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

Oh no @AvocadoPlant your poor DD I hope she is on the mend very soon. Sorry to hear that A&E weren't helpful or kind.

I actually popped into the NHS walk-in clinic in Sidwell Street to say thank you and hand over some chocolates for looking after my DD when she was poorly just before Christmas. The receptionist looked bemused but the nurse and doctor who saw my DD last year were apparently lovely.
I just wanted to let them know that a kind word to an ill teenager is really appreciated especially when the parents are 200 miles away.

My DD has her exam schedule now so looks like she will be done by mid May although will stay on for balls/partying for a bit longer.

Thanks for all the good wishes, honestly I think DD is just accident prone!

I think dc2 also finds this term harder than first term. Not really spoken to her and only saw her from a distance in Feb as she had Covid, but from the few messages I get.

@Notagardener that’s very hard.
Is there anything in particular?
I remember being told that the term after Xmas is particularly difficult. A combination of cold weather, short days, increased work load and the reality that you still need to organise everything for yourself all add to the pressure.

Avocadoplant, I don't think so and you are right, first term it's all new and exciting but then they have just got to get on with it.

For DS it's the lack of contact time and having to motivate himself to study. I don't think the strikes at Durham helped either. He is a goal driven worker and when there is nothing to work towards, he finds it difficult to read etc

We have him home now so will explore more

I think this is really difficult for humanities students. I know this is not helpful but I have noticed how ds2 having had a year off is much better at this than his older brother who went straight from school. He’s sort of had a year of organising his own time as opposed to it being timetabled for him.

I would encourage all students to access some of the support available for example courses/lectures on how to plan your time and create mini goals etc . Library websites often have these signposted. Birkbeck had a lot of freely available stuff on their website as they have a lot of returners and Manchester is good as well . I know ds works in the library and tries to do ‘office hours’ but it’s hard for them, and is a big adjustment and I think he’s pretty daunted by the exams coming up . He hates working in his room so I worry about the take home exam thing as he might just work himself into a panic of procrastination.

Hopefully a few weeks tlc at home will make your dc feel better chopc .

Haven't been on here for a while (and sorry @Dobbyismyabsolutefav- I didn't see that you'd tagged me!).

I think this term has been hard for them. DS has found it very long (11 weeks) and in hindsight it might have been helpful for him to come home for a break in the middle of term, but with Friday and Monday seminars it always seemed a bit impractical.
He's also been off and on with illness again all term. He had covid (again!) in about week 3 or 4 then some kind of lingering sore throat. And in fact last week we ended up collecting him and bringing him home for a few days as he really wasn't getting any better. He was also struggling to see a GP or nurse (no GP appointments and the Walk-In clinic turned him away as they were 'full')
We had to temporarily register him back at home and then our GP took one look at photos of his throat and diagnosed tonsilitis which needed antibiotics to clear it up.
I know they're meant to be becoming independent, but when they're unwell I think they find the healthcare systems hard to navigate, and they don't really have anyone looking out for them.

I was thinking about you @Jng1 and your DS as my DD mentioned he wasn't well. It is so difficult when they are ill and so far from home. Hopefully some TLC at home will help him get through to the end of term. My DD ended up with an abscess on her tonsils last term but thankfully the antibiotics kicked in after 48 hours and like you I brought her home.

Fingers crossed the warmer days reduce the number of bugs around and your DS can rest over the Easter holidays.

Thanks Dobby! Yes, a few days at home helped, but he's back now as he had an important assessment. As you say, hopefully he'll manage to get through the next couple of weeks and then get a proper rest at Easter!

Looking forward to DS coming home on Saturday. Had a satisfying day off today organising his bedroom- honestly there are so many clothes left in there, they clearly haven't made the cut to go to uni, will try to go through them with him while he's home then they can be donated and create some space!

We are going to do the same @Pumpkintopf. A bug clear out is definitely needed!

*big not bug

@Peaseblossum22 a few days at home and he is already sleeping better. Eating loads as well - apparently the pot belly was brown through alcohol and lack of exercise.

@Jng1 definitely a good idea to bring them home when ill. And dose up on vitamins as well. It shouldn't be like this but I am far more sympathetic to young Uni students as a GP than I was previously 🙈

We should do have a clear out ...... let's see how successful we are......

Hm, yes, I have bought a lot more vitamin supplements in the last couple of years compared to when kids were younger....
dc2 still hasn't decided when /if she is copm,ing hiome for Easter. Well she did say for "some of the time". There are lots of international students, so may depend on what they are doing...

I sorted through Ds's room in the first term he was away at uni, just a bit of organising. I have told him he now needs to take stock of what he is using and what he isn't so that when we take him back after Easter we can put all the non-used stuff in the car and bring it back. That includes any clothes too.

Ds has been on multi-vits since he went to uni mainly to help fight off any sort of fresher's flu. He has had a bit of a sore throat ever since he started and can't really shift it. It has been lovely having him home again. He is enjoying having someone else cook and a dishwasher for ease of clear up. He has had some work to do so we have been looking after him.

@Jng1. I’m sorry your ds has been ill. I think I would have brought mine home as well.

@chopc. That’s good your ds is starting to feel better after being at home for a few days.

@Pumpkintopf. That sounds like DD’s wardrobe at home! Annoying that some clothes she only wore once or twice but obviously not good enough to take.

We are picking dd up Friday about lunch time I think. She’s got her 2 exam results but not the actual mark. She got 2A for both which is between 62 and 71%. Don’t know why it’s not 60% for 2.1, 70% for first. Whether at the end of the year they get converted from 2A to 2.1 etc and they need 60% and not 62%, should do. She got 100% in her maths exam. She said she was happy with her exam results after they said most hadn’t done well in one of them (which may have been moderated now), but she now seems to be in a bit of a mood about it and I’m not sure why. Not sure what happens with the ones who cheated or went over the time limit because it was half the students apparently. She’s hoping her coursework marks will bring the 2A’s up to possibly a first, but that depends if she’s a high or low 2A which she’s hoping to find out at her tutor meeting tomorrow, but whether they will get their actual marks. Don’t understand why they wouldn’t give the mark.

Well, vaguely from talking to DC1 (rare!!), they don't look very much at whether you had a 1st or 2nd in first year, but more what the actualy marks are. (He had an average of 69.9% in second year and they wouldn't round it up to 70% so spoke to his tutor about it.)

First year counts as 11% towards the degree. Yes I remember ds2 getting 69.75 and they didn’t round it up.

We had a nightmare with ds2 Monday morning, well all weekend was stressful. He had a report to hand in on Monday at 1 pm for his masters. He had been working on it for weeks, but his lab partner hadn’t been and seems left it until the last weekend. They had their own report to do for 60% of the marks and 40% was a shared one, where they were meant to do 50% each. Late Sunday evening, the lab partner still hadn’t started his shared part. He couldn’t work out his own part and was constantly asking ds2 for help. Would have helped if he had actually turned up to all the labs and when he does turn up, he leaves ds2 to to all the practicals. Ds2 ended up doing some of his share but some was left out, so it’s been submitted not completed. With 3 mins before the deadline his lab partner was messaging him to add bits in. In the end he said, he can’t and it got submitted with 1 minute to go. His lab partner was meant to do one bit while ds2 did all the formatting and 10 mins before the deadline he found out he hadn’t, so he had to do that as well. He’s never submitted anything that late before. He’s been so angry, he emailed the lecturer Saturday who replied quickly. He said to just leave headings where his lab partner should have filled in his parts and his lab partner’s won’t affect his mark. They are meant to get the same shared mark though,

@Majaso12 that is so frustrating!!!

Gosh @Majaso12 I bet he is so p*** off !
I’m glad to hear the Dc are responding well to home cooking and being looked after. Mine is taking the opportunity to visit uni friends whose term has not finished yet so it has been a fleeting homecoming so far

@Majaso12 that's dreadful- I really think 'shared' work can be problematic for this reason, if part of the group don't pull their weight/

Just hoping it won’t affect his mark. He emailed his lecturer Saturday who replied back quickly saying he knows he goes to all the labs etc and his mark won’t be impeded by his partner’s sections and to just leave headings for his partner’s sections. Trouble is he needed results from his partner to be able to do the conclusion so he just did it based on his results. So they should really get different marks in the shared part which is worth 40%. They did put their initials by their sections so they’ll be able to see ds did more. Not nice though submitting something not finished. Will be worried until he gets his mark.

Happy Mother's Day everyone! Hope you all have a lovely day!

Thank you! And to you @chopc

I think we all deserve flowers today x