Current Oxford/Cambridge students support/chat continued

[Panicmode1]

New thread.....!

@Clemenc0 I hope the logistics all fall into place.

We are taking DS on Saturday. One of his flatmates has already moved in and has helpfully provided photos and kitchen inventory.

Apologies for the late night wobble about DS's Part III. I've calmed down about it now. What will be, will be.

Can I ask do Oxford colleges all start on the same day? It seems as though C spread out over a range of days (sensibly). So far I’ve only heard of Sunday drop off for O freshers. A little concerned about driving/parking at DDs very central college!

Pretty certain all colleges start on Sunday. It may be a bit chaotic, but we managed fine last year. I parked outside for 20 mins, lots of 2nd years helped, and then I moved the car to a car park for a couple of hours.

I’m dropping DD at O on Monday. Annoyed as email arrived yesterday saying check in is from 1 pm but DD booked an early slot for what we thought was that but turns out to be to pick up her uni ID card so we have to mooch about for a few hours. Could have avoided an overnight stay if we’d known that in advance.

No, Oxford colleges have staggered arrival days. Most start on Sunday but the ones with trickier parking can be Monday or Tuesday.

I really don't think that applies to the oxbridge 4 year science courses. @Malbecfan can confirm, but pretty sure her DD went straight from the 4 year NatSci to PhD.

Thanks @ErrolTheDragon you are correct.

@Ironoaks don't worry. DD had several PhD offers during her 4th year (Integrated Masters). As C was the only funded one which paid her a stipend sufficient for her to live on, she took that one, staying in the same research group as her Masters project. I think your DS might be in the same department - feel free to PM me if it will help.

Thank you both @ErrolTheDragon and @Malbecfan and poetryandwine has also provided reassurance on the other thread.

DS has looked at research groups who are doing work that really interests him and reached out to the PI of four so far. Two of those have been responsive and encouraging about an application:

1. One in C, who has offered to help DS find a Part III project which matches with his interests and which has the potential to evolve into a PhD project.

1. One in London, who has also been encouraging and helpful.

@Malbecfan DS wants to do biological physics, but there must be similarities. How many different applications did your DD submit? DS has no idea how many is normal.

We need to drop DS at (central) college first, so he can collect key and new camcard.
Then West Cambridge to find the flat and hopefully a parking space.

Good luck to all the first years (and parents / supporters) for moving in day!

@Ironoaks I can't remember but will ask her later. She was also applying for jobs and got to the last 2 for her preferred employer, but they wanted a Biologist and she isn't one (or wasn't then - she has done a lot for her PhD). Her Masters lot encouraged her to apply for the PhD as she knew a lot of the background work and it was in the same research group. She had to pick 2 C colleges, so chose her UG one and one close to the department. Her UG one wanted to keep her, so it was an easy decision.

Greetings to all. We’re dropping DD2 in O on Saturday and DS in C on Sunday. I’m very happy to be doing a mere two drop offs rather than three. DD2 is heading back to her usual over-committedness having taken on far too many responsibilities… and DS is stressed about keeping on top of the work as usual. I will resume my usual state of fretting.

Is parking difficult on the West Cambridge site? There always seem to be loads of spaces, especially at the weekend, but perhaps you’re restricted as to which you can use/access.

Ironoaks DS4 (a schoolfriend of Malbec's DD1) made only one application (to Oxford) and was accepted there in the January of his third year at Durham with only a BSc. He did get some fairly striking marks in his second year papers but even so - don't assume your DS will need anything beyond what he's already got - it sounds as though he's quite an outlier too.

I haven't been to the West Cambridge site since DS went to a residential summer school in Y12. We walked from Madingley Road car park, but he has accumulated a bit too much stuff now to carry that far. I'm sure we'll find somewhere, even if we can only park long enough to unload.

I've always managed to park in West Cambridge, but you might end up parking at Sainsbury's and buying something in the store to justify parking there.

@Ironoaks I messaged DD. She had an offer from Germany and looked into a few in Manchester, but the Manchester ones needed fees. She thought she would move in with my DF - not that she consulted him!

Thank you @goodbyestranger that's encouraging. He definitely plans to apply for the ones at Cambridge and UCL. There are other research groups in the relevant field (Oxford, Imperial, Manchester, Sheffield) but he needs to balance time devoted to applications with studying Part III, which is quite a demanding course. Also it might be a bit hubristic to apply to Cambridge, Oxford and Imperial?

His Part II marks were all strong but unfortunately his only 'wow' results were in papers which aren't related to the type of physics he wants to pursue.

He does also have a plan for if he can't get a funded PhD place: applying for the scientist training programme through the NHS.

@Malbecfan thank you for checking with her. That is useful to know re: funding for Manchester. If DS can't get funding then it's not going to be feasible.

Good tip about parking at Sainsbury's

Tbh Ironoaks I would forget about hubris. Your DS would be applying to places which fit for him - that's not hubristic, it's practical and realistic. I think DS4 applied to Oxford simply to test the water and was surprised that they took an interest. He didn't tell me he was applying anywhere until after he was asked to Oxford for interview. So on the face of it a fair bit of hubris; in reality none at all.

@goodbyestranger that's fair.
Only a handful of universities in the UK have a sub-department in the field he is primarily looking at, and one of the largest is at Oxford (with several research groups).

we're dropping DC at O on sunday. Have instructions to get there early so they don't miss out on anything. Then we have have to hang around for an afternoon cream tea - might go for an explore with DH and leave DC to unpack and meet their new collegemates

Be careful if you’re parking at Sainsbury’s for West Cambridge that you don’t overstay - it’s a 2h or 90 minute limit IIRC. There’s need to buy anything, though.

Madingley Road P&R is free for up to 18h and closer. There are signs on the roads into Cambridge and elsewhere in the city telling you how many spaces are left in the car parks, or you can look online.

Well…..mostly packed here, don’t need any bedding which is a bonus (hopefully!)
Hotel booked a while ago, dinner booked for Saturday night. Few bits and pieces to buy/sort when we get there tomorrow.
Sunday morning drop off, parent chat and lunch for me….then that’s it, I’ll head home. It all just seems so unreal right now though still.

Ok, so I’m aware that I will sound like that crazy parent by asking this, but I’ll ask anyway. How safe is it to go clubbing as a fresher?

She’s got the tickets to go, and I hope she has a great time with new friends, and I don’t want to project my anxieties on her, but I do remember horror stories in the news from previous years (not specifically C).

I think the clubs in O and C are very tame compared to London clubs so that’s not something I particularly worry about personally. They do need to be streetwise about drinks getting spiked but I’m saying that as a general observation, not based on any dodgy incidents I’ve heard of (in 8 student years so far). The worst that’s ever happened is someone ending up in A&E after drinking too much… which happened to two of DC’s friends on separate occasions.

@pantjog thanks that’s good to know. She ll need to be or learn to be street smart. I’m not sure what the etiquettes are these days wrt buying drinks, but I said to her to just buy her own drinks. And just be aware that there may be people around targeting freshers.