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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

University 2019/20 intake: vacations, vaccinations, va-va-voom restored and virtually into their third year

990 replies

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 18/06/2021 10:34

Previous thread

OP posts:
minesawine · 28/10/2021 13:58

Have your DC's started looking for graduate jobs yet?

simbobs · 28/10/2021 14:09

@bigTillyMint Apparently her cfs is not covid related as she had recovered from that before her symptoms became apparent. She is my final yr DC, not my 3rd year, but that makes it worse for her, as she is more than three quarters of the way through. Ironically, she asked to do her final year over 2 years because she was stressed and didn't think she would do as well in her finals as she could. Now I wish she had just got on with it.

DS messaged back later to say that he had made things sound worse than they actually were, but I think he is just trying to get me off his case. He says that he can't come home at the weekend but has promised to call for a proper chat. I will hold him to that, because I don't believe him. He has probably fallen behind and needs a kick up the backside!

He knows he should be looking for a graduate job but his heart isn't in it.

MrKlaw · 03/11/2021 19:13

was wondering whether DS would come home before Christmas but seems not. He offered to come home for my birthday but said he’d have to go straight back as he has studies.

checked Bath term times and its solid from start of semester to 17 Dec which seems quite a long time without a break.

bigTillyMint · 03/11/2021 19:17

We have DS home tonight @MrKlaw. With his washing Grin He’s actually back for a f2f open day tomorrow (travel reimbursed) - was asking what would be for dinner from the train!

Hopefully won’t be back again till Christmas - 10th Dec for him I think!

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 03/11/2021 19:38

The final year at university can be a real slog, can't it?

DS has paid us a flying visit this term but was only home for a few days. He takes the short but sweet approach to visits, so it seems!

17th December is very late to break up for Christmas! When does your DS go back in January @MrKlaw?

Hope you enjoy having your DS at home @bigTillyMint.

OP posts:
MrKlaw · 03/11/2021 20:09

3 weeks off once he does break up, and then a few breaks for assessments etc before second semester really kicks in. Its just this first one thats a real slog.

Maybe we can pop down to him

Ragwort · 04/11/2021 07:59

Sorry not to be contributing much to this thread at the moment, DS is doing his industrial placement and seems to be really enjoying it (very long hours, Sat mornings as well ... his Uni Tutor actually called him & had a chat with him & said it was well known as a good placement but very demanding & was he sure he could cope Grin), I am just pleased that he seems to be thriving and has made a social life for himself as well in a totally new part of the country ... and miles from home.

Mine glad your DS is enjoying his third year, I've had to remind my DS to sort out his accommodation for when he goes back next year.

Scary thought that all our student DC will now be looking for jobs ...

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 05/11/2021 07:22

@Ragwort good to hear that your DS is thriving doing his year in industry. And also that he's doing so well being in a new area, with everything that throws at him!

It's quiet on here at the moment. I guess all young people are busy with work, potentially applying for jobs/post-graduate courses and even socialising!

OP posts:
RampantIvy · 05/11/2021 08:21

So far DD is enjoying the kind of university experience that she should have done over the last two years. Lectures are F2F, the walk to the medical school every day is doing her good, she and her friends sit and work in the common room between lectures (or she sleeps - she is struggling very much with her CFS, and often sleeps through lectures), she is going out, going to parties, having parties etc.

Her course director is putting on an extra week of labs next term because last year's cohort are apparently finding it more difficult to get work in their field due to lack of lab work experience because of covid.

She is having several lectures a day right now. The only drawback is when she is having a bad fatigue day she has to wait a couple of days for the lectures to be put online, and the worry is that she will fall behind. She makes up for it on good days, and stayed awake through three lectures yesterday and worked through two more recorded lectures.

IMO degree courses with very few lectures and tutorials might as well be OU courses because DD says that F2F teaching is so much better than online. Everyone is more engaged and motivated. Walking to and from lectures with friends has also strengthened friendships, and DD sees friends on her course as often as the friends she shares/has shared living accommodation with.

chocolatenutcase · 05/11/2021 21:26

It's lovely hearing all about your young people back at uni and on placements. Finally they are getting the uni experience they have missed out in the past 2 years. @simbobs I can sympathise with your situation. My DD had a metal breakdown during the spring/summer. She came home just after Easter and competed her exams and managed to do very well but really has been able to do little more than get out of bed each day. She was caught between being at home and having a uni GP so mental health services not taking her on, having to reregister with our family GP and navigate the long wait for mental health services locally. She's been lucky with lots of support from academic tutors, head of her course, college tutor and has been allowed to start year 3 from home and do lectures online. Bit by bit she's getting a bit better and is going up to uni next weekend for a night. It's been a very hard slog and she's not there yet. Fortunately she's on a 4 year course and she's in contact with friends who are away and will be back living with her next year. She's adopted a cat which has helped! She's planning to go back at the end of November. I hope she makes it, but we are taking one day at a time.

RampantIvy · 05/11/2021 21:46

Sorry to hear about your DD @chocolatenutcase. I hope she continues to recover Flowers

Benjispruce5 · 06/11/2021 09:45

Sorry to hear that @chocolatenutcase. I hope she continues to improve. We don’t hear that much from DD, a few photos on our WhatsApp group of Halloween costumes and a couple of FaceTime conversations so far this term. No mention of coming home before Christmas and I don’t blame her after all that time at home last year.
DD2 liked York last week on our visit.They had an app to do a self tour, which was good and was nice to see it with all the students milling around.

bigTillyMint · 06/11/2021 11:01

Sorry to hear that @chocolatenutcase - it sounds like you’re doing a great job of supporting her Flowers

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 06/11/2021 11:06

@chocolatenutcase so sorry to hear about your daughter. Good to hear that she's being well supported and is continuing to make progress. The cat will help enormously too. It's been such a challenging time since the pandemic started, particularly for young people.

@RampantIvy your DD sounds as if she's having the best of times.

@Benjispruce5, I know what you mean about young people not having mentioned Christmas. DS now has a girlfriend on a Masters course elsewhere in the UK. She is not culturally from a country where Christmas is a thing, so doesn't seem to want to celebrate it (although we have invited her). So I can already imagine that if DS does come home it will be another one of his flying visits!

OP posts:
blametheparents · 08/11/2021 08:32

@chocolatenutcase - Sorry to hear that your DD is having a very tough time. I hope that things improve for her.

DS is coming home to visit this weekend. He went back to his university city in late August and we haven't seen him since then so it will be lovely to have him home for a short visit.

His uni finishes for Xmas on the 17th December and he will be off for three weeks. I imagine that he will visit his girlfriend during this holiday at some point. Her family live a long way from our home so he will stay there for a few days, I imagine. Whatever happens, he will be home for a good part of Xmas I imagine, which will be fab.

VanCleefArpels · 10/11/2021 10:55

Just checking in here - life does seem to be as normal for DD, she’s doing her extra curricular thing again, enjoying seminars, active social life! She’s got a (virtual) assessment centre for the grad scheme she’s applied for in a couple of weeks. Totally new experience for all of us (her sibling didn’t get that far with any they applied for) so all we have said to her is to be herself and try to display the knowledge she has accumulated somehow and cross all digits 😂. She will know by Xmas whether she is in to the final stage, so the new year may bring the drawing board back…..

MrKlaw · 10/11/2021 14:59

sent a little parcel with a christmas pannetone, advent calendar and a few other bits and bobs down to DS, as he seems to be heads down with his coursework and likely won't be back before christmas.

Went down really well and we had a nice call yesterday. He did say he likes calling us, but we don't really have much to talk about so he doesn't call often! Thats probably my fault - not one for small talk, but it was lovely to hear from him and he seems well settled.

bigTillyMint · 10/11/2021 16:14

Good luck to your DD @VanCleefArpels - my DD did some of these - it’s gruelling applying for grad jobs.

That parcel sounds lovely @MrKlaw! DS was back last week for a f2f Open Day and will no doubt appear again before Christmas (though I hope not as it’s a drag for him 4hrs door to door each way!)

VanCleefArpels · 11/11/2021 07:52

This is sobering about applications for grad jobs

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/dozens-fight-for-every-graduate-job-6r6wn3k2j?shareToken=9184a6c54018d9bdc32c31ed1a65eaf6

Benjispruce5 · 11/11/2021 07:55

I have no idea what DD is doing next year. Last time we discussed ‘the future’ she had no idea what she wanted to do and has always been like that. She’s having such a great time she doesn’t want it to end. I got a text the other day saying ‘ halfway through term’ with a sad face. She won’t want to complete home to boring life with Mum and Dad.

Benjispruce5 · 11/11/2021 07:55

Come not complete

RampantIvy · 11/11/2021 08:28

Life at home is boring for DD as well. All of her friends have moved on.

blametheparents · 11/11/2021 08:45

@VanCleefArpels - You are right, that is sobering reading.

It is also a very time consuming process - initial application, some kind of test, HireVue interview, group session, actual interview! It is endless.

VanCleefArpels · 11/11/2021 08:50

Yes so far DD has had a situation/scenario test then a virtual interview - questions pop up on screen, you get 60 seconds to think about an answer then 60 seconds to speak into the camera with your answer. Next stage is actual interview x2 and a group task with 5 others, all online of course

RampantIvy · 11/11/2021 08:51

Those interviews sound horrific. DD is so anxious with so little self confidence that she would fall at the first hurdle.

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