Current Oxford/Cambridge students support/chat continued

[Panicmode1]

New thread.....!

https://www.oxfordstudent.com/2023/09/26/st-catz-to-rehouse-second-years-amid-raac-crisis/

It's not a problem at all. She's got a job and is happily getting on with her life. We think it's quite funny that her missing result is her China paper, as it would be impossible for anyone in China to actually strike. Thank goodness we still have (some) employment rights.

@mutterphore @HewasH20 @JulesJules and anyone else who is interested... My DS received something (an email I guess), re the ending of the MAB. I found this online, so it does look like things are moving. (Certainly they are at my own institution, and I spend part of last week marking someone else's scripts so we could get them done asap).

For all of you who have been on this thread a while thank you for your sage advice and wishing all your DCs the best on their continuing journeys.

We are currently in the car on our way upto C for DD’s first year. Strict instructions from DD to just drop and go as college have a range of activities planned today including night time punting.

@QuestionsOnAPostcard thanks for that link. I do hope marking takes place soon and remains a fair process.

@PettsWoodParadise hope your journey to C goes smoothly and your DD has a very good start and enjoys the college activities. It must feel very exciting even if nerve-wracking too!

Good luck @PettsWoodParadise
we dropped dd off to C on Saturday and she is absolutely loving it.

Thank you for the best wishes. Glad to hear your DD is well settled @HereWeGo2023 . I saw an amazing suffragette banner in the lobby of her halls, ‘wisdom not weapons’ and was comforted by that. If only we could apply that concept to the whole world…

Good luck to all of the new freshers as they start their Oxbridge adventures!

Oh wow that was early. We are dropping DD off this Saturday.

That is not quite true. I lived and worked in China a few years back and a whole factory went on strike in a rather aggressive manner. Factory manager went into hiding. I think most of them were heard from again. It's pretty bad at times but not as completely authoritarian as we might think. Anyway glad the strike hasn't affected your DD.

Her college are doing a prep week ahead of freshers week. Lots of talks and social things to do.

We dropped off DD yesterday at C. The programme started today with talks, activities and social events. Her friend at another college has three days of online
lectures at home before arriving on Saturday. So much variation between colleges!

I agree @PepeLePew - at DS' college, freshers arrive on Saturday...I guess it avoids everyone arriving at the same time on the same day issue though!

Good luck to everyone dropping off. Just spoken to DD who has a stinking cold. She has some undergrad interactions in the next week, but is trying to get as much done as she can. I can't believe it's 6 years since she started!

We too drop off at C on Saturday (fresher). DD has already had a 12 hour online course, written homework and 3 Zooms, 2 of which were supervision style with advanced reading and questions. The term basically started 3 weeks ago ... 🤪 The one thing she noticed was that some of the students in her course at her college had not been checking their C email, missed emails from the tutors and missed some of the Zooms. So to any Freshers parents out there: get them to check their uni emails (not just school and personal).

My DC has arrived, fresher at C. The amount of emails, forms, information, was huge. I got him to forward most of it to me so we could go through it together. The hardest bit was links to a Web page which had maybe six sections with information on it, and each of those six sections lead to a further set of sections which lead to further sections...we all had information overload! But he's there now, finding his feet. We've heard very little from him but presuming that no news is good news.

DD (3rd year, C) arrives back tomorrow from an 8 week research trip. DH and I are sad (but not saying anything) that she has decided to return to Cambridge on Saturday so as not to miss a lacrosse dinner.

DC2 arrived at O yesterday for her pre term course - she's in another college with her course mates and seems to be having a good time so far. We will drive her stuff down on Monday.

DC1 busy at home writing up his dissertation before the chaos of term starts ...

I've just been reading another thread which makes DS's 4th year sound a bit pointless. Apparently for science subjects an integrated masters is not the best route for future PhD applications and he should have left after third year and done a research MSc instead.

I think the fact they are doing Oxbridge STEM integrated masters helps PhD applications for Oxbridge and the other universities on his list. They are unlikely to place someone from (say) Plymouth or Portsmouth above them when considering applications.

The College With the Corridors, by any chance?

Good morning @mutterphore and thank you for your good wishes. Tomorrow is going to be a bit fraught with o/h chemo late morning in the wrong direction and dropping DS at C in the evening. Complicated by having to make 2 round trips - one to deliver his bicycle that I spent no little time repairing and fettling over the summer for the next year's casual misuse. Not how we planned it, really. Here's to a quiet Autumn.

We had a pampered bike which always deserved its own trips. Best wishes for the next few days @Clemenc0

Taking ds back on Monday - we have had ongoing issues with accommodation for his 4th year as college only offer 3 years and he hadn't managed to secure a house share. I the end we have secured a room in private halls mostly used by Oxford Brooks students. Which I think is just as well looking at the issues Catz is having having to somehow rehouse a lot of students - there might be a short term shortage in Oxford! It's quite out of town which he is grumbling a bit about but he might get a room in college for Trinity when the visiting students have left.

But of course!