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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Current Oxford/Cambridge students support/chat continued

1000 replies

Panicmode1 · 02/07/2023 15:36

New thread.....!

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9
beeswain · 05/09/2023 08:48

@goodbyestranger his college don't have any off site accommodation. They offer accommodation for 3 years (which he has had - although he wasn't really there in the first year).His main problem has been that because of a disrupted first year he didn't make many friends, spent the second year catching up, eventually made a nice group but too late to look for a shared house - plus a lot of his friends were in the year above and so have now graduated. It's a big college and has housed some 4th years in previous years so we're keeping everything crossed as all the house shares he has been interested in on Facebook go within a few minutes of being posted. So if anyone hears of a room.....please message me!

Ironoaks · 05/09/2023 09:53

@craggyratwishing you all the best and hope the treatment is going OK

Clemenc0 · 05/09/2023 09:59

@craggyrat Assuming I read BC correctly then we are in the same boat as OH was diagnosed in March and is now up to 5 of 6 chemo sessions with surgery to follow and reconstructive ditto beyond that. My heart goes out to you and the family. DS remains breezy. As well he should at his age but there's a brave face there as well. OH is missing out on a long-planned holiday to see my sister and BiL in the Cyclades where they live but it will be father and son this time; she is not up to travelling. We leave tonight.

goodbyestranger · 05/09/2023 10:03

I’ll keep ears to the ground beeswain.

craggyrat · 05/09/2023 10:14

Thanks @Ironoaks and @Clemenc0 . @Clemenc0 enjoy your holiday time and best wishes to your OH. I'm 10 days post surgery and results tomorrow as to spread or no spread. DS sounds as though reaction is similar to your DS.

sytron · 05/09/2023 11:04

I have a question about sub fusc - do the skirts have to be a certain length? (eg to knee?). is it permitted to wear doc martens with the skirt?
A clash about level of smart needed😂

ofteninaspin · 05/09/2023 12:37

@sytron DD wore what I would describe as a micro mini skirt for sub fusc for four years with a pair of black ballet flats. (She did opt for a slightly longer skirt for graduation as it was part of a newly acquired interview suit).

@beeswain, really hoping your DS is allocated a room very soon.

DH and I helped move DD into her flat, just off the Portobello Road, the weekend before the Notting Hill Carnival. DD’s Oxford friends descended the following weekend for the carnival and a great view of proceedings from her third floor balcony.

DH and I will be providing removal services again tomorrow when DS moves into his London flat share. He started his grad job today!

goodbyestranger · 05/09/2023 12:43

Gosh nice area to buy your first flat ofteninaspin! Did you say her first flat fell through? Good luck with removal #2.

PettsWoodParadise · 05/09/2023 19:49

@craggyrat wishing you all the best with treatment. Be kind to yourself and ask for help and encourage those around you to ask for help too. When DH had cancer and needed a lot of care for about three months I couldn't have held down my job and looked after my dying monther and cared for DH without a lot of help. DD was doing her assessments/non-exams that were worse than exams (cancelled GCSEs at the same time too) I found people really loved helping too. They were more frustrated at not doing anything.

I wasn't expecting DD to be given information on her room before she arrived but she found out today that whilst she has a small room it is one with a sink, lots of storage and a fridge. It is in one of the prettier looking buildings and about five minutes roll out of bed to her faculty when not having supervisions in college. She is delighted. I have just ordered some wipeable, cut to size removable lining for the shelves under the sink as looking at the helpful pictures the JCR have put together (all 700 plus pages of room, bathroom and kitchen pictures of all the very very different rooms!) the shelves are rather grotty but nothing a cover-up won't solve.

The JCR Freshers committee have apparently being doing all sorts of welcoming things on their group chat including word of the day, reserving fresher event tickets and answering questions. It is so kind of them to be taking the time out of their days to do this.

craggyrat · 05/09/2023 20:10

Thanks @PettsWoodParadise. I’m sorry to hear about your mother. I hope your DH is doing okay? Your DD’s room sounds lovely. Glad she is happy about it.

HewasH20 · 05/09/2023 20:29

Best wishes @Clemenc0 & @craggyrat

Malbecfan · 05/09/2023 21:32

@craggyrat and @Clemenc0 sending you/OH my best wishes.

@goodbyestranger INSET yesterday and today. New y12s in today, all students in tomorrow, but it's my day off. Had the whole "do we have RAAC?" thing for the last 2 days. Answer is yes, but only a bit. Portaloo block was delivered this afternoon. Hopefully the rooms can be "propped" and worked in for now because we are utterly bursting at the seams. Nice that there are 2 more students heading to DD's C college from there, plus 2 of my instrumental students also going there.

juicy0 · 06/09/2023 06:43

DS has a dark navy blue suit. Can he wear this to matriculation/formals or does it have to be black?

PermanentTemporary · 06/09/2023 06:49

@juicy0 for C it sounds fine I think. Any O views from others?

juicy0 · 06/09/2023 07:12

@PermanentTemporary sorry, I should have mentioned it's for C, thanks for your reply

Ironoaks · 06/09/2023 07:40

Navy suit would be allowed at DS's college (dark suit, white shirt, non-novelty tie).

NewSituationNewName · 06/09/2023 23:19

What about for girls matriculating? I assumed it would be subfusc, but dd claims for her Cambridge college it’s just ‘smart dress or trousers’, with no mention of colour. Does this sound likely? Thanks to anyone who knows.

Whenwillglorioussummercome · 06/09/2023 23:28

Cambridge doesn’t do sub fusc in the same way as Oxford. Graduation requires black and white under your gown but until then it’s pretty relaxed.

NewSituationNewName · 07/09/2023 07:06

Thanks @Whenwillglorioussummercome - I did not know that!

sytron · 07/09/2023 09:30

@ofteninaspin thank you - easy to buy ballet flats!

@craggyrat good luck with the treatment. Go easy on yourself.

Thank you everybody for all the useful advice. DC no idea about freshers events so hoping college will be emailing soon

craggyrat · 07/09/2023 09:35

Good news at hospital post surgery as no lymph node spread so Judy needing radiotherapy. V happy.

DS is waiting to discover who he will be a college parent to. Hopefully he will be a good dad!

goodbyestranger · 07/09/2023 09:40

That is definitely good news craggyrat. Best of luck.

PettsWoodParadise · 07/09/2023 10:15

Good news @craggyrat 😀

DD has her college email and got info last night about her college parents and siblings plus Freshers Feast. She has library induction online before she arrives then day after arrival she has a schedule that is in five minute increments of what they are going to cover.it all seems to be happening and I can’t imagine all the work going on behind the scenes with the onboarding.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 07/09/2023 10:53

That's great news Craggy I've sent you a dm about my experience, in case it helps.

Clemenc0 · 07/09/2023 11:46

@craggyrat such good news. I wish you all the best and hope for the same for us. DS is bending his head to maths revision and assignments as he waits for the weather to improve a little on the Greek island his aunt and uncle live on. The summer job is over so it is a week or two of holiday mixed with academic work until it is time to pack for year 2 at C.

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