Oxford/Cambridge - current students support/chat thread 2022 - cont

[Panicmode1]

@petitebleu - so sorry to hear about your DS. I hope that some time out over Christmas may help to give him some space and time to think about his next steps.

We have also moved while both dcs are at university, PermanentTemporary. I agree that our new house is somewhere they visit, not somewhere they ‘live’.

@cantkeepawayforever In some ways I can see how that may well be for the best - looking to the future rather than the tendency to dwell, even if briefly, on the only too recent past presence; like the pallor revealed by a removed picture or similar ornament. I shall go and pull myself together somewhere.

@Clemenc0 I totally empathise. I have raised my gang to be independent and of course I have my own life too but I still love it when they’re home and miss them when they’ve gone.

I thought I'd check in with everyone and see how the DCs are getting on this term - which for some of us will be their last. The weeks are already rushing by and finals are looming with lots of revision being done, no doubt. I hope all those DCs in that situation are coping and also able to enjoy their last terms.

DS1 and DS2 are making the most of their final terms and don't seem too worried about finals - yet! Both are working hard but also have lots of extracurricular and social events happening too. Further career related applications also still going on for them both but no definitive news yet, although DS2 does keep getting to the final stages quite a lot and DS1 a bit less frequently but still making some progress.

Last term for DS too. He's working very hard alongside making exciting travel plans for the summer. DH and I are going to Cambridge this weekend to deliver a few revision treats and take DS out to dinner.

@Malbecfan , please can I belatedly take up your kind offer to ask your DD if the lads tend to wear lounge suits or dinner jackets for graduation at their college? DS's lounge suit needs replacing but he isn't an "off the peg" size and there isn't much time between the end of exams and graduation to get it sorted.

Does anyone know yet whether finalists at O & C will be adversely affected by the UCU marking and assessments boycott, meaning that exams and thesis/ dissertation won't be marked or degree class given?

Here's the link and it does include Oxford Uni and Cambridge Uni:
https://www.ucu.org.uk/article/12879/Marking-and-assessment-boycott-to-hit-145-UK-universities-from-tomorrow-UCU-confirms

This would have a major impact on those applying for a career path/ jobs where a certain degree class is vital.

I really hope that all of the DCs in their final terms are managing the finals stresses OK - and that they then get to have a blast at May Balls etc once they are all done.

We are off to see DS for a formal hall on Sunday and I'm excited, but sad that it's ALREADY the end of his first year - where does time go?! I can imagine that I'll blink and be in the position of those of you with children who are graduating this summer before we know it! His boat won a sprints race or something this week so he's very chuffed that he's finally got a rowing trophy after a year of effort - and he's hoping to move up a boat for next year as he's been very keen.

I'm also dashing to Exeter tomorrow for a hastily arranged campus tour for DD - she got a late offer on Wednesday, for a course she didn't apply to, but she wants to see it before her A levels start (17/5) so nothing like cutting it fine!!

My DS has been told by his department that they almost certainly won't be affected and it def won't stop anyone graduating. Worse case scenario is that they are given whatever they got for their second year exams - my DS got a 2.1 so would be happy!

Argh I hadn’t kept up to date with the strikes and possible effects on finalists. DD1 is beavering away. Classics finals are not for the faint-hearted. But I have booked a nice restaurant for dinner on her graduation day (thanks for the tip to book early!).

Hi, long time lurker, but finally posting on this thread. My DD is final year at Cambridge studying a small humanities subject. Just been told that the boycott will affect them and the Faculty are not even discussing what they call mitigations until 22 May. I think that is disgusting. How are the students supposed to keep motivated for exams without knowing whether they will go ahead or if/how they will be marked. Her faculty have been awful in the strikes, refusing to hand out lecture notes for lectures that were missed, in order to make the students do less well so the uni notices - she was actually told that by a Faculty member.

She's still angry she never got to take A Levels because of Covid, and now this. She needs a 2.1 for her job. Got a 1st last year and likely predicted 2.1 this year, so she should be ok.

Anyone have any idea how this might play out? How are others coping? And thanks for letting me come here to vent!

@Catsrcool69 that's so awful for your DD. I've asked DS1 and DS2 to try to find out if their degrees are also affected.

>>Her faculty have been awful in the strikes, refusing to hand out lecture notes for lectures that were missed, in order to make the students do less well so the uni notices - she was actually told that by a Faculty member.>>

Well that's appalling!

So are finalists supposed to carry on revising without knowing whether or not exams will go ahead and if they do, whether or not their exams will ever be marked?

@mutterphore thanks for your response. And yes, it does seem that students are expected to keep working for exams that may not take place and look unlikely to be marked. She's been working so hard for them, it's completely gutting. I get the impression that it varies quite a lot by Faculty in terms of how radical and disruptive they are being.

@Catsrcool69 after everything our DCs had to do to get into Oxbridge and then also face all the Covid-related restrictions reducing their student experiences, this is the final kick in the guts. I wish there was something we as parents could do, other than look on from the sidelines and hope all will be well.

Does anyone else know which faculties are affected at both Oxford and Cambridge?

It's so sad and frustrating. DD has had a torrid torrid time personally over the past year or so also, and has done so well to pull herself together, and now this. If she doesn't get properly marked exams, she is going g to feel really cheated and as if she has not really deserved whatever degree they award. I'm sure that many will feel similar. I'd be interested to know how widespread across the faculties and universities this is.

I assume it will be on a subject by subject, module by module basis. Unfortunately DD didn't have any second year exams and now her entire degree depends upon whether she is able to sit 8 exams across 15 days. She's still waiting for mock results, which presumably may be affected by the strike action.

@ofteninaspin DD thinks most wore normal suits at her college. Her comment was that you can't really tell under the gown.

I can't comment on industrial action, apart from DD had similar issues in her final year. I'm just relieved she doesn't have exams now. However, she is going to the UK conference for her speciality in Belfast in June where I think she's involved in a poster session, then heading for Switzerland in the summer for the European one. Seoul has been mooted too for the international one, but I'm not sure what's going on and I can't easily ask her.

Exciting times for her @Malbecfan

That’s awful @Catsrcool69 and I agree with you about the level of disruption these youngsters have had to endure. It’s utterly callous of the lecturers to behave like this. Mind you, engineering students have been told they should be doing 70 hours of work a week, so student welfare is clearly not the slightest concern to some of the faculties.

My other thought is to wonder why students should be expected to pay for something they don’t receive.

Info from the students union : clear as mud.

I had not kept up with strikes either but ds has not said anything. He has undergraduate finals and then 1 more year for his Masters. He is finally enjoying himself but has not managed to find anywhere to live next year. He doesn't seem stressed by this! (Cue much stressing by me!). He has a paid internship this summer so feeling very positive about that.

@pantjog that's a huge number of hours of work per week recommended for engineering students! What ever happened to the work/life balance? I'm also wondering about the costs - financially and otherwise - of getting to university only to have no finals, no marking of theses, no degree grade at the end of it all?

DS1 (C) seems very relaxed about the possibility of exams and dissertation maybe not being marked and thinks that if anything, marking might just be delayed - but presumably graduations would then be cancelled/postponed and any jobs dependent on degree class would be lost? DS2 (O) seems to think the situation is unlikely to affect his subject but isn't totally sure.

It's me as usual who is stressed about the whole thing and of course if doesn't mean I don't also sympathise with those who feel the need to strike for better pay and conditions. It's just that as a parent, my top priority is my DCs happiness.

@beeswain great that your DS has a paid internship this summer. Good for him. I can imagine your own worries about him not having found anywhere to live for next year, though. Perhaps it's always the parent's job to worry and the DCs to stay calm and relaxed?

Re the strikes. I have two hats on here - both the parent of a student, and a lecturer... Please do try to understand a little about why the strikes are happening, and direct your anger as appropriate. Lecturers have seen a real pay cut of 25% since 2009, they have been utterly shafted with their pensions, and they are expected to just accept it without a fuss. Lecturers who decide enough is enough and choose to strike will have their pay docked - by 30%, 40% and some institutions even 100% - so they do not make this decision lightly!

@AndTheyFlyTheNest I'm from a family of academics. Totally behind you all the way.

@AndTheyFlyTheNest I do sympathise. I'm a public sector worker myself with similar experience. But if students don't get their degrees and a grade some will lose jobs and careers and I think that is hard to justify.

No large employer will prevent students affected by the strikes from starting on 1 September. Their entire apprenticeship programmes are based on intakes starting at that point. They will simply mop up any changes during probation in the unlikely event their grads hadn't achieved the right class of degree.