Returning to uni

[Monica53]

Hi
Summer break for Dd is going well - working 2 jobs one at supermarket and one with NCS so busy, she isn’t looking forward to returning to Uni due to last year being so awful(yep was horrendous for most due to pandemic) however she is concerned due to what she sees as lack of well-being by Uni? I’ve suggested she speaks to student well-being as she did have a few counselling sessions though was informed after 5th that she’s have to wait till next year for more? Her thoughts are that she’ll see how it goes to Christmas and decide and have discussions with tutors etc. We’ve had chat re: f2f lectures and that hopefully this time things will be more ‘normal’ and she’ll have opportunities to meet new people and have f2f as she struggled with online and does think this had effect and result of having to redo the year. Any one similar ? Thankyou x

DD had also had a lovely summer at home with old friends and like yours has reservations about going back.
I hope universities are mindful that last years freshers had such an awful induction and many almost no F2F teaching all year.
I would love to see them opening up freshers events for second years, not just socials but also campus / library tours etc. It would be great to see departments getting the whole cohort in so they can finally meet each other in person, put faces to names / voices and also meet lecturers who they've only seen on a screen all year. Wishful thinking I suspect, sadly. Poor kids really were shortchanged by last year.

We have 3, one dropped out completely but is restarting closer to here on a completely different course, one is excited to go back and one is going back to finish (3rd year) but lots of trepidation and plans to come back a lot . Thankfully 2 graduate this summer

My dd is anxious about going back.
Like yours, she's had a great summer working, earning money and meeting new people.
She's not looking forward to going back at all. She didn't meet anyone from her course last year and doesn't feel part of uni at all. She doesn't know where anything is, how to book library/study space etc.
So I agree, I sincerely hope they recognise this year need to be treated like freshers too.

I almost feel as anxious about sending her off this year as I did last year as I know how bad it was for her.
She suffers with anxiety and is now on antidepressants and has had some counselling too.
I have everything crossed things improve for them all this year.

Same here. She has very low expectations of the whole thing and is giving it a go until Xmas. IMO the uni has handled this woefully (I’m sure others have been much better)

@Woolver23 Hi - I do hope universities take the last yr/18months into consideration? I currently question it due to experience our daughter has had? She is so flat regards last year and lack of contact with tutors and having to chase them consistently for information. Also doing a degree which really needs to have f2f isn’t ideal and we feel sad for her and her words yesterday I don’t know what I’ll do? So she has said she’ll contact Uni and ask for advice as she feels very deflated and didn’t meet anyone new last year at all. She did manage to find housemates via Fb page for her Uni and FaceTimed them though not meet f2f

@gogohm good luck to yours , it’s madness and I feel so sad for her ! She has to redo last year due to not having a good experience online and motivation zero ….. so we’ll see what happens come September - December 😊

Hi@Snozzlemaid good luck to your daughter! It’s awful for students across , and pray universities take note of how it has effected students? I do question that as some universities are still looking at online which is madness bearing in mind schools go back in September . I’m keeping things crossed for a good experience for all - good luck x

@Newgirls yep I agree I feel universities have been disgraceful, and well-being seems to be low down the line. Our daughter is certainly not looking forward to going back at all? Has had little contact from Uni. Has worked throughout summer break which has been a good send and she has met a few people at home. Will be interesting to see what happens come September /October

DD has found her part time job to be a godsend during first year. Uni so strict there was little chance to meet anyone outside her flat let alone her course and all but one of her flatmates left in early December. Work was her only chance to get out and meet people of her own age when the weather too bad for her sport. Could your DC work in their universities town this year coming so even if the unis persist with online then at least they will have something else. DDs employer transferred her to uni City and would have transferred her back home for summer if she wanted (she chose to stay).

Dd was fortunate to have a reasonable 1st year, she made some good friends and whilst she was able to rest for a few once home she's looking forward to returning to university. She's met up with a uni friend in London and been out with old school friends but lots of her plans were effectively put on hold because she could not travel. She's been doing a pub job last few weeks so that's helping and she's off to Reading too but essentially she's keen to get back to uni and her friends. They plan to move into their new house Mid September.

Hi thank you - I’ve discussed again with Dd today and informed her of some of comments so she did say well I’m not alone , which I felt she wasn’t. I hope on Hope this year coming up is better and universities take into account that so many students didn’t manage to link up with others last year .