Oxford / Cambridge - current students support / chat thread 2022

[DadDadDad]

Continuing a thread for anyone who wants to talk about their sons' and daughters' experience being a student in Oxford or Cambridge. (Or nephews, granddaughters, sisters, uncles - or if you or they have now graduated but you want to share your thoughts - all are welcome!)

Some of us on this thread go back to I think to late 2019 when our DCs were going through the admission process. A lot's happened since!

Over to you...

Good luck with customs MJB!

DD4 is that same cohort. I find it completely astonishing that she's now a third year. I think time has passed in a different way for her year than for my older DC because of their very strange first year.

@ofteninaspin Ds has also recently started work. He had hoped to go to London but has had to stay in Cambridge, however he does have uni friends still there which helps. He is still involved with the canoeing (kayaking) club. He also does some orienteering; he says the town and uni club basically do sessions together.

Can I just ask about what your dcs did about registering with a GP?

Mine registered with a practice practically next to her college. I think the logic was that if she was ill there it'd be easier for her to deal with, whereas if she was ill while back home then there probably wouldn't be any problem temporarily registering back with our GP (and if there was she'd have us on hand to sort them out). As luck would have it, the only time she actually needed a doctor (for tonsillitis) was when she was interning somewhere else entirely but fortunately was able to find somewhere there for a temporary registration without too much difficulty.
Why there isn't some sort of dual registration option available for students I don't know.

DS's college very strongly encourage them to register with a GP in Cambridge.

Pros: If he is ill in term time, I want him to be able to access care there without having to worry about registering as a temporary patient. If he needs medical evidence for adjustments, they are experienced with students and are good at providing this.

Cons: Instead of accepting the treatment DS had been on for 11 years, the Cambridge GP tried to change it. Their suggestions showed lack of knowledge of the medication, so DS stood firm. The GP made referrals to specialists for advice, who saw DS and confirmed that he is on the right treatment. Due diligence perhaps, but added unnecessary stress for DS.

DD4 is at Oxford and registered early on with no difficulty. She needs a regular prescription for an asthma medicine and there is no way on earth that our local GP would prescribe sufficient to get through each term without endless fuss and bother whereas the Oxford surgery just pings through a repeat prescription in the holidays. They are exceptionally well geared up for student needs. You never know when a student might need a GP. Registering in Oxford is the way to go. A student can go direct to the GP, bypassing the college nurse - the nurse can be helpful or not relevant, that's the student's choice.

Interesting Ironoaks. The Oxford GP also suggested a different medicine for DD4 but it's a vast improvement on the more standard medicine dished out by the local GP.

Yes, the lack of capacity in the system for dual registration is a total pain. Our thought process was similar to @Ironoaks ; she thought it'd be easier to access medical care in Oxford if it was needed during term time, without needing to wait for parental assistance if it was more urgent or something she might prefer to keep private. We can provide appropriate support during vacations.

Is there just the one GP practice for all the colleges in Oxford? College nurse not helpful; i need to find out which GP son is with so can direct purposefully towards the service he needs. Thanks

D1 was told she had to register with the Oxford GP for her college. The nurse from the practice is in college once a week, but they can go straight to the GP if they want to. We also had the hassle of D1 needing to see the GP while at home and having to temporarily re-register, the GP where she was a patient for her whole life then saying they didn't have access to her records etc. It is a ridiculously rigid system for students who spend just as much time at home as at college. (5 hours away for us). There really should be some sort of dual registration. Last vac she had phone appointments with her GP in Oxford and they were able to ping her px straight through to our local Boots which worked well.

No, they have different ones

@Takox no the GP practices share out the colleges between them to some extent, though mostly an individual student could choose to register with any central GP practice. Tbh there is hot competition between the practices for college connections because the students being young are relatively low users of healthcare and as a result they really represent a good subsidy to central GP practices (source; I was a GP's secretary in O for a while though tbf some years ago).

Ds's college threatens to fine any student who doesn't register with a C practice. My view would be that if he gets ill in a way that affects his exam prep, it is much easier to get this on the record with a local practice. He did it himself before leaving home, being the sort of child who prints out and ticks off packing lists for holidays etc.

Thanks - will try to find out which practice and direct him there to get what he needs. Will try emailing college nurse - really unimpressed with lack of proactive response from the nurse and do wonder if the letter he attached to his email was even read.

@Saturdaysunrise I'm genuinely shocked at a nurse saying she 'wasn't a fan of painkillers' - though I've come across that attitude in friends. Tonsillitis is so grim and reducing the pain to the point you can swallow or sleep seems a functional and important goal. Incredible attitude.

@Saturdaysunrise Sounds most frustrating and very odd advice from college nurse. I do think having a GP where you are at Uni is important as at home most parent's can blag their kids into being seen at their GP as a temporary patient. Much harder for a sick student to take this on solo when feeling rubbish in term time and they have no advocate. We, I am aware, are fortunate as our local GP are excellent about seeing DC as a temporary patient in the holidays.

DC's college (O) made registering with a GP mandatory - not sure what lever they used but it must have been quite severe to get DC to complete the paper work - perhaps something like no food / Bod card until done.

We have though had a hiccup in that when DC joined a University sport's team squad they made the whole squad transfer to the same GP even though they weren't selected for the team yet. Then DC cut from the squad and now left with a less good GP so they are thinking about switching back. Awkward as mid way through a referral and still a bit up in the air.

@ofteninaspin I saw some lovely photos of the formal on social media. Did you enjoy it?

@Saturdaysunrise , so glad to hear your DS is feeling a bit better with the right treatment. I remember one of DD's O friends becoming very unwell with tonsillitis in the first year and ending up in hospital with dehydration because she hadn't sought medical help.

Thank you to everyone who suggested various Cambridge societies that are open to non students. I had no idea this was the case. DD is planning on trying out a uni ballet class this week. She says it feels a bit weird because of the Varsity rivalry!

DS's college formal for third years and their parents last night was a hugely enjoyable event. Still can't quite believe it's DS's final year to be honest.

I think DD must have a seat with her name on it with her Oxford GP, in contrast to her GP at home who she saw a couple of times in 18 years.

Cliff I've PMed you again.

So update on my DS - he feels he has ADHD and I agree. He doesn't want to go down the diagnosis route atm. He is having some really good support from a tutor in college. So much is his confidence, he went to a supo for an essay he hadn't done and the tutor emailed him some really lovely feedback about his contributions - hey presto he then admitted how little he had been able to produce but actually did submit what he had done. I suspect he is writing and deleting vast quantities of work which he feels are not good enough.

He is getting so much out of the rowing and choir- makes him feel that he belongs i think.

@Cliff1975 that's really good to hear. A tutor who he can trust and who can support him is probably the most helpful thing at the moment.

@Cliff1975 So pleased your DS is getting some support. My DS is getting much more support from his tutor this term. Rowing also taking up lots of time.

I do wonder if there is an ADHD peer support group at Oxford - Judging by this forum there seem to be quite a few students who have characteristics of ADHD / Executive disfunction even if no formally diagnosed.