sanitizer at every door, most people wearing masks in shops and track and trace in place. I'm sure most cities are similar. I understand the need to be seen to be doing the right thing but universities will simply push socialising underground or off campus.

Exactly - the dining rules should match the uk rules not be even stricter

Surely allocating tables of 4-6 per corridor would be better.

It is going to be hard but for many students it is better just to get on with this year than defer as the nasty bits may still be in place in 12 months' time. It is hardest for freshers. By November of 2020 in some places you will need to have found your housemates for the following academic year and probably by mid December signed a lease for a house too. If you are only mixing with 8 people in your block or corridor and possibly a few on your course or in an out door sports club that is not an easy thing to do. However my son shared a house in years 2 and 3 with boys in his very small block section (about 8 boys in the section) at Wills Hall in Bristol. Just as well all those boys got on so I suppose exactly the same could arise this year - they share in year 2 with the people in their very small group.

There's an interesting discussion going on about the return/UCU warning etc on a thread on the coronavirus board as well - can't remember the thread's name but it has the word 'university' in its title!

Yes Xenia, it will be interesting to see whether this year students are prepared to enter into rental contracts for next year as early as November. Yes they will risk not getting the best places, but if they suspect teaching may still be in large part online next year, and social activities still restricted, some of them may start thinking more about the cost/benefit ratio of living away.

(Others will be determined to stay in the university town whatever happens, I do agree! And others living several hours away may have no choice - though, if you have a one day a week or one day a fortnight ftf/campus timetable, you might decide air b'n'b for a night a week is cheaper. We won't know straight away, but maybe the university experience will change for a proportion of students. Not necessarily a bad thing, of course.

Returning to this thread briefly to say a big THANK YOU to everyone on here, you were all so kind and supportive when I joined, panicking, at the 11th hour.

I am so grateful for all your kind words.

@Badgerstmary Between St Davids and the Uni is a legendary 'Spoons - The Imperial - where all the students go. It's an old hotel and is massive with a very large garden. It's lovely!
I would say St Davids to the other end of campus is a 20 min walk but probably 15 going the other way because of the hills! 20 min walk into town and 15 mins to The Quay which is a riverside area with restaurants etc Try The Waterfront for it's dustbin lid pizza.
Exeter is a very compact city with a mild climate but lots of soft rain.

They'll get to know other students online. My DD spent a week with another aspiring first year this summer, having met her in the subject Facebook group for the university they both had offers for.

@Peaseblossom22 He has 5 compulsory modules and had to select a 6th. It’s a Joint Honours course.

[quote spababe]@Badgerstmary Between St Davids and the Uni is a legendary 'Spoons - The Imperial - where all the students go. It's an old hotel and is massive with a very large garden. It's lovely!
I would say St Davids to the other end of campus is a 20 min walk but probably 15 going the other way because of the hills! 20 min walk into town and 15 mins to The Quay which is a riverside area with restaurants etc Try The Waterfront for it's dustbin lid pizza.
Exeter is a very compact city with a mild climate but lots of soft rain.[/quote]
Been there! It is lovely.

[quote spababe]@Badgerstmary Between St Davids and the Uni is a legendary 'Spoons - The Imperial - where all the students go. It's an old hotel and is massive with a very large garden. It's lovely!
I would say St Davids to the other end of campus is a 20 min walk but probably 15 going the other way because of the hills! 20 min walk into town and 15 mins to The Quay which is a riverside area with restaurants etc Try The Waterfront for it's dustbin lid pizza.
Exeter is a very compact city with a mild climate but lots of soft rain.[/quote]
I had my 21st at the Imperial! It certainly wasn't a Wetherspoons then. I also remember dustbin lid pizzas at the Waterfront, even though I left the uni in 1989! Very excited for my son who will be arriving there in less than 2 weeks now. He is delighted to hear that there is a Wetherspoons near his hall!

Spababe, thanks,that’s really reassuring.

Where is the Edinburgh video about catering arrangements? I could not see anything.

Leeds people - although there seem to be some irritating rules about moving in, according to The Student Room, they seem to be doing well on organising fresher events, including virtual escape rooms played by teams they help to put together and geo-caching.

@Monkey2001 on youtube apparently. On dd's accommodation chat early arrivals are already complaining of size of wardrobe , basic mattress etc - not sure what they expected!

@LIZS yes, some high expectations these days. One american mum thought "en suite" meant her DD was getting a suite!

Here is the Edinburgh video

Would be much better to allocate times for the household bubbles and let them sit together. Hope they are not all like this.

Blimey! It is like eating under exam conditions. It is certainly not a social experience.

Thanks for the video. I suppose people will just have to shout loudly to their friends eating across that distance. I bet there is going to be a lot of queueing. However it is much better than everyone starting the course living at home and only on line

DD glad she is in self catered accommodation at Edinburgh as they are allowed to form a family bubble and don't have to distance but will need to isolate if any of the others get symptoms.

[quote Monkey2001]@LIZS yes, some high expectations these days. One american mum thought "en suite" meant her DD was getting a suite![/quote]
We looked round a hall on an open day and one mum asked where the TV lounge was, because her daughter had "certain programmes she'd hate to miss". Daughter was mortified and student guide said they use their own computers in their rooms. Mum said that you couldn't get tv on a computer.... We all sniggered Daughter looked like she might kill mummy!

That Edinburgh video is very scary! And not logical to make everyone eat alone....they could go to a town centre restaurant and sit with 5 others.

The table arrangements in the dining areas shown in the Edinburgh video are frankly over the top. Not sure why students have to carry cutlery around. Why can’t it go in a dishwasher along with plates? Seems more unhygienic to have dirty cutlery leaving the dining area.

The cutlery thing is truly crackers. Can you imagine a cafe asking you to bring your own cutlery and take it away to wash afterwards?!? Some students are going to lick clean and reuse.

Blimey! That Edinburgh video is scary.

Bearing in mind that these will likely all be kids who have been previously piling onto huge tables in Spoons and Wagamamas for the last month for Rishi Two Snacks £10 off deals

@aibutohavethisusername
I’m getting really anxious as my DD has not heard anything from UCL about the accommodation yet. She doesn’t seem worried at all.

Hi same here, it sounds like quite a few in her chat group are also waiting.....

@ DarkChocolate100 glad she’s not the only one yet to hear.