Oxbridge aspirants part 4......Hold onto your nerves interviews ahead....!

[TangoWhiskyAlphaTango]

Part 4 - A friendly supportive thread for those with DC applying to Oxbridge, its an arduous process to say the least. I suspect we will need some handholding and alcohol for the couple of weeks ahead as our dc have their interviews. For those still waiting to hear I hope news comes soon

@BobbyGentry

Things gleaned from t’internet:

Saint Andrews starts a month earlier, September.

StAndrews - two semesters each year: Martinmas semester from September to December (Monday 13 September to Monday 20 December 2021) and Candlemas semester fromJanuary to May (Monday 17 January to Friday 27 May 2022.)

Oxford - three terms and three holidays. Within each term, a Michaelmas (starts October) "Full Term" of eight weeks, 5 weeks holiday, a Hilary (starts January) "Full Term" of eight weeks, 5 weeks holiday, then final Trinity (starts April) "Full Term" of eight weeks with a stonking summer holiday.

Students vacate their Halls outside of term time and seemingly bggr *ff whilst simultaneously studying - is this right? There are loads of storage facilities for this purpose.

‘Freshers’ week, essays are assigned and students are expected to independently ‘float’ as well as joining societies; so hit the ground running.

Sub-Fusc Suit needed for the first time from the last week of the Michaelmas term (matriculation.)

Expectations, around two essays a week¿ 40 hours study.

Oxwash
www.oxwash.com/oxford
Wash & Fold service
for 6 kg (13 lb) of laundry. The load is the equivalent of cabin luggage or a 50-litre laundry bag (if cannot figure out washing card in first few weeks.)

… just unpicking the practicalities

They should have their sub-fusc ready from the start of term - matriculation is often towards the beginning of the michaelmas term. Michaelmas term has a week 0, and I think Hilary term does as well for exams. 2 essays is often the case, but there may be other tasks as well, plus reading etc, in prep for tutorials.

@BobbyGentry It varies between colleges. D1 was able to leave stuff in her room last year only because interviews were online and there were no conferences, so her room was not needed in the vacs. In normal times she would have needed to take everything out - there was no lockable storage in her room, and the limited amount of storage in college was prioritised for international students.

Matriculation was at the beginning of Michaelmas, easy to buy gown/ribbon/mortar board as a pack from one of the suppliers in town (D1 went out with her household in freshers week and they all got them together) but a good idea to sort out the formal wear beforehand. Gowns also are worn at formal hall.

Although full term is 8 weeks, you usually have to be there in 0th week for registration/sorting out tutorials/collections which all happens before term starts. There are often things in 9th week too. Vac res charges may apply for extra nights (about £22 per night)

Laundry machines are expensive but the machines take a large amount of washing.

D1 ruefully remarked that 'vacation' really does just mean vacate your college room - but there's still a lot of work to do.

For people worrying about practical stuff please be assured that if your DC does get and make their offer there are plenty of posters around who can help with practical stuff when needed. I wouldn't think about it too much at this stage if possible given the uncertainty.

My main focus atm is on encouraging DD to revise for her mocks next week and plying her with fancy biscuits and tea. Who knows how important the mocks could be? Personally I'm feeling quite positive about the return to school and exams but it could still all change...

As DD is my eldest and not great at sharing info, I’m finding this thread really helpful already in terms of practical things to think about, so thank you to those with experience to share.

DD’s mocks start the same day as the Oxford offers come out; it could be really demotivating; not only the disappointment, but also because the required grades for all her other offers are somewhat lower than Oxford would be. There is a risk she’ll be much less incentivised to work hard.

It’s the first time she’s had to work through the Xmas holidays, so far I think it’s being going okay - no risk of overworking, but hopefully she is doing enough.

[quote JulesJules]@BobbyGentry It varies between colleges. D1 was able to leave stuff in her room last year only because interviews were online and there were no conferences, so her room was not needed in the vacs. In normal times she would have needed to take everything out - there was no lockable storage in her room, and the limited amount of storage in college was prioritised for international students.

Matriculation was at the beginning of Michaelmas, easy to buy gown/ribbon/mortar board as a pack from one of the suppliers in town (D1 went out with her household in freshers week and they all got them together) but a good idea to sort out the formal wear beforehand. Gowns also are worn at formal hall.

Although full term is 8 weeks, you usually have to be there in 0th week for registration/sorting out tutorials/collections which all happens before term starts. There are often things in 9th week too. Vac res charges may apply for extra nights (about £22 per night)

Laundry machines are expensive but the machines take a large amount of washing.

D1 ruefully remarked that 'vacation' really does just mean vacate your college room - but there's still a lot of work to do.[/quote]
Yep, wise words, ‘'vacation' really does just mean vacate your college room - but there's still a lot of work to do.’ Thanks!

Another thing from t’internet is the students are requested to decorate their rooms with white-tac. There’s a pin board for personal nic-nacs.

I think the key will be to pack light, use storage if necessary and, for me, try not to worry unduly. For example, if you took an Airfryer for the kitchen cupboard, would it need to be checked by an electrician for safety as it’s a shared public space?

Okay - answered own question, ‘must request for your equipment to be PAT tested’ for rice cooker, coffee machine or toastie maker in shared kitchen space.

I absolutely can't remember any details but there was a comment on a thread somewhere about someone's DC being fined for cooking chips in halls. Can't remember if it was O or C but think C. Something to check when the time comes.

It's probably not worth worrying about at this stage, but for what it's worth, DD's college permits very little in the way of personal electrical kitchen equipment. Which kind of makes sense. The kitchens in her building are serviceable enough, but if everyone brought along their own blenders, toastie makers etc, there'd be nowhere to keep them apart from their rooms, which is a far riskier prospect in fire safety terms than having them in use in a shared space. Not all students are entirely reliable or even experienced in using that sort of kit.

Dd's college has no kitchen facility at all. They can use the microwave in the JCR, but that is all, and no electricals allowed in rooms except for a kettle.

A Cambridge college issued a fine last term to a student who attempted to cook fish and chips in the gyp (shared kitchen).

DD's first year shared pantry (Oxford) was in a cupboard under the stairs. It had a hotplate, toaster (I think) and a 'fridge. Only room for one person at a time.

DS (Cambridge) shares a large, bright kitchen with seven others on his staircase. He uses it to store milk for cereal and to make the occasional sandwich for lunch but never cooks a meal there. Eating in Hall is very much part of college life at DS's college and his timetable and sports commitments don't leave much time for food shopping and cooking.

DD (C) has a small gyp between 6 (fridge, hob and microwave, no oven). They have a rice cooker too. She cooks 3-4 nights a week and breakfast/lunch there most days. She likes having the flexibility.

This level of forward planning / thinking about what to take to uni is way beyond me and makes me feel v inadequate!

Hope all have had a good holiday break.

We've all been exposed to Covid in the house we were in b/w Xmas and NY - except DD who stayed home to study. We are now back and desperately hoping we don't get it as DD's mocks start on the 5th 🤞🏻

It is definitely not forward planning here Genegenieee, we’re not allowed to mention the C word or contemplate but what if scenarios in our household. Hope you manage keep covid free ahead of your DD’s exams.

Happy new year everyone. Good luck to those awaiting O decision outcomes on the 11th!

My DC took not very much and did very little thinking about what to take ahead of time.They also all went up without subfusc. They just bought it once there. Oxford and Cambridge shops can supply anything needed as term unfolds so there's no need to worry.

I'm another in the totally inadequate on the planning front camp!

Happy New Year to you all - we've celebrated by the youngest two getting positive PCR tests today. Luckily DS1's mocks are not until Feb.

I'm way too superstitious to even think about any forward planning at this stage. Not sure what the odds are for other courses but DS is still much more likely not to get an offer than to get one. Just trying to put it completely out of our minds until 11th.

I enjoy planning ahead as even if the 11th turns fruitless; they’ll be going somewhere & reading something. All the knowledge gleaned’s transferable. They can go with the flow once there; making their own mistakes. I just need to set ‘em up best I can: yesterday’s nonsense, offspring made in the rice cooker - garlic buttered prawns, long grain rice steamed in stock, (then marinated chicken skewers (air fryer) & eggs over easy for our New Year’s dinner - a student’s nasi goreng 🍲)

Happy New Year to you all too. Hope Covid aside you all managed to have a nice time. I have not got much to add to be honest, DD has barely mentioned C and is in no way fretting about what she feels will be a rejection on the 25th. She is full on revising for mocks this week and after the 25th news will be firming Bath as first choice and Notts for insurance which I am pleased with. Feels strange to think this is the year our DC leave home its going to be a busy year.

Happy New Year from a lurker (I'm sure there are quite a few of us). DS hoping to read maths at C. He enjoyed the interview despite a technical hitch at the start.

Happy New Year and yy to realising that there's only 9 or 10 months left before ds goes to university somewhere and I'm an empty-nester [both can't wait and will be in bits]. He's focused on mocks as well and won't hear about C until the 25th which still seems ages off.

@ladygrinningsoul Welcome and hope your DS gets good news on the 25th.

@PermanentTemporary I will be an empty nester next year with DD this year and DS going next year. I did get remarried 2 years ago but DH and I have chosen not to live together so I will be all alone. I don't know if I am excited or gutted but I suspect we will adjust quickly and wonder wtf all the mess and noise is when they return on visits! I am quite looking forward to cheaper food & energy bills but will miss them desperately.

I have fallen off the thread so popping in to reactivate myself!

Happy 2022 all.

I don't think I could bear to bet against ds! but sheer numbers would suggest an offer is not likely.