Current Oxford/Cambridge students support/chat continued

[Panicmode1]

New thread.....!

@Ironoaks I asked DD about the supervisions issue last night. It does sound as though what you have read is true. Her take on the situation is that supervisors are underpaid for the time it actually takes to plan, teach, mark and review the work of their tutees, which is why they are refusing to teach them. Some students in higher years are being offered larger group sessions, but having attended them herself as an undergrad, she said they were a very poor substitute for one-to-one or two/three-to-one supervisions.

I doubt that will be the case on here as everyone seems to be lovely, but she had already decided not to do any supervising this academic year so she can focus on her PhD so please don't pile in on me or her - I support her reasoning and stance. She explained that to do a supervision, she has to leave the lab, cycle to the college, teach it, cycle back, then mark the work and put comments on it, which massively breaks up her day and means that in an 8 hour day, she might only get 2 hours of lab work done. She has to invoice for her time in arrears and colleges can take anything from 2 to 8 months to actually pay her. Last year she got as far as a Letter Before Action in the Small Claims Court to one college before they coughed up. Instead she is going to carry on with demonstrating, because that it paid monthly and done in chunks which she can plan lab work around. She has already joined the union and will not be breaking any sort of strike.

I realise that this is going to upset a lot of people, and for that I am sorry. It seems utterly ridiculous to me that Vice Chancellors of some institutions are creaming off mid-6 figure salaries whereas post docs can't afford to rent in Cambridge (the case in her group). Until experts at all levels of education are properly remunerated, I cannot see the situation improving.

A long day at the wheel awaits as I'm heading home today. Again, I am sorry to bring this up. To the student who was cross that this is not a forum for students, surely the name of the website is a clue - it's a site for parents. Obviously, if they are a parent who is heading to Oxbridge to study, kudos to them & best of luck. If not, there are other much more relevant places on the internet to get information.

Totally understand your DD's position @Malbecfan. My youngest BiL has taken a similar stance in London and is now looking for alternative work. Prof BiL doesn't face the same challenges in Scotland

I'm a middle aged, child free PhD student. So yes I was genuinely asking for advice as I'm struggling. A lot. Given the title I thought it was a support thread for mature students. Apologies for my mistake. I will look elsewhere for support.

@pantjog just to clarify, that quote from me was on a forum called child free MumsNet. That was not obvious from your post. MN isn't just for parents so again, apologies if I got it wrong.

Sorry @Handbagger99 . Fairly often someone pops up on these threads to have a go at the parents on here. For some reason some people get a kick out of it. Hence my defensive reaction.

I hope that if you start your own thread you will get some support. The student room might also have boards for people in your situation. Good luck and apologies again.

@Handbagger99 you might find the Academic Common Room boards under the Work heading helpful, as you are doing a Phd rather than undergrad.

I'm a middle aged, child free PhD student. So yes I was genuinely asking for advice as I'm struggling. A lot. Given the title I thought it was a support thread for mature students. Apologies for my mistake. I will look elsewhere for support

Tbh Handbagger a number of posters on this thread have experience of serious struggles, either directly or vicariously. You're clearly at either Oxford or Cambridge. I have a DS who is currently a DPhil student - younger than you - but has a welfare role at his college where he comes into contact with a significant number of his peers who are struggling. When you say struggling a lot, that suggests the more worrying end of the spectrum. There's definitely help out there within the uni. I can see that if you're a mature student it may well be hard to seek help through a much younger peer. Do you have a decent supervisor? We're older here by definition and I think do a bit more in terms of mutual support than merely compare triumphs. I'm really sorry to hear you're finding things so tough. H20's suggestion is good.

Thank you. I'll have a look in the Academic Common Room. All the best to those of you with kids at Oxford and Cambridge. Yes, I am at one of them. My supervisor is great but super busy and juggling a PhD with work and premenopause isn't something he gets. Thanks again.

In Oxford waiting for DS so we can head off for his graduation. He’s anxious about all the practicalities but I’m very much looking forward to it. Will be thinking about my late DH who would have been so proud.

Have a wonderful day SchrodingersKitty.

Have a great day @SchrodingersKitty

@SchrodingersKitty have a really lovely celebration with your DS today and I'm sure his father would be massively proud of him and also of you, for coping so well.

@beeswain , it's really good to hear that your DS's internship is going well so far and I hope you got to meet up with him for brunch.

Thanks everyone for the reassurance that a 2:1 won't stop DS2 applying for a Masters at Oxford one day, if he ever wants to do so. He'd have to fund himself in any case, so it wouldn't be until he's some years on into a career with professional qualifications and savings behind him too but I think it's good to know this might be a possibility. I think it was just knowing that one day, he might be able to return to Oxford, where he's been so happy for three years, that makes this a consideration.

We're off to Oxford for a long weekend and DS2's graduation at the end of the week. My main concern is finding suitable footwear to wear with the one dress I have for these occasions, which won't cripple me by the end of the day! He's got two more consecutive days of assessments/ interviews with two different places before then.

@Handbagger99 I hope you find the support that you need.

@Malbecfan thanks for explaining the awful situation for your DD, which merit the marking / supervision boycotts. It's a terrible set up for those like her and understandable that they need to find a way to make things fairer.

@Malbecfan thank you for sharing your DD's experience, which provides important context for the supervision boycott. Hopefully the university will respond appropriately to the concerns now (which they haven't really done so far).

DS hopes to apply for a PhD, so may be on the other side of things next year.

@SchrodingersKitty enjoy today's celebrations!

Have a wonderful day @SchrodingersKitty I hope the weather stays fine. D1 is also in Oxford today for her bf's graduation.

Best wishes to you @handbagger99 I hope you can find the right support. I think there's a lot of help available, but it's sometimes difficult to access it, that was D1's experience - but that may have been made harder by covid, hopefully it may be easier now.

Thanks all. We’re having a bit of a break in the very long reception and then going back for presentation of certificates. We spoke to one of DS’s tutors who was very complimentary about his work and positive about him applying for MA and DPhil in her subject.

I was a bit sad that he doesn’t really know many people in college well - all his friends are outside college. It does feel like he missed out on some of the full college experience - which is one reason he’d like to come back to Oxford for further degrees I think. (Though probably to a larger college). Feeling a bit weepy - because of that and of course about his dad. But he did so well and enjoyed so much despite all the difficulties.

This is true. Especially in the humanities. I know people who have had little to no input from teaching staff for their MAs.
It is worth taking a close look at the number of seminars, lectures, tutorials, office hours etc to ensure theya re getting something in return for the financial outlay.

Thanks @mutterphore and @Ironoaks . I hesitated about posting but glad it was useful. Ironoaks, if you have any specific questions, feel free to PM me.

@goodbyestranger raises good points about some of the higher degrees. DD told us about someone in her lab group who is also a 2nd year PhD student who doesn't even know where his college is in Cambridge, so has obviously never visited it. He lives out in digs and spends his time in the labs or department so has no reason to go there. Apart from the fact it's a well renowned research group, it makes me wonder why go to Cambridge at all, but DD explained that his first degree came from Oxford so he has at least had a college experience.

@Malbecfan wrote DD told us about someone in her lab group who is also a 2nd year PhD student who doesn't even know where his college is in Cambridge, so has obviously never visited it.

How odd. I wonder if he is making some sort of point. You’d think he might go in once or twice, if only for the occasional free meal, although I couldn’t tell from this if it was strictly necessary. I had to go to my graduate matriculation in college (and have my picture taken with all the others in my position) as my first degree was from elsewhere. This from one college for example makes it sound compulsory, at least once.

@SilverSilverStreet Downing has undergrads so is almost certainly more geared up for influxes of students. I think the person in question might be at a postgrad college. When I next speak to DD I'll ask her.

@Malbecfan , AFAIK it’s the same for all postgraduates as it was for me. It’s to do with becoming a member of the University of Cambridge.

Here’s a photo from Clare Hall, with postgraduate students signing in at their Matriculation. As it says here,

“Clare Hall was founded specifically for researchers and postgraduate students who are at the centre of our community along with visiting scholars, Fellows, postdoctoral affiliates, and our staff. “

The guy may well be living in digs with Oxford friends and is completely happy and self sufficient as he is....

Indeed, yes, @goodbyestranger , and all power to him if that’s the case.

He must have gone into college once, though, is my point. Perhaps he was underwhelmed and has wiped it from his mind. The colleges which take only postgraduates (and possibly mature students) are relatively new so may not compare favourably with his Oxford one.

Graduation day today (Oxford). DD1 is nervous because she knows she has to do certain things at certain times during the ceremony but is a bit hazy on it all - she's watched a YouTube video. Hopefully she'll be briefed beforehand and it'll all fall into place when she sees a few other people go up to the front before her.
I don't feel I'm mentally/emotionally ready for this big day - I'm still in denial that she has completed her degree

Have a fab day MJB!

DD4 is going today too, as a guest for a friend, but most of her friends are graduating today so she’s very happy to be invited, go to the event in college etc.