Oxford and Cambridge current students

[sandybayley]

Nearly filled up the old one...

For the three years...

DS1 organised his flat before Easter. It's a four person one through the college ballot. His O college offers accommodation in all years. It looks nice and is close to the Sports Ground.

@Malbecfan that all sounds lovely!

I don't think my DD has arranged accommodation for next year. May have to share. I think she should have kept her room a bit more tidy if she needs to attract a roommate!

Both DC’s colleges provide accommodation for all three/four years but neither have have had room ballots yet. DD is hoping for a similar college house to this year but a bit closer to the labs. DS’s college accommodation is all of a high standard and on, or very close to, the main site so I don’t think he is too concerned where he (and his household) ends up.

DD's college has accommodation for all 3 years ( yr 2 outside the central city site), The ballot was held over the Easter break - she got a good number so is hopeful of securing a good flat. A couple of her potential flat mates are in the numbers just behind so they should be able to all get in the same one. She is excited by having a kitchen.

DS was drawn very early in the ballot and has chosen an almost identical room to the one he is currently in, so that he knows exactly what he'll be getting (peak ASD there).

DS is guaranteed college accommodation for 3 years and has asked for next year. Other than that I have no idea how any ballot works.
DS is still at home, he chose not to ask to go back although it does seem all of his flatmates are back. He is now prevaricating about going back at all this term . He doesn't seem unhappy, tells me there is nothing particularly bothering him he just can't see the point as he has been told that everything will still be on line. I've asked him to discuss with his tutor early next week.

@HuaShan, I am sorry to read that your DS is not keen to be back. It has been very unsettling for freshers, getting started in Michaelmas and spending the next term at home. I think many of them don’t feel they are in the swing of it yet. I hope he is ok.

DDs college does offer accommodation for 4 years. The second year she was in a college house - the advantages of a proper kitchen etc but none of the hassles re finding a place, guarantors etc and they had a cleaner every weekday and even a proper sanitary bin in the bathroom. But although she'd got a nice room in the ballot arranged for 4th year, she opted to rent with friends (a couple of whom were only entitled to 3 years at their college not the 4th year). So she was able to stay there undisturbed by college restrictions from September until last week - she's home for a couple of weeks to do her finals with DHs IT support and home comforts.

Sorry to hear that @HuaShan - I think D1 would have felt this way if she hadn't been allowed to return to Oxford for the beginning of term. Too disruptive half way through term to make it worth it. I'm hoping that they'll get a bit more face to face as term progresses - nothing so far this term, so altogether since she started at university, D1 has had just one face to face tutorial, and all other tutorials, classes and lectures have been online.

She has sorted out a houseshare for next year with a few of her household and a couple of people from one of her subjects. She wanted to live out for a year and they arranged this house on an 11 month contract starting at the end of August, before Christmas - they are inheriting the house from a group of current 2nd years. It's also near the Sports Ground. It is going to be much more expensive than living in, but she has saved money so far this year by having a term at home. I hope she manages OK as we are also guarantors for her rent - which is more than our mortgage!

That's tricky Huashan. Is he sure everything will be online? dd will be having some in person supervisions from May 17th and I think her college are planning some May week events. I think it is all going to feel a bit more normal very soon.

It sounds like the majority of our DC are back where they belong and enjoying themselves. Hopefully those still at home or struggling can see improvements very soon.

The regular calls from DS came to an abrupt end about a week ago, presumably for good reasons. I therefore have no insight into what he’s doing at the moment, but I do know that rugby training has started again and that he is attending labs.

I too am very fond of this board. As a PP said, there are no hidden agendas, just snippets of news and support for those who need it. I sometimes wonder whether our DC, unknowingly, have come across each other. I know that DS is at the same college as at least one other poster, because I recognised a few details in one of the messages and we swapped DMs. DS once mentioned the other poster’s DC in passing and I was hoping he’d say more, but I didn’t want to arouse suspicion by probing. From the anonymous college sharing a couple of weeks ago I suspect my DS may be known to at least one other DC, because he has spent quite a bit of time in this particular college (socially distanced obvs..), so much so that the porters think he’s one of them.

Hi all

I have a son currently at Oxford studying law.

My younger son is keen to study computer science and possibly maths and may wish to apply to Oxbridge.

Are any of your DCs studying this combination?

If yes, are there any issues that you feel would be useful to know when deciding between the two?

NB his school will be unable to give much assistance/guidance as they have not had any successful applications to maths/computer science for at least the past decade. We are in Scotland.

Many thanks

Sorry @aurea, DD isn't studying either of those but did have a schoolfriend who read CompSci at Kings C and has got himself an amazing job. He was in the same year as DD but did a 3 year rather than 4 year course.

@ClarasZoo, DD's college offers accommodation for all years and postgrads but the lure of a good kitchen is stronger. Plus DD2 is in a private house and keeps posting photos of her amazing bakes on WhatsApp, and DD1 is getting rather jealous.

@SnapSnapDragon I agree with you completely. I do know @goodbyestranger through school. Her DS4 and my DD1 are good friends and I have taught some of her other children. However, I have had a couple of messages from others at the same college or on the same course. I don't mind sharing details of DD's course, but would rather keep her college private on this main board. But I'm sure some of our DC will have met one another.

I don't have any direct experience, Aurea, but a general point I've noted is that Cambridge seems to be able to have quite a bit of flexibility in enabling students to switch to a different course if they find the one they've started doesn't suit them. This might be within the first term (DD had a friend who switched from comp sci to NatSci, or restarting after the first year with something different (eg maths to MFL). Of course it depends on their A level subjects etc but I'd take a bet that there's a bit of diffusion between maths and comp sci.

DD all fine. Back in O - 2 short catch up calls but no contact otherwise which is positive! She and her friends all organised for next year before Xmas - her college short on accommodation and especially so at the moment. House quite a long way from college but close to the Thames (!) in the city and they are happy.

Cinnamon as a Cambridge resident I can tell you the party you refer to is annual and notorious....

However I do thing some of that is stirred by the whole Town vs Gown thing.... In the Cambridge News!!!

Cinnamon as a Cambridge resident I can tell you the party you refer to is annual and notorious....

DDs rucksack was in a photo in the daily mail in her first year, lying beside two sleeping friends. (Apparently simply tired, not 'tired as newts').

Caesarian Sunday is news to me although I lived for a year in Lower Park Street, which is in the pics of the event from this year...
www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/caesarian-sunday-university-students-jesus-20512607
I do remember Suicide Sunday which, in light of today’s awareness of MH issues, is a pretty grim name btw...

@PantTwizzler - snap! I lived on Lower Park Street for a year (when I was doing my PGCE), which suggests you were at the same college as me. Have we had a conversation before about this? (I vaguely remember swapping notes on PGCE dates many threads ago).

DH says he's never heard of Caesarian Sunday, despite having lived in a college house on Jesus Green. He was probably playing cricket (or drinking elsewhere)

Yes ditto! Mid-90s?!

That was for @Dad

The witness has clearly never been to a rave.