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.

Thanks for those C recommendations. DS is currently living on Thompsons Lane, so Six sounds convenient 🤣

He's coming home for the weekend on Friday - lectures finish tomorrow - because he said he just needs a break from the pressure before (first yr engineering) exams....First time I've ever heard him fairly stressed.

D1 is v envious of all her friends doing English, their last finals paper is today. She's got one tomorrow and then her last one on Friday. D2 has two A level exams this week as well 😱

DS2 (O) has his first paper today too. It's all in person, in full subfusc at the Exam Schools and properly timed, whereas DS1 (C) will do his in his college room over a slightly extended period. So they'll each have a very different experience. I've encouraged them to enjoy their exams as it's probably the last time they'll write essays for their subjects and they're really going to miss their studies and the whole time at university. I'll find out later today how DS2's first one went for him. Both seem to be approaching exams in a calm enough way, so I hope this helps.

Not great to hear continuing uncertainty about exams and dissertations being marked. I hope this won't adversely affect our cohort who've had so many other challenges along the way.

Goodness, I had a room in Thompson's Lane for a year. Six looks very lovely.

I lurk on here - DS is a fourth year linguist doing finals at Oxford. I had a room on Thompson's Lane for a year too, but the houses have since been knocked down and new accommodation blocks built.

Dd's first exam took approximately 5 hours from start to finish factoring in the IT issues. Thank goodness she's not my age, needing the loo every 5 minutes!

Just catching up on the recent postings and hope all DCs with exams happening now or pending find they go OK. DS2's first exam today seems to have been fine and he's out tonight at a rowing club social. DS1 has his first exam on Thursday.

@pantjog well done to your DD2 on managing her Prelims recital despite glandular fever. That shows true grit. Hope your DD1's finals continue to go well too and it must have been lovely to see her recently. Very sorry to hear your DS continues to face challenges. I hope everything works out for him in the end and he can keep it all in perspective.

@Ironoaks good luck to your DS with his exams and I'm sure he really appreciates your admin. help with his summer internship.

@beeswain hope all goes really well for your DS so that he can do the Master's year afterwards. Nice that he'd then get another year at uni. and hopefully he can find accommodation after his exams.

@MiniJellyBeans hope your DDs first exam went well and it's lovely she's got a bit of extra time to stick around in Oxford, helping out with students, before she leaves. The time has gone far too quickly!

@HewasH2O what a complete nightmare for your DD to have technical issues with her first exam! I hope it didn't put her off her stride. Ds1's exams are all online too and I dread the possibility of tech. problems for him.

@JulesJules these Oxford English students seem to finish their exams very early indeed. I think some subjects at O and C run into 9th week and even beyond. Glad your DD finishes on Friday and good luck to your DD2 doing her A levels.

@Ontopofthesunset nice to hear from you and very good luck to your DS with his linguistics finals.

Everybody else who I haven't mentioned in person, hope your DCs are managing and have at least some of this term to enjoy themselves.

DS has exams today, tomorrow, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Then thankfully a break for a few days before the last two.

@Ironoaks i thought there were no exams over half term, thst sounds tough.. DD is at a class civ revision session at school today, helping out with Brownies tomorrow and has all of next week for revising. Next exams are week after half term, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday.

Sorry! Thought I was on the A level thread, do ignore!!!

DD's exams go into week 9. I suspect she wishes they were even later, purely for the staying in Oxford factor. I haven't asked when they kick off, only to be alerted if she's not to be interrupted. I get jittery if I have too much advance detail, and I really feel for all those with DC sitting finals right now.
(A levels too.)

DS1's exams start on Bank Holiday Monday and run on until the 6th. I'm due to see him on the 7th but am not sure what state he'll be in.,,,

...probably in a better state than DD @HoneyMobster as she will have had one on Monday afternoon, one on Tuesday morning and her last ever paper on Tuesday afternoon finishing around 7pm.

DS also starts exams (finals) on Bank Holiday Monday, finishing on the 8th.

I haven't posted for a while as caught up in caring for both of my parents (both nearly died on the same day, and six weeks later I'm still here, dealing with the aftermath).

But fantastic news that DS had his last exam - and only one in exam schools - this morning and reports that it went great and he is now free! Now he has a free month in which I hope he'll have lots of fun. Good luck to all the other DC and anxious parents.

@SchrodingersKitty congratulations to your DS. I hope your parents are on their way to recovery, but what a difficult time you must have had.

@SchrodingersKitty it's lovely to hear your news, especially after everything you've been through and, with ailing parents, are still going through further adversity now too. How brilliant for your DS to be finished all his exams now and also not to have had to go into the Exam Schools each time either. I hope he can thoroughly enjoy his final 4 weeks in Oxford and celebrate getting through his years there, despite some very tough life events. Good luck to him and also to you. Don't forget to keep looking after yourself!

DS1 (C) should be just finished his exam for today (hope it went well as it wasn't his favourite paper) and that'll mean he's 50% of the way through his finals, with the next two on Monday and Tuesday next week. After that he's free to enjoy himself.

DS2 (O) has two more exams as well - one on Monday and then his last one on Friday but then he also has yet another day long career-related assessment and interview after that as well. Fortunately, this one has been put online and they also kindly allowed him to do it after his finals finished, rather than right in the middle of exams, which was the original date. Meanwhile, between exams, he's rowing in the Summer Eights this week and I think tomorrow is the last day.

He's had good news that his college is letting him stay on an extra week. So both he and DS1 have another 4 weeks left at university to make the absolute most of their final time as undergraduates.

Continuing good luck to all those currently taking exams.

@SchrodingersKitty well done to your ds and I hope he is enjoying this absolutely spectacular weather. Ds is starting and finishing exams a lot later so perhaps will have that classic experience of the weather breaking as he walks out of his last exam...

What a terrible time for both your parents. This sandwich bit of life is not fun, though I suppose at least having young adults is easier than real young ones for that part of the sandwich.

@SchrodingersKitty well done all and a bit of weight off your mind. Being significantly older parents we will be pleased if we both make it in two pieces to the end of year 3 and be in a position to support DS (C) adequately for the duration. For him exams start on Thursday next and finish a week later. He called earlier this afternoon and he seems OK. That will do for now. We see him for lunch a week on Sunday and once the exams are over it is a week or two of balls, formals and garden parties for him and significant other.

@SchrodingersKitty, congratulations to your DS. I hope this marks the start of a more settled/less stressful time for you and your parents.

@SchrodingersKitty sorry to hear about the parental stress. This is a difficult phase of life for sure.

Renewed good wishes to all exam takers. I can’t wait for it to be over.

Lovely to get everyone's news. D1 sent a pic of herself looking incredibly happy and relaxed, having something to eat in the covered market, still in subfusc and red carnation - degree done. Today is her 21st and will involve punting and Aperol apparently!

Congratulations @JulesJules. When is her graduation?

@JulesJules, Happy 21st Birthday to your DD. What a lovely way to celebrate her 21st birthday and really good timing to have all her exams over now.

DS1 and DS2 are halfway through their exams.

Does anyone have any update on how long the potential delay on exams and dissertations/ theses being marked? Presumably new graduation dates will need to be offered by the universities and booked up by students. We'll also have to cancel hotel bookings and meals out but I wonder how soon students will be clear about exact delays?

https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/news/2022-11-14-industrial-action-and-students

I really wouldn't worry. They'll prioritise finals and everyone will get to wear their posh frocks as planned.