Oxford and Cambridge current students

[sandybayley]

Nearly filled up the old one...

DD's college is allowing overnight guests. She was coming home this weekend for a quick visit, but heard about a Eurovision party so is staying.

We had a good visit with DS today. We walked around the backs, looked at some bridges, took him to Fitzbillies, and he spent some of his school prize vouchers at Waterstones.

He says he isn't stressed, although he did mention that he is sleeping less well than usual. He has completed his practical work and the teaching of new material finishes this week.

One of the societies he belongs to has started to hold their regular socials in an actual pub (as opposed to a virtual pub) so he has met the other members in person for the first time.

Within his college, there are two people he is beginning to become friends with, and he thinks they might have been allocated to the same staircase as him for second year, which would be lovely.

That's really encouraging for him Ironoaks.

Ironoaks, that's really good news about your DS making friends and I'm glad you had a good trip visiting him. I hope his sleep improves soon too and am glad that at least teaching of new material and practicals has now finished for this term.

Great to hear that his society is at last meeting in person. This is also happening more and more for DS1 and DS2 with their societies/activities and it's bittersweet that they're really appreciating so much that they can meet people face to face, yet how strange and bizarre that our young people are in this situation at all. It seems no time ago at all that students would be able to take that kind of thing for granted.

DS1 has arranged people to share a household with next year and DS2 I think has already done that too. As their exams/ assessments are in 9th week, their workload continues to increase along with new work alongside too but they seem to be managing fine. DS1 has so much less to do that DS2.

DS2 has various formals arranged with friends but DS1 still has no one at all interested in a formal at his college. I hope next year they're allowed to visit other colleges and go to formals there with people they know. In fact DS1 has never yet eaten/ been allowed to eat in the dining hall and he still has to take away all food on a plastic tray to his room.

Good to hear positive news @Ironoaks! It’s hard to believe Fitzbillies nearly went bust a few years ago isn’t it?
DD had her exams at the start of term. Still no word on the room ballot set up at her college but she seems very relaxed, planning to have a smaller room rent and more free cash I think. She was glad to have her big room this year having spent so much time in it, optimistic for the Autumn that it will be more freedom.There was a Eurovision party last night ....

Good to hear about your visit Ironoaks. I took DS3's kit to Cambridge in October, saw him for a few days at Christmas, and haven't seen him since. He's one of my most sensible, rock like DC, so your post made me feel suddenly nostalgic to go back to Cambridge to relive that lovely w/e in October where we had Fitzbillies coffee and buns, walked to Grantchester, had Tripadvisor #1 pizza etc etc. It feels light years ago. Cambridge is so much prettier than Oxford....
On which subject DD4 has sent through pics of her second year room which is modest in size (long and thin) but a good view of grass and is apparently on a large staircase with people she really likes - so that's very good news: she wasn't very high at all in the ballot.

hobbema I went to Cambridge to visit an old uni friend while pregnant with DC7, with six small DC in tow, had lovely tea and buns then too, then heard that the following day the place pretty much burned down. That was 1998.

It's funny, I think Oxford is prettier than Cambridge! Also I like the covered market a lot.

Another vote for Cambridge being prettier than Oxford! Although, DD's college was looking rather beautiful in the Spring sunshine when I visited a couple of weeks ago.
DS (C) has also sent pictures of his rather splendid room(s) for next year following last week's ballot. Definitely fancier than any of DD's rooms. He just needs to get through his exams now to have the opportunity to occupy them!

I'm true (dark) blue but I must admit that Cambridge is prettier... partly because the prettiness so much more concentrated. Oxford is more of a city in its own right which is another reason to prefer it

I found this news about bursaries from St John's, Cambridge, pretty gobsmacking -- www.thenationalnews.com/world/europe/cambridge-offers-50-000-bursaries-to-most-disadvantaged-students-1.1229817

Are there actually 40 St John's applicants per year with a household income of

Well I suppose they can't really justify sitting on reserves of £780m indefinitely or their charitable status starts to look a bit iffy. I imagine it will be quite hard to find 40 with a household income under £16,800 though who meet the entrance requirements, but the sentiment is admirable.

It's being funded by a philanthropist apparently, not the college... and it will massively skew the admissions process. An amazing thing to be awarded, but a big risk to apply to St John's with this in mind, I'd have thought.

It will be interesting to see the effect on applications to St Johns, and the secondary effect on the pool.

In a way it's a shame it's college specific. I know that's the both Oxford and Cambridge work but wouldn't it be better if it were across the university?

Since it's funded by an alumni, it's reasonable to suppose s/he can make a significant difference to a small number of people and that any contribution would be of little significance if spread too thin.

Moritz-Heyman scale donations are incredibly rare.

My point was not to spread thin but widely. 40 students across the university rather than in a single college.

But I agree a donor can specify whatever criteria they wish and it's a generous gift.

Sure, but I can see why the donor would suggest it as a specific gift for their college.

That is amazing, and I don't think that they will have any problem finding people to qualify. One of my colleagues was in care and got into Cambridge. It would have been such a fantastic thing for him to have a bursary. He managed to coble it together with hardship funds and working through the holidays, but it was a precarious position. One of DD's friends, again a care leaver who could not justify the
cost of uni.

We are going to watch my DD in a race against Oxford and want to stay the night before collecting her from Cambridge the following day for the end of term. Are there any recommendations for reasonably priced Oxford hotels with parking, please?

@LoveCatsandDogs the two times we have taken D1 to Oxford, we have stayed overnight at the Premier Inn in Cowley, which has free parking. There is a new PI in Botley, I think this also has parking.

Thanks will have a look.

Please be gentle with me as we have had a very difficult few days. DS is in his first year at Cambridge and the top and bottom of it is he has got himself in a right mess with his work and basically hasn't done a lot of it. We have had a call from the college DOS and his tutor over his late and now incomplete dissertation and a very honest phonecall with him about his progression. The issue isnt his ability it is about procrastination and then burying his head in the sand. It lookslike he will progress to next year by the skin of his teth with their support and ours but if this was a normal year the story might be very different. I feel sick with worry, guilty, angry, just devastated really. He is relieved it has finally come out and is grateful for the support of us and college but at the end of the day he is an adult and he has to buck his ideas up big style. Any advice gratefully received.

Cliff thank goodness they contacted you so that you can support him. You would be surprised how many have got themselves in a similar pickle this year.

I know these are on the Oxford website rather than Cambridge, but some of the podcasts may be useful.

www.ox.ac.uk/students/welfare/counselling/self-help/podcasts

Have you had chance to look at the Cambridge welfare pages on the web yet?