DD wants to go back to halls..

[Glastonbury2020]

DD is in her first year and was living in halls. She has been home since beginning of Dec and the uni have given a rent waiver until 20 Feb.
She told me this pm that her and her flatmates (8 in total) have decided to go back then.
Although I get why she wants to go back, I know she shouldn't be. There are some students in other flats back already.
Any of your gone back?

[Dove0709]

My DS has been living between home and student accommodation this year, as travel for education it is allowed. His student accommodation is in an area that they have done house to house testing due to a case of the South African virus, and even that does not affect his right to travel for education.

[Gatekeeper]

dd is going back to her hall end of Feb. She is sick of the sight of us esp when she hasn't been able to get out for a walk or run due to heavy snow!!! I will miss her hugely but I understand why she want to go

[LIZS]

Mine went back two weeks ago and plans to stay until end of May.

[LIZS]

@ClerkMaxwell

DD went back on 29th December as she has a part time job in uni city. Her uni has asked all returners who haven't f2f teaching scheduled to certify which extenuating circumstance they were claiming necessitated their return with a mild threat that if you didn't have a good reason you could be breaking the law. DD doesn't think that there was any check whether reason given was valid. She certainly wasn't questioned and neither was international flatmate.

Dd was really nervous of this but the confirmation came back almost straight away. She had emailed her personal tutor beforehand to explain and get his support, just in case anyone queried it. Noone challenged her en route or on arrival. She has also had 2 negative tests (having had covid in October) .

[TheHobbitMum]

DD went back to halls in Jan, all her friends and flat mates have. Her Uni have always welcomed students back, they are regularly tested and there are strict socialising rules they adhere too.
DD is far happier back at halls than at home

[user1487194234]

Mine both went back in January.,seems to be working out well
Its really up to her isn''t it,they are all adults now

[Letseatgrandma]

Mine went back at New Year.

[HenryIV]

DD was worried that she didn't fit any of the extenuating circumstances, and didn't want to lie, so just emailed her hall with an assumptive "I'm planning to come back on Saturday, is that OK, see you then but let me know if there any problems" and they replied with "that's great, look forward to having you back". She posted that in a group WhatsApp and lots of them must have sent similar emails so they ended up group emailing saying "you're all welcome back!". They're not breaking any laws as it's their home. I drove about 350 miles there and back just after the announcement in Jan and had no issues with being stopped etc, and would have had a legitimate reason if I had been.

[HenryIV]

The point I missed to make in the post above is that they'd all assumed they couldn't go back because of what they read/heard at the time, but when they asked it was fine. Always worth asking!

[AtiaoftheJulii]

Mine went back at the weekend - private house, his housemates were already back. He was really sensible last year from Aug-Dec so no reason to think he won’t be now. He won’t be home for Easter.

[Xenia]

Henry, yes in a sense the state has lied about the law in the guidelines, probably the state thinking they were doing it for the best (although it was not for the best in my view).

[HenryIV]

Xenia, it's not been for the best in my view either and I agree they've been lied to. I think the majority of people have made sacrifices, as can reasonably be expected during extraordinary times, but there has been no acknowledgement of the way that this cohort are being treated, and it frustrates me that they're paying the price for it in so many ways.

[Nettleskeins]

It has never been illegal in this lockdown to move house.
Which is what they are doing, in essence.
My sons both went back in mid January. Flats were half empty but now more have returned. There don't seem to be any cases on his campus and there is no socialising except within households. Tbh I think most students on that campus had Covid last term, one way or another..,D's certainly did.

[Xenia]

Yes, my son went back after Easter last year after he did his final exams at home as I had paid his tenancy to mid July and his friends were still there and last July I think we were a bit more opened up from memory - pubs a bit open?

Then he went back (for post grad) in the Autumn, home for Christmas, back for this term once his Jan exams were done (he did those at home). In other words he is trying to stick to normal terms as much as he can even if just about everything is closed other than to medical students, nurses, student teachers etc.

By the way his friend's friend who had covid and gave it to his friend (to his flatmate) last term (my son never caught it despite so much closeness to it or was already immune) - that friend of a friend has apparently now got it a second time about 4 months later. May be she has a different version or may be the immunity in her case just lasted 4 months.

Young people will never get back what they have lost ever. It does not matter two hoots that I have not had a holiday since summer 2019 nor that I have not seen my other son for nearly a year. It does matter that my twins will never have things like graduation ceremonies. One lost his once in a life time chance to have a gap year abroad with friends. They cannot do that this year instead or the one after as they will be in their adult careers. That has gone forever and yes it is nothing like as bad as dying etc but we need to think after this is over how we can make things up to those who have had it bad.

Eg we could put on free graduation ceremonies even 3 years hence with no charge for anything - gown, travel, photos etc particularly given these people have not had furlough money nor have many parents. We could refund 2/3rds of student funds paid/loans/parental contributions or let parents set those costs they paid in the last 3 years including strike years against their tax bills.

[Chunkymenrock]

Mine's been back about 6 weeks. She just cannot work or study at home. I'm glad she's there tbh, better for everyone.

[Chunkymenrock]

OP, re travelling, I just printed out the bit from the gov website about returning to university, and had it with me to show, in case we were stopped. She'll also need to let reception know for fire safety /insurance purposes and probably will have to do a covid test when she gets there. Check on her actual university website for details about returning students.

[Comefromaway]

My daughter is staying at home but mostly because she is doing a very practical performing arts course and so she's set up a dance studio in the garage to do all her classes in. She can't do that in halls.

But several students are back in halls.

[worstofbothworlds]

@Chunkymenrock my HoD made me get a signed letter to say I was doing essential work on campus when I went to record some lectures. In case I was stopped by the police...
It's a 20 minute bike ride...
I just went on a bike ride 3x as long nowhere near work...