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 a gender split in the family: my boys are pretty good at predicting their individual exam outcomes; the girls have never had a clue.

Proud to report that DD survived all 8 of her exams, including 3 in the last 30 hours. We'll take any form of graduation in September.

Very well done her HewasH20. An absolute marathon. Absolutely deserves your pride.

What a relief to get to the end too. Hope the sun continues for the PPEists to celebrate in

Well done to the DC of @Ironoaks and @HewasH20.

DS is not quite done yet.

DD finished last week, only had two exams, both went fine. No idea what's happening with her masters in Paris.

@HewasH20 and @CinnamonJellyBeans well done to your DCs completing their exams and I hope they can now just enjoy themselves whether or not anything will ever get marked. @HewasH20 that's a lot of exams for your DD to take in a short space of time.

@ofteninaspin good luck to your DS with the rest of his exams and to all those also still completing exams. I know for some students, these run well into 9th week.

A few days ago, I had a lovely time meeting up with DS1 and DS2 in London - equidistant from their universities and they both look well and very happy and intending to squeeze out the very last drop of Oxbridge experiences before they leave.

DS1 remains relaxed about his exams and dissertation not being marked and not knowing what will happen. A 'leaving ceremony' is apparently going ahead at Senate House but this won't be a graduation and so yet again, some of this cohort is going to miss out on a key part of university life. However, I'm happy that both DS1 and DS2 have made the most of their time at uni. - despite the disruptions caused by the pandemic and now the exam marking strikes - and their positive experiences have far outweighed the negatives.

Well done to all of those who are finishing/finished. DS (first yr engineering) had his first two this week, with two more to come, next. He said they were 'absolutely horrendous' and sounded a bit down because he has worked really hard. I guess they were never going to be a walk in the park - and he's always just got top marks without really having to stretch...not any more!! I hope he's done better than he thinks he has....

Wishing everyone the most wonderful last few weeks of term with Bumps and Balls and sunshine and friends - and hopefully some marked exams. I can't believe it's the end of DS's first year already, so I can see how some of the 'old timers' on the thread are scratching their heads at having graduates already!

@Panicmode1 DS' situation more or less the same as yours except that his 4 exams (Mathematics) finished on Wednesday. He now awaits his GF finishing hers (Engineering) next week. He has also worked tremendously hard so there is an inevitable let-down with tension easing into reflection and attendant self-doubt. However, like Voltaire's eponymous hero of 'Candide' he usually cheers up after a good meal when 'everything is for the best in best of all possible worlds' or wtte. We are keeping off the sad subject of the recent death of his friend at O until he feels ready to talk about it.

I'm so sorry about your DS's friend @Clemenc0. I meant to say something when you first posted, but didn't have the words (still don't TBH).

DD1 has finally completed her finals — 10th paper was today. I’m so proud of the way she’s risen to the challenge. Proud, too, of DS1 who has his 8th 2nd year exam tomorrow… he will be happy just to pass. I’m so impressed with his determination and hope so much that it’s rewarded.

Last formal hall with DD1 on Friday. Such a cliche but I can’t believe it’s nearly all over for her.

DD2’s last exam is Friday (8th week). Seems pretty brutal but OTOH my exams extended into 10th week back in the dark ages. Hers have been well spread out and she’s fitted in lots of fun as well. Maybe too much…

Hope everyone’s DC are doing well and that everyone can enjoy the glories of an O/C summer now or very soon… and the parents can stop fretting!

Congratulations @pantjog on having a fully fledged adult on your hands! The Oxbridge system is brutal when they have so many papers in such a short space of time.

Massive congrats to both of your two eldest pantjog. A seriously magnificent achievement to keep going through ten papers and the biggest possible respect to DS1, given his difficult start.

I agree HewasH20, the sheer volume and intensity of exams for a particular clutch of subjects at Oxford isn't given much airtime. Brutal is right. And almost always against a background of beautiful skies and relentless heat.

It must be unreal to think of finals being over, pantjog.
I remember back in my distant non-Oxbridge university days having weeks to doss around in the park after exams. DD's second year ones go well into week 9, then they want to turf her straight out of college. For the summer, I mean, not on a permanent basis(!). That's even more brutal than the exams.

DD4's college has decreed that everyone has to get out at 10am on the Saturday of eighth week despite the fact of almost all the third years having tickets for a big ball on the Saturday of ninth week. Extraordinarily the excuse is that they want to get on with cleaning for no particular reason (a sudden access of cleaning zeal!) - no conferences booked until well after that.

DD4 is not the only one of my DC where the domestic side of their college seems dead set on being killjoys. They may have to whistle for alumni donations in years to come. And after the rubbish time that the 2020 freshers' had you'd have thought, wouldn't you?

Thanks, all, for your kind words and for “getting” it.

@goodbyestranger that’s really awful. Gutting for the students who, in some cases, have little to no downtime after exams.

DS’s college is also of the killjoy variety, although from what I hear of the destructive antics of a minority of the student body, I understand where they’re coming from. It’s got to the point now where there has to be a JCR rep stationed in the loos if there’s an ent. There’s been so much vandalism that that’s the condition imposed for allowing ents to happen at all. So, so depressing for the law-abiding majority.

Adding my congrats too @pantjog . It is no mean feat getting through all the exams. Last year ds's exams went on to the end of 9th week, he had 9 on consecutive days (well, 1 weekend off in the middle). But there was no pressure to leave immediately from his college. His last paper is Friday this year too, so weird to think that's undergrad years over. I'm so pleased he has 1 more year to make up for the first year being so difficult.

@goodbyestranger that's rotten! And what about the students who still have exams in 9th week? I know 2nds year Maths goes on into 9th week and also 1st year medics. Killjoys indeed 😠

Completely agree @goodbyestranger D1 has to vacate her room at the weekend too, it just feels that college can't wait to get rid of them - and as you say, after all this cohort have been through, the colleges could have been a little more flexible. We are going down to Oxford next week, when I booked the hotel I imagined that this would give D1 time to relax and pack at a leisurely pace - ha! Instead she's having to transport all her stuff to her bf's (college owned) flat. Still, this has given her the opportunity to say 'Thank you, Jesus' 😂

Well done to everyone finishing exams, especially those who have had so many. And well done to all those who have had serious struggles along the way and have come out the other side. This includes D1, I'm so proud of her.

beeswain anyone with exams can stay until their last one then they get the heave ho too. So incredibly tight and mean.

Not a million miles away then JulesJules!

Hug congrats to your DD too!

Sorry, huge not hug. I'm not that familiar :)

Massive well done to your DD1 @pantjog for completing her 10th exam and her finals. I too had 10 exams for my finals, many moons ago and it was also a very hot summer week back then as well. She really deserves a break now. Good luck to your DD2 as well and - in the background - to your DS too. Hope he's doing OK.

Honestly, what else can they do to this cohort? Pandemic lockdowns, terms done at home, academic pressure, finals and dissertations not even being marked for many subjects - certainly at Cambridge - and now they're booting them out of college before the fun actually begins? I can bet the colleges start asking for money too, before the students have even closed their college room doors!

DS2 (O) has been extremely lucky in having his bid for an extra week's residence accepted, albeit in a different room and because he's got some sideline research/ writing work to do. So he's very happy, as I think leaving Oxford will be a real wrench.

DS1 (C) doesn't end for another week after that and can stay in college, as his choir is doing some recordings or something. Meanwhile, I'm just hoping that he's going to get his exams and dissertation marked one day.

Agreeing with what you said, @JulesJules that all those who've had their struggles at uni. merit particular congratulations - including those who needed to seek a different path outside of Oxbridge - and those who've taken some time out but intend to return.

@goodbyestranger chucking them out like that seems rather cold.

DS went out with his friendship group of third years from college this evening, and they've signed each other's yearbooks. Most of them will be graduating at the end of this month, and this is the last week that they'll all be together. The 'contributions from friends' section of DS's yearbook entry has some lovely comments. He is not the strongest at social communication, but I hope he keeps in touch with some of them.

DS is very much hoping to continue to Part III, in which case he will still be an undergraduate next year. I hope everyone carries on posting; I'm looking forward to hearing updates about the young people on here and what they are up to.

Dd has to be out by 1 July. She has Varsity first, after sharing Covid with Oxford & Cambridge in year 1 & captaining from afar in year 2 when she had to start her summer job. She won Varsity in a related sport earlier this year, but this one is where her heart lies.

Well done to all who've coped with the relentless brutal trial of finals. I have such happy memories of finishing - could hardly function for several days afterwards ...

DS is struggling with his 2nd year course work deadline for end of this week but it counts towards finals so I think he will have some late nights

DS has the benefit of a 40 week tenancy this year and next year in a college flat so doesn't have to move out so quickly. @JulesJules I think DD who starts in October will also be going, "Thank you XXX" when she has to empty her room at Christmas and Easter as she will just need to lug her stuff across town to her big bro. Horrible parents only willing to drive the 250 miles each way once a year.