Cambridge and Oxford - ongoing chat for those with a student currently studying there

[DadDadDad]

Some of us have found these threads helpful, so I'm starting a new one to take us through

...end-of-year exams (and parties)

...homecoming for the vacation (and hibernation aestivation for this thread?)

...return in the autumn (and more normal college life?)

Posters old and new welcome to join the discussion. Any tips for finding a summer job?

Oh, and for reference, I have a DS just completing his first year in a small humanity in a tiny college.

This looks useful so marking my place as a thread I'm graduating to after the series of 'aspirants' threads. DD will be at Oxford. I've been very hands-off for the whole process, not necessarily by my own design, so looking for any guidance as to how I might be allowed to help out in practical terms. I'll sit back and watch for now.

Another Newbie parent here. DD going to Cambridge. Thanks for all the info so far - I'm sure I'll have lots of questions soon!

Welcome @CupOfEarlGreyTea
What will she be studying?

@Ironoaks

Welcome *@CupOfEarlGreyTea* What will she be studying?

Thank you! English Lit.

Newbie C parent here, was there myself but in prehistoric times so my information is doubtless totally useless.

Main current issue: what will DD need as 'formal' wear for under a gown for different occasions? Currently has schoolwear (from a school with a loosely-applied 'office wear' 6th form dress code) and scruffs....

It is lovely to see so many new peeps here.

'Tis lovely to be here! It's been a strange old year.....

Welcome fresher parents! Luckily on these boards we don't have a tradition of subjecting freshers to horrendous drinking challenges (unlike DS's experience of O last year, not that he was complaining..).

I'm rather looking forward to being in the position to give advice. so here are some random tidbits:
Don't bother packing a puffer jacket or winter coat: they'll all be wearing college stash in no time
Formal wear was definitely useful: even in Covid times DS had a surprising number of black tie events
Fancy dress a v good idea; a "nasty shirt" at the very least.
Suggest your DC buys cheap trousers / skirt for exams so it doesn't matter if it gets trashed
Mattress cover was useful, saucepans were virtually unused.
If they want somewhere inexpensive and healthy to eat instead of college (or in addition to college, if you have a big eater like my DS), point them towards Najar's on St Giles.

From my snooping on the aspirants board I have surmised that there may be a DC with the same course/college as my DS so I am wondering whether they will end up as parent/child. He assures me that he is intending to be a better college dad than the ones he had. I asked how he would improve on that experience and he said he would at least talk to his college children!

DD is matching parents & children this week. It's like tetris.

Tentatively joining this thread. Dd is going to be doing MFL at O and has a move in date from her college of 5 Oct, as well as a reading list as long as her arm, and her arms are quite long! She’s excited and terrified in equal measure. She’ll be one of the last of her friends to leave for uni but she can also keep her summer job all the way through September which should distract her.

Hello Niam. I'm sure my DD remembers those feelings from last year. I know one text had a note added to the reading list by the author explaining that they probably wouldn't get beyond ch 3.

I hope your dd had a good first year at Oxford, @Hoghgyni! We are off to browse the second hand bookshops in our nearest university town today, to see what we can pick up from the reading list.

Thanks for your tips too @SnapSnapDragon.

Welcome to all the new parents and their amazing offspring. DD is soon to start her second year at Cambridge and absolutely loves it.

Hi Niam. My dd is at Oxf too, just going into her 2nd year. She had that feeling of fear & excitement too, but absolutely loves it. She had quite a few friends go to Newcastle and Manchester and the stories of the first few weeks of their uni experience sounded horrendous.

One of DD's children didn't make it...

@Unescorted - is that one of your DD's college children from the year below? What happened?

Hello to all the new posters and their DC. DD has just graduated after 4 years at C. She starts work in September. She did phys NatSci at a small central (often overlooked) college so if there are any questions where I/she can help please message. Hope it goes really well and that all the returners have a more normal experience than the last few years. It goes very quickly so make the most of it.

Iron she doesn't know. After the offers went out she had 2 and now she has one.

Hello newbies! My DD is reading History at C, going into 2nd year. @Chilldonaldchill , she's at an old central too, happy to PM if you want details, on how to thrive with one hour of contact a week and a mahoosive reading list ( sometimes finding books that the librarians can't source taking as much time as reading them!!).
Regulars; greetings, summer racing by. Room ballot something of a farce, still doesnt know where she'll be living in a few weeks. "Literally everyone else" has known for months. Quite astonishing time spent on dissecting which beige box of a room is better than another ( some amusing warnings about being photographed by tourists in certain streets ).

For those with children at Cambridge where would you recommend looking for a second hand bike? DD wants a very traditional upright bike with a basket but she's not likely to use it lots (her college is very central and virtually next to her lecture site as well) and she's definitely going to be on a budget. When we went up for a few days last month the second hand bike shop we found seemed very expensive (next to the Anchor pub?). Thanks for any advice.

Second hand bikes are better sourcs on facebook marketplace

@Chilldonaldchill we got DD's bike at our local recycling centre in Devon for £8. It's the most disgusting shade of strawberry milkshake pink (and rust). DH threw it in the back of his car to drove it to Cambridge. It is still in her college bike shed as she is allowed to leave it all summer so it has never been back. She says that as it still has a valid college stamp on it and she will be a postgrad member of the same college from October, it's not a problem. It will then move to her new house where there is apparently a locked shed.

It might be worth looking locally to you now and paying for it to be sent there or a bike rack on a car as lots of parents of freshers at DD's college seem to have. Don't forget a decent lock, helmet and lights - DD takes her lights with her whenever the bike is locked up as things have a tendency to go missing.

Also, like @chitchattery's DD, mine graduated in Physical NatSci this summer. Mine is staying on but living out for the next year, or that's the plan. She is currently completing a paid internship remotely but is starting to prepare for 1st year supervisions that she will be teaching Those 4 years went very fast!

I hope your DD's job goes well chitchattery

Wow that's scary Malbec that they instantly become supervisors when they start their PhDs. they only just arrived at Cambridge .

[quote Malbecfan]@Chilldonaldchill we got DD's bike at our local recycling centre in Devon for £8. It's the most disgusting shade of strawberry milkshake pink (and rust). DH threw it in the back of his car to drove it to Cambridge. It is still in her college bike shed as she is allowed to leave it all summer so it has never been back. She says that as it still has a valid college stamp on it and she will be a postgrad member of the same college from October, it's not a problem. It will then move to her new house where there is apparently a locked shed.

It might be worth looking locally to you now and paying for it to be sent there or a bike rack on a car as lots of parents of freshers at DD's college seem to have. Don't forget a decent lock, helmet and lights - DD takes her lights with her whenever the bike is locked up as things have a tendency to go missing.[/quote]
Thank you. That's really helpful. Will have a look!

Thanks @Malbecfan! She managed to (finally!) find a lovely little house to rent last week. It was much more difficult to find somewhere than she expected and so she will need to spend a few nights in a hotel before she can move in. Leaving it late as usual! I was very stressed but she has gone on a long planned holiday to Skopelos and seems totally chilled. She did think seriously about a PhD especially as friends are staying in Cambridge but she feels ready to move on. It does go too quickly- I wish she was still going to be in such a lovely place. Good luck to your DD with the PhD and the freshers. I hope they are suitably respectful!!