Durham University

[KingscoteStaff]

The continuation thread for those with DC at Durham, or applying to Durham, or alumni, or staff!

January 2022 finds our DC packing their big coats, checking the forecast for snow and wondering when Michaelmas actally is...?

Assemble!
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@WentworthMillerMad Thank you!

DD currently incensed that all lectures will be online when she goes back and masks have to be worn in the library at all times. And yet they can all go out clubbing together in the evenings. Bonkers!

@tinkywinkyshandbag I suspect it’s because they can go clubbing that they are wanting them to wear masks , although really whilst sitting working in the library I really can’t see the point . Ds pretty sanguine about the whole thing , I suspect he’s not happy about online tutorials or seminars and isn’t bothered about the lectures. He won’t like wearing a mask in the library, but he can’t be bothered to get cross about it.

I see from the Palatinate Instagram feed that the Van Mildert boat house fire was started deliberately.....

Makes my blood boil.

DS avoiding engineering works and heading back Monday morning. He doesn't seem to bothered about online lectures for 2 weeks, I just hope it doesn't stretch too much beyond that!

Planning a visit for Feb half-term, I still haven't seen the place properly.

*too bothered

@MidLifeCrisis007 Oh that is terrible news, arson is such a horrible cowardly crime.

How terrible about the arson. We walked by our the other day and they certainly did a good job of destroying it!

DS says he has an 'in person' seminar (less than 10 people) on Mon as groups have been limited to 24 (or is it 25?) so lectures are online for the first 10-14 days(?). Meanwhile they (his College group) are planning to go out en masse on Monday night........c'est la vie etc.

Just waved ds off , dh is driving him and a schoolfriend back as there are lots of engineering works and also he brought more home than he planned as we were worried we would go into lockdown an he might be stuck here especially as a humanities student.Plus dh secretly likes driving them. Amazingly they left bang on time !

DH dropped DD yesterday , she is the only person in her flat that has returned , some may return mid week she said but other friends have returned so she is fine.

Dd on a very packed train, almost back in Durham now. I know a few of her friends are back already so she is very excited to be on her way.

@LeiatheSchnauzer

Dd on a very packed train, almost back in Durham now. I know a few of her friends are back already so she is very excited to be on her way.

DS headed back this afternoon too... with a change of trains in Doncaster.... I assume due to the engineering works.

He's excited to be going back despite the prospect of online lectures and endless covid testing....

DD had both double vaccinated geography teachers with covid prior to Christmas in early December ( too young to get booster as 30s) the super fit cycles to work one was in hospital for a week and not back to work for 4 more weeks. Masks are a pain but a necessary evil but I don’t get online lectures.

I suppose it’s easier to make your own decisions on how and where you mix if lectures are online, so you’re not packed into a large space with people who may have made different risk assessments to you.
Absolutely not making a judgement call on what people do, where they go and who they mix with! I’d want to be out and about socialising if I was at Uni again.
Do hope it is a temporary measure while we see how Omicron pans out.

As per DS (History) even seminars and tutorials are online which doesn't make sense to me

Yes, same for DS. He does have practicals, but they didn’t have any last term as the lab wasn’t finished. You are goggled and masked up for those, I expect!

@SpamhappyTootsie, is this for chemistry? I hear the new labs are very swish!

[quote LeiatheSchnauzer]@SpamhappyTootsie, is this for chemistry? I hear the new labs are very swish![/quote]
Yes, it is! DS is really looking forward to using them.

Dd has practicals and labs but I was under the impression that she also had tutorials. Am probably wrong

Don’t take my word for it. DS was quite vague about what was online and what wasn’t.

Dd also very vague. Let’s hope they actually turn up where they need to be!

Hi @Longtimenewsee noticed your DD has practicals my DD applied to biological sciences - what’s your DD studying ?

Hi all - thank you for the new thread @KingscoteStaff. DD went back last Friday with 4 Summatives and 2 Formatives due in the first fortnight of term. She's very busy!

DD has a problem with accommodation for next year - she doesn't have any! She's 2nd year, has 2 female friends that want to share but they would like a larger household to keep bills at a reasonable level. She says sometimes people have a house and now need the housemates but no luck so far. I thought I'd mention it on here just in case anyone knows anyone - or of anyone - who has accommodation going begging or is looking for housemates. She and her friends are all lovely (though I say it myself) and are all very well house-trained

Just wanted to say that the staff are groaning in horror at having to do online teaching again so we have sympathy with those students who feel the same. Definitely the tone of emails to staff is that this is a temporary solutions, reviewed on the 24th Jan, so fingers cross. I'm feeling smug because every single one of the lectures I delivered last semester was in person and it was BRILLIANT to be in a room with lots of real students. Obviously I know staff with health difficulties will feel differently but things have been moved around so we can try and keep them safe.

So fingers crossed, back to in-person everything. I'm on the science site at the moment and it is bustling with students because all of the labs that need to be in person, are running in person. Hoping that the rising cases that we're seeing in the student body right now peak soon.