Third year Oxbridge thread. '20/'21

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

A year where our kids really will have no clue as to what happens next!
Egads.

Hello,
Marking my spot!!! Lots of adventures to come let's hope for our DC!!!! As they navigate the covid nightmare, we'll no doubt be worrying in the wings! But being at Oxbridge, they may have lots of good things happen too for us to enjoy. No doubt about it, our DC are now privileged.

Found you!

Glad I’m not the only one doing it all again sunndowne, will be nice to have some company. DD met up with friends from her previous school (she moved for sixth form) and most of that group are applying too. She says she is glad not to be at the same sixth form as the silent competition between them is not that healthy, that’s even though they are all lovely girls and they are applying for different subjects.

Yep, too much competition is uncomfortable bake. Geography is subject for DN. I want things to go her way but actually she should have choice of many good unis. Oxbridge is double edged sword: wonderful but such hard work!!!

English Lit (and Lang) in this house. It’s been quite reassuring reading the threads about this year’s students who have finalised their plans. Not many deferring until next year and a lot who went with their insurance offer even after their grades were changed. Hoping that it will all balance out and our poor year 13’s won’t be hit with a double whammy.

Hello everyone. Thank you sort the thread @OhYouBadBadKitten - the linking did make me smile.

Not long now until they go back. How are you all and what have your young people been up to over summer?

DD is ready to go back but viewing it with some trepidation. She has just the room she wanted which is a relief. DS is also going to start a PhD, different college obvs and doesn't finish work until the last week of September, so they will at least have each other to fall back on. But this will be the first time both DC will be away at the same time so quite a shock coming to the system.

My own uni will start back sooner so will get an idea of how pandemic student life seems.to be working.

Think dd will go up at the very end of September.

Hmmm. I have a garden full of uni students in garden this evening. It was mooted that unis nationwide will encourage students to stay when term and not go home. Sensible idea I think. Worrying lecturers union are against going back. Surely we've got to try partial normality. It just seems too dismal all students studying at home. Sad!!!
So my DD off abroad next week and DS coming home to save money as mostly working g virtually from office/lab 2 hrs away. May stay in premier inn one night a week. Strange times.

My post is illegible!! Obviously nervous for first day back as teacher!!!!

Glad to have found everyone! Thank you Kitten for new link.
To Bake and Sunndowne going through the Oxbridge admissions process again this year, good luck to you and your DC. This is obviously only one college, but DS’s college have stated that this year’s cohort size will not impact on next year’s offers.
DD is starting to ramp up revision now for exams. She returns to Oxford on Oct 4th. She is moving into a college owned house for seven so presumably they will form a bubble.
DS goes up to Cambridge on Fri Oct 2nd (no clash with Ox, hurray!). He has a 4pm drop off slot and is permitted two helpers for two hours. Ideal for us as we have a long journey and a hotel booked for DH and I after drop off. DS isn’t too concerned with lectures being online as he has three supervisions weekly and regular seminars. College say formals are going ahead.
It will be very strange having an empty house after all these months, save for DH and the cat of course!

Cambridge have a dedicated website for Covid now, including clear information about testing. They are going to have their own student testing centres (hoorah!)

How's it all going?
Dd has her moving in date. They aren't allowing any visitors on to site at all, have asked for minimal belongings in case they need to leave at very little notice and have to have a supply of nonperishable food in their rooms available.

Our moving in date is flexible, they don’t have to book a slot. There has been some room swapping to enable them to be with friends in households. Kitchens are closed so it’s all going to be catered (not sure how that will work out). No visitors on site either but they can obviously come and go as they please whilst observing the usual rules. As DS says, once they arrive, they are in the Oxford bubble anyway so it probably won’t be vastly different.

It’s all an experience isn’t it? I feel for the freshers trying to make friends and settle in with all the restrictions.

All catered will be interesting!
I wonder if accomodation and food charges are going to change to ensure students don't suffer hardship.

Gosh food in your room in case you are locked in??????!!! What a strange world we now live in!! Still better they are all going. I agree bake, it'll be a sort of uni town bubble but no large groups allowed. My DD's friends have all been moved to flats as freshers have on site rooms now. They have a mahooosive cohort for year one.

And my DD has flown away and mixing as we speak with Cambridge and Nottingham people in the same European town, all new to her, but they are getting on fine. She has her own office at work which is very nice with a balcony and nice views. So far in an airbnb but with a cambridge girl who she met virtually, so not alone.
They are all growing up.

Interesting, yes, some families will be more hard up now.

Grim news about covid on news tonight. France's death toll rising again. So sad.

Fingers crossed uni towns and campus work out a way through this.

How exciting Sunndowne!
dd is so desperate to get back and I'm really worried that they will lock down before they get back. I guess many of the international students will be arriving in about a week so they can do their quarantine?

Fingers crossed kitten. It's such a dream to get to Oxbridge. How awful if it is dampened by nasty covid! Tragic! They need their special time.

My bet is they'll try really hard not to shut country down. Economics etc. I just think hospitality industry will be hard hit.

Accommodation charges have increased by a small percentage and the catering is an additional 25%, approximately. There has been some discussion about potential hardship but I guess the colleges are stuck between a rock and a hard place. There’s a bit of PR too I suppose so that the local residents are reassured that the university had taken the right precautions. They’ve been told if they come home in term time they have to ensure they socially distance from family (or anyone else they visit, boyfriends and girlfriends).

It’s an anxious time for them, especially after such a long time away from it. I’ve tried to reassure DS as I felt a bit strange returning to school full time (even though we had been back before the summer holiday) and it’s actually been fine, a few teething problems while practical issues are resolved but it surprising how quickly it all becomes “normal”.

Do you think we will be able to visit them?

I'm sure there has been a lot of negotiating with the local council and working to try and keep the local community feeling as safe as possible.

Kitten, your DD’s college conditions sound rather drastic but I suppose it is sensible to plan for the worst.
DD hasn’t had much info except “pack light”. She is desperate to get back to Oxford. DS’s soon to be college gives the impression that formals and dining in hall will be near normal. I do hope so as having lectures and societies online might limit opportunities to make friends. Although a bigger cohort of freshers gives more scope for friendships within college.
Glad it’s working out well for your DD, Sunndowne. An amazing opportunity!

I think we’ll be able to visit kitten, I think it’s being more micro-managed than other universities. DS’s girlfriend is at a Welsh uni and the extent of their return information has been “buy a pack of face masks”. I guess the Oxbridge colleges can be more controlling as their students are usually in college accommodation. For other universities where students organise their own private accommodation, I guess anything goes!

Dd said one college , Jesus I think , is having a lockdown practice weekend! I know not at all similar but evokes horrible memories of nuclear attack practices.
I just really hope they don't get locked down for Xmas as dd wouldn't cope with that.
Am planning on going up one weekend and staying in a hotel and paying for her bf to stay in a hotel one weekend as no guests in college and it's a long old term of online stuff only otherwise ,

I can easily visit Oxford in a day so will visit DD at some point this term and outdoors if needs be. Also planning to go to Cambridge around week 5 to visit DS and will need to book a hotel. I really hope there isn't a local lockdown in Cambridge as that first term is a long one, especially for freshers.

I've been planning when we can hopefully visit too. As long as we can travel Id hope we can go for a walk together at least.

I don't think I'll see my girl for a year!!! Have flights booked but won't happen.

But she is having a lovely time.good choice town. She has 12 student friends already.

Hi everyone, nice to catch up with you all!

Gosh @Sunndowne a whole year? Even the thought of a whole term is too much for me!

DD is in a private house this year with friends from her course.
(Her course is 4 years so as they're not finalists this year they are low priority for college accommodation)
They got the keys on Friday so she's already back in Oxford.

There are 6 of them so they've created their own little bubble and so far are having a blast.
It's a beautiful house in Jericho (I had a virtual tour!) and she loves it.

I'm hoping I can visit in a couple of weeks - she'll need more winter clothes as she packed very light.
it's so strange her living somewhere I haven't seen, but I'm happy she's so happy to be back.