Current Oxbridge students - continued again...!

[Panicmode1]

Think the other thread is full....!

Yes there are spectators other days. Everyone “gets through” to Saturday because all boats row all days. But some go up the ranks and some go down!

I absolutely love the atmosphere at bumps races. Worth going and sharing it IMO. Mine are finalists and not rowing this term alas but two got blades in previous terms and it was fab.

@NestEmptying - yes do go and watch - Saturday is the most social day - masses of Pimm’s served at boat houses - but I’ve also been other days too and enjoyed that. I tend to watch from the Gut - the narrow bit between Donnington Bridge and Univ College boat house. Most colleges bump by then.
Lots of drama, I’ve had another download today. I’ll be there next Saturday. Can’t wait.

DD's college seems to be suffering from lack of maintenance and also over using of assets. DD had a torrid day on Sunday afternoon/Monday morning, someone was hosting a five year old's birthday party in a venue next to the library. Her room is also near the library so it wasn't like she could avoid the noise. Small children running up and down the corridor outside the venue screeching. A number of students had exams the next day and were trying to study. The Porter's asked the guests to stay in the room assigned and keep the doors closed but apprently they kept breaching this and neither an events team member or Porters policed this and the guests laughed at any student who politely asked for them to close the doors to their room. This went on from noon until 7pm. With an even noiser turf-out at 7pm as the guests didn't want to leave. The events committee on the JCR had proposed a visiting speaker on a subject but that was turned down as they 'keep events and hires to a minimum during exam week' they were told, so this flies in the face of that information.

DD went to bed late as for her household of 12 only one shower is working (been that way for weeks) so she was queuing up for a shower, finally got to have one at about midnight, dries hair, finally gets to bed at 1am. Then at 2.30am alarms go off. Outside they all go, no porters, no fire marshalls, the students did their own tally and took it to the lodge and waited half an hour after all outside to be allowed back in. So from going out, talking with Porters etc it was 3.30am before she was back in her room. Water from a leak had got into fire system and set it off and Porters were 'it could happen again, we don't know' so she had a fitful night and was almost in tears when I spoke to her the next day with tiredness and about how much exam prep she was behind on etc, fortunately she didn't have exams on Monday or Tuesday but was worried for friends who did have exams and she does have exams later in the week. This has been taken by the JCR to the H&S team as it is a major issue with no one from the college other than the students turning up when the fire alarms went off and the break in protocol about allowing events during exam term.

I am impressed with the fortitude the students had to write to various college authorities in a calm and professional manner, but considering DD is paying £187 a week for a basic room with pretty crappy kitchen and bathroom facilities I am not impressed with how the college are supporting students in quiet study. When in February the radiators had a major issue they clanked through the night for about about two weeks they didn't do much until it was warm enough to turn the system off. They didn't have hot water for a week last term they were reminded that their contract only agrees to include water, not hot water.

Sorry for the rant but just needed to share!

That sounds really awful @PettsWoodParadise and no wonder you need to rant. I don’t come on the thread much now but I can relate to what you identify. ISTM that students are sometimes seen as an annoying distraction by college authorities (and also by academics, but that’s another story). I hope your DD has a peaceful time from now on.

@PettsWoodParadise that sounds very stressful for your daughter, so hope things settle down and the shower gets fixed.

@NestEmptying we went last year and although it isn't particularly exciting, it is very nice. All the old rowers in their blazers (to show they were in the first boats i think) and just the buzz of everyone. Plus you get to support your child, which becomes rarer as they get older.
You don't get to spend much actual time with them though because they have to be off marshaling, or partying - this year we have a 1 hour slot to buy breakfast for DC, then we will be dumped at the boat house and probably ignored after! Take a hat as standing in the sun can be quite warm (or wet weather depending).

Absolutely bizarre choice of breach as well @PettsWoodParadise - which parent of a 5 year old thinks, hmm I know the ideal birthday party venue, a college room...? I'm afraid the answer is all too likely to be 'one of the Fellows', though possibly that's my late 80s head on rather than the modern era where perhaps it is more likely to be ' a major college donor'. Whatever the answer, an extremely odd choice for the authorities to make and they should have known better.

Ds's third year college Ball has been cancelled for lack of ticket sales. I am sad despite ds having repeatedly failed to send me a nice pic of him and his girlfriend dressed up for a ball.

Thanks all for the kind messages. Just knowing my rant isn’t completely unwarranted makes me feel better.

Sorry to hear cancellation of your DS’s ball @PermanentTemporary - DD’s college has a garden party which usually sells out, she also has a ticket to the Trinity May Ball, the price difference is eye watering! I am afraid bribery results in photo pics, I do stump up half the ticket price on the understanding I get a pic and can do a shoe and accessories consultation!

To the rowers on this thread it is lovely to hear about bumps and competitions, I just don’t join in as it isn’t DD’s thing. We have however got invested in the Boat Race since she started at C and have our ‘side’ to cheer on when previously we just saw it as a wider spectacle. I now understand so much more about the commitment required (but not the whole truth of course), so in awe of any sporty person whether it is at.college or Uni level.

@PettsWoodParadise How frustrating - exam season is so tense and sleep so precious - do hope all goes well for forthcoming exams and college are a little more pro active in supporting students.

@PermanentTemporary So sorry their ball is cancelled, what a shame as they must have been looking forward to it. DS & DD's colleges had a ball jointly every three years which I think helps ticket sales as your pool is larger - tickets were all sold out by February - organising a successful ball is a huge commitment and the budgets are eye watering for some the bigger ones.

@PettsWoodParadise I'm always in awe of DC who are musical or theatrically minded - seems incredible to me. I'm not sure anyone knows the whole truth about the O & C boat race feud this year. Rather like trying to make sense of two toddlers; "he said, she said." It is the rowers of both Unis who suffer with all this bickering in the upper echelons of the clubs.

@sytron yes bribery through meal purchases is my strategy too to get a precious hour or two with DC. They like to have us there in theory but in practice we are best to be satisfied with soaking up the atmosphere than expecting any attention or to be introduced to their friends.

I recall meeting - a long time ago - an elderly professor of English, formerly of the University of Ankara, who had attended C in his youth who did express exactly that sentiment. Something along the lines of C being a fine place until they let students in.

Just trying to catch up on everything I have missed.

So sorry to hear about your DD @PettsWoodParadise - I don't think it's confined to C - a friend's son moved into his Bristol accommodation at vast(er) expense than college last Sept and the kitchen sink was blocked for a month....as was the main shower and it took maintenance an AGE to sort it all out. It's so wrong that they are paying money for sub par accommodation.

I'd love to know the inside scoop on the Boat Race @Juja but as you say, it's the young people who miss out ultimately, which is egregious really after the prodigious effort it takes to be in the boat/boat adjacent.

Sorry to hear about the ball being cancelled @PermanentTemporary What a shame. DS has a college ball every other year so as it is his last one, he's splashed out on dining tickets with his GF this year - I have rather a splendid picture of him from his first year, in his white tie holding an oar after they decided to go rowing to watch the sunrise. I've said I'd like a more conventional white tie picture this year....!

I hope all who go to a towpath, whether in O or C have a super day - DS isn't rowing this year which is such a shame - I enjoyed my Bumps trip last year, although as others have said, we only caught a glimpse of him going past at race pace, and then for about 10 minutes after the races were over! But the atmosphere on the river was fab, as were the sandwiches and Pimms at the college gazebo!

A wonderful DPhil graduation this morning in a sunny Oxford, with an afternoon punting. A really lovely day.

Congratulations to DS4 @AsTearsGoBy . Great news.

DD1 drove from Fort William to C yesterday and is now at a Hen party in the Midlands. Her job nominally starts tomorrow but as far as she knows, there is no actual teaching until the Autumn. I have suggested that she takes some of my lessons as practice, but she turned that offer down! Hoping to chat tomorrow.

Good wishes to everyone with DC taking exams now. In this household, I'm the only one with a vested interest in summer exams. Even DD2 passed her DNA extraction tests. They have definitely left me behind.

@AsTearsGoBy delighted the graduation went well. When coming back through Oxford from the river it was wonderful to see so many DPhil students celebrating with proud parents and families. Congratulations to your DS4.

@Panicmode1 Yesterday was a truly glorious final day of Summer Eights, sunshine, ice cream and Pimms. DD crew got blades as did their college's other two women's crews so Boat Club Dinner in Hall yesterday was a wonderful celebration.

A memorable summer's day in Oxford for you too then Juja! Congrats to your DD for the blades 👏

Huge congratulations to your DS @AsTearsGoBy - sounds like a wonderful day.

And yay to your DD @Juja and how brilliant to be able to share in the celebrations yourself - you must have been bursting with pride.

Congratulations @Juja on your DD's blades. We currently have a commemorative oar on the floor of DD's bedroom here - it is massive!

DD starts her job today. She just texted to say that all she had done for the first 30 minutes was wait for an HR person to do something. She's looking forward to the tour of the department - she's only spent the last few years there!

@AsTearsGoBy congratulations to your DS!

DS will have a end of first year review (report and viva) to assess whether or not he has passed the probationary year and can continue on to the second year.

We had hoped to visit him last weekend but he had a high fever and flu-like symptoms, so we've rescheduled and will try again in a few weeks time.

I've always wanted to be a passenger in a punt, and we still haven't got around to it, after nearly five years of DS being in Cambridge. DS has agreed to accompany us, on the condition that we have a professional chauffeur rather than DH giving it a go. 😂

@AsTearsGoBy congratulations on the graduation

@Juja glad you enjoyed summer eights and your DD got blades.

My DC got blades also and so was very excitable. Lovely sunny day, glad to have gone down (although very early start to buy breakfast at 9!).

Just waiting for exams now - lots of DCs friends have finished exams and others are home from other unis and so DC is feeling a bit left out. Trying to be as supportive as I can!

@Ironoaks thanks so much :) And of course Malbec, Juja, Panicmode and sytron too.

Saturday was my maiden voyage in a punt. We had two boats, with various people other than me volunteering to be in charge. DD4 marooned her punt, the pole firmly stuck upright in the river just outside LMH. All I can say is that there were some real learner drivers out there last weekend - very much a fairground dodgem environment and no less enjoyable for that.

The VC on Saturday was Judith Buchanan who gave the best speech I've heard across all the graduations I've been to. Unsurprisingly, being a Shakespearean scholar, she can speak very meaningfully and prettily at once. She gave a couple of clear pieces of advice about the graduands being well advised in a hostile world to be glad of their enormous educational privilege but to 'wear their Oxfordness lightly'. I hadn't taken on board the fact that the Deans could object to a graduand graduating during the ceremony. I wonder how many interventions there have ever been, and what the pettiest one was :)

I've never been in a punt and am not that fussed to change matters. DD has a date for her viva which is very shortly after her birthday so she is not looking forward to it. However, her colleagues have been kind and welcoming so that's a bonus.

I'm going to step back from this thread for the time being, although will update with the viva results. Best wishes to everyone and their DC. This is a lovely thread and I have thoroughly enjoyed being a member of it. Take care all xx

Ds's exams next week, then Bumps, then very soon after that his results and we know whether or not he's doing a 4th year. I don't know which to wish for if I'm honest.

The same to you Malbec. I've enjoyed all of your contributions over the years.

It's time for me to step back too, now that the last graduation is done (I have to assume the MPhil Cambridge one will never happen - the moment is passed).

But another DC is considering an offer for a Cambridge PhD so I might still be in the game. Although I certainly feel very long in the tooth, so we'll see....

All the very best Malbec.

@Malbecfan wishing your DD all the best for her viva

Thank you for all of your wise and kind contributions over the years I've been using these threads @Malbecfan and huge good luck to your DD for her viva.

Au revoir, not farewell!