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!).

DS organised lists from all his flatmates, I did a big Sainsbury’s order online ( they couldn’t get one) and by the day after delivery I was paid back. It did take me 2.5 hours to do the order though, as some of the requests weren’t very specific! DH has sent a couple of parcels to DS of things he forgot and always puts in chocolate for the flat. I can’t imagine just doing shopping for one in their situation.

This is dd's view.
Art least she hasn't got far to him if she needs a test.

DrMadelineMaxwell well it’s a view for the photo albums of the future! I hope the view on the other side is less topical for her! Nice greenery though

I'm loving these views - @DrMadelineMaxwell definitely one for the Pandemic photo album!

The campus at York (it is York isn't it?) Is lovely if you filter out the hideous 1960s buildings.

My fave campus is Nottingham for the grounds.

Just had a long chat with DS. We concluded that he definitely does have covid, definitely can't get a test (and has given up trying) and will manage to feed himself for another couple of days if his flatmate let's him have a couple of things. This kid does have a serious underlying health condition so his family will be giving him a bit more support.

The good news is that DS is actually doing some work. F2f teaching has been suspended, and the technology is inadequate but he is much happier than he was last year. He is concerned that he doesn't know how long he needs to self isolate for, though.

@simbobs if he really can’t get a test then he needs to self isolate for 10days starting on the first day of his symptoms

@bengalcat that's what he is doing, but he isn't certain when it started, so he will stay in for 2 weeks.

I’d count the first day he lost his sense of taste/ smell as day one .

DD's pic above is of York campus. She's stayed on campus and is in the nice new build self catering blocks (one of which is where the continuing students have been put) and is so much nicer than the grim catered room ones that are much older.

Oo I think they were building those when we went to have a look. I like the 60s buildings but it’s a shame the Quakers didn’t want a (boozy) student union building so there’s not a central social building (think that’s the story I remember). Didn’t like the duck poo.

Hi everyone, just popping in to say hello. I hope that those DCs who are unwell will soon get better. DD is settled into her flat now and her flatmates seem nice. @DrMadelineMaxwell, seeing your DD photo, my DD is in the middle block opposite your DD which is also 2nd/3rd years (not sure whether that's just this year or usual). In fact she was originally allocated a room in same block as your DD but it was a room on the ground floor which would be at the front rhs as you are looking at the block which has some huge shrubs outside and would have been very dark in that room - luckily she managed to move. I heard about the testing centre. That's where we parked when we dropped her off. DD said there was a quite a queue outside when she walked to work the other day. She's got a job working in one of the uni bars (in the kitchen) so is pleased with that because it's keeping her busy. Although it sounds like there's a possibility that they would have to close soon if cases continue to rise. She's managed to set herself up with a supermarket delivery pass and has booked deliveries every 10ish days in case she has to self-isolate so hopefully that will work out. I realised this morning that actually in 2 months time she'll be home for Christmas (hopefully ). . . .

I am shocked at the other parents @simbobs - I paid for a huge online shop for DD when she went back and she cooks with/for her flatmates, then when the boys got covid, one of the mums drove over with a massive shop for them to share. They are all friends, so they look out for each other.

I got a massive online shop for DS too when he went back and when his flatmates all got covid, they managed to book another and got a delivery between them. All parents too far away to go on a mercy mission

Perhaps this will spur the students into being a bit more organised?

I know that some of DS's flatmates have difficult family circumstances, and they would not have been able to help, but the family in question are not in that category at all, which is why I was so surprised. I am close enough to drive over if absolutely necessary but really wanted him to manage things himself this year, if possible. So far, he seems to be doing so, but we'll see. The lad with the generous parents will help him out.

I went to York and never heard the Quakers being a reason :if that was the case they wouldn't have had a bar in every single college! I do know, even at the time, some people avoided York because it didn't have an SU but I preferred it that way.

There are actually houses in the town I work in that belong to the Methodists : if you rent (or even buy!) them , there is a covenant saying no alcohol. I don't think my friend paid it any heed whatsoever!

Happy to be corrected Piggy. That was the story the guide told us when I asked about why there wasn’t a big student union building like Leeds - apparently the Quakers put a lot of money in to build the campus so they had a big say in it’s design. As we know, just meant a bar in every college .

As they were Quakers maybe there should be a bar of chocolate in every college

Sorry to hear that so many young people are being struck down with positive results . Wishing them all mild symptoms and speedy recoveries. I think it's just about inevitable that they/we will all get it at some point (you can run but you can't hide...).

Yes, it's a bit off that parents aren't thinking to help the whole flat out when all the flatmates are 'in it together'. Unfortunately, some families just aren't as magnanimous as others.

Yes, off the top of my head I can think of two areas where landowning Methodists dictated no local pubs (and still the case to this day). I've always thought the Quakers were less 'preachy' about imposing their own beliefs on others?

Some stunning 'rooms with a view', COVID-19 testings temporary 'stations' aside! Mind you, I always think Britain looks at its finest on a sunny autumn day!

The whole of York did indeed used to stink of chocolate gin!

Not chocolate gin... is that a thing?

www.hotelchocolat.com/uk/cocoa-gin.html

I don’t know but I could do with some of that.

Oooo

That just shouldn't work @Ginfordinner and @Piggywaspushed but the reviews look very favourable.

Did the smell of chocolate pervading the York air put you off it @Piggywaspushed?

I lived near a brewery at one point in my life, and the air was very 'hoppy' (and at the time I did not appreciate the allure of beer/lager at all).