Oxford and Cambridge current students

[sandybayley]

Nearly filled up the old one...

That's my problem with the petition. I can't see any justification for them to keep students away from universities still. I can see that large lectures with no SD available would be not sensible yet, but some smaller scale in person teaching should be fine.

I'm concerned that 'return to university accommodation' is being conflated with '100% f2f teaching' and will be advised against by the govt (when and if they can be bothered to say anything at all) giving colleges the excuse to prevent students from returning. And honestly, I think it is an excuse. Cases falling, all vulnerable and over 50s vaccinated now and vaccine rollout continues, everything else opening up - we are in a better place now than last October.

I feel so sorry for those students who are not allowed back to their accommodation. My dd2 has been very fortunate as she is doing Vet Med at Nottingham and has had a very good experience all things considered, however my dd1 did her degree at Cambridge a few years ago and I can’t help but think how she would have struggled with the situation many of your dc are in. Has anyone tried contacting the BBC journalist Lewis Goodall? He did an amazing job in raising awareness about the unfairness of the grading debacle. I started following him on twitter then and was very impressed at how he took up the cause and responded to individual stories. It might be worth a tweet to him raising the issue.

Article in the Guardian

www.theguardian.com/education/2021/apr/11/uk-university-students-struggle-with-stress-as-uncertainty-grows-over-return-date

Thanks Crummies. I couldn't find a link to it earlier.

Never before have Oxbridge parents been so united.

On a slightly different matter. I think there might be parents of first years on here who whose kids are going to experience Oxbridge exams for the first time? I know the different places and different courses do things differently but certainly for Maths at C all the years marks depend on the exams at the end of the year plus a small computing component.

Please talk to your dc about the importance of not falling for the myth that every single waking second need be spent on exam prep. It's more important than ever that they keep up some semblance of life balance. Sleep, exercise, good food and having a laugh are vital this term. I think this year they are going to be more vulnerable to burnout than ever. It's really hard for them to understand that actually they will do better with balance.

Thank you @OhYouBadBadKitten that is good advice.

I was surprised to hear that DD'S best friend did her prelims before Easter, but DD'S aren't until he end of June after term has officially ended, with collections next week. So much variation.

Good advice - camb engineers similarly are mainly assessed on exams in the first two years, I think. In normal times the start of the summer term includes a massive picnic on Jesus Green. I don't know if they'll be allowed to do that on a large scale, but Cambridge and Oxford have many picnicking sites. The one thing of mine DD took back this summer was our picnic rug - perhaps a good 'going back' present when yours get the go ahead to return.

That’s a great idea from @Scottandcharlene, about asking Lewis Goodall to raise awareness. Hopefully he will take up the cause.

DD's econ tutor told them all to bring backnpicnuc rugs. He's planning informal revision sessions outside if they can't have them indoors.

Picnic rugs are a fab idea.

Oxford PresCom have started a petition to allow all students to return to higher education from the beginning of term. You can find it on social media by searching for #OurTurnToReturn.

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/582345

Here's the link in case anyone wants it

Signed it.

Thanks, signed and shared. D1 had already seen it in one of her WhatsApp groups.

Signed it too but no point whatsoever contacting my local MP, as suggested by the petition people.

Last paragraph of an email from the President of my son's Oxford college tonight.

I want to assure you that we are extremely sympathetic to requests to return. Please bear with us until the end of this week as we await the government advice. You have my assurance that we will respond to the whole community as quickly as possible after that, aiming to have provision and facilities in place to ensure that returning students can settle back into work and college life as smoothly as possible.

DD has a date for return (next Monday!) and is very pleased. DS still in slough of despond, alas, although a swift pint at the pub this evening was a welcome respite. I’ve signed the second petition and am glad to see it growing more quickly.

What a lovely, reassuring email aurea

DS back in O now because he was one of the lucky ones allowed back last term and accordingly his visit home for Easter was treated as a a short break away from his normal place of residence. The first thing he did after his long train journey was to go to the gym. The city gym that is; presumably it is still too dangerous for his college one to open. As I type this it occurs to me that he could have chosen to isolate and test but as the whole thing is utter madness I have to admit that I'm beyond caring.

I signed the second petition too (perfectly worded) but didn't get the email asking me to confirm..

Aurea, if only all colleges were as lovely as your DSs college. What a nice and reassuring message. It doesn't take much just to circulate something like that to all students.

DS2 (O) still waiting to hear if he'd even be allowed to request a return, whilst his brother is now gearing up to go back to C in less than 2 weeks. The inequity continues to appall me.

DS1 and I have tried to persuade DS2 to contact his tutor, nevertheless, to say he's struggling now to revise for college collections and Prelims, given all the uncertainty and can't spend another 6 months stuck at home - but DS2, as usual, doesn't want to rock the boat and is waiting to see what his college might - or might not - say by the end of this week.

So, as a family, we can't look forward to them both going back after almost 5 months stuck at home and the awfulness of the situation is horribly highlighted by all the photos in the media of crowds returning to shops.

For those with first years who were allowed to return last term to O, are they allowed to return this term too, even if new applicants to return won't be allowed?

Hello @mutterphore I guess my post answered your question. In DS college all those allowed back last term have permission for this term too. Some stayed in O all Easter, most went home for a shortish break. I know my DS has been lucky (although his reason for return in January was that he lived with his 94 year old grandmother and sometimes that doesn't seem to be that lucky 😀). But that doesn't stop me feeling extremely aggrieved for the students like your DS2 who are still in limbo.

Oxford have updated their coronavirus information page
www.ox.ac.uk/coronavirus/students basically, wait for government guidance. D1 says the rumour is that May 18th is going to be the date they're allowed back (4th week)

Naga is discussing now on Radio Five live