Oxford and Cambridge current students discussion thread

[sandybayley]

Starting a new one as we filled it up!

Can't believe DS1 will be home in 2 weeks. Must remember to adjust the Ocado shop for when he's back. I suspect we may end up with a few days of his favourite meals 😊

I'm looking forward to dd's return. She is currently isolating as one of her corridor mates tested positive for C19. They are all ok though and not symptomatic. They made the decision to study in the corridor rather than their individual rooms to avoid feeling cut off, plus they all cook for themselves so I think their kitchen is a mini hub of socialising how times have changed, in my day it was the Union bar every night

She 's doing joint honours and is finding the ab-initio language VERY challenging, alongside everyone else on the course it would seem. I have tried to reassure her that we always knew it would be tough. She's enjoying it though.

Because of the lockdown her beloved Cheerleading has had to move online so she's desperate for that to resume, she loves it!

I think it's been a rather subdued first term: she's not met as many people as she would have liked to but I am hopeful that things will improve.

What a bizarre time though.

I miss her enormously; watching tv programmes together, the sound of her tinkling away on the piano...

At least we have the benefit of a longer holiday @KaptainKaveman. I wonder if we'll be fed up of them by the time they go back? I love DS1 but he can be pretty grumpy at times. Maybe he'll be more chilled now he's 'independent' and the return home is temporary.

I'm looking forward to D1 being home from O. She says she's desperate to do some cooking and baking - they only have a microwave. I hope she hasn't got too used to ordering breakfast deliveries!

She wants to live out next year, but the rents are horrifying - the individual rent for someone in a 6 or 7 bed house is about the same as our mortgage. She's isolating at the moment, but her potential housemates are visiting a few places in the next couple of days.

But are they having an extended vac sandy? I hope not! (Nothing to do with lack of maternal love, everything to do with not wanting the DCs' lives further disrupted).

I think DD's college must be very relaxed. She phoned yesterday (we tend to message on WhatsApp and I leave her to phone when it suits) and she seems to be going around with a group of around twelve (I asked names and subjects but didn't keep count!), very few duplicated subjects (two E&M, two Fine Art were the only duplicates I think) and an equally broad spread of staircases. It all sounds pretty good. Doing face to face tutorials too, with the tutor who was very sharp with her at interview ('I really have no idea what you're talking about - I don't agree' (on repeat)). Another tutor seems to have made a number of students cry. Ferocious bunch, the female classicists, it seems.

It only feels a moment ago that I dropped her off - the house is upside down and I'm definitely not ready for the vac!

Glad to find the new thread - thanks @sandybayley.

Two weeks left to go. I can’t wait to have DS1 and DS2 home.

@goodbyestranger - I meant in terms of later back than most universities.

I also communicate with DS1 by WhatsApp. He's surprisingly responsive to insights into family life and pictures of the dog. But 'all ok' messages are always ignored.

@sandybayley exactly the same with mine. WhatsApp gets a response, texts never do. At least we know what gets them to bite!

Well done Sandy for starting a new thread.

I think dd would rather stay at C than come home at the moment. I dont really blame her. Much more interesting there.

They always respond to a dog pic.
Thanks for the new thread sandey
Simultaneously missing the girls and loving the sense of calm and order without them.
Never had so much toilet roll

Thank you for the new thread @sandybayley

DS wasn't elected for the JCR post. He's a bit disappointed as the role was perfect for him, but he is a pragmatic sort, and will be fine.

I am looking forward to seeing him in a couple of weeks, but can't quite believe his first term is nearly over already.

Dog pic to get everyone excited

Well that didn't work 😂

Yes, I send a lot of cat pics via WhatsApp

Thanks for the new thread sandybayley :)

Does anyone else have a definite date for collecting their offspring from Oxford? I understand the official end of term is 5th December but I'm not sure whether that means everyone goes home on that day....DD says there's no information about this so far, but it would be really helpful to know whether it's going to be a staggered pick up with appointment slots issued etc, just so we can try to plan it around work.

Just got a WhatsApp from DS1. Leaving on Saturday 5th December AM and returning on Saturday 9 January PM. Of course that actually means me picking him up and returning him on those dates.

His college emailed him today with details.

Sandy thanks for starting the new thread!

DS2 (O) had his request for leaving O accepted as 6th Dec - the day after most people leave - but I hope that's confirmed for sure by him. I also really need to know the drop off date in January also.

DS1 (C) thinks 5th Dec is his leaving date and 15th Jan might be his return date.

It seems no time at all since they left and not nearly enough time left till they return, although I'm really looking forward to having them back home again. But my 'to do' list has barely anything ticked off and work seems to have filled up most of my waking hours!

The food bill reduced enormously and there's been virtually nothing to put in the dishwasher, barely any laundry and hardly any rubbish - by comparison to when they're home.

My DS has been a bit vague about end of term. He seemed to think his college were more concerned about sorting out what was happening with international students initially. He has also confessed to not reading emails properly as there are too many. So I hope he's not missed anything important!

I’m looking forward to having my two eldest back, but also slightly dreading the inevitable conflict over our desire for them to observe covid rules and their wish to stretch them. There’s so much else going on in the wider family that I can’t worry too much about them, though.

Ooh, I found you, goodie.

I don't have a pick up date from DS (O) yet, but judging from others on this thread maybe it will be 5th Dec. I don't understand though: there was a careful timetable for drop off, spread over several days. So is it just going to be an enormous scrum for pick up? I'm not looking forward to that very much, although weirdly I am quite looking forward to the huge drive (I have several weeks of The Archers to catch up on!). DS is loving his first term so much, I thought he might be sad to come home, but he says he's looking forward to it and needs to rest.

DD4 messaged to say 5th December/ which pick up slot would work best. No mention of a return date, other than to say the college has said that residency rules are in place as usual for next term (hurray).

Bit of a practical tip for those picking up from C - The Madingley rd big Sainsburys has loos that are open. The ones at the park and ride were not open just before lockdown.

@minijellybeans at D1's college, you just had to book a slot if you were being picked up by car. She's coming home on the train so can leave when she likes. She's isolating at the moment - apparently iso finishing at midnight is celebrated by a selfie at Rad Cam.

Checking in, thanks sandybayley . I'm really looking forward to having DS home, I think lockdown life is taking its toll and he's a bit flat. Feels he didn't get in the swing of freshers, didn't join enough and might have 'missed the boat'. I'm sure it hasn't, most clubs haven't really got going. He's another one looking forward to cooking with an oven! I think small kitchen, limited storage plus daily self catering with a big academic workload is more tiring than he expected. On the plus side he is enjoying the work and seems to be managing it ok.

@HuaShan - I'm not sure there was a boat to miss; I don't think the boat sailed at all this year in the same way as it would have done in previous years.

Also, some friendships develop after time. I have friends from university that I still see now (we're meeting on zoom later this morning). I didn't meet any of them in Freshers week.

DS hasn't yet made any close friendships, but it doesn't seem to worry him. He is socialising online (college-organised activities and a gaming society) and is fairly self-contained anyway.

It's a shame that his household don't spend any time together, but he says they are all very different from one another. At least they haven't made a group but excluded him; that would be a lot harder.