Oxford / Cambridge - current students support / chat thread

[DadDadDad]

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...

A student died of Men B in my college in my second year at Oxford. It was so quick - from feeling unwell on the Saturday and gone by the end of the weekend. If you can't sort a vaccine, at least make sure your DC know the signs: www.meningitisb.com/symptoms.html

DD has surprised me by saying how pleased she is to be back (despite thinking that Collections were 'dire').

She is astonishingly pleased to have had feedback on various pieces of work. 'You could hand in work at school and just expect never to see it again -- whereas Dr X writes you a whole essay in response to your essay! By Thursday!'

Can anyone recommend a second hand bike shop in Cambridge? DS needs to find a replacement bike asap after his bike was stolen today.

The MenB vaccine was only introduced in 2015 but the MenACWY vaccine should offer protection - and is free

www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/men-acwy-vaccine/

www.gov.uk/government/news/recent-increase-in-group-b-meningococcal-disease-among-teenagers-and-young-adults

DS has really appreciated the feedback that he gets too, @FlyingSquid. It is so detailed, and usually the day after he hands an essay in. I think it helps to keep him motivated to work hard and improve.

[quote NDVR]The MenB vaccine was only introduced in 2015 but the MenACWY vaccine should offer protection - and is free

www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/men-acwy-vaccine/

www.gov.uk/government/news/recent-increase-in-group-b-meningococcal-disease-among-teenagers-and-young-adults[/quote]
Just to clarify, the ACWY vaccine (which our kids should have had as part of their normal vaccinations) does NOT protect against the meningitis B strain. The meningitis B vaccine is only available privately for our kids (though is now given routinely to anyone born after 2015). This article explains the NHS decision based on cost/risk

www.england.nhs.uk/south/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2014/06/menb-coverage.pdf

As was said above, if you can't get the Men B vaccine, then make sure your kids know the signs. It's rare but it's known for its rapid onset.

My eight DC between them have different vaccinations because the guidance has changed over the years. The older ones missed the ACWY vaccine (I can't remember which DC was the first to have it, probably DS3 / DC6 who started uni in 2015). This is just how things fell, but all the DC went to the same pubs, clubs and other environments crowded with young people. I have never thought to top up. Is this lay or wrong (I think it is, reading these posts....). I have literally left things as they were for each DC, according to the guidance at the time. They've never missed any vaccine on offer, but also never bought one in. Is the overwhelming opinion here that parents should buy in specific vaccines? I am feeling quite neglectful and actually a bit worried.

*lazy

@ofteninaspin

Can anyone recommend a second hand bike shop in Cambridge? DS needs to find a replacement bike asap after his bike was stolen today.

www.kingswaycycles.com/

These were good were DD needed a bike.

@goodbyestranger Ditto - my DC have had all scheduled vaccines, plus flu for the last two years, and I've been proactive in getting their covid vaccines and boosters. But I am concerned about Men B. D1 says they were told about it and given a leaflet during freshers week, I'm worried about the rapid onset. I've told her if she wants to have the vaccine, I will pay for it. She hasn't taken me up on it yet, but I think she was more focussed on last night's Glitter Ball!

I've suggested to dd that I pay for the Men B for her on the back of this. I didn't realise they hadn't had this one. She is definitely more preoccupied with the start of term than jabs though at the moment!

She has the flu jab each year due to mild asthma and my memories of missing a lot of one term due to severe flu when I was a student. I also paid for the chickenpox jabs when she reached late teens without having had chickenpox.

We did the same thing about vaccinating DS for chicken pox @OhYouBadBadKitten. Somehow DS escaped it as a child and we were worried that he might get it while at uni. That and I think I recall that it is meant to be worse the older you are when you get it.

On a different subject, how have collections gone for those at Oxford? DS (just started History this year) messaged last night to say he was a bit disappointed in how his went. He only had to sit one, and it was being set / marked by a tutor who had given him glowing feedback on his previous work. That and the fact that DS came out of it feeling like he had been well-prepared had raised his hopes I guess.

I haven’t spoken with him yet, but I was going to remind him that this is the first in-person exam he has sat in years and not to be too hard on himself. Any other words of wisdom / perspective from parents who have been through this before that I could pass on?

@LaundryFairy I caught chicken pox from DD1 when she was 3 so I must have been in my mid-30s. DD1 had it first, had about 6 spots and was fine. I caught it from her and had a lot of spots, a temperature for a couple of days and a very sore throat so was prescribed antibiotics which sorted it. DD2 was 1 and she caught it after me. She had loads of spots and was miserable for a few days. I stayed off work with her so when I went back into school, my spots had largely gone. It wasn't horrendous as an adult; I've had a lot worse bouts of tonsillitis or heavy colds.

@ofteninaspin poor DS. Was it stolen from the college sheds? We bought DD a massive lock when she went, and touch wood, her disgusting strawberry-milkshake-and-rust coloured £8 bike has survived. This is the lock www.mountainwarehouse.com/d-lock-p13353.aspx/Black/?utm_source=google_shopping&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=GB+Whoop+-+All+Products+-+Desktop+-+SHOPPING+UK&utm_term=&utm_content=s%7Cpcrid%7C249777979170%7Cpkw%7C%7Cpmt%7C%7Cpdv%7Cc%7Cslid%7C%7Cproduct%7C023517005001%7C&gclid=CjwKCAiA866PBhAYEiwANkIneLDNcZoc15KdTdXMIqAVXo_oJ76owCmrkHPzbY5QAuOYQGgDjqGzGBoCLXoQAvD_BwE

Thank you @Lovecatsanddogs, I have passed your recommendation onto DS.

@goodbyestranger, I did pay for DD to have a Yellow Fever vaccination for an overseas project at the end of first year. Otherwise, DC have just had the "standard" free vaccinations. Am thinking both DC ought to have Men B but it is very expensive.

@Malbecfan, yes, from a college bike shed. The frame and front wheel were stolen leaving the rear wheel locked to the bike rack with its heavy duty bike lock. The bike shed is usually locked and has CCTV but DS should have additionally cabled the frame. When DS reported the theft to the porters he was told the CCTV had been temporarily switched off whilst building work was going on nearby.
Completely agree re having an undesirable bike. DD has a nasty brown spotty bike that has survived more than three years in Oxford.

@ofteninaspin that's rubbish! Are they offering any sort of help? Normally things are fine in those sheds - DD's bike spent 4 summers there.

I've written it before but DD's uni bike came from our local recycling centre. It cost £8 and has had new tyres, brakes and mudguards plus a bell. DD has a lovely bike at home, but no way is that going to Cambridge.

DS hasn't mentioned anything @Malbecfan. It was another keen cyclist friend of DS's who spotted that DS's bike had been stolen so awareness is going round. DS is more concerned now with sorting an interim bike asap otherwise his crazy training/work schedule falls apart!

Laundry some DC see collections as a chance to shine, whilst others just need to survive. Last year DD was definitely trying to survive her collections and prelims. This year she is more comfortable as she had a much easier first term, but it was still the first time that she had sat an exam in person since June 19.

I think that’s it, HewasH2O - DS was looking for a chance to shine, and it didn’t quite come off as brilliantly as he’d hoped! He is quite a perfectionist and can put himself under a lot of pressure and stress. That said, I think it is good for him to experience let-downs and to understand that not everything he writes has to be stellar.

I’m getting my uni DC to have meningitis C vaccinations. I also got them a 3rd dose of MMR after reading horror stories of mumps going round. They’ve also had private flu jabs. I am very pro vaccination.

Isn't Men C covered by ACWY? I'm getting lost in all this.

I'm also extremely pro vaccination but less pro the cost. but I've delegated responsibility to the NHS and lots of my older DC missed even the ACWY vaccine.

pantjog - or anyone who knows a bit more about this than I do - what would you do in my situation? : the five oldest DC missed out (but two medics might be jabbed - not sure) and the sixth had the ACWY vaccine, now in London not at uni. The two youngest had the ACWY and are both in Oxford. I'm really not sure of the risks.

Anyone born 1 Sept 1999 or later who went to school in England should have been offered MenACWY as part of the school-aged immunisation programme. This includes vaccination against meningitis C.

If any students are living in halls or colleges in close proximity would have 2 doses of Men B. if living in housing separately I wouldn't.

The incidence of meningococcal meningitis in university students is higher than in other populations, particularly in those living communally e.g. in halls of residence.

The risk with meningococcal meningitis is that people can deteriorate very rapidly. From onset of symptoms to becoming seriously unwell can be a matter of hours.

For a student, the relative risk of death from meningitis is very low (compared to deaths from other causes) but obviously that's of no consolation to the individuals affected and their families.