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)

@specialted . Yeah I agree there has been aspects that Lancaster has not been great on. They really clamped down on the Grizedale lot with the previous reputation of it being a party college. And the food parcel drama and the rent strikes, could have been better handled.
Saying that, the flat seems to make lemonade when given lemons by having a weekly themed flat party to focus on, and movie nights. Now lockdown is easing up they have been playing football with their next door but one who they really get on well with, and a recent trip to the Water witch on Friday. She had a lab today so shes excited for that. Shes met up with her physics friends and sat in Alex square. Its just little things like that on nice sunny days which does wonders.

Oratory1 and Daisy glad your DC had a good return. Hope this nice weather continues so they get to meet up :)

Lots in DS halls back , on Friday night there was a general halls party, in and out of each others flats , the sort of thing that would normally happen in Freshers but wasn’t allowed.

DS was home for a few weeks and had a timed exam which needed him to VPN into a uni computer to do exam using Uni CAD software. The lag & performance was awful and he couldn’t complete the exam, he put in a mitigating circumstances saying broadband was too slow but was rejected. I’ve suggested a further complaint as running exams that depend on depend & reliability of home internet is quite unfair.

@Eve that is so annoying for ds and crazy the uni won't accept his circumstances. I bet that's going to be an issue for quite a lot of students this year unfortunately.

Hi, just dropped in to catch up. Good to hear that so many fresher DC are starting to get more social opportunities and have a more rounded experience.

DS at Lancaster has been delighted that the clubs have started up again. He's been with his climbing soc. mates out at Clougha Pike three times now and they are planning to do a climbing holiday in the summer. Sounds rather wholesome but he's not been holding back in getting out for drinks and meet-ups too....I just hope enough exam prep is also going on, it must be dazzling for them that they can do many different things now.

He's got a nightclub ticket booked for late June. He's never been to one before, so I will be interested to see what he thinks! We have agreed when he would like us to bring his stuff home and I think he will be living every moment to the full until then (27 June).

@sammyjoanne I hope your DH is ok and getting the right advice and support.

Best to all xx

@WellWoman thanks DH is ok now. Has got an appointment on 11th to discuss treatment options:) Great your son is going to the night club. DD did Glow when it was tables of 6 in freshers week, so cant wait to go back. Still hasnt had a normal club experience though. Shes being more sociable with other mates outside her flat now things are open.
DD is staying until end of her accommodation term on the 24th of July but has predominantly booked with Armadillo storage just outside lancaster a week before for her kitchen/bedding, just incase she leaves a week early (they pretty flexible on arrival time). She also trialling a sport too. Some netball, volley ball cross thing.

@sammyjoanne - so pleased to hear things are moving with treatment for your husband. You must be relieved!

Good on your DD sorting storage, and stepping up social and sports activities.

What a blessing that they can start to see what it CAN be like to be at university, with all the different aspects of their student life starting to take off.

(Not forgetting exams unfortunately)

DS has finished lectures this year and starts his exams on 19th May. Last one 9th June so a bit of a slog. Anyone else still have exams that late? Term finishes on the 11th so no long ‘after the exams’ season.

@SusannahSophia I think ds finishes exams on 17 June which seems very late! Will only have one week of fun before term finishes. He only has two exams though and doesnt seem too worried about them just yet. Although he is a last minute sort of person.

I think dd’s exams finish the first week of June.

@specialted, at least he gets a week for fun afterwards. DS only gets 2 days! He might stay on longer if the others in his flat decide to. Last few days of them being together as they’re splitting up next year.

I wonder when/how they’ll get their result? I guess email or on their VLE. In my day it was on a sheet of paper pinned up on a notice board in the physics department!

Dd has 4 exams and I think the last one is the 10th June. Term/Yr finishes 3rd July although I think her accommodation is paid for until 10th July.

I'm not sure what they will decide to do, if all of them have finished exams I think they may well just stay until just after the 21st but most of her friends live in London so I think they will be wanting to club in London (dd has a list of clubs she wants to go too).

They have already sneaked off to the coast for a long weekend.. but their planned summer holidays may not go ahead... (Two of her friends family have holiday homes in Turkey but I can see it staying on the Red list) .

@WellWoman thanks we are relieved. Hes has his first zoledronic acid infusion today which will be a couple of times a year. Seems to be doing well :)
DD has got a 2:1 in her labs last week. Usually shes got a 2:2 as lab work is difficult to start with because of the way that its written and nothing like alevel/gcse. So shes pleased about that. her exams take her to about 3rd week of june. She did 4 in January, has another 6 to go. A flat mates party at the weekend. All had to wear purple as the theme. We booked to go 4th and 5th of june overnight at the holiday inn at Lancaster and making a long weekend of it so that will be nice to see her again :)

Am reading the exam dates of others with interest - it's going to be tough on my DS, his exams don't finish until the last week of term at Lancaster, sounds like everyone else will be partying around him and the other geographers. Think his last one is 23rd June! Pass that on to all your fresher DCs - they can at least feel good they are getting more downtime than the geographers at Lancaster are.

@sammyjoanne - here's to all your good news. Sounds like you are getting good attention for your DH. I think your DD's progression in lab grades is really solid - in a year like this to take those grades up to 2:1 as a fresher is definitely something to feel super good about. Glad you have a bit of a trip up there planned. We loved the local area when we stayed in the Ribble Valley during the Easter break - if you have time you might like a drive down the Trough of Bowland to the dales area, it's very, very pretty in the river valleys.

I saw one of DS's old school friends at the weekend who is in his first year at Leeds. He's back home studying online again and has been for most of the year. He's likes the course (engineering) but is really disappointed with the rest of his experience.

My DD's exams are finished.
She's been home since November but has now gone back for a few catch up lab sessions and will be done for the year but the middle of June.

My DS doesn’t finish exams til 21st June, lectures finish end of May. However term starts October so they are later than most other Unis.

I got a phone call this week asking how to make stuffing- they were making inter flat roast - now allowed to socialise so doing things they should have been doing early.

Dd has her year end results from her tutor on the 14th June. A little miffed to find out why the accommodation contract ends 4 weeks later.. Can understand a week later but 4 weeks?

It seems weird to hear of those with another month or longer to go. Dd is due home next weekend, LNER permitting. She submitted her last essay a couple of weeks ago although some of her friends still have exams this week.

DS's uni has extended term to July 2nd to allow for (fingers crossed) social gathering at end of term. Exams seem to mostly finish by June 4th, so 4 weeks of fun. Music societies are trying to fit in 3 terms' worth of concerts and every single outside space that could be used as a performance space is booked.

Inter-collegiate sport is running all through that time and DS has signed up for college Rugby, Cricket, Tennis, Squash and Croquet teams... Seriously, that boy sees a blank piece of paper and writes his name on it.

The other benefit is that his Year 2 house starts its lease on July 1st, so he can schlep his stuff straight across and only bring home stuff he really needs.

Susannah DD has her first exam on 21 June and her last on 25 June.

25th June! TBF, DS1’s term at Warwick went to the end of June. I’m hoping DS3 stays on for a bit after his exams for the craic. I used to get 3 weeks ‘after the exams’ back in the 80s. Sunbathing, partying, summer balls...

They are having a very sociable week this week with lots of events laid on. Those taking maths are in exactly the same boat.

Dd first exam on Friday.. But very positive meeting with her tutor who said unless things go horribly wrong with her 4 exams shes on course for a 1st this year. He also told her to make the most of this summer because if she's looking at a career in research she will be expected to work during summer holidays in future years.

That’s brilliant Daisy - well done her.

Great news Daisy. DS did his first exam for this semester this morning. Got his results from the first semester and he’s also doing well so far.

Bit of a hard slog the next few weeks. I hope they get some down time.