Hoghyni, I'm sure DS1 will have some interesting anecdotes to recount one day in the future about his first year but I don't think he'd go so far as to call it a cultural hellhole! LOL.
Yes, he's been just as friendly with the girls - and would love to get to know some better - but has been really surprised that they seem to cluster together in all-female groups, very different to his experience at school where male and female just mixed altogether. He's felt sort of forced into an all-male conclave although he'd far, far rather be in mixed groups and would definitely find the things females talk about more interesting.
When he's had contact with people outside his college, he's noticed that female and male just mix normally, as you'd expect. Of course his experience is subjective and he's aware that maybe just one floor down from him, there may be loads of like-minded students, mixing happily and going off to Formals.
The combination of college accommodation lay-out plus pandemic restrictions has made it incredibly difficult even to meet anyone not in your immediate household or at least in your section of a long corridor and it's unlikely that he'd even recognise anyone other than those in immediate proximity. No one eats together in hall for ordinary meals and of course the college bar is shut. So you don't get the normal informal proximity and familiarity that happens for DS2 in his college. DS2 could have three meals a day in college and usually meets at least 2 or 3 people he knows, to chat with over a meal. Nothing like that for DS1.
DS1's DOS hasn't been in touch the entire term and the person who will become his DOS next term is the one who hasn't marked any of the essays this term, just like their predecessor. I can only assume that being a DOS means you're extra busy and marking student essays is a low priority?
By contrast, DS2's O tutor, who's on sabbatical, has sent lovely good luck cards to tutees and marked DS2's voluntary revision essays, whilst his topic tutor this term has marked every single essay within 24 hours.
Hobbema, DS2 at O is working very very hard indeed at his subject, so I agree that some arts and humanities studies demand a massive amount. He must have read and written at least 3 to 4 times as much as DS1 every week since he started.
DS1 by contrast has had a less rigorous first year, with lots of comments from supervisors along the lines of 'no one has anything to worry about and all are doing fine', akin to 'everyone has won and all must have prizes'. There are sometimes 4 to 5 students per supervision, so not a lot of space for anyone to ask questions and some supervisors apparently talk the whole time and don't really elicit dialogue and interaction.
DS1 has asked how to improve essays but the feedback is that 'it's so subjective and there isn't really something tangible that examiners are looking for'. So it's hard for him to know how he's doing and how to progress.
I hope his cohort is as well prepared as those from other colleges! All the supervisors are very 'nice and encouraging' but it feels different to DS2's experience of tutorials (and my own, 40 years ago) where you were really put through the mill and had to think on your feet but came away knowing you'd learned a lot.