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!

Hi. I've name changed but have been on this thread for sometime. Just very quiet past few months. It's been hard. My DD has struggled the past term since February. Deep depression and anxiety with panic attacks and has been trying to stay at Uni but has kept coming home. She didn't know whether home or uni was better for studying. I can empathise with all of you with DC who are struggling. It's been awful for them all. And it doesn't help with the 'threats' of extra hard exams as mentioned before- as if they haven't been through enough. I hope our lovely DCs get through this although I'm not sure they will emerge unscathed. sending you all hugs and or whatever you and your DC need to get through all this.

chocolate Dd hasn’t had the best year either - family illness and flatmate troubles haven’t helped. I really really hope these variants don’t make covid take off again and they all have a good third year. They deserve it.

Sorry to hear that your DC are also struggling @chocolatenutcase and @Zandathepanda

Sorry to hear about your DD @chocolatenutcase My DS decided to stay at home from Christmas as his MH was spiralling out of control and he knew we can support him at home.

I’ve said it before, but I really don’t think many unis have grasped just how badly affected by Covid many students have been in terms of MH. And they haven’t made sufficient adjustments to teaching/exams (as schools have had to) or got the resources/will to support them appropriately.

The pressures on young people seem to be so much greater these days. The loss of the usual social support and fun amongst young people due to the pandemic and related restrictions will just exacerbate existing mental health problems. How awful that young people aren't being believed by their tutors. I think vast swathes of the population (our young people included) will have some form of PTSD in the wake of what's happened over the past 15 months. Surely #bekind applies as much to how universities treat their staff and students in these unprecedented times as it does to others?

This talk of difficulty and lack of familiarity with exam structure and content is worrying as this is second year where it really matters. And although degree requires self learning, I assume there would be some level of guidance from tutor groups, and that will have suffered by moving online (not sure my DS even attends all groups as they lack the immediacy and feedback of in-person)

His exams start this week and I think they’re done by the end of May (half term for DD!) and they’ll stay down for a while after that

I also wonder whether people already on degrees when this pandemic struck (i.e. customers given that they're paying for their courses) shouldn't have been involved in determining 'the way ahead' including any changes to the way in which exams take place? They've signed up to do degrees with predetermined forms of assessment, some of which have changed significantly over the past 15 months?

DS has been told that his January 2022 exams will be online 24 hour style exams.
Jan 2021, June 2021 and Jan 2022 exams (all of which count towards his degree) will all have been in this online format. At this point, it would actually be more detrimental to go back to 'traditional' exams for June 2022.
Not dissimilar to what happened to those that graduated in June 2020 with their final exams being online having had all their previous university exams in-person.

I still feel that better guidance should be given over mark schemes and the way in which these online exams are put together etc.

Thank you for asking @blametheparents. It went OK. DD didn't stumble over her words and managed to answer all the questions. she had practised on some of her housemates, then practised on me yesterday evening on zoom. It lasted eaxctly the five minutes it was supposed to last.
Sounds good. They are not expecting some Netflix style production. Just a clear presentation within the time criteria and the ability to answer some questions. Well done.

@chocolatenutcase

Hi. I've name changed but have been on this thread for sometime. Just very quiet past few months. It's been hard. My DD has struggled the past term since February. Deep depression and anxiety with panic attacks and has been trying to stay at Uni but has kept coming home. She didn't know whether home or uni was better for studying. I can empathise with all of you with DC who are struggling. It's been awful for them all. And it doesn't help with the 'threats' of extra hard exams as mentioned before- as if they haven't been through enough. I hope our lovely DCs get through this although I'm not sure they will emerge unscathed. sending you all hugs and or whatever you and your DC need to get through all this.

I'm so sorry to hear this - my DD has been very similar. Right now she's at home, and we're doing what we can to support her.

I really really hope that restrictions lift soon, life goes back to normal, and they have a chance to rebuild their mental health.

@ZZTopGuitarSolo I'm so sorry to hear your DD is struggling too. It is heartbreaking seeing them like this and feeling helpless to make it all better. I hope she improves with your love and support.
@bigTillyMint I hope your DS is getting better now.

Thanks @chocolatenutcase - he was pretty quickly back to much better once he came home and is now definitely ready to go back. I hope your DD gets back to normal ASAP too.

@blametheparents agree - at this point all our DCs exams which go towards final marks have been ‘non standard’ so it would make sense for them to try and keep that consistent

All this talk of students being allowed back on campus from next Monday makes me laugh; DS has already finished! He submitted his last piece of work yesterday, and we went to clear most of his room last weekend. As he is still paying for it and may want to go up for a weekend he left his bedding. I have asked him to check whether there are any planned social/departmental activities in the remaining weeks but he didn't know of any, nor would he be that interested.
I just hope that he has done well enough, and that next year is full back to normal.

DD's exams don't start until the end of May. Her last exam is on 10th June then she will stay and party until their lease runs out.

DC thinking to stay down after exams while he still has rent paid. Of course that may only last until the others start heading home..

DS's exams finish on the 16th June and he will likely stay in Notts for at least another week to make the most of further restrictions being lifted (fingers crossed!).
He is staying in the same house next year so no need to clear all of his stuff out, which is very handy. I suspect that some other friends (who have a gap in their lease) will be asking to store some stuff there!

I'm overwhelmed by the magnanimity of the Govt regarding allowing students back on campus. They must be aware that by next week many will have effectively finished their academic year.

Yes Ds has exams to do next month. But all online. He says he won't be going onto campus for any f2f.

I’m pretty sure Ds is also finished with lectures. He has definitely done all the coursework. Exams start next week. Just hoping it’s back to normal for them next year.

Hi everyone, long time no comment. Can’t believe we’re nearly at the end of year 2 and still dealing with COVID-19.
Sorry to hear of the struggles. I feel so sorry for our young people.DD1 has stayed in Durham throughout in her house with all her housemates. She’s doing exams now, all online and seems to be ok though has said she’s staying away from her phone so she can focus so not hearing too much from her.
She enjoyed a few outdoor social events between Easter and exams, in the college bars and city pubs etc
She’s planning on staying up there until she moves house in July.

I agree with the comments above about exam format changes being hard. My twins did finals online last summer but all other exams (as they were 3rd years) were pre pandemic and normal. I felt the online exams were fine as in fact most of their degree marks were already there from earlier exams in year 2 etc and the dissertation was a big part too - although one had a lot of trouble with there being zero library access and resorted to any site on line that could drum up books on the dissertation topic.

This year (post grad law) for them has been 100% online and it is totally new skills needed- eg even typing an exam not hand writing it is a vast change for many students (not necessarily a change for the worse). However in their case there are maximum word counts so just as it can take you hours filling in personal statements to you are not a word over it is very different and more time consuming that just being able to request as much additional paper to handwrite an exam if you want it. Secondly internet can cut out which does not happen in a handwritten exam hall exam. Thirdly you can be disturbed by noise at home, door bells etc which again exam halls do not have. I am sure there are lots of other differences too.

They do not know yet how the exams etc will be never mind course attendance for their law course from this September yet. I suspect the exams may remain on line but it would be very useful to have full details before the course starts.

My son in Bristol is staying to end of lease in mid July as are most of his friends and we have paid the rent until then anyway. At least they will still all be there on 21 June total freedom day.

On the subject of the exams at universities, yesterday I read an article in The Times (about how this year's A Level/GCSE pupils are actually getting a much rawer deal than those who didn't get the opportunity to sit their external exams in school last summer). Anyway, amongst the reader comments was one by an academic who confidently stated that the 'open book' approach that universities have moved to is working well.

DD has had open book exams since last year, and they aren't easy. You still need to know the subject to know where to get your information from. Plus, they are timed.

She always does the questions she knows she can answer, then concentrates on the ones she needs to check.

She said that if the university suddenly sprung exams on them as not open book that she thinks most students will fail.

@NewModelArmyMayhem18 no open book exams for mine. Both have on line proctored exams with the same pass mark required as in normal years. Despite no f2f teaching. It's so unfair.