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...

@mutterphore whilst I'm obviously delighted that both your DSs are having a great time, the pandemic has been handled very differently by various colleges within the same university. DD's college has been really accommodating and flexible; when she wanted to return in January 21 because our home internet was simply not up to 2 students learning plus me teaching online, they could not have been more helpful, even giving her a letter in case we were stopped en route. It sounds like your C DS is at a college which wasn't able to be so flexible.

Hopefully, now as you say he has experienced more of the Cambridge life and is a choral scholar, he will be fine for the next year.

In other news, DD is coming home for 4 days next week. She has mostly recovered from Covid, thankfully. I can't wait to see her - the last time she was in our house was 31st December!

Well done to @Cliff1975's DS for showing tremendous tenacity. You must be very proud of him and it is lovely to read good news.
@Malbecfanenjoy having your DD home for a short visit.

Like @OhYouBadBadKitten's DD, DD's Oxford degree is done and dusted. Just results and graduation to go. DD was home briefly before heading off again, enjoying a summer of freedom before embarking on the next phase; a new job in a new city.
DS (C) somehow managed to play Varsity tennis last weekend and be ready at 8.40am Monday to start an in person internship at a well known London bank. He is staying in a small, fantastically located student hall in central London for eight weeks.

@Cliff1975 great news.

@OhYouBadBadKitten and @ofteninaspin Also great news.

Last year was difficult for DD. Academically fine / did well. Other things car crash & v. good to have her home to recharge.

@Unescorted, so sorry your DD has had a difficult year. Hopefully the long summer break will enable her to rest and reset.

DD has failed to play Varsity tennis for the second year running. Last year it was a Covid super spreader event, this year she was starting a summer job in her college. Her team managed to comfortably win without her.

Thanks often She will get there. She is healing.

A question for the Cambridge contingent.... If I was to drive down later this week and stay overnight where is a good place to ditch the car? It looks as if we are starting the whole pick me rigmarole again.

@Unescorted I used to stay at a Premier Inn (often the one at the A14 junction 32 I think). There is also a Travelodge close by. Parking is free there. For DD's graduation, we stayed at the Premier Inn and got a taxi to her college. It was miles cheaper than an expensive hotel nearer the centre. Otherwise, the park and ride is fine. Friends whose DD was at Trinity used to park along Adams Road near Robinson as you can walk through, although it's a 10-15 minute walk.

For an open day, we stayed at the Girton Premier Inn which has parking. It is a longish walk to most colleges but there are some residential side roads with parking further along Huntingdon Road which shortens the walking time. DS and I once stayed at Churchill College to look at his shortlist of colleges. Churchill is a large, non-central college and has loads of parking. It is also close to Madingley P&R. I have also stayed at Rectory Farm hotel which has parking and is also close to Madingley.

You are awesome... Thanks.

When I took DS3 up in Oct 2020 I stayed at the Gonville Hotel www.gonvillehotel.co.uk/ but I'd booked months before and I think the fact that the price was an absolute steal was down to the pandemic. It's a lovely place to stay and very central with parking, especially if you get it for a Travelodge price, which I did.

Trinity College (Oxford) - anyone have any knowledge about the 3rd year accommodation (flats on Woodstock Road)? Asking for a friend.

Lovely people. DD will be joining DS at Oxford in October 😊 I wonder if they'll ever see each other?

Honey what lovely news.

Benedict sounds encouraging. At least your friend isn't being directed towards one of those pesky colleges which makes 3rd years live out.

My son has been living in Woodstock Road in his third year at Trinity. It's a lovely two bed flat with shared kitchen and bathroom. He is very happy there. He has a bike where he can whizz around the city.

Thanks, @Aurea - so do the third years largely cook for themselves in their flats or do they all head into college for meals? DC (or should I say "friend") is obviously in the unusual position of parachuting in to a different college for their third year, and is worried about how they will get to know others - I fear it might not be easy, when friendship groups will be already established.

He mainly cooks for himself in the flat but will on occasion eat in college. I think the evening meal in college has to be booked in advance. He also sometimes cooks with friends in nearby flats. There was a ballot to pick flats/accommodation sometime in second year.

DS is very happy with his second year results (did better than he was expecting to) which is a nice boost for him after catching Covid at the end of term.

By the way, for those who are curious, this week the University told the 50 or so St Benet's undergrads (along with post-grads) where they would be going next year.

I'm more familiar with what's happening to the current second years - about half of them will be spending their third year at Regents Park College (which despite its name is, like Benet's, a Permanent Private Hall) although they are not being offered college accommodation. The rest are being spread round various colleges, and it looks like they are being offered accommodation.

It's going to be quite a change going from a hall which is basically a big house on St Giles with around 25 in the year to a college with quads etc and over 100 other students in a year.

@BenedictSlumberpatch - are the ones destined for RPC expected to find private accommodation in Oxford? Are they being offered any support with this?

@HoneyMobster congratulations to your DD - I take it IB went well? With any luck mine will overlap for a year but we’ve another 6 weeks till we know.

DS got his Prelim results today and it was a solid result - given his challenges this year and course work was a bit late we are delighted for him. Eventually he’s spoken to the GP so now has loads of forms for an assessment.

@BenedictSlumberpatch so pleased your DS knows where he is going. By my 3rd year my college was less relevant as I lived out but rarely crossed the college threshold- he will have his friends from the last two years - while of course it is a big upheaval I’m sure he’ll do well: will some other St B students be joining him at Trinity?

It went very well @Juja - 44 points with the single point dropped in one Standard Level. She was 1% off the 7 so may get a remark to see if it can be bumped up. It doesn't really matter but it's so close that she wants to try.

DS and DD will have a two year overlap.

@Unescorted well done to your DD on getting through a difficult year and still managing to do well academically. Hope all parts of her life can be happy for her soon.

@BenedictSlumberpatch I hope your DS is well looked after with his college change and they make things go as smoothly and easily as possible.

@HoneyMobster - excellent news about your DD! Hope she thrives as much as your DS is doing and it'll be lovely for you having them both there at the same time.

@Ironoaks - great news too about your DS's second year results. He's really settled in and seems to be doing very well.

@Juja, very goods to hear your DS did well in his Prelims, given all the challenges and good luck to him for his next year. Hope he can enjoy the summer now too.

DS1 (C) is happy with his Tripos 1 result that came through today, just in time before we're off on holiday soon, so we can celebrate properly. Hope everyone can have a relaxing summer, inbetween internships, studying etc and can catch up on sleep if needed too.

Thanks for the kind wishes. To answer a few questions:

As I understand it, the Benetians going to RPC are ones who previously hadn't applied for / been offered accommodation in the Hall for third year, so had already organised private accommodation - fairly normal at St Benet's.

One other going to Trinity is doing the same subject as DC - I think there was a deliberate effort to keep them together.

@mutterphore - so far, the communication has been good and positive, so we're hopeful that he'll be looked after. I just hope he finds some friendly 3rd years who will make him feel welcome in the Michaelmas term. (Do they call it Michaelmas? I'm programmed with the Cambridge names).

Yes

Michaelmas = autumn term which takes its name from the feast of St Michael( and coincides with the daisies coming into bloom which is how I remember!)
Hilary = no idea
Trinity = summer term (as in third term, which again is how I remember!)

Thanks mutter she is tough and has had great support from the college and her dept.

Well Cambridge is different. So far it seems less look at me gloss. It could just be the courses ... Art is not known for being quietly academic.