Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Higher education

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

Original poster

Oxford / Cambridge - current students support / chat thread

994 replies

DadDadDad · 09/11/2021 07:25

Continuing a thread for anyone who wants to talk about their sons' and daughters' experience being a student in Oxford or Cambridge. (Or nephews, granddaughters, sisters, uncles - or if you or they have now graduated but you want to share your thoughts - all are welcome!)

I have a DS in his second year at Oxford, studying a small humanity in a tiny college.

Over to you...

OP posts:
pantjog · 08/12/2021 18:07

Thanks @cornishcornettos. DD (Classics at O) and DS (Engineering at C) both get reports, so I assume they all do… they don’t always share with me. It’s mostly the especially good or bad ones that I am party to…

SnapSnapDragon · 10/12/2021 20:05

It's a wrap for this year's Varsity Ski Trip. I am more than a little relieved that DS has survived without mishap. It's bad enough failing trying to get him to slow down on family ski trips, so I shudder to think what happened when he was egged on by his mates.

hobbema · 11/12/2021 13:27

It is lovely having them back isn’t it? Had all three for a couple of days last weekend before DT2 went back for her last bit of term. DT1 has much much coursework to do ( which her DoS told her to do in the summer so she wasn’t overwhelmed now… ). She seems to have inherited both parents procrastination genes. She can be a machine when she needs to be so should be fine.
Also get to see either sparkling reports or ones that cause burning rage of injustice if critical! Like a saddo, I’ve kept them all . Let’s enjoy our miraculously self emptying fridges !

OhYouBadBadKitten · 11/12/2021 14:45

I have no idea what dds reports say or if she gets them. She shared a couple in her first year so I know she got them then.

Shes still at college, hoping that when she comes home she's allowed back. It will be good to see her at Christmas.

Her rock and roll lifestyle in the meantime will include meeting friends in London and grabbing a booster while they are there. Seems sensible to me given Cambridge CCG is going in strict age order again.

JulesJules · 11/12/2021 15:55

D1 is home, trains all on time, about 6 hrs door to door. She's had a good term. So lovely to have her home.

hivemindneeded · 11/12/2021 16:51

Going to pick DS1 up from Oxford on Monday, Time tomorrow to finish repainting bathroom and get the tree up and trimmed. Can't wait to see him.

Sunndowne · 11/12/2021 20:21

DD home. Is lovely. Happy Christmas season all.Xmas Smile

MiniJellyBeans · 11/12/2021 21:36

DD1 home after a marathon 26 hour journey home from the Varsity ski trip, involving: gondola, coach, ferry, coach, taxi, train and car Grin I think she needs to sleep for a week now to catch up!

Ironoaks · 11/12/2021 23:24

I'm feeling happy this evening. I've just sung in my first carol concert since 2019, and my family (including DS) were able to come and see it.

(It was in a large, well-ventilated cathedral, with a fully vaccinated, regularly LFTed choir and a masked audience)

Sunndowne · 12/12/2021 09:41

How lovely ironoaks. Awww, we all want beautiful things to return. I miss the theatre but don't feel comfortable to go yet.

pepperaunt · 12/12/2021 16:07

Ditto @Sunndowne I miss the theatre most of all

Malbecfan · 12/12/2021 17:23

Nice @Ironoaks. I played in a concert last night. The choir wasn't masked, neither were some of the audience which annoyed me. The thing that made me most cross was rehearsing every SINGLE verse of the carols (that we've all played a zillion times anyway) and they only change for the final verse. What a waste of time! Just waiting for payment for that to hit my bank account.

Glad to read DC are home safely. I have over a week to wait for DD1 as she is working until Friday. However, it has its uses as there is an Argos close to her department, which has some bits of her sister's Christmas present that are unavailable at home...

OhYouBadBadKitten · 12/12/2021 19:01

Is your dd affected by the power cut Malbec? It seems rather major.

Ironoaks · 12/12/2021 19:02

I'm due to sing in a carol service on Sunday (different choir) and we are keeping our plans flexible. We are ready to anything from singing live to a congregation in the church building, to prerecording our parts at home to be mixed then streamed to a congregation at home.

Malbecfan · 12/12/2021 19:59

OhYouBadBadKitten DD is fine. No power cut in Chesterton.

Ironoaks that seems very sensible. I have one more concert on Saturday (orchestral). I really hope BoJo doesn't kibosh it as it's repertoire I really like. One of my school Carol Services has been cancelled already. It's all a bit different from 2019 when I had something like 19 concerts/Carol Services between 1st November and Christmas Eve!

pantjog · 12/12/2021 23:56

I sang in a carol concert last night too. The whole fam came, with associated boyfriends and girlfriend, and then we had a singsong round the piano at home as well… aaaaah.

SnapSnapDragon · 13/12/2021 16:59

This weekend I also sang in a concert - Messiah. Felt marvellous and also quite miraculous that it still went ahead. I'm a bit envious of pant and ironoaks having DC in their audiences: none of mine came, although DS was still on the way back from skiing and I like to think he would have shown up...

He tells me that there are a number of people still stuck in France because of covid. Apparently it spread round some of the residences and impacted some colleges more than others because people tended to be living in college groups. One college was particularly badly impacted but I probably shouldn't say which one. DS thinks the students with covid will have to personally foot the bill for staying in isolation - ouch.

goodbyestranger · 13/12/2021 17:32

Surely the holiday company's insurance would cover extended stays?

DD4 says it's Brasenose, Magdalen and Pembroke which seem to have been the first to get Omicron cases.

SnapSnapDragon · 13/12/2021 17:50

I had assumed it would be covered on insurance, but DS says not - probably wild speculation on his part. Poor things in any case. It will be very frustrating to be staying in a ski resort and unable to go outside. At least there will be no temptation from nightclubs because apparently they were closed in France the day the Varsity Trip ended.

pantjog · 13/12/2021 19:15

Those poor students Snap! That’s my nightmare each time one of the DC has been abroad.

hivemindneeded · 13/12/2021 22:19

DS is home today! He ate his bodyweight in macaroni cheese, had a very long bath then went to bed and was asleep by 9pm! Absolutely shattered.

We got to see his reports which were all very good and he came bearing gifts of craft beer and chocolates. So happy to have him back as he left in early August to make the most of the student house he'd been renting since early July.

pantjog · 15/12/2021 19:59

Popping on to share the happy news that DS passed his driving test today. He was almost ready to take the test when the first lockdown happened, so it's been a long wait. I'm so pleased for him. Lovely to have a success to celebrate.

HewasH2O · 15/12/2021 20:03

DD is home. I didn't think she was arriving until tomorrow, but she's either run out of friends or cash.

HewasH2O · 15/12/2021 20:05

That's a long wait for a driving test. Great news before Christmas - he can drive & you can drink!

SandyBayley · 15/12/2021 20:15

Well DS1 has been home for a week but has announced he'll head back to Oxford for a couple of days next week to see his girlfriend. She's lives just outside Oxford. Young 💕