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...

DD is taking part in bumps and looking forward to it. She's having a great term, having finished exams already. Most of her friends are working very hard for theirs though.

DS had his first exam yesterday (his first formal in-person exam since GCSEs) and was able to attempt every question, so was happy with that.

His next exams are Thursday, Friday and Saturday. So much for the jubilee bank holiday weekend! We're hoping to visit him on Sunday.

Good luck to your DS, @Ironoaks. It sounds like he's started well. DS1's (C) exams actually start on the first day of the 4 day Bank Holiday weekend and run across the whole of that time for a week. So no Jubilee celebrations for them.

DS2 (O) has exams that count towards his degree starting in the middle of June, so quite late on. Fortunately, they both did their A Levels as normal, before the pandemic, so are used to it. This year, they have open-book exams with DS1's each being across 24 hours. So it feels like less pressure but for Finals, it's back to proper, timed exams all together in an exam hall.

It's good to hear updates from people. It now seems a very long time ago when they were applying to Oxbridge.

DD's (C) exams going fine so far. Most of them are in-person, which seems a lot fairer to me. So far, she reckons she's looking at another 2:1. Obviously would like a first, but she knows that this would cost her social life and sports. I'm happy for her not to be first in everything and I'm very surprised how chilled she is about it too, so all good. We've been very much a team in her academic success. Always very driven and hugely competitive, but realistic, so this is a happy balance. She's more bothered about the room ballot. She's making lots of travel plans for the summer.

DD2, who is a real child, is about halfway through A levels, has discovered at this late stage that they're actually easy if you do the work, but too late for top grades. I reckon we're looking at BBB average, which will make me very happy if it works out. So that's two at university next autumn, at least for another two years. I will get my new bathroom one day!

I'm interested to hear what your DC are planning for after Oxbridge. Mine's planning GDL (or whatever it's called now), as that's where the money is. She might take a gap year and do some volunteering first. She's looking into brushing up on French to facilitate this.

@pantjog many congratulations - excellent news on blades

@HewasH2O DS too had a frustrating Summer eights but a good learning lesson in the unpredictability of sport especially bumps races on a narrow stretch of water. Felt so awful for those klaxoned - it seems Swans in the river were a common cause. DS had a boat 2 ahead steer into the bank so unexpected bump for those ahead, another day with umpiring issues and consequently spent three days being a sandwich boat so lots of rowing over....

Efforts now focused on September Blues training camp targeting a seat in Isis for 2023 - rather like a moon shot given numbers of 'imported' graduates but nothing ventured, nothing gained. He will have to spend 4 weeks in Oxford before term starts which might be a little lonely... but for now academic work beckons he has three pieces of course work due in tomorrow and Prelims in 8 days time...

Have others got these timed open book exams - seems quite stress - yes you can look anything up but you still only have three hours to write your essays..

DD has a summer job in college until August which she is very happy about. I think if she could stay in the area pottering about graduation she would do so. Working in Taylor's, isn't that what philosophy grads do?

@HewasH2O 😁Taylors brings back many happy memories.. most of the time I couldn't afford to go in there...

@Juja my dd had timed open book essays last year - three essays in three hours in her room type exams. Stressful at the time as they were an unknown quantity I think. This year she had all "old-fashioned" in-person exams in the exam schools - so much more stressful apparently.....She would say that the key to open book exams (especially those with the same time limit as the closed book version) is to be really super organised and know where to find tute essays/additional information/sources etc so that you can really utilise the fact that they are open book without spending too much valuable time looking things up.

Going to see DD briefly tomorrow on our way to Harwich. This is the first summer for years where she has had no exams but she is mad busy writing her end of year report and presentations, so still lots of work. She says she can spare time for dinner with us...

No exams for DC, but I was able to do a day trip to Oxford today and joined for formal hall lunch.

I suspect a Benet's formal hall is very different from most colleges - smaller scale for a start. Also, there are a couple of monks on the staff and they take a role in serving the food. Before pudding, any member who had brought a guest had to stand up and introduce them (not just a name, but a little comment about them), which DC hadn't warned me about!

PS - Is anyone thinking of starting a new thread as this one is close to full?

Tried to pm you @CinnamonJellyBeans but I cannot make it work.

DS's exams are all in-person this year and each is 3h long.

Thankfully for him, no essays required.

A typical question would involve drawing a diagram (the hard part) then working out which maths to use (that part comes more easily to him).

DD4 had her biggest sister and a brother to her guest formal on Friday, with biggest sister taking advantage of kicking DD4 out of her bed so that she could stay overnight before a friend's Oxford wedding on Saturday. Primogeniture rules ok. Same sister earned a spoon about ten years ago now. DD4 is in the happy position of having no formal exams until 2024, so can enjoy any Trinity term sunshine on offer.

@Scoobyblue thanks for the tips... I will pass them on...

DS (C) started his exams on Friday and they are of the open book variety. He hasn't taken an in-person exam since A Level mocks so his first "proper" exams at Cambridge will be his finals next year. He has an eight weeks banking internship in the summer and is hoping this will help him make up his mind about what jobs to apply for next year.
His sister (O) has no exams this year; she has submitted her dissertation and has a viva in eighth week. She has a research assistant job for the summer (in her supervisor's lab) and is starting to apply for grad jobs including the Civil Service FastTrack. Meanwhile, she has the Oxford Union charity fashion show coming up and has invited DH and I punting on Sunday.

DD (C, 1st year) says they have decided for her subject that exams will always be open book from now on. I think it's 3 essays in 5 hours for 2 exams and then 1 essay in 4 hours for the other paper. Apparently they decided that having to memorise dates etc was pointless and that they could expect a higher standard of writing if they were open book. She also says there isn't time to look up anything really but at least she can prepare decent notes. I think lots of her friends have in person exams but they are more science subjects.

It seemed worth making a new thread, so if you'd like to follow me this way...

Continued thread

That was meant to say "Continued thread".

www.mumsnet.com/talk/higher_education/4559396-oxford-cambridge-current-students-support-chat-thread-2022

That's interesting @Greatauntdymphna. I wonder if there is an Oxford/Cambridge divide on open book exams as well as a humanities/STEM subject divide?