Another path- the first year ......

[chopc]

Apologies if I didn't tag anyone. Hopefully have inckueded all current posters

Chopc - Durham-History
@jano69 -Durham -History
@OnTheBenchOfDoom -Durham - Computer science
@Majaso12 -Imperial - Biochemistry
@bendmeoverbackwards -Bristol- History
@Pumpkintopf -Imperial -Physics
@ChimneyPot -Brown (US) - Open
@Stillcrikey -Bristol -MML
@Tenpastseven - Bristol -modern languages
@Longtimenewsee - Durham - Chemistry
@MidLifeCrisis007 - Durham -History
@BigWoollyJumpers - Exeter- History
@SeasonFinale -Bristol- History
@Notagardener LSE
@Revengeofthepangolins UCL - History
@raspberryrippleicecream ? -Maths
@derekthe1adyhamster Birmingham- Computer Science
@Vargas -Durham -Geography
@AvocadoPlant Exeter -History

Hugs to you @BigWoollyJumpers ! Have a large glass of wine!

@BigWoollyJumpers well done to your dd for pulling it back , it shows a lot of resilience and how nice that she has flatmates who care .

@BigWoollyJumpers Well done to your dd for getting her exam finished in time.

Dd has done all her exams, which were all in person. We’re on our way to see her now. Monday she starts up again with lectures, labs and then 4 lots of 3.5 hour statistics with an exam at the end of June, also has to do 4 projects that count. I think it’s really mean she has to keep going until July.

I’m getting anxious about accommodation. She hasn’t looked at any houses since, applied for halls which take 2nd and 3rd years. I’ve looked online and it says they hear whether they’ve got in from May to September and only hear if they’ve got a place. So that’s really helpful. She needs to know by June really and will then have to quickly find something else.

@Majaso12 I don't know whether this is an option for your DD, but DD1 lived in Kings Cross her first year working in London. We were a bit dubious, but actually, it is now quite nice, pretty safe, and with the station on the doorstep so easy to get anywhere. There were lots of student blocks behind DD's flat, and one of her friends doing a masters, subsequently moved in there.

majaso, my dc hasn't got anything either, I think she has slowly started to look for something with 1 other friend. but was told before Easter it was too early to look....DC1 who is also in London didn;t get anything sorted till summer term either.
DC2 also applied for student halls but was actually told her application was unsuccesful before Easter.

I’ve told her to email the accommodation she’s applied for seeing as she’ll only hear if she doesn’t get it, but she said she’ll wait a bit longer. It is done on first come first served basis and she filled the form in within 2 minutes of it being released.

Can you believe our Durham DC are sitting exams not knowing if they would be marked!

I find this infuriating and feel we should sue the university. But I am not sure where I will find the contract they have with the students. Does anyone know?

This is the same though at all of the universities that met the UCU cut off. It’s likely they will be marked though because the marking boycott does not start until May 26th ( or around then) and so mostly they will have finished.

more annoying is that so few people are in the UCU ( less than 1000 at Durham) but they seem very focused on the humanities , so some delta are very affected and some hardly at all.

I hope all the exams get marked. I would be extremely annoyed if my DD’s weren’t going to be marked.

I got DD to email the accommodation she applied for to ask where she is on the list, because I phoned yesterday and they said if she’s less than 200, she should get a place. She got a reply today saying given when she applied, it’s highly likely she’ll receive an offer and she should hear in June. So she’s thinking she doesn’t need to look at houses now. Wish they had said where she is on the list because they said if she emailed asking, they’d tell her.

That sounds promising @Majaso12 .. It’s annoying that they are making her wait though!

DS is mid exams and says he feels last weeks were ok. He is happy with the questions set for this week's two essays.

He is also on a high for wining Players' Player of the Year for his uni football team, which as a CB he didn't expect.

@SeasonFinale well done to your DS on getting the players award- great recognition for his skill and part in the team.
DD is enjoying a rather lazy time, exams are over, Ball tickets are booked, and summer job seems to be lined up. So a nice run into summer, though better weather would be appreciated by us all I think.
Wishing the best of luck to those in the throes of exams, and hoping that all their work wherever they’re studying, gets marked.

Dd finished exams, but now has a full time table until 1st July (except one week off) and 4 projects to do and a statistics programming exam on 27th June.

After finding out she’s likely to have got accommodation in halls with her bf, which she’ll find out for sure in a few weeks, she said last night that a friend on her course might now have a space for one to share a house as her and few others are having a problem with one they were also going to share with. It sounded like she is considering it, but I said that isn’t fair on bf as she applied for the halls with him and also we were relieved about the halls because it’s going to be a lot cheaper than a house because it’s 39 weeks. She hung up on me! Then started texting after saying why do I have to make a big deal about it, she was only telling me but she will probably take the halls. I’m not so sure.

Majaso, your last bit made me laugh (sorry) but that's why I don't even bother with phone calls :)

I now try to word my txt not as questions but general statements:
So not "do we need to pick you up in 3 weeks' time" but, "gosh only 3 weeks till you have to move out"

This is appalling @chopc And this is for £9K/year!

I think I read somewhere Durham are now not "not marking". It's from a thread I am following for final year students I think.

@Notagardener. That’s a good idea, I need to start doing that because I get told I ask too many questions!

@Notagardener apparently not marking strike has been called off as an agreement has been reached

CHOPS is that for all unis? I read before Durham had called it off, but not sure about other unis. DC1 in final year hasn't mentioned anything either way...

@Notagardener not sure about all unis - one of the lecturers on the Durham thread said it was called off for Durham as they reached an agreement

Durham have reached agreement locally, it doesn’t apply to other universities

Exeter uni have announced the same, boycott called off there too.

Hm, from yesterday
XXXX decided to pause the M&AB bc most of our marking is done by now but we’re taking part in action short of strike & already planning our next steps

I have decided to name change from On the bench of doom. Kept the bench bit so no one goes, who is this? Doom doesn't really sum up how I feel anymore, it was from waiting for C to decide yes or no which did feel gloomy not knowing.

Anyway, Ds1 has finished his exams today, it was his worst one as just all maths. Luckily he said it went really well. Lots of angst for the last few days with revision for it. Why are they so willing to believe the negative thoughts about themselves? I know I did this loads as a teen and a twenty something. I have told him to have a bit of a Ferris Bueller couple of days, take it all in, he is there and doing it. In fact he has finished his first year. Enjoy the freedom, socialise, explore Durham a bit more, jump on a train and visit somewhere up there.

Ds2 is mid GCSEs. It isn't that stressful second time round. He seems to be coping really well with it, taking it all in his stride. He and Ds1 have already been making summer plans together. So lovely.

Gosh yes @BenchOfCompany dd finished exams now also and is loving her free time. So much planned in the next few weeks
I’m glad your Ds had a good exam today. Dd says she feels fairly optimistic that she did well enough