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.

I love reading all the excitement of college children! When DD was in y2, she "married" a vet so their offspring are a NatSci and a Vet but then they were given a musician (fits well with sciences!) DD thinks it is because they knew she was a decent musician but she knew next to nothing about studying it there. She met her college grandparents when she was a fresher and her college grandchildren at some point in year 3 but Covid put paid to any further family extension activities.

She is planning on coming home for a quick visit at the weekend but there is a formal dinner in the MCR that she wants to be back for towards the end of next week. A video call is imminent

dd has her room sorted and is very happy. All's well that ends well.

Can I ask about formal clothing? Should DS have a dinner jacket with him, or do they wear suits for formal hall meals? We have the college handbook but it isn't very clear on that, any advice very welcome!

@OhYouBadBadKitten I am relieved to hear that.

Noble has your DS got a college parent yet? They are a good source of information like that. DD and her spouses have put their contact details into their welcome letter and popped up on their Kids social media to say hi.

OYBBK - that is really good news.

Hooray for OYBBK. I think there are a lot of suits.

Excellent news Kitten.

Thank you @Unescorted that's a good idea. Although if they are second years I suspect the poor parents may not have experienced any formals in their first year of uni life! Hopefully so much better this year.

DD finally has a moving in slot. Apparently there was room information too, but she was too busy getting ready for a last night out with pals who are leaving this weekend to go into details. She can't wait to go now. I hope it all lives up to expectations.

No college parents here yet but it could be interesting. DD is about to start at the college DS has just left, in theory he could be her Great Grandad depending upon who she gets as her parents. When he started he was sent a family tree showing previous generations.

On the subject of college parents, DD came home yesterday for a couple of days and we were talking about Christmas. She was in a bigamous college relationship - married to 2 different people (first I knew of it!) One husband was a vet, I think the other one came along later and was a musician, which explains why she ended up with a musician college child. Anyway, the musician is getting married in real life just after New Year and DD, her BF and the friendship group is invited. For some reason, it makes me feel rather old...

@Nobledeedsandhotbaths

Can I ask about formal clothing? Should DS have a dinner jacket with him, or do they wear suits for formal hall meals? We have the college handbook but it isn't very clear on that, any advice very welcome!

DS wore black tie on a few occasions last year. Not for formal halls but he had some black tie dinners with friends/household plus at least one university sports team dinner. With life (hopefully) returning to normal I expect there will be lots more of these types of events so I'd pack the dinner suit just in case.

DS had a webinar for the department which is running two of the three courses he'll be taking. They plan to divide the cohort into two and have half of them in a lecture theatre and the other half watching online. Hopefully the practicals will all be face-to-face this year.

DS's (C) department sent an email this week confirming that lectures will be online for the first four weeks and they will review thereafter.

His college is collecting vaccination data for each student and will use the stats to decide which, if any, restrictions to put in place this term.

Oxford Town Hall have today cancelled all events (including at least one college Ball) for the next two months because three members of staff have tested positive.

ugh. Thanks for the update Often Nothing from dds department yet.

DD is preparing to teach supervisions in person, if that's any help.

For maths at Oxford DS has been told that lectures will be online and tutorials in person. He is happy with this, but apparently a petition has been started about the lectures

So, it begins (again). Just dropped DS off in Oxford for the start for year 2. He's renting a house with four others this year.

First task was my first visit to the big Sainsbury's on the southern ring road (and I did participate in the petrol-queuing madness) to buy some crockery and cutlery. If you were in the same aisle doing the same with your daughter, it was me who pointed out the Habitat clearance items!

One of DS's housemates was also arriving and, like me, his mum had a bag of cleaning materials which we pooled and stuck under the kitchen sink. We also shared our pessimistic view of how much said cleaning materials would actually come back out of from under the sink at any point this term...

A long day today, starting from Devon (where we left DDs uni kit when we moved house), spent a crazy couple of hours searching for diesel (Devon seems to have gone mad on the panic buying front), finally sourced a tank full, crawled amid the holiday traffic to Oxford, parked up in North Oxford and fell into our favourite coffee shop (Brew), followed by filling up with picnic lunch from another great place down North Parade, ate it by the ducks in Uni Parks while our two dogs ran around, also met DS4 who had volunteered himself to help lug DD4s boxes up to her new room but instead ate a salted caramel brownie and then whizzed off to celebrate his fifth going out anniversary with his gf. After that I temporarily lost the moving in plot and went to buy books in Blackwells, then after a few digressions around Oxford to take pics of the dogs for the other DC (standard RadCam pic, one on the steps of Oriel etc etc) we drove around town to DDs tiny hot room which was so full of kit by the time we’d finished an hour and a half later that I do wonder where DD will sleep. Oxford was far too expensive to stay in tonight so DDog1 and DDog2 are holed up with me in an exceptionally dubious motel in Middle England. Tomorrow, hopefully, we head back to our Scottish island, fuel supplies permitting. Here’s to all our young people having a fab new academic year.

@goodbyestranger - I'm exhausted just reading all that! Safe travels to Scotland.

DadDadDad thank you - but a drive to Scotland is a skip and a hop compared to those roundabouts between Oxford and Cambridge which you presumably negotiated twice today! (I ate a packet of Nurofen after just doing it one way)

Lovely to hear all the stories of various DCs return to O and C. I've still got this to come. I'm taking DS2 (O) back on Friday and DS1 (C) back on Saturday. Both are really looking forward to it, which makes me feel very happy that they love it so much, despite the Covid restrictions last year and not exactly 'normality' this coming year either.

DS2 (O) - in his JCR role - has been extremely busy working for hours to sort out college families for the Freshers, attending Zoom meetings with senior college staff about events for Freshers and then answering a ton of emails from Freshers. Lots of work goes into making things go well for this years cohort and presumably previous ones too. He's also finished his first essay in advance and across the summer, has had loads of Zoom meetings for various other roles he has in various societies. He thrives on being busy as usual.

DS1 (C) - has also had lots of Zoom meetings for his various roles in his various societies too, across the summer, has 'lightly' dipped into his reading list (his laid back attitude stresses me more than DS2's energetic one!) and has set up a chat for his college corridor. He's on the top floor of his accommodation and we're not sure if there are any lifts, so that'll keep me fit, helping him to move in!

I filled up on petrol yesterday, after waiting over and hour in a local queue and won't need to drive much until the uni drop-offs.

Goodbye, I hope your new life on your Scottish island is everything you've dreamed of and sounds fantastic to me. I'm facing a relentless amassed amount of work and lots of catching up on admin once DCs are safely deposited but we've all had a really good summer and, as I'm self-employed, I prioritise family over work when the DCs are home. I'll miss them when they're gone but am very happy that they're both so happy.

@goodbyestranger

DadDadDad thank you - but a drive to Scotland is a skip and a hop compared to those roundabouts between Oxford and Cambridge which you presumably negotiated twice today! (I ate a packet of Nurofen after just doing it one way)

I presume you are talking about those endless roundabouts around Milton Keynes. I actually went via M25 which is usually quicker unless there is bad traffic.

The only bad traffic yesterday was at Beaconsfield services, where we stopped for a quick loo break which added nearly an hour to our journey! The car park was gridlocked, I assume partly due to more petrol madness.

Ugh, Oxfordshire is truly the land of roundabouts. We took D1 back down to Oxford and into her house for this year last weekend. The drive takes about five hours - the last 40 miles takes an hour because there are 23 roundabouts. I'm so glad we went before petrol insanity struck!

The house is fine, a typical student house, just off Iffley Rd near the sports grounds. We got her stuff moved in, took her to Sainsbury's for a few basics, John Lewis for a few room things and out for something to eat. On Sunday morning we went out for breakfast and then a wander round the Botanic Garden.

Since then she has been preoccupied with the spiders in the house, and is attempting to ward them off with citronella oil. She's been for her second jab at the pop up centre at the University Club. This has sent her sense of smell and taste haywire, just like when she had covid at the beginning of the summer, I'm hoping this will be shortlived.

I'd sent her a Holland and Barrett advent calendar, which Hermes is claiming to have delivered (to the plodge) but the porters say has not been delivered - argh.

@goodbyestranger - well done for dutifully getting your dogs to pose for photos at various Oxford landmarks to keep your offspring happy.