Some of our young people are half way through their degrees (2019/20 intake): lockdowns on repeat, light at the end of the tunnel with vaccinations (?) and the legacy of COVID-19

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

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Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose is all I can say!

I’m feeling positive actually. Figures going in the right direction, 12m vaccinated now. Spring will hopefully look different and I’m hoping the 3rd term will have some degree of relaxation for our students.

I hope so too Benji. Last year our students were at home for the third term. I would love to think that they could relax and have a bit of fun after the summer exams.

I’m hoping DS gets a graduation for his Masters with he and DD not being able to have one last summer for their degrees. Would be good to be able to celebrate the end of education.

I think many students will not be social distancing at all in the very near future. They are fed up. The main thing stopping them breaking rules was bringing it home and many parents will be vaccinated soon. I am under 50 so it will be a while yet! I will mention Dd is sticking to the rules and is home but is very annoyed looking at what is going on back at Uni. She wants to socialise.

I have to be honest and say that my DS has seen a couple of people, his gf in particular. I just cross my fingers and make him wash. He is an adult, and makes quite an eloquent case, particularly on the actual percentage of people who become seriously ill and die.

@Ginfordinner

I have just seen a post on the uni Facebook page from a parent who is enquiring about catered accommodation for her son, and the only reason he is going after catered is because he is male!

That page is baffling. I think one student called home to ask what a post box looked like.

Do you think your students will stay at university this summer holidays to finally get a bit of time with friends? I'm loving having DD home but expect her to want to make up for lost time.

DD did last year, but this year she has a month between letting contracts, so will have to come home in July.

The mum changed her post from male to teenager BTW.

DD and friends have already signed up for another year in their house and I expect they will spend time there over summer potentially with other friends as they are not far from the coast so potential for beach days etc to make up for lost foreign holidays.

I think DD might have liked to stay in the same house, except that some of them will be doing a year abroad, and one of them will be on a placement. They don't want to share with anyone else, so the remaining four have signed up for a house just round the corner from where they currently live. Like your DD @VanCleefArpels they are within easy reach of the coast, and took advantage of this last summer.

DS wanted to do a tour of the North this summer but sadly their house let is from Sept, so he won’t have that as a base.
He’s just sent us a video of snow falling heavily in Newcastle - not a flake here!

I had a little lurk on the WIWIKAU Facebook page earlier today and it looks like a lot of universities (mostly the lower ranking ones) are offering a lot of "sweeteners" to get potential students to firm with them.

I feel uncomfortable about this as it looks like they are desperate.

I guess they are - people are likely to be nervous about committing to a uni place incase September turns out to be no better this year than last.

One of the London ones have already said ,"big" lectures online for at least first term...worried about my year13 one as DC in year 2 of uni is at least in a house with friends

@fiveoldteddies

One of the London ones have already said ,"big" lectures online for at least first term...worried about my year13 one as DC in year 2 of uni is at least in a house with friends

for next year!? blimey. Our bunch that are on 3 year courses will be almost half the entire course online if that happens

Surely not. Why would they do that? I feel like universities don’t want a return to normality even when they can.

@Benjispruce2 the staff possibly don't. They have most likely discovered that they enjoy working from home most of the time. You have to think that in London (and other university cities), a lot of the staff aren't necessarily 'local' at all. I suspect things in universities may never quite be the same as they were.

So unfair to students though. Different if that’s the offer but it wasn’t.

I wonder if the Open University will benefit from physical universities only offering online lectures/seminars?

I think you could have a point there @Ginfordinner. I'm not saying that the universities will go 'online' forever but it's entirely possible that the lecturers will choose to retain some virtual teaching?

Good grief, I was expecting f2f teaching after Easter!

If exams are online in May there isn’t much point going back after Easter for decent access to tutorial groups and revision support. unless totally safe which it won’t be. So best hope is start of next year

DS wanting to go back to uni some time next week now that most of his friends are back. He feels more engaged with it there, even though everything is online. Unfortunately his gf doesn't seem to feel the same way...

DD is struggling with the practical element being online. She learns better by doing rather than watching. 70% of the module she is doing now is practical and she is afraid that she will fail it.

Agh yes I am worried that uni teaching will stay on line for lectures etc. Im sure some staff prefer it, tho it does open up jobs to the world which is potentially risky.

If all adults are offered jabs by sept as mentioned on news etc how can they still expect restrictions at unis?

I imagine they'd have to contract to do some 'in person' teaching but things like lectures could permanently go online surely?

I think that there will be a lot of university staff who will be keen to retain some of their 'from home' working.