Current Oxford/Cambridge students support/chat continued (2)

[Panicmode1]

The other thread is nearly full so I took the liberty of starting a new one...

We're 27 September AM 😀

I think you'll get a proper lunch HoneyMobster. The college did that for DS1's two graduations (medics get two graduations). DD4s college seems to stick to drinks (of the fizzy variety though [thumbs up emoji/ can't find it])

@Teriyakieverything is she interested in finance / banking or science / research?

If she is interested in lab research placements, Cambridge publishes a list of Undergraduate Research Opportunities (UROP) from January onwards. Other opportunities depend on which science.

In DS's subject, undergraduate research placements are aimed at students who have completed two years of undergraduate study, so he didn't apply to any in first year.
In his second year he applied to two dozen projects but wasn't successful, so instead did some voluntary work over the summer with a science outreach programme.
In his third year he was lucky and got a place on a research internship abroad.

@Scoobyblue that sounds lovely

Thanks @Ironoaks I don't think she really knows what she is interested in, but she is keeping an open mind and part of the internship thing is to try different industries/companies to see what it is like. She mentioned Finance and Pharmaceuticals and data analysis, she doesn't really know what's out there really (nor do we - but we do worry about the onward march of AI....).

I think, she doesn't know what she doesn't know. I don't want to pile anxiety on her or anything, but it sounds really competitive to get a corporate summer internship - I don't think she appreciates this yet.

But is it premature (and therefore unproductive) to look in the first year though? Maybe she could get more of a casual job in the summer to earn some money, I don't know.....Even so, where or when do you start?

My own view is that it's unproductive to look in the first year. There's a lot to be said for doing a casual job in any event. Also important not to go from intense terms at uni to any long summer internships. A lot of the sought after financial internships eg Goldman Sachs are extremely intense. I would say casual job in first year long vac, internship (and hopefully job offer) in second year.

@Teriyakieverything The Careers Service would be a good place to start, they offer 1:1 meetings (including during the holidays) and it's totally fine to book one because you aren't sure what you might be interested in and don't know where to start. There's lots of resources on the website along with info on how to book an appointment https://www.careers.cam.ac.uk/

My DC’s route to jobs is as follows.
DD (STEM Oxford) had no particular plan. She did a field study for two months in Madagascar on a college grant in first year vac, two Oxford uni micro internships in second year (advertised at start of summer term) and paid lab work in Oxford in third year (organised through her tutor in summer term). She got a job with a UN environment NGO at end of fourth year and joined a large corporate consultancy a year later.

DS (Cambridge) did a short banking internship in first year, a three months internship at a different bank in second year and joined that bank after third year.

He didn’t know how to go about any of this so went to networking events organised by his department and basically asked/followed the advice of students in the year above him.

@Teriyakieverything , just echoing pp, there are very few 1st yesr internships and not really necessary. DS enjoyed a pub job in the first summer vac. He got a second year internhip then things ramped up in 3rd year. There was plenty of advice from the careers service and lots of events from recruiters. He's now 4th year and applying for graduate jobs.

@Teriyakieverything as I think you know, my DD studied NatSci. In the summer after her 1st year, she was all set to go back to her "weekend" job when she was at school which was working in an ice cream shop. However, a friend of ours contacted us just before she came home as her summer intern had let them down & she wondered if DD1 might be interested. DD1 emailed her (had known her for years) and the day after she came home, went for an interview & got the job. It was something to do with keeping a pharmaceutical database up to date, so scientific knowledge was essential as well as good Maths. DD loved it. Very sadly the friend who was a partner there died last year. DD couldn't attend the funeral but DH and I did. The other partners and staff there were so lovely about DD, even though it was 5 years since she had worked there.

In her 2nd year, the NatSci people helped her to secure an internship in a research group at our local RG uni. DD absolutely hated it. The people were snotty with her and she felt that she didn't learn anything. To rub salt in the wounds, they were meant to pay her something and cover her travel expenses and it took 9 months after she finished plus threats of court action to get them to cough up any money at all. Lovely people of this thread, be grateful you have swerved Exeter University, so beloved elsewhere on MN. At the end of the summer, she got a week's work experience at a company in Manchester via a friend of my father. She is still considering going into this field and was meant to go back to them in 2020, but Covid put paid to that.

Her 3rd summer was 2020 so she did lots of gardening for us and generally hanging out at the beach. She did some work online for a company but I can't remember how she found it. After her 4th year, she worked online, mostly from home for a company in Cambridge who recruit 3rd/4th years. Since then, she has supposedly been working on her PhD over the summer, although manages to squeeze lots of travel in.

@Malbecfan haven't swerved Exeter University here....! Sorry to hear about your dd's experience with being paid though - that's very poor from them.

Sad to hear about Exeter Uni - both DH and I went there; DD swerved it - I think she was fed up hearing me say "OOO, I remember - this is where...." on the offer holders' day we did last year 😂 so didn't choose it in the end.

DH has just met DS in London to swap his 'vac bag' for his 'ski stuff bag'. He said he looked shattered and he was a bit worried about him because he seemed a bit quiet, but he said he is really struggling with this particular term's module (something about moon landings/orbits/maths relating to that - not something DH or I can help with!!) but I'm sure it's just 'end of term-itis' and hopefully once he is home and can slow down and spend some time cogitating and catching up, he will be OK.

Oxford Graduation date here booked here as well - 24th July in the morning. Seems completely unreal given DS has dissertation to finish off, 3 extended essays and finals all to go under the bridge.

Hello everybody!
It's very interesting reading about all the internships and future plans that your DC are making - taking notes for my own for next few years. Good luck to all of them with their applications.

Also very exciting about graduation plans - I am just hoping my own DC makes it there.

It's been an interesting first term - i get a phone call a few times a week, sometimes to tell me they are the stupidest person on the planet and why on earth did they think they would ever manage it in Oxford, and they have no friends and everything is just AWFUL
and sometimes to tell me they have done well in a tutorial and their friends are all coming to see them play their instrument at a concert - so obviously proper friends.
It's been an emotional rollercoaster for me, primarily i think because i get the lows and highs more than the boring and everyday.
Thank you all for your advice on this!

The college puffas have come so i'm getting lots of photos of said DC wearing their new warm coat (luckily in view of weather today).
And tomorrow we pick them up - very fast term and I suspect DC will find home VERY BORING but possibly warmer😂

DD, by contrast, is already complaining about the anticipated icy chill of her room at home compared to the one in Oxford. Her college keeps the heating on pretty much all the time, as far as I can make out. I remember the days when my own central heating was left on for most of the day, come to that, but they're long gone now.

That's lovely that they are warm Dahlia. My DC is in a very old building above an entrance hall - very pretty from an architectural point of view but old buildings have old heating and it's not always reliable. And the drafts! I have taken down a blanket to cover the very large window ledge.

I remember my halls being roasting hot or freezing cold depending on the official heating plan😂

Wishing all of the families on thread, whatever stage and age, a lovely restful, restorative and fun Christmas break.

DS is (as I type) in his internship interview - praying it all goes well. The day didn't start so well - the 6 of them were all waiting at the engineering building (in C) for their minibus to Oxford at 7am but it was v late and didn't arrive until after 7.40 so hopefully they had defrosted by the time they got to the interview!!

He's off on the ski trip tomorrow, after a boat club dinner tonight, so I hope he doesn't oversleep - he says he's absolutely shattered. Can't wait to have him home and make sure he's fed properly and rests before he goes back.

Thank you to all your advice and sharing your DCs experiences of summer jobs and internships. She ll need to get her head into it, but only she could drive it and I think she s still a bit head in the sand about it. When I mentioned to go make an appointment in the career service, she gets a bit resentful as if I’m making her do it… and putting pressure on her…difficult to explain.

Anyway, can’t believe first term is over, she’s just finished her last supervision tonight. I do worry about friendships, she seems to have many acquaintances but not a BFF type friendship like at school. But she’s always seems to have found someone to do stuff with, whether that is going for coffee, brunch, ice cream, punting, church service etc.. Hopefylly, she has time to sound out who is interested in skiing to get a group together for next year….she was stressed about it this year and ended up not going.

we go and pick her up on Monday, loooking forward to her being home for Christmas. It’ll be nice to spend an afternoon in Cambridge for us.

Genuinely @Teriyakieverything don't stress about the friends issue. It is much healthier to have a wide circle of people who your DD can socialise with, rather than one best friend. In our case, DD spent every bloody weekend seeing her then boyfriend who was at Oxford. I stressed about how she wasn't really socialising at her college, however, she made some friends at his Oxford college and did have a wide group of mates in C who all agreed to share a staircase in year 2. Due to various issues, but mainly nutter mother of ex-bf, DD broke up with before at Christmas of y2 and within a term was with one of the wider circle of mates - they've been together ever since! Another of that group is now a teacher and she, DD and 2 others are sharing a house together.

Your DD will almost certainly be shattered, so don't expect a massive catch up on the minutiae of life at C. She will also probably have a lot of work to do over Christmas - mine always worked all the Christmas and Easter holidays on notes, problems, revision or reading, not for the entire day, but spent some of almost every day working.

I agree with @Malbecfan on both the reassurance about friendships and the point about them (NatScis at least - I don't have experience of others) studying over the Christmas and Easter vacations. It's a vacation in that they vacate college, but it's not six weeks of holiday. DS usually takes a few days off but otherwise does some work on most days.

He has summative exams in January (a third of the marks for his MSci) so will be quite focused on revision, but may also look at some job applications (back up plan if PhD doesn't work out).

Thanks @Ironoaks . I'm pretty sure @Teriyakieverything 's DD is another NatSci student - we should form our own mini group! Good luck to your DS.

@Malbecfan may I join?😁DD is a 3rd year NatSci and also agree about studying over break. She also tended to go back a bit early for more studying in the College library.

No internship last summer as earth scientists have to spend most of the second year summer on a self-directed research trip. DH is wondering if that is part of the reason she’s chosen Earth Sciences…

@pepperaunt does she have any plans for next year? Part III Earth Sciences or something different?

NatSci thread here: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/higher_education/4955135-the-natural-sciences-thread

Not wanting to offend anyone here as you are all so lovely, but let's see if a subject specific thread helps anyone.

Mine turned up, announced that they have got an internship and are off again tomorrow. Still it's a great opportunity so... but we'd wanted to see them.