Current Oxbridge students - continued again...!

[Panicmode1]

Think the other thread is full....!

Hello Panic and all, dropped ds off at the weekend. It was interesting seeing his vibe change from 'sloth' on Friday at home (never got out of his dressing gown) to 'cheetah' on Sunday (up at the crack sorting laundry and packing, mentally fully alert and elsewhere). He's turned 21 this vacation. Job done...?

Likewise drop off at C for DS on Saturday afternoon. Once he'd spotted a familiar face he was off. Job done, indeed! Finals loom and thoughts turn to next year. He wants to do a master's in mathematics be it Cambridge, Imperial or Oxford so he has his work cut out between now and May - as do all our DC. The best of luck to all of them.

Such a nice young woman, too...

Good luck to all offer people and all those returning their DC.

I took DD back on 28th December, stayed over in her house, then we went to see DD2 who works in Stevenage. It was lovely to spend most of a day with them together. On NYE, DD2 and I picked up DD1 and her BF - first time of meeting him - and took them to Ely so they could run a 10k race. He came in the top 10, she was in the top 15 women, so both were very happy. The department has reopened and they are both hard at work completing lab work and writing up.

DD1 was asked by her old school to do some mock Oxbridge interviews before the actual ones. Sadly the Oxford one didn't get an offer, but I teach him in a non-related subject and I'm sure he'll be ok in a day or so. Fingers crossed for 30th...!

Happy New Year All

DC now back in Oxford after an overseas sports training camp. A great opportunity for high level coaching but concluded elite full time sport isn't for them. Sport is great when combined with studying / work but not all day everyday.

This term it is time to get their dissertation topic and supervisor sorted and to try and work out how they can get a place an overseas Uni for next year. Oxford are as much use as a chocolate teapot in the support they offer...

Cambridge people - first year end of Michaelmas term reports from supervisors for essay subjects. A couple have filled in ‘est. work’ degree class. Is that how they estimate they will do by end of the year or what level supervision essays are at now? Thanks

How did offer day go?

My dc is in year 2, so offer day wasn't really that exciting. Friend's child didn't get an offer, which was surprising, but they will undoubtedly end up doing well somewhere else. I mentioned it really to welcome any newcomers, but I guess they won't come until August.

My dc has now finished collections and is ready to tackle the new term. Really enjoying living in a house, and seems to be managing food/finances and freedom very well.
We're going to visit at the weekend, to buy them lunch. Me and DH are quite excited - living in small rural area, oxford always feel like a big city (when really it isn't!)

I've just messaged DD1 to ask but my guess would be where they are now because they have only done one term.

Edited to add DD's response: "It's up to the supervisor but I always did it as where they are now. To be honest, if they are doing ok they will get 2.1 predicted, really well 2.1/I or possibly I. They would have to be pretty dire to get much lower." NB this is in NatSci.

Does anyone know anything about Teaching Associates at Cambridge? DD has been encouraged to apply.

thanks @malbecfan that’s helpful. Taking time to get used to not getting marks on essays!

@Chouffles when DD was in her 2nd year, she studied something like History and Philosophy of Science. At school, she took English A level, so was a very competent essay writer, and she was most disheartened to achieve mediocre marks for her essays. However, her supervisor explained what she needed to do and by the end of the year, she aced it. As she is now nearing the end of her PhD, she has experienced both sides of it - she has worked with great, good and indifferent supervisors, and has herself taught amazing, good and mediocre undergraduate students in her supervision groups and lab demonstrations. She always had access to "proper" academic staff to answer questions and many of them shared her view of certain supervisees (if that is a word).

The experience at Oxbridge is amazing and there is pressure on everyone to succeed, so if DC are struggling, talk to someone. They are paid to help you.

@Malbecfan thank you . Sorry I wasn’t clear. She’s doing well, just finding it hard because supervision essays are given some feedback but not a grade so she finds it hard to gauge where she’s at! Def needs to work on requesting clarification where needed…

Hi everyone…hope you regulars don’t mind me popping on with a question?
It’s my son’s 21st this week. We can’t go down to Oxford to visit so we’ve sent all his presents. We were going to send a bottle of Champagne (or more probably a vodka) but obviously post and parcels get taken in at the porter’s lodge and he won’t be around to show ID to prove he’s over 18.
Has anyone sent a gift like this and had any issues with it getting to their dc?
Thanks in advance to anyone who may be able to help.

@JulietSierra DD's at Cambridge and it was her birthday recently, so we ordered some M&S flowers plus a bottle of Prosecco to be delivered to her Plodge on her birthday, no issues at all. In fact, I hadn't even had the same forethought as you to think that it could have been an issue....

@JulietSierra I'm sure it won't be a problem. It was my D1's 21st the day after her last finals paper and we sent her roses and half a case of pink fizz via the plodge.

Ooh thanks so much for that @Daysnconfuddled and @JulesJules . I’ll get it organised!!

We got into a routine of visiting DD in Cambridge mid-term to bring her home made Bolognese sauce for the freezer, take her out to lunch somewhere nice, get a Jack's gelato (regardless of freezing weather sometimes) and do a much appreciated big Sainsbury shop for her before we leave. Eatery places we've tried and liked so far are The Cambridge Chop House, The Ivy, Dishoom, The Eagle and of course the College brunch.

I'm just wondering if others do something similar or what are recommendations for lunching out.

Bedouin on Mill Road is nice. Also The Punter (near the Museum of Cambridge). Six is good for a special occasion.

Efe's is nice, especially if you have a vegan DC - Turkish cuisine. I've been to the Blue Moon which does good pizzas and The Locker Room for breakfast. We went to the Giggling Squid which does Thai food - the building is amazing but it was a tad too spicy for my liking. We also went to Thrive for a cup of tea and piece of cake which is also vegan.

Edited to say Fitzbillies does a great lunch apart from their Chelsea buns!

If you like Thai you could try the Wrestlers

Anyone know of any good dog friendly eateries in Cambridge...we will be popping in to see DS over half term, with hairy hound in tow. The last time we had the dog we went to The Senate House, (as recommended on here) - which was lovely, but sadly no more......

We're hoping to visit DS in mid-February, on our way home from a mini-break. It will be a weekday and he doesn't want to take time off from running experiments, but he's agreed to meet us at the West Hub canteen in his lunchbreak.

At the other end of the culinary scale, he is going to his college this evening for 'dinner with the fellows' (postgrad formal).

@Malbecfan I just looked up the Teaching Associate post that has been advertised in your DD's department and it looks like she would be an ideal candidate.

Oh wow @Ironoaks that's really kind of you. Thank you. Inspired by this, I will message her.

Not sure what DD is missing but it seems that she is getting nowhere with summer internship applications. Each one is time consuming with various hoops to jump through.

Hi@Daysnconfuddled I don't suppose she is missing anything - it's just REALLY tough to find them and there are SO many stages of applications. DS gave up in his first summer and last year accepted something he didn't really want, but after tens of applications, was the only thing that came good.

This year he started applying in the summer break, and has just secured something but again, it took huge numbers of applications, and multiple stages of each application to get through.

(DD's boyfriend is trying to find a placement for next year - he needs an accountancy type placement. The tutors told the group that they 'probably need to submit 20-25 applications' - he's done over 70 and still hasn't been successful, despite being on course for a first).

Good luck to her.