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!).

Dd has stayed in uni accommodation this year and is in a building specifically for 2nd and 3rd years and knows she wants to stay on again next year too - it was all sorted and signed up for by the end of the Christmas holidays last year. She just needs to keep an eye out for the email and/or the announcement on the website that booking is open again.

Her new room is nice enough although it has more of a road view (and the covid test centre as I posted upthread) rather than the field and wild rabbits.

Lectures are mostly online now, despite starting off as alternating in person and at home at the start. She's happy in her room though and it happy to stay there with her new 11 flatmates with access to the library.

Oh that’s depressing @Bingobango69

Sorry for your DD @Ginfordinner, hope she feels warmer and better soon.

@Ginfordinner .. Hope DD enjoys the brunch ! DS and house mates went to one this week for a birthday... they certainly took advantage of the bottomless cocktails !!

DD has been brunching too!

Oh I misread, she’s actually been out for brunch for birthdays. All looks very healthy and colourful but I’m sure there are plenty of liquid meals going on too!

Does anyone know of a cheap courier to send clothes etc across the country? Dd needs to take a large laundry bag full back up?

DS has been bottomless brunching too. Obviously something in the air!

I love the resourcefulness of ‘allyoucaneatanddrink’ brunches that have taken over in Newcastle now! They are the new clubbing.

Brunching seems to be the way to go (some of it bottomless with drinks!!!). Good do hear that the young people are making the best of the bad hand they've been dealt.

I think there needs to be major investment in very warm coats though for the outdoor socialising. I was out t'other day and eating al fresco was not entirely enjoyable when it was howling a gale.

DS has said he's only likely to come home for a week over Christmas and that's assuming that he can.

They should have introduced the students self-isolating policy before they started this academic year. As usual, shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted.

I am trying to limit myself to one trip out a week (for socialising/non essential shopping). I think it will not be long before I really don't fancy outdoor socialising - it's too wet and damp to be tolerable for long in the UK.

Hoping everyone is keeping well. I've lost track rather of which young people have had it or not. DS is in the latter camp but he could well have had it totally asymptomatically.

I’m not eating out with anyone bar my household as it doesn’t make sense to me that you can sit at a table of up to 6 from different households with no distancing, but you have stay 2m away from colleagues. I’ve had individual family members round but at a distance and as you say @NewModelArmyMayhem18 met others outdoors. My life is work(half term now) and food shop with the occasional meal with DH and or DD2 plus dog walks. Could be a lot worse. It’s all I need but I do feel for those who are used to lots of social events.

DD thinks she had Covid in March before lockdown but who knows?

@Benjispruce2 I am not overly sociable but do like to meet up with my friends reasonably regularly. I have reduced to once a week out-of-bubble socialising (possibly it will be a lot less often now that the temperatures have nose-dived) since the March lockdown (when allowed). I may try to fit in a few more outdoor entertaining sessions very soon though before we go into a second full lockdown (which is looking inevitable).

I don't know what to think about COVID-19 anymore. I still think my two had it at Christmas along the timeline is still very hazy for when it did rear its contagious head beyond China. On the one hand, lots of people living in very close proximity to each other don't seem to have caught it even when one bubble member has tested positive, and yet, on the other hand, we've been given to believe that it's spreading mercilessly through the general population.

I don't @Zandathepanda but would also be interested in finding one as DS's thick winter coat still needs to be sent. With outdoor socialising through winter clearly becoming the norm, he will need it.

I know what you mean @NewModelArmyMayhem18, it’s hard to know what the truth is. I don’t personally know anyone that has had it (excluding DD who thinks she did) but I just want it over with and would feel awful if I passed it on especially as I’m surrounded by primary aged children everyday.

I thought this morning's headlines made particularly grim reading, and make a total lockdown seem more likely. The only thing that made it bearable last time was the good weather, which is not going to happen now. I foresee problems ahead as DS will want to see friends even if it is against the rules. He will justify it on the basis that he has already had covid, but DH will be very unhappy.

Bottomless Brunches are the new clubbing

Pretty sure my two had it when they came home at the start of lockdown and so we must have too (actually pretty sure I and a few colleagues had it/something v v similar at Xmas) - both tested negative whilst housemates were all positive (and were deliberately trying to catch it ) Plus DH and I are both teachers and pretty fit and very healthy. We are therefore not too anxious about it all, but that may be a mistake!

Me and DH are going to brunch every Sunday !!! Doing a Birmingham brunch tour .. they have been very tame in Sober October ...

Hi I’m still here too, just been suffering with wisdom tooth issues!
@Zandathepanda. We used anyvan.com who were pretty bad but cheap and got the stuff moved (with quite a lot of chivvying but tbf it did involve packing up a whole student bedroom and moving it cross-country on the day lockdown was introduced!)

I love a brunch, no chance on our rural backwater though .

DS is in Nottingham, going into Tier 3, he's more fed up with the ski trip being cancelled for the second time.

Mine how is your DS doing?

Hi Rags my DS seems to be doing ok. I did ask if he wanted to come home but he preferred to stick it out as he is convinced it won't last too long. I'm not so sure. He said he has so much coursework and mentoring that he welcomes the peace away from our noisy house. He is also happy that gyms and barbers are still open. I miss him desperately and hope he gets home for xmas.

My DS in Nottingham also most concerned about gyms !!

Hi Mine our DSs must be polar opposites, he loves the busy lifestyle in Nottingham after our quiet and dull home life . He is into golf now so I hope the golf clubs remain open. We get very good updates from NTU specifically addressed to parents and carers which is reassuring.
Glad to hear your DS is busy mentoring, my DS started doing some but haven't heard much more about it. Beginning to regret the thought of him having a year out as it is going to be difficult to find a placement, he had one in depth interview (via Zoom) but didn't get it plus a couple more rejections ....

@Baytreemum hope your wisdom teeth issue is resolved soon. Prolonged toothache is terrible.

@Ragwort

Hi Mine our DSs must be polar opposites, he loves the busy lifestyle in Nottingham after our quiet and dull home life . He is into golf now so I hope the golf clubs remain open. We get very good updates from NTU specifically addressed to parents and carers which is reassuring. Glad to hear your DS is busy mentoring, my DS started doing some but haven't heard much more about it. Beginning to regret the thought of him having a year out as it is going to be difficult to find a placement, he had one in depth interview (via Zoom) but didn't get it plus a couple more rejections ....

Same with DD. She is in a house share of 8 in a lovely studenty area of Newcastle with lots going on. At home there are just three of us in a quiet village, and her best friend just down the road.

I'm surprised NTU communicate with parents. Most universities assume that the students are adults and are responsible for themselves. Newcastle never communicates with me, and I don't expect them to.

Nothing from Durham either. I occasionally check their website.