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 😊

@Malbecfan - the birthday party sounds lovely. Thank you for being there for that little one to make his day special.

Aww thanks @sandybayley. Just bought cupcakes, a gluten & nut-free bar for the coeliac child in the bubble, & 2 candles, a one and a zero. Now I'm going to make a Spotify playlist of silly party songs so we can have a dance. I'm sure some of the teacher-bashers on this site would love to criticise me for not keeping their noses to the grindstone, but actually safeguarding them and preserving their mental health is more important. Spotify beckons - I hope everyone else has a good day despite the biblical weather!

@Ironoaks, my DS list concurs with yours. DS additionally misses the company of his household. Three of the six are doing his subject.

Both DC have had meetings with their pastoral tutors; DS has had his first essay marked and returned and DD is on the cusp of handing in her dissertation.

DD says approx 10 students have now been permitted to stay in college and most are overseas. This is similar to the number that stayed in college during the first lockdown. DS college have 80 students back, mainly first years and postgrads.

Its lovely that you did that Malbec.

My daughter is on a Masters course at Cambridge, a course based overwhelmingly on research in the library. An update:

One of her friends is an overseas student. She prefers to be in Cambridge and came back just before the international travel ban. She joins the course mates who have been in Cambridge since October. Most course mates have stayed at home. Those who are in Cambridge can use library books on a strict 'Click-n-Collect' basis.

My daughter has now received one of the books she was desperate for. The Faculty Librarian ordered a new copy straight from the publisher and had it delivered to our home, untouched by Cambridge hands!

DD went back to Oxford on Sunday. She says about a sixth of first years are back.

In her own college that is (medium sized, central).

That’s so thoughtful @Malbecfan. I am sure it will make a real difference to the little birthday lad.

DD What'sApped to say about 100 undergrads back in total at her college.

Thanks everyone. We had a lovely afternoon. Poor little (he is tiny!) guy was a bit forlorn when I arrived but we had a nice afternoon & I took some photos of him blowing out his candles which I sent to his mum. It has brought it home to me about how at least our DC had those important primary school birthdays in normal times. The coeliac child had been warned by her class teacher that I probably wasn't aware of her condition so she was thrilled that she had a treat too.

DD had her covid test today with the results coming hopefully tomorrow. She and bf are having a football evening. Our team played first, so they listened to the commentary. Now they are watching his team on his laptop. I have no idea about how her work is going as my priorities are obviously rather skewed!

Malbecfan your birthday party story has made me smile. DD seems happy to be back and is making the most of having the library open.

Yes DD's college library is open too. I think some colleges are keeping theirs closed though, not sure which is doing what.

Malbecfan, that's a lovely thing to do for your young student and is a great example of going that extra mile at these difficult times.

DS1 and DS2 have settled into the term working from home, although it's not easy for any of us here. DS2 (O) has had his first tutorial with his new tutorial partner who is based back in college, which I think was a bit disconcerting for DS2 who can't wait to return. Apparently there are only about 15 students in college at present. DS2 got on well with his new tutor and fellow tutee - so that's good and he's also ahead in his essays, as usual.

DS1 (C) is currently working on his first essay and has had a 'check in ' with his DOS and tutor both of which were very affirming. His DOS has promised that last term's essays will at some point be marked and returned......He's finally had his official feedback/report for last term and is very happy with that.

DS2 and I have a similar daily timetable - up early, working and then ready and able to take a break later on to meet up and chat. DS1 gets up and ready much later and doesn't start working until DS2 and I are almost finished for the day - so I'm finding that quite tricky as DS1 assures me he can easily take a long break at the same time as DS2 and I - yet has barely begun work by that point. I have no idea how he can be so relaxed about work but he seems to get it done in his own way.

We haven't yet had a clash using the wi-fi for remote meetings and I'm hoping that there'll be enough signal so that we can all get on uninterrupted. DCs keep talking about looking forward to going back to college in the summer term and I'm worried that this may not be so clear and definite as they both believe. It's such a shame that they're missing out on independent life but many people have much worse circumstances and so we're all keeping positive as best we can.

I hope others who are at home this term are finding things tolerable and that those who are able to be back at university are able to have a good enough experience.

Thank you for that insight into your daily routine @mutterphore. Similar vibe here, DD is “on it”; up early, working to a strict timetable and spends the early evening training or teaching choreography on Zoom to the dance squad. She had to figure out how to manage at home in second year so has a head start on DS. As a fresher, he is finding it harder to get into a routine and his friendships/society socials are obviously less embedded. He too has supervisions with a friend who is in college which DS says feels a bit weird.
The four of us, like most families, are juggling resources and timetables. Fingers crossed our DC can return after Easter.

Malbec that is a lovely thing to do. It is the small incidental things that I miss most.

Things are quite relaxed here... Dd getting on with work in advance of her first crit. I know I am biased, but her work is so beautiful. I am not sure I will be allowed to keep the latest ones for the fridge / family gallery. I will start practicing my best sad mummy eyes (next level up from puppy dog)

DS is one for early rising and getting on with it too. Pre lockdown he was going to the gym at 7 with a housemate.
I wish I could appreciate his subject like Unescorted ! He sometimes starts to explain something he had found interesting and I'm lost after the first sentence. However yesterday he showed me some pretty 3d graphs that he had been animating so I could at least make a comment other than 'you've lost me'

Hua I am not sure I understand it except at a superficial level. She accuses me of getting "gallery face" when we wander around exhibitions.

This is my understanding of what DS is learning:

1. Everything is made of atoms (feel fairly confident about this).
2. Atoms are made of forces. Or maybe energy? (less certain now).
3. The forces / energy seem to be made of maths?(no actual clue).

I did do (single) maths and science A-levels sometime last century, so I recognise the occasional word or concept.

None of his work is legible, let alone aesthetically pleasing. It looks like the aftermath of a crime scene after a pen has had a fight with a gang of tiny spider robots.

I asked for clarification:

1. The forces are made from interactions with electromagnetic fields.

@JBX2013 That is a lovely story! New book delivered in difficult times. Small pleasures we must take note of and be thankful, people are trying to make students enjoy and succeed in their studies.

Lol at all the science terms. I am completely clueless when it comes to science. I have Physics O level, a rubbish grade in Pure Maths A level and Geography A level, if indeed Geography is a science. But none of the 3 scientists in this house (including PhD DH) can do the weekly shop, sort out the washing, cook every evening, you get the picture... But arty-farty music degree mother can!

I have given up asking the DDs about their courses because I don't understand the answers. However, I was tickled to be asked by DD1 to read through her science paper before submission last year because I am good at spotting errors. Her exact words were "the science is all correct, please point out errors in English & any inconsistencies". Not quite ready for the scrapheap then.

Thanks for all the lovely comments about the little guy's birthday. It has been a really tough week for me and they mean a lot. As far as I know, his mum is still in hospital but she loved the photos.

DD is sad.... she wanted to see Oxford wearing it's snow coat.

A snow coat.

it is beautiful.

DS1 was actually quite pleased to be at home today as he got a snowy walk with DDog.