Oxford and Cambridge current students - discussion thread for anyone with daughters, sons etc there for Michaelmas 2020 (and not just freshers!)

[DadDadDad]

A continuation thread for those attending Oxbridge for the first time this term, but it makes sense to throw it open to anyone with a DC there (or other family member, or maybe you're a student yourself or teach / work there - all welcome!) Share your thoughts and questions on college life, courses, etc. A certain virus has made it a bit different for everyone this year...

I have a DS who is a fresher at a small Oxford college in a small subject. We will be taking him there in just over a week.

@mutterphore - if you are who I think you are, welcome back! (And if you are not - welcome back too!) I feel for both your DSs after all they have been through. But they are resilient. Good to hear they've been out running.

DS1 is still in isolation but relatively cheerful about it. He has a large bubble who he gets on with well and has been working hard. Bit worried that he has done zero exercise and had no fresh air in over a week.

DS2 after a major wobble last week is happier again, and starting to find the balance between socialising and working hard. One advantage to having a tiny household is the lower chance of one of them testing positive.

DadDadDad, pleased you had a good trip to Oxford and are reassured your DS is doing fine.

Dolphin, yes it is me! I'm glad your DS1 is surviving isolation and that DS2 has got through a tough week.

What impresses me most about all our DCs is that even after getting through all the hoops to reach their first choice unis in the first place, even after managing the usual initial hurdles of starting uni for the first time, many are now needing to cope with something none of us ever had to face back in the day - being isolated for 14+ days at a time just as they're starting out to make new connections and forge a new life. The 'easy' bit so far seems to be the academic work, by comparison with everything else!

pleased you had a good trip to Oxford and are reassured your DS is doing fine.

I appreciate my positive experience might grate for those who are unable to visit or who know their DC is struggling at the moment. You have my sympathy, and I'm sure there will be ups and downs for all of us. In fact, I'm just waiting for covid to make its way to his household and then the worries will all return...

We're only a few weeks in to a loooong year ahead.

DadDadDad I posted in a relatively positive way too - although not planning to go to Oxford this term. It does seem as though the experience/ incidence across colleges is varying hugely. I wonder if isolations are more prevalent in some colleges than others?

The ones hardest hit so far seem to be Univ, St John's St Catz, New, Magdalen & Trinity.

DS1 says his college (one of the smaller ones) has had the most cases amongst 2nd years. We're seeing him on Sunday so will see what other insight I can prise out out of him.

Less than half a dozen households isolating at DD’s O college and no positive Covid cases amongst first years at DS’s C college.
DS’s experience has been remarkably near normal. I have even been asked to post his bow tie!

I've just seen that Oxford is moving into Tier 2 tomorrow.

Snap Would certainly consider trip with cats if we weren't tier two!

Looking at this is occurs to me that no-one is going to be able to say that this is snowflake generation with no resilience: they really are having to get a grip; and it's hard

DD, s relatively large Oxford college has had a few cases but none in her offsite block. She forwarded email college sent about going into tier 2 which basically said you can't stay anywhere else now. Said they are working on Christmas plans...

That said have just seen we might all be going into a national lockdown next week...

I'm gutted. No 21st celebration for dd.

Oh, that's a shame.
I think there are going to be a lot of belated celebrations next year.

You're right Errol.

Though who knows whether the predicted lockdown will actually happen.

Good to see you back mutterphore.

Glad that many are still cheerful. (No need to apologise DadDadDad!) Alas, both my DC are struggling, not least with workload. And there are few of the usual mitigations. DS in particular does very little except work.

This article in yesterday’s paper didn’t help my feeling of gloom.

I’m ready to hibernate until it’s all over.

The 'easy' bit so far seems to be the academic work, by comparison with everything else!

@mutterphore - DS1 said something interesting on the phone yesterday. He'd done a big zoom call with all his old school friends and said most of them were milling around, really bored at uni because they had only two essays a term and a few of them didn't even need to do those as the essays set were identical to ones they'd done in Pre-U at school. DS said he was so glad he was at Oxford doing a joint honours because he was kept so busy he barely notices he's in isolation and he's loving the course. Friends with far fewer academic demands on their time are finding it tougher to get through.

@OhYouBadBadKitten - Have you discovered Sponge? An online cake-baking service that will deliver fresh good-as-homemade cake, candles, card, birthday banners etc to your DC in isolation. I sent one to DS and his bubble last week. At least she'd get a partial celebration and you could Zoom Happy Birthday singing to her. Not perfect but something.

Dolphinpose, yes I agree wholeheartedly about the really positive side of being at Oxbridge - with all the academic work to do. This was one of the biggest reasons why they both hoped to get places there as they didn't want endless days of boredom that some of their peers had reported last year at other universities. It gives a sense of purpose and a reason for being there, even during a time when it's not possible to socialise and do clubs and activities and I think this is a very good thing.

DS1 and DS2 are very much enjoying their subjects and really immersed themselves in their essays and reading whilst in isolation.

However, at DS1's (C) college his subject cohort have been told they don't have to produce an essay though on each topic and that seems very strange to me, as does the fact that supervisions don't look at all at the essays written but are simply 'discussions' about the topic.

In my day (and still for DS2 at O nowadays), the tutorial revolved around the essay you'd written, so you could then learn and progress afterwards - and maybe add bits to your essay. So, in time, you could use it for revision purposes. DS1's supervision partner doesn't always write an essay but DS1 does and he says it can feel a bit strange. His essay is handed in just before a supervision but not marked until after the supervision.

Both are so enjoying not being confined to their rooms for now and doing lots of clubs and societies even though most are online. Keeping constructively occupied seems even more important in these present times.

Maybe a long term silver lining to this awful cloud will be a shaking out of degrees where work and teaching seem somewhat optional.
I've never really understood the point of doing a 3 or 4 year degree which - whether 'contact time' or the amount of self-driven effort - doesn't equate to being pretty much a full time job.

I haven't dolphin thats brilliant. Thanks! I was wondering how I could get cake to her.

Dd definitely has enough to occupy her too.
Im dreading her reaction if they decide to close universities.

@OhYouBadBadKitten

Dd definitely has enough to occupy her too. Im dreading her reaction if they decide to close universities.

Close universities? Is that on the cards? I'm dreading my own reaction if they decide that. I'd happily give up Christmas if it meant some semblance normal life could continue for our DC. But that's quite easy fir me to say because I'm not a fan of Christmas (apart from the carol singing, which I love). I am on tenterhooks re this announcement..

BBC have mentioned the possibility of closing secondary schools.
I guess there's no point in speculating, we will know soon enough.

As I've just commented on the general uni thread, DS will only come home if there is a university-level or college-level decision to advise students to go home (or if most of his college leaves).

At the moment he is receiving several hours a week of face-to-face teaching and he is able to socialise with his peers in a low-risk manner (small groups, outdoors, masks, keeping distance etc). He is enjoying living independently for the first time.

He has found a study routine that suits him and is managing his workload (no small feat for the first year of the Natural Sciences course).

I would feel really disappointed for him if he has to come home after less than a term.

@SnapSnapDragon
I'm with you on the carol singing. This will be the first Christmas since I was 8 that I haven't performed in at least one carol concert. Last Christmas the carol concerts I did with my choir raised £4000 for local charities.
I've signed up to do a Nine Lessons and Carols project with an online choir this year, but it's not quite the same.

"Snap" from snap, @Ironoaks. Singing is a big part of my old life and I would normally have a pretty busy December, not to mention other months (I was meant to be performing in Verdi's Requiem around about now ).

You have a musical DS so could you persuade him to join you for family carols? If so, please give me your secret. I can never persuade my musical DC to do anything with me, even piano duets..

I'm v pleased that Oxbridge choirs are still managing to practice and perform. Good for the soul!