Current Oxford/Cambridge students support/chat continued

[Panicmode1]

New thread.....!

@Ontopofthesunset: I'm so sorry to hear about the mix-up with your son's results - it's appalling that things were not checked properly before releasing the results to the students. In practice it is pretty unlikely that the one paper that happens not to have been marked would be the one that could pull his profile down below a first, but that doesn't help with the long drawn-out anxiety.

@DaisyThistle: thank you! And congrats to yours too!

@SchrodingersKitty Delighted you you all.

@Ontopofthesunset I thought that was the purpose of cat 2 (grade him as 2:1 but can go up or cat 3 (let them wear a gown & party). I don't believe he could go from a first to a cat 4 with 7/8 released.

Well done to your son, @SchrodingersKitty, particularly after all he's been through, and thanks for your comments. And thanks @Panicmode1 too. It does feel really cruel to bestow a grade and then withdraw it. His DoS thinks he would have to do unusually badly on the outstanding paper as it is something he usually does quite well on, but he is borderline so it is definitely possible. His DoS is outraged on his behalf at the maladministration. Fortunately DS doesn't have a job or a masters hanging on it, but he wants to apply for a masters and it will make a difference.

@HewasH20 he is in Category 3 not 4 - deemed to have deserved honours but not graded. I guess they couldn't technically grade him a 2.1 even though he would have been happy with that as his current marks give him a First - he has 8 papers out of 9 marked.

@Ontopofthesunset - will they mark that paper eventually and then award him a full, graded degree? Could he wait and graduate next year, if the papers will get marked post-strike?

@DaisyThistle the paper may be marked after the end of the strike (currently end of September) and then his results will be finalised. If it's never marked, which could theoretically happen, they have said he will receive a classification based on his current 8 papers ie a First. Though I don't know at what point they would decide that they would disregard the paper. The communication has left a lot to be desired.

The more I'm hearing from DD4, the more of a mess there is across various departments.

Dd is in the same Cat 3 along with the vast majority of PPE. I'm assuming the final outstanding marks will pop through eventually as they can't afford to have so many in a year group with a vague outcome.

D1's group chat is full of people with cat 4, it's awful. And @Ontopofthesunset what has happened to your DS is just dreadful, really appalling that they could have messed up so badly.

D1 is fortunate to have got her marks, and she got a first. I cried!

Congratulations to everyone else with results and I really hope that those waiting don't have to wait too long.

Fabulous result JulesJules tears fully justified!

It really is bad though - something like 30% HistPol are Cat 4, apparently

Many congratulations to all those with confirmed results on this thread, like @JulesJules DD. I feel as a (longtime) lurker I've kind of hijacked it today, so sorry. But the whole thing is so upsetting, and Cat 4 is really awful. I feel so sorry for all these young people who have worked so hard. DS is surprisingly sanguine, unlike his parents and his DoS.

@JulesJules So pleased for your DD

Waiting for @mutterphore .....

Fabulous news @JulesJules !

Great news @JulesJules!

Ds will be starting at O in October if he gets the grades...
Does anyone know much about getting into the uni orchestra? Ds plays the French horn but thinks competition for a place will be fierce. Does anyone have any knowledge of this and also what sort of commitment is required?
Thank you!

For those supporting undergraduate students at Cambridge: the UCU has just announced via Twitter a plan for an organised boycott of provision of supervisions next term.

I can understand the postgraduate supervisors' position; they had asked for paid training time, fair pay and contracts, and only the first of these has been provided.

Supervisions are one of the main selling points of the teaching at Cambridge, and the university emphasises how important they are (unlike lectures, attendance is required), so hopefully this will be resolved swiftly.

No news yet about DS2 (O) as he's not checking emails/ degree results until we get home from our holiday. This is typical of him! I'm of course waiting with bated breath but will let him be and he'll no doubt reveal all in due course. I think he wants to have a bit more space to be alone when he checks his result and on this holiday, we're all very much thrown together all the time, although having a great family vacation.

@SchrodingersKitty many, many congratulations to your DS. This is excellent news, especially after so much adversity and I hope he enjoys his MA. He's done amazingly well and I bet you're incredibly proud of him. What a star!

@Ontopofthesunset, firstly, congratulations to your DS too. Hopefully all will work out in the end but I'm also seething on behalf of your DS and all students affected by this marking boycott debacle. The sheer cruelty of being told one thing and then another at this critical point, is absolute torture. It makes me not fully trust whatever result DS2 may receive. How on earth can this kind of thing be allowed to happen? In the US, there'd likely be law suits taken out and institutions sued. I really hope there's resolution for your DS soon and it does look like he's done very well nevertheless. It's horrible though that he can't fully celebrate just yet.

@DaisyThistle enormous congratulations to both your DS1 and DS2! Great to hear from you and I've often wondered how it was all going for them both. Fantastic news about your DS1 (O) and very well deserved. Hope his sports trip goes well and then he has a brilliant graduation. I'm particularly pleased to hear that your DS2 has also thrived at his uni. and is heading for a first as well. That's the best news! I hope the next phase of life for both your DSs goes very well.

How terrible though to hear about your DS1's friend at Oxford having to leave without a proper degree class. I do wonder whether some of the international students, particularly, might begin law suits against the university as this has to be a breach of contract.

@JulesJules fantastic news about your DD getting a First! You must be really proud of her and I hope celebrations are now in progress! Lovely to hear too about your walk on Bamburgh beach - one I know very well, being from that part of the world. I'm very glad your DD was able to get her proper results but how appalling for her friends and so many others stuck in limbo. I'm assuming my DS2 would have heard already if he wasn't going to get his definitive grade but nothing would now surprise me.

@Ironoaks that's very useful to hear about what's happening at Cambridge with boycotts pending for supervisions too. I've got a niece who's going into her second year there and will be adversely affected and has also not had her first year exams marked. Meanwhile, DS1 (C) has almost forgotten he might one day be given his actual degree from Cambridge. I'm just pleased he doesn't seem to be concerned, whilst of course I'm still incensed with fury and frustration on his behalf.

We'll soon be travelling home from our holiday shortly and I hope I can post news of DS2 once he decides to check his results. I'm happy that we've had a brilliant family holiday no matter what and it puts other things in perspective.

Glad you've had a good time together @mutterphore. I would find the wait stressful too.

@Crumpetty DD's BF is in the brass section of the uni jazz orchestra along with a couple of smaller ensembles. He makes a reasonable income playing at college events across the whole university., such as alumni events, tea parties and balls.

@HewasH20 thank you! Ds will be delighted to hear money can be made!

Thank you @mutterphore and I hope the wait for DS's results isn't too stressful. D1 also wanted to be on her own when she opened her results.

Thanks @mutterphore. Hope the wait isn’t too stressful. I think I found it worse than DS. I deliberately didn’t mention them on the morning they were due and he opened them alone (then came down to breakfast beaming - a rare sight!)

DD2 has got her results for prelims: she got a distinction! So pleased for her.

@Crumpetty there are several orchestras in Oxford and they all have different setups for rehearsals — some do weekly rehearsals and one does intensive rehearsals just before each termly concert. There’s also a wind orchestra and a non-auditioned orchestra (Oxford Millennium Orchestra) which my DD1 was in. The standard is very good even if they don’t have to audition.

That’s awful news re supervisions at Cambridge next term. More misery, potentially, for our beleaguered students. But engineering doesn’t seem to be affected, for which I’m grateful.

Fingers crossed for those still waiting for results!

Your family is on a roll pantjog - more congrats!