University 2020-2021 Part 11: Final Furlong For First year Freshers..........Then Freedom Follows

[sammyjoanne]

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/4058013-University-2020-10-Empty-nests-warm-vests-and-covid-tests-uni-parents-2020?pg=20

This is a follow on from the previous part 10 thread.
Named because its heading into the summer term.
''Freedom follows'' as in end of year for summer break, (hopefully end of covid restrictions too)

Best wishes to your DH Sammy.

So sorry to hear that @sammyjoanne. Cross fingers it’s something easily sorted.

@sammyjoanne sorry to hear your DH has gone to hospital, hope he is OK.

I came on to moan about St Andrews forbidding students to go home for Easter - DS was told that if he came home he would not be allowed to go back and, as a medic, if he missed the last 3 weeks of term he could not pass the year and would therefore have to repeat it. Sammy's news puts these irritations into context.

Just popped back to say hello to everyone and see if there was any news from @sammyjoanne.

After four days off, including a couple of lovely outdoor meet ups, working today has been a bit of a slog. I'm glad we still have DS1 with us for a bit now, dinners are more lively when we are at full complement.

best to all xx

Ds planning on returning to Lancaster sat 17th. Feel a bit irritated nothing was mentioned about uni return at announcement on Monday. I think he has two exams but assures me he doesn't need to be doing any revision right now. Leaving him to it, he's done well so far this year so I can't complain. He's still nocturnal but I've learnt that I'm not going to be able to
change that. I did point out he would have to get a Summer job, think at this rate he needs to be looking at night shifts!

Thanks everyone :) bit of a mystery at first as to what happened. DH woke in the early hours of Sunday morning not able to walk for feeling dizzy and wanting to pass out as soon as he sat upright. He went to hospital and after several CT scans and MRI scans it was a mini stroke (TIA) caused by his skull pressing on one of the blood vessels to the brain. He's had anti-inflammatories and some other meds due to the scans picking up on a condition which was the cause of it all. He has been told that the doctors are 95% sure its Paget's disease (hes having a blood test at pathology awaiting results to confirm alkaline phosphatase rates) It is incurable, but the enlargement of his bones can be slowed down by having regular tablets and injections at the hospital. Been reading more about it and on their support page. Some people have it in shoulder, or a hip or a knee. In DH case they picked up the abnormalities in his left knuckle and his skull and inner ear (hence the TIA). He is home with us now, but will be having treatments and surgery to help. We all thought he was going hard of hearing (as he had grommets as a kid). Turns out it was Paget's the cause.

News on the DD front. Biology revision is coming to the forefront for DD2 as shes got tests after Easter. She finishes school May 28th. DD1 is also going back Saturday 17th as well to Lancaster. Have booked a local pub which has an outdoor cover for DH and my birthday next week, so got something to look forward to :) xx

@sammyjoanne so glad you got some answers for dh. And also helpful that there are dedicated support sites for pagets.
Glad you managed to book a pub for your bday, happy bday for next week! 💐

Omg, Sammy that must all be a bit of a shock (it is also frustrating when you have a symptom for a long time but put it down to something "ordinary"...why isn't there more emphasis on common ailments needing to be checked...although I suppose Covid isn't helping us do these checkups)
My DH had a thrombosis in his leg about six years ago this Easter, now under control with blood thinners but at the time he thought the symptoms were sciatica or a sprain and didn't bother checking it out for about a week. It is so easy to misread symptoms.
But at least there is an answer and treatment; still scary though.

All well here, for now. Ds2 has a beanbag for his belated birthday present and a footrest so he is taking advantage of that. Quite a bit of football watching too. He is at a loose end though...still difficult to organise meetups..people are still a bit dazed and his friends in year below are all frantically revising for A levels.

@sammyjoanne it must be a relief to get a diagnosis, and it sounds like there are things that can be done to help your DH, which is good to know. You must all have had a hell of a shock, and be feeling a bit knocked out. I hope he is able to make progress with medical help and that you are ok too. Sending you hugs and .

I hope your DH is doing well @sammyjoanne

Dropped DS at the station today. Short but sweet Easter break. His term starts back tomorrow, still all online but at least he’s back in halls again.

Thanks everyone :) Nettleskiens was a bit of a shock, especially as hes only 47 to have a TIA. Its very easy to put it down as something so minor isnt it? He didnt want to go to hospital but so glad he did now. And thanks everyone, DH is feeling much better. He went in for a scan today on his whole body so it picks up any places in the bone that need treating and the consultants are getting together to discuss a best course of treatment, be that injections at the hospital, or tablets. He might need some bits of surgery in the future, but time will tell on how it progresses or not.

DD1 is getting ready for the trip back Saturday. Plans to go to Notts city centre tomorrow with her sister to do some clothes shopping. Hair dressers and barbers booked on thursday, something we are all looking forward to :)
Glad to here your DS is back at halls again Susannah, so thats good. At least they can go for a drink outside this term.
Nettleskeins totally get the difficulty in the meet ups. DD1 hasnt managed to meet her old sixth form friends as they all busy, so cant collectively get together as a group as they wanted.
Wellwoman thats great you got to spend time with your DS1 and sounds nice to have the 4 days off in the fresh air going on walks :)
Monkey2001 thats sounds awful they are not allowed to come back from st andrews. seems like the unis want to make up rules as they go along. correct me if im wrong, from what I gather some oxbridge are still not allowed back to uni since January, and cant go back yet after easter?
Specialted was there a uni announcement? I must have missed it. And yep totally get the nocturnal student too lol. She was up until 3am to start with. Shes now going to bed at midnight, so thats a bit of improvement, but im sure she will back at 3am next week lol.
BCBG, hope your DD is ok :)

Hi everyone good to catch up on everyone's good ( and not so good) news.
DS1 has been home since the end of November - he has been back to his old job and studying at weekends. He is due to be in Jordan next year but that looks increasingly unlikely , the uni suggestion is they spend the second year at home studying at the Jordanian uni online - needless to say he is not impressed. We have managed to persuade him to go back to Leeds in a couple of weeks time (still no f2f) but he needs to sort out what to do next year - he may drop Arabic (which would be a huge shame) and just do International relations in which case he needs to find somewhere to live! Is there anyone else on here whose student was due to be abroad next year ? Are they able to go?
In other news we are on a road trip with DD as she needs to choose a uni, been to Sheffield today, Lancaster tomorrow and York on Thursday . Only DS 2 home in September!

I feel so sorry for all students but especially those who'd planned for years abroad. It must be a nightmare with in some cases Brexit and also Covid.

Dd going back to uni sometime this week...shes shopping and pubbing today with her old school friends.

Worried about DS. Says he won't go back for next term. Seems detached and passive. Worried about his exams but not revising.

@Interviewedundercaution did ds go back after Christmas? Or has he been home since then? I think lots of students have lost motivation, more so with no announcement about return of face to face from Boris. If it's Any consolation my ds has done absolutely no revision all holidays. I'm not sure when or what exams he has .....

DS went for a long bus ride to a driving theory test today...his idea...he hasn't yet taken any actual lessons..sadly due to hardly any revision he failed. A lesson to be carried forward to exams hopefully.

I'm forcing vitamin D tablets on ds2 again too.
I'm worried he isn't going out in daylight much.
Hopefully campus life will mean more fresh air and sunshine than home life.

Could you go back with him Interviewed and reacclimatize him...walk around with him, get him to feel more proprietorial about the university experience again. Tbh once the anxiety about the transition develops he might need a bit of hand holding to get back there, test the water. I find transitions difficult, ds2 is unique is relishing them...he is too restless sometimes. Apart from transition from PJ's to clothes which seems well nigh impossible ATM for him.

@geogteach thats such a shame the students are losing out on the study abroad programme. DD has a flatmate is losing on the french placement, but plans do do this in year 3?
Great your on a road trip :) Hope you enjoy Lancaster tomorrow. Little bit biased as I love the uni as DD1 is studying there lol. Worth taking a trip up and down ''north and south spine'' with a stop at Sultans (near Furness college) and if you are going to park in Lancaster to explore the city, I recommend the Auction Mart carpark. Its south of the city but a couple of mins walk to Penny street which is the start of the shops. With the shops recently opening the car parks in the middle are likely to be busy.
She also applied to York as one of the options and also stayed there. Park and ride option is best, and there is one near Heslington East called Grimston Park and ride if you wish to see the city. for York uni we parked at the car park at Alcuin near Siwards way. And for her interview Campus south car park on Newton way.
Nettleskiens, most definitely, a lesson learned for him. I take it he will try again in the summer?
Interviewedundercaution . Its not been easy time for the students, what with lockdowns, and no f2f. I hope your son is ok

Specialted he did go back a few weeks late after Christmas but there weren't many in his flat and he was mainly on his own.

@Interviewedundercaution student experience has been a lottery this year this year and it sounds like your DS has been unlucky. Has he got a nice tutor and does he like the course? He could consider re-doing the first year. I can't remember whether you have said anything about his accommodation for next year.

Not really enjoying his course, but no practicals hasn't really helped. No relationship with tutor. No accommodation sorted for next year ☹

Thanks for all the Lancaster and York advice Sammy Joanne.
DS1 would be happy to go abroad in year 3 but uni saying that is not an option. They say if we'd offered that to last years 1st years look where we'd be now - not very helpful! I think they should also be considering other Arabic speaking countries with lower COVID rates but they seem remarkable unproactive (if that is even a word!)

Slightly disgruntled but not surprised Lancaster have announced there will be no face to face teaching for ds for rest of academic year. And language dept have said they will do a mix of on line and f2f next year . I don't think ds will ever meet any course mates at this rate! Really annoyed Boris has made it 17th may rather than sooner for return to uni. Uni have also sent an email saying fines will be doubled if there are loud parties etc during exam season. I understand their thinking but feel the students are destined for a very muted final term

@specialted that's a shame . DD didnt have any last term either. She does have a couple of labs next term for 6 hours each but thats it for the rest of term. As for the fines yeah I agree. its going to be another term like before. Bit concerned that the uni is going to do a mix again next year. DD wont be pleased to hear that. She needs to do her labs, the online ones are not great. She needs that physical experience to be able to sort things when there something wrong techically, and she cant do that in a simulated environment.