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

@BigWoollyJumpers Wishing you a pleasant trip. And success in the packing!

@Majaso12 fwiw, Dd is supposed to be out by 10am every term at her uni but there seems to be a bit of flexibility. We had an ill Dd one moving out day which affected things. Don’t know about other unis but perhaps ask?

Safe trips for those travelling to pick up. 2 more weeks here!

@Longtimenewsee. I did phone and it might be ok for her to stay a couple more hours, but that’s all. She needs to speak to a member of staff in her accommodation. The person on the phone said she can always leave the weekend before, but she has a lab from 2-5 pm on the 1st July, so she cant! I think that’s a lab that got cancelled because of the storm. She also has something until 5 pm on the 30th June and an exam that week.

@Pumpkintopf. How is your ds doing and has he found any accommodation for next year?

Wow @Majaso12 .. so not so flexible at all then.. and uni sessions right up the last day makes it really difficult !
Hope it goes ok

After hearing from majaso the 10am deadline, we will be picking up Friday night. As her room is so tiny we have to bring some bags, suitcases, etc and then wait for DC to pack...
Still no accommodation for next year sorted. Applied before at her current student accommodation (one of the intercoll )but they said no.

We're back, hoorah! Lovely stay at the Hotel du Vin overnight. Loaded up this morning, and back in Surrey by 11.30am. DD now happily unpacking.

For the first time ever in my life I had a bout of car sickness. DH literally had to swerve to the verge for me. Really odd, and very disconcerting. Now feeling a bit shivery.... hope I didn't catch something on the way??

Oh no @BigWoollyJumpers hope you feel better soon.

Dd is still in Bristol and feeling a bit pissed off. She had a couple of formal evenings which were fun but still can’t come home as she is waiting on rehearsal times for a drama commitment. The girl organising it said the rehearsal timetable would be sent out ‘shortly’, this was weeks ago! I’ve encouraged dd to ask again but she doesn’t want to be annoying. We can’t wait plan anything as we don’t know when she’ll be home.

What a pain bend! Hope she hears about rehearsal times soon.

BWJ, hope you're over your car sickness now, very unpleasant.

Lovely to hear that some of our dc are already home. Mine are planning to return next week subject to train strikes.

DD and DS seem to be having a good time in Durham, balls, cricket, fashion shows, college parties and allsorts.

Both have survived exam season and results are out next week. For DS, it's the biggy, he is finally graduating!

Both have holidays abroad planned. Hope their flights aren't cancelled.

Hope everyone is enjoying their time with their dc. Looks like some nice summer weather is finally on the way.

Dd rang me last night in tears. Think she's just exhausted and getting a bit overwhelmed. The rehearsal schedule finally came through last night, rehearsals are this week and next (including weekends!). Dd is assistant director and the performance is being taken to Edinburgh fringe. Dd's starting to worry about packing too much in in the summer and not having enough time at home but doesn't want to let people down by pulling out. Apparently there will be further rehearsals in Bristol in August. I'm surprised that students are willing to go back to their university town in August but there you go. I told dd to prioritise NYT which is a huge achievement and she doesn't want to start that already exhausted.

She's missing home and us so I said I would go and visit her for an overnight stay this week. I'm going to book a hotel in Clifton for both of us and we can have a nice 1.5 days together.

She rang again this morning feeling much happier - she got her first exam essays back which averaged a first!

Oh no, forgot about the train strikes! When are they?

@bendmeoverbackwards. Sounds very full on for your dd. Will be good for you both to see each other this week. Well done on her essay results!

Dd got her offer for her accommodation this morning. She got what she thought was her last choice which was a standard room, less than 8 m2. She emailed and and after a few emails, has now got a standard room 15-20 m2 at Evelyn Halls. Her first choices were en suite and she applied in 2 mins of applications opening. She’s happy with it though and her bf has the same size room and in the same halls and at least another one they applied with has got the same halls as them.

She’s averaging a first at the moment, but thinks the Summer exams will bring her marks down under a first. She has 2 projects and a statistics and programming exam left which is on the 27th June. One exam she’s worried about 1 question which is worth 25% of the paper. She couldn’t work the final bit out, said if she’d had 30 more mins, she probably could have. She’s worried they’ll mark harshly and she lose most of the marks for that question for not getting to the final bit. They don’t seem to get enough time really in the exams and they were in all person this time.

'We'll be running a reduced timetable on Tuesday 21 June, Thursday 23 June and Saturday 25 June' @bendmeoverbackwards

My DS is meant to be coming home from Durham on Saturday 25th June so it's a real pain. LNER sent me an e mail to warn me that his train might be cancelled or his train might not be cancelled

Hi all, great to catch up with all the news upthread. Congratulations to all the dc on what sounds like excellent exam and essay results!

It was DS's birthday last week. Very weird him not being under our roof for it - but we drove down Saturday and took him and his gf for lunch in Richmond. Was so lovely to see him. I'm looking forward to him being home for a bit soon with no work to worry about- Easter wasn't really a break at all, he was constantly working for exams.

He still has a pretty full on schedule with labs, assessed problem sheets and a group project. He doesn't seem to know when he'll get the results from his exams so no idea what overall mark he's looking at for this year, and he missed a deadline for a piece of work earlier in the year (online; thought he'd submitted it but didn't get an acknowledgment, ended up with a capped mark after appealing)- but it is quite a low percentage of the overall degree so the right time to make mistakes as pp said.

@Majaso12 nope! That was part of our lunchtime discussion 🤦🏼‍♀️

I’m getting positives vibes from some of your dc’s first year exams. DD didn't try too hard for hers, prioritising social life over studies and is hoping for a low 2:1. Too late to worry now and it's possible to turn things round in second year.

DD is booking the coach from Durham to London on the 23rd with one of her friends.
Silly train strike.

@Pumpkintopf. Do you mean Summer exam results? Dd has been told she’ll get them early July, her bf was told about the 9th July. Dd also has a full on term with labs, problem classes, stats, programming and projects! Hope your ds gets accommodation sorted soon!

@jano69. Do first year results count for your dd? Dd is worried her exams will bring her marks down and she’ll scrape a 2.1.

@Majaso12 First year results don’t count for anything at Durham. But I guess they’re a good practice run for second year when results go towards the final degree. Some say a good first year result will stand you in good stead for potential internships….

DC still looking as well for London accommodation, and has to move out of current student accommodation end of this week. So not sure how that's going to work if she wants to do any viewing...
I read first year counts for something like 10%.? With dc1 it will only determine if you are at the border of one or the other. But only to help you go up, not drag you down( but this was during first lockdown)

@jano69. I wouldn’t worry too much then. First year counts as 11% for dd. I think any 2.1 at a top uni is good.

Just realised I said DD’s accommodation for next year is Evelyn Halls, I meant Evelyn Gardens.

Gosh that 11% is tough @Majaso12. I hadn't appreciated first year exams counted for some subjects/unis. Always learning new stuff here.....

@Majaso12 yes summer exams.

Ds's year one is 7.5% of overall degree.

@Pumpkintopf. I thought it was the same for all courses at Imperial. I’ve just checked again and it’s 11.1%.

Dd had a tutor meeting and was told they are expected to do an internship or work experience either this Summer or next after year 2. She said to us she’s definitely not this Summer, she’s having a rest! Trouble is she’s been told year 2 is even harder!

I also had a look at LSE, they do say they only count the six best grades from year 1. But then I have no idea how many examss they have...
And yes it's 11 rather than 10 %🙂