Study in the time of COVID-19 (2019/20 intake): online learning, the rule of six and who knows what's next? Anything could happen!

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

Following on from the previous thread as our young adults start their second year at universities up and down the land (and some overseas too!).

@bigTillyMint Since the beginning of August. She only came home for Christmas, but she had a couple of friends go and visit her.

It's her best friend's birthday soon, and under normal circumstances the friend would visit DD in Newcastle, but that is not an option. This is the main reason she wants to come home for a weekend.

We are selling late MIL's house in the North East so we visit frequently, so DD saw us a few times when we were up there.

@Benjispruce2 Hope you get a negative test and all recover quickly.

@Ginfordinner dd's not an only, but needs her space.
I do myself. Over lockdown when everyone was home I ended up doing a lot of the lockups at work and one of the chaps told me I was doing too much, and I had to admit I was enjoying it for half an hour of no one around me.

Does anyone have a DC who is an only child?

DD is. She only went today so its too early to find how she goes on. She is naturally sociable though and loves being with people (she takes after DH on that front though is less confident with it) so it will be interesting.

DD is sociable. She was bored and lonely during lockdown, but she just occasionally needs time on her own to recharge her batteries, and wants to see her best friend for her birthday.

DD is a mixture of introvert and extrovert.

@Ginfordinner - I have two but I would definitely always say come home if they seem to want to come back. My eldest came home loads last year because she couldn’t get any rest in her hall. She was deliberately disturbed by her neighbours who were competing with her so she had a really bad time. It’s so important for them to be able to have a quiet supportive place ti come back to if they want to.

My DS is an only DC, he is loving being back at Uni, he is in a flat share with two girls but is busy with society activities etc (meeting freshers on Zoom & then one to one meet ups). He hasn't mentioned coming home - he loves city life after our rather dull small town.

DD loves city life as well especially after spending most of her life in a village

Yes same with ds1. He's not that far away, but city life is so much better. There's not a lot to do in our village. Ds2 can't wait until it's his turn to go to university. He can't wait to leave home! Thank goodness ds3 is only 11.

Jeremy Vine will be covering universities and coving at 12.

Covid

Yes reduce the flippin loan interest rates! I agree.Prof Nick at UON.

Sorry-at home awaiting DD’s covid result so listening to Jeremy Vine.

Hope it is negative Benji

Thanks. Just heard it’s negative. Phew!

Phew! @Benjispruce2

Another phew

Was a bit concerned as several students and a couple of teachers at her school are positive.

Very relieved to hear the test result has come back negative @Benjispruce2!

Good news Benji.

Benji phew too!

Apparently, students on some courses are now finding that they can't access online lectures because too many are logging on at the same time, or their Wi-Fi isn't up to it

Glad to hear the result was negative for your DD @Benjispruce2.

That's terrible @Ginfordinner - I think that will be the last straw for some!

If anyone feels it would help to know how many cases there are each day in their local council, or indeed in the local council of their childrens' universities, you are most welcome to sign up for my daily emails at www.covidmessenger.com.

Over the summer I was exasperated with the lack of easily accessible data available about cases locally and so I started Covid Messenger with the goal of providing crystal clear info on what is happening in local councils without having to look up websites and tap in postcodes for every area I am connected to - where I live/work/ kids go to school and university/where relatives live.

Each day I compile the latest number of lab-confirmed, positive coronavirus cases across the country into a bitesize email – one for each district council in the UK.

If it helps put your mind at rest to keep up to date with local developments in your area or in the area your children are in university you are most welcome to sign up. www.covidmessenger.com.

Covid Messenger has been a lot of work but the feedback has made it so worthwhile.

Its helped us feel more comfortable with our DD returning to school and we also feel reassured that we will know if cases start spiking locally - we definitely don't want to wait to hear about a local spike in the national news as we would want to take start taking extra precautions before that.

Anyway you are most welcome to sign up if you would find it helpful.
www.covidmessenger.com

Thanks @littleowl I’ll have a look later.

I will check it out, too. I had already expressed concerns about a bunch of students chewing up the bandwidth and finding the WiFi insufficient. I will have to quiz DS, but the chances are that he hasn't tried to log into anything yet. And that is my major concern. When course material is prerecorded the concept of a 9 o'clock lecture goes out of the window. We had a big discussion about setting up a proper structure so that one day doesn't morph into another but the excitement of being back in a student flat with a group of friends will override common sense initially, at least.