Study in the time of COVID-19 (2019/20 intake): lockdown restrictions, relaxation of rules and repeat... And will the Grinch government cancel Christmas?

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

Carrying on from our previous thread.

I believe these threads have probably been running since the summer/autumn of when our DC were about to start/in Year 13 (so 2018)?

Yep, agree. DD is in a completely private house, DS in the no man's land of private student accommodation, ie it is booked for students at his university but is not owned by them. It is not being well managed this year and I'm not sure they ever communicate with all residents as a body, so I have no idea whether they will be expecting everyone to leave during "evacuation week", other than the foreign students who have to stay anyway. I hope that we find out sooner rather than later, though.

mumsneeds in a sense as we have been sleep walking into a police state we DO have occupational laws now. We cannot even leave the house in England at the moment expect for a very very limited number of reasons.

On the legal issue we don't know what laws will apply in December when students want to come home. If the university for those in its halls if you do not leave by X date then you will not be allowed home at all - I would start by looking at the terms and conditions relating to that accommodation which probably gives a student a right of occupancy/ a contract to stay in that place as much as they like up to July ( I am leaving Oxbridge out of this as they tend to have 8 week terms, obligation in most cases in normal times to stay within the area and not go home during term and they often let your rooms to others in holidays so all very different).

There is probably some general clause in the contract every student has with the university about following university rules, right to fine you if you drive a lorry over the university grass or set the place on fire or make far too much noise but those terms have to be fair and reasonable otherwise they will be invalid under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

The bottom line is universities have a lot of power which is sometimes exercised unfairly as they can be the difference between your career or no career so people tend to follow the university line.

My 22 year old in Bristol (not at Bristol U but another institution - 100% on line) has had nothing by email or post about times for coming home and is in a private rented flat.

Like the stay 2 meters apart which I believe is not in the law but just a recommendation probably suggestions as to when students go home may just end up being voluntary with the ope that if most obey them then that will mean less infection although in my view if they come home staggered that probably means less infection so if the plan fails of the state then more lives may be saved.

Also some universities and their hired security staff seem to be going a bit far and beyond what the law says and need to be reined in. Eg some patrolling security guards are not aware that students might be a bubble of 15 and are telling a group of 15 in their own halls not to be together thetab.com/uk/bristol/2020/11/11/bristol-students-say-security-have-hit-them-and-burst-into-flats-in-explosive-leaked-report-42953

@Xenia it makes me laugh. I leave the house 5 mornings a week and go to work as normal. Might see the odd mask but no social distancing at all. My kids are staying in and following the rules (as am I - I'm a teacher). Bristol sending details next week. Anyhow both mine have jobs to do in December so can legally come back for those. Both as key workers.

The interpretation of the very very limited number of reasons for leaving the house is being applied in a rather liberal fashion this time around where I live. There was a market on in the centre of town yesterday - food only, therefore permitted - and it seemed well attended. Most people wear masks outdoors as well in the town centre as it is not worth taking off between one shop and the next. When out with our dog doing our permitted exercise we are more frequently than ever being asked for directions, evidently by visitors from elsewhere, and I have never seen so many cars parked in our beauty spots. Every outlet that can conceivably supply their wares out of the door, whether takeaway or other shops, is doing so. It does not look like lockdown at all.

DS is back. Looking quite overweight so he clearly hasn't starved during SI.

There were certainly quite a lot of cars about. Looked like a standard Sunday to me.

Anyone putting bets on how many who have been told to self isolate for a fortnight due to being a close contact actually will complete that term
of confinement at the parental home once they get there? Or possibly, even mention in the first place that they are meant to be doing so?

DS got positive result today ... just had a headache, sore throat and cough

.. he's at UON and his lovely friend from 6th form who is at Trent is going to deliver his shopping

Oh, hope he gets better soon and people look after him .

@Piggywaspushed ... thank you . I think they are all bumbling through . It's so sad their Uni experience is this shit ! But hey.. they will go down in history'

I hope your DS feels better soon @Alicatz66

@Alicatz66 if he needs anything please let me know. DD has a car and happy to shop

@mumsneedwine thank you so much 😊.. luckily one of the girls in the house has got them a Tesco delivery .. who would've thought this was how our conversations would be !! . Last year we were just hoping they had enough plates and mugs !!

It certainly is a crazy uni experience. DS pointed out to me that he had only 6 months of his first year (and knuckled down after 5) as they had no further work after lockdown, just a shoo in to second year. Now they are expected to work at a higher level despite not having the foundation for it. He has kept up so far, but everything is online and isn't as good as it should be. I am amazed that more of them haven't packed it in.

@simbobs no work after March at all?? That seems ridiculous. DD had lectures, seminars, essays to submit and 2 exams after she came home in March

@VanCleefArpels I agree, and he wishes it had been otherwise, but quite a few unis did this, probably to concentrate on older students.

The If you don't go during the designated travel window, you don't go home for Christmas at all institution is one of the Cambridge colleges, apparently. Given the requirement for universities to ensure the wellbeing of students who can't go, because they have had a positive test (and therefore not isolating in situ would genuinely be breaking the law) and that it is presumably catered accommodation, I do hope the catering staff are on board with this.

Surely that’s not legal @MarchingFrogs?

My DS said this weekend when I come home for Christmas I know you will want to hang out and chat all day, but I will have loads of work to do, so won't have time to just mess around. OK, thats me told. Where has my son gone. Actually quite proud of him

simbobs another DC here who had no uni lectures/support after lockdown. She's went back to find there was no face to face (which they previously understood would be the case).

Minesawine, we’ve had a similar conversation!

LaBelleSauvage123 Our babies are growing up. Its really nice, and a long time coming

I have been amazed at seeing my DS actually settling down to study, but when he is home at Christmas and seeing certain close friends for the first time in 3 months I'm pretty sure I won't find him hunched over his laptop. He is enjoying the academic side of uni much more this year despite the lack of f2f. I really hope that they get back to some kind of normal from January, but I'm not holding my breath.

Yes, DS is another one who seems to have very much knuckled down to work this year (hence not coming home until closer to Christmas than the week's window the Govt has so generously offered students).

I think students do generally enjoy their studies more after their first year, if only because they've chosen their own options so are very much studying subjects they are good at/have an interest in.

That's outrageous of the Cambridge University college - which one is it?.

Sorry to hear that your DS is self-isolating and tested positive too @Alicatz66.

How is your DS1 doing @Itscoldouthere? Fab that you and your DH got some quality time out in the Canadian wilderness - you didn't see any brown bears did you? How is your dog coping (and is it still snowing)?

@NewModelArmyMayhem18 we had a lovely time in the sticks, thank you for asking, lots of log fires and the most amazing stars, more than I've every seen in my whole life (and I'm getting on a bit) a strange lack of wildlife, saw 1 red squirrel and 2 woodpeckers and 1 seagull!! In 3 days!!!
I suppose it's because lots of birds have left for the winter and there's so much wilderness other animals can hang out well away from people??
No snow at the moment, but temperature has dropped and it's cold and windy, the sky looks snowy to me, but hey what do I know 😂
DS1 ended up getting tests in hospital on Friday, but they think it's all Covid, his breathing is fine but he's very dizzy and blurred vision. He'll get the results end of the week, but he's feeling like he's getting better, the others in the house only had symptoms for a few days so he's had it much worse.