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...

@Ironoaks, massively well done to your DS to get that far and very good luck to him for his interview. No matter how it goes, it's a really good sign that he's got to the interview stage, given how competitive these things are and as you say, very good experience for interview practice as well.

Thanks for the good wishes. It sounds as though DD has covered the entire spectrum in terms of how the exams are going. Still, four down, three to go - on the home stretch.

DD applied for one internship, but didn't get it. Luckily she is not too upset, as she knows they're highly competitive. She is still enjoying herself, tons of formals and balls, so she's happy. I am astonished to hear that she's almost keeping up with the work. She's excited about the prospect of real exams.

D1 has got a two week internship in the upcoming vac. She debated whether or not she should do it as she has loads of work to do too. She's also going away for a few days with friends from home, so at least she will have a bit of a break.

@Ironoaks and @JulesJules that's really good news for both your DC.

I remember DD worked for a friend in a job where she had to use her scientific knowledge at the end of her 1st year, then worked as an intern in a research group at our local university, which she thought was awful and a waste of time (and they didn't pay her what they promised for almost 8 months). There was nothing doing at the end of her 3rd year due to Covid (2020) but she had another internship which she did mostly remotely last summer and went in to the office just once, even though it was Cambridge-based.

In other news, DD2's letter of invitation has come from her Japanese uni and she has managed to book an appointment for a visa at the embassy early next week.

Apologies for hijacking your thread but could I ask please - When Cambridge say term starts on October 1st, does this mean the freshers week starts then? Or is freshers week earlier in the last week of Sept? When do they actually need to be there?

@quest1on2 - I have freshers week down as 2 October start for DD at Oxford.

DS1 will be back at Oxford for his 3rd year the week after. I'd assume that Cambridge is the same, they usually are.

Thanks HoneyMobster. DH keeps on asking me for dates so he can organise his work commitments, but DS is away and I didn’t want to ring C with such a daft question!

Just bear in mind that it may to vary from college to college, as they may stagger starts.

I think Freshers would be the previous week. Terms are normally 8 weeks long, but the Michaelmas?? (Autumn, I'm a teacher!) is slightly longer by 2 or 3 days. Counting from 4th October, the date given on the central website, 8 full weeks and 4 days takes you to 2nd December, which is the date on the website.

I have texted DD but she is in transit somewhere round London so will confirm when she replies.

Oxford Freshers Week definitely starts on 2 October. Just checked.

Term starts on 9 October.

Thanks for all this HM and Malbec. It’s quite a late start compared to other unis isn’t it (I guess because of shorter terms). The summers must be so long! By the way, congratulations to your DD on her Medicine offer HoneyMobster (saw you in the other thread) - that must be super-competitive. I can’t even imagine!

Hi @quest1on2. Great to see you on the thread. Is your son the geography whizz?

Term always starts on a Thursday. The time between when they arrive and that Thursday is Freshers week. Weeks are funny in Cambridge.
Dds final week this term is 9 days long.

Thanks @quest1on2 - it was a long shot but it paid off. Still can't quite believe it.

I hate to say it yet again but with her grades HoneyMobster and her clear commitment and talent for managing all manner of extra curriculars it wasn't a long shot at all! I don't know why those with very obviously talented DC insist on saying all this long shot stuff. I'm just pleased that my consistent faith in the fact that your DD would be successful proved right. A bet would have been better of course :)

DD finished her Mods exams this afternoon (with an utterly brutal paper apparently) and is now heading out for light relief.

Are others clearing out their rooms again on a termly basis? DD says she doesn't need to but I'm not sure if that's because I've moved across the water or because they don't ask for clear outs any more (currently in a hotel in Inveraray having got stranded earlier today due to lack of ferries). It's very pleasant actually. Roaring log fires, a special 'island rate' (£40 not £100+) and the two dogs are so overwhelmed by the throbbingly hot central heating that they are both out for the count.

Bad management of inverted commas there. The heating is affecting me too I think. But its bucketing rain outside so isn't unwelcome. The dogs and I are just back from a recce around the castle. I watched the Duchess of Argyll series on tv recently so wanted a snoop. No-one was around at all. I think I could have wandered in and done an old age person version of Goldilocks, but did the timid thing and retreated. Nice gaff if you like green baronial, which I don't very much.

CinnamonJellyBeans - he will be doing that yes, but not sure about the “whizz.”

Anyway, Thankyou and sorry to derail your thread with this basic question!

I remember reading about him last year and thinking that he should re-apply. Well done to him for dusting himself off and claiming his place.

We're paying over the holiday this time, as DH absolutely hates clearing out DD's room. She brings a huge amount of stuff. Rug, cushions, throws, 4 suitcases of shoes and clothes.

You're very kind @goodbyestranger but I work on the basis that there are lots of excellent candidates out there and not many spaces.

I'm by inclination an optimist but when it comes to my children I'm cautious in my expectations. But it's very nice when they exceed my expectations 😊

DD will be clearing out her Oxford room this weekend, much to her disgust, not to mention DH's. At Christmas he lugged an unexpectedly heavy trunk to the car (don't ask me why they didn't use a trolley), only to discover at home that a significant element of the weight was due to cooking supplies - oil, flour, etc - in large quantities. This time around, he will be looking inside first.

I certainly started out that way with DD1 HoneyMobster.

So are they back to conferences then Dahlia? This clearing out thing was a horror with the older DC. I didn't move to avoid it, but it's certainly a bonus being able to leave all the kit behind.

I don't know about the conferences. She did actually stay a few nights at another college in the summer, so I guess letting the rooms out is still a thing, at least.