Current Oxford/Cambridge students support/chat continued

[Panicmode1]

New thread.....!

Hello, have name changed but have been on this and many other threads before, my user name was possibly too outing. Am going to break the ‘rules’ and ask for specific college help. Magdalen, Oxford- second year- where do we park to unload the stuff please? We did the Sainsburys/Waynflete thing last year but can’t figure out where to do for the main college as on a busy road with yellow lines? And for any freshers: the Waynflete Sainsburys parking bays worked well if everyone is thoughtful and moves on once unloaded, the parents tea was casual (jeans), no speeches just a great way to leave them not sat in their rooms ( students and parents all attended and chatted and parents departed from their so students all together, was very well done). Happy to answer other fresher questions. No parents at matriculation either!
thank you

Could anyone answer some questions about Cambridge?

The term dates are Tuesday 3 October to Friday 1 December. That's 9 weeks, not 8. I thought terms were 8 weeks long? Does anyone know when lectures and supervisions for freshers will start and end?

I'm a single mum mature student so I need to finalise my childcare arrangements and I haven't had an answer back from my college yet.

Also, my college fresher events start next week until 9 October. I was told that some of the university clubs and societies have evening events for freshers to see if they want to join. Does anyone know which week that is likely to be? The week starting 2 October or the week starting 10 October? Freshers Fair is 3/4 October so presumably after that.

I have a kind offer of free babysitting but I need to let them know roughly when 😂

@GingembreThe

Cambridge terms are quite confusing to be fair, partly due to historical rules about number of nights of residence in Cambridge.

Tuesday 3 October: start of "full term" (students should be in Cambridge by this date).

Thursday 5 October: start of Week 1. Most departments run their lecture week from Thu-Wed. Anything before this date is unofficially called week 0.

Wednesday 29 November: end of Week 8. There shouldn't be lectures after this date, but there might be supervisions / meetings with tutors etc. Anything after this is unofficially called week 9.

Friday 1 December: end of "full term" (students should stay in Cambridge until this date).

It would be unusual to have Michaelmas Term supervisions after the end of full term, if there are any then you can ask to have them remotely and let the others (supervisor, supervision partner) know your availability.

At Cambridge the freshers period is condensed into less than a week, as lectures start on 5 Oct for many departments. I would expect most welcome events to have taken place by 8 Oct. Even if you can't attend the freshers event, most societies will welcome new joiners anyway.

Thanks, @Ironoaks, that's really helpful.

I would love the chance to go to the freshers' welcome events, if I can. A night off and free babysitting is not to be sniffed at 😂If anyone has a DC at Cambridge who knows when they are likely to be, that would be really helpful!

@GingembreThe - DS fresher last year had a timetable of College Fresher events sent in advance. From memory they ran from the Sunday to the Thursday or Friday. Some were daytime - college tour, university tour,, fun sports, picnic with college parents, there were evening ones like quiz in JCR or pizza and film and then college ked club nights - something for everyone! One was a night tour of the Fitzwilliam museum I remember. There was a welcome formal dinner and matriculation which I think was the Tuesday. He did the Fresher Fair on Parkers Piece and the Sports Freshers Fair too

@GingembreThe
A lot of the college JCRs have instagram accounts (and/or Facebook), as do some of the university-wide clubs and societies. They will start publicising events soon.

Thanks, @craggyrat.

I have a college fresher's timetable. It's more the university club/society events that I was wondering about.

And thanks again, @Ironoaks!

DD's college Fresher's committee seem to be in full swing. They have arranged night-time punting on the day that the Freshers all turn up. Hope they have some decent weather in Cambridge next Wednesday evening then!

@GingembreThe DD is on a group chat with other Freshers from her college, another for Freshers on her course and she also has been allocated college 'parents' and they've been helpful with all sorts of questions and the Freshers committee have brought tickets for them for some of the uni-wide events, but it does seem a bit more hit and miss on the uni-wide events. Hope you find some good groups to connect. I am in awe you are doing this as a mature student and a parent.

Thanks, @PettsWoodParadise. I am slightly petrified by the workload! I have met some other Cambridge student parents online so I'm looking forward to meeting them in person.

@Oxonc3 Longwall Street has 2 hours of parking alongside Magdalen just past the traffic lights. It's expensive but at least cars routinely have to move on so spaces regularly come free. It you approach from Magdalen Bridge you can turn around at Catz to get on the right side of the road.

DD has to sub fusc for the last time ever tomorrow. She forgot her hat. Luckily we were driving up after work or she would have had to borrow her BF's.

Ditto. We've just bought a black velvet ribbon today, D1 has had to borrow a gown and get a white shirt and black skirt from vinted. She'd chucked the lot post trashing after finals... I found her mortar board in her wardrobe at home. Graduation tomorrow. Can't believe it's three years since we brought her to Oxford (wettest weekend on record iirc) and tomorrow is the last day.

Thank you @HewasH20 good to know.

@JulesJules are you am or pm? We have to grab our tickets at 8. Hoping the weather holds but we have a big brolly.

@HewasH20 Am! We're meeting D1 at college at 8.30. I've just checked the forecast and it's now saying the morning will be fine, I've also got a brolly just in case. The rain yesterday was torrential! We drove down yesterday from the NE in lovely sunshine, so hoping for a bit of that this morning.

It's looking hopeful! I'll smile at anyone who in my imagination looks like you 😀

Good morning @craggyrat. Thank you for your pointer to 'Something...'. I have passed it on to OH. I do hope the drive down won't be too tiring for you next week. We are on for a Friday evening drop off next week as C is our local university. It should go well once the car is fitted with a new battery.

@JulesJules and @HewasH20 hope you both have a fabulous day and enjoy all the ritual of graduation.

I'm wearing a dark green dress! (And currently, crocs - with some shoes in my bag) and just getting a coffee at Taylors before meeting D1 at college. Planning to smile at everyone!

Oxonc3 my DD simply asked the Magdalen porters if they'd mind opening the main gate from the High St and I drove in - a couple of other parents were already inside. The porters were incredibly obliging - it didn't appear to be a problem at all.

Really hope the sun shines for today's graduation and that you both have a great day H20 and JulesJules!

@HewasH20 Have a brilliant day today!

DD used her mortar board as a pencil case for Collections for four years so was quite misshapen by the time she graduated.

And of course to @JulesJules too!