Current Oxbridge students - continued again...!

[Panicmode1]

Think the other thread is full....!

Nothing further to report other than I am on a school residential in NW England. It was way too hot last night, so hoping it is cooler today and I make it through tonight's play despite hardly getting any sleep!

Can only hope you didn't add to the travelling woes up the motorway by attempting the train Malbec: DD4 has been sent to a conference in the NW today and there was a Do Not Travel Beyond Carlisle warning in place yesterday which meant Avanti West Coast was virtually at a standstill (how Avanti expects people to travel beyond Carlisle when not a single train was running is anyone's guess....). Anyhow, the last train out of London and one upgrade and two swims in the hotel pool later, she's ready to go and face the conference she says. I think you may be in the same place, she'd love to say hello if you are. Fond memories myself of being one of the adults in charge on the various sixth form trips to Krakow over the years; knowing that the students were not necessarily up to any good in their 'free time' (excellent beer cellars or yet more churches anyone?). Still, never lost one and no harm ever done: success!

Xenia I know that your brother is a doctor and you a lawyer, obviously. Is your sister also a lawyer? That's a striking bid for law over medicine your collective DC have made. We have eleven cousins here but are a much more motley crew.

DC results are in. DS passed his MEng and DD2 got a first. I am so delighted and relieved and grateful. Hallelujah!

Fabulous and fabulous AlsoAnon. I'm delighted for them and you too!

@Panicmode that’s absolutely fantastic and huge congratulations to your ds! I hope he has a wonderful summer and is super energised by his success.

I don’t think it’s possible to be insensitive on this thread, every experience is different and this is a place to say things when it’s not always easy to find other people that get it - and that’s true both of the good things and the things that are harder to deal with.

Wow @AlsoAnon well done to both!

DD wouldn't have wanted to stay at Oxford to do her masters straight away. She took a year out to regather her thoughts and has been at another RG since last Sept, the first to take her specific master's course. She's absolutely flying with strong distinctions in every module so far and an exciting job lined up for when she leaves. A PhD is definitely an option for the future if she decides to change direction again. Most people have squiggly careers, so there's no harm in having a squiggly academic route too.

Absolutely lovely updates over the past couple of weeks.

This thread is just such a lovely thread of supportive people. I don't post often (and changed my user name to try to keep my DC anon) but it is always filled with wise and sensible thoughts - so thank you all.

Our DC got their results yesterday, and we were bowled over that they got a first. They were hoping they'd get a first in the dissertation, as they had so enjoyed doing it, but we certainly didn't expect a first overall. Proud as punch and so happy for them.

Its been such a journey... and they took their time to settle into life in C, and first year didn't join anything at all... so it took a while. @FreddieStandensBFF I hope this is encouraging, and do encourage them to keep pushing for support - if the anxiety group is full up, clearly the college/Uni needs to set up more such groups!

Gosh more fantastic news! Well done to your DC DownTheStream.

Hello
Congratulations everyone on their results - even the ones who didn't get what they were hoping for. An Oxbridge degree is a fantastic asset and will open doors going forward, even if it wasn't exactly what you hoped for.

I have to say though, it makes me feel better that not everyone gets firsts and internships and awards. I was worried it would just be a bragging thread about firsts and blades etc and I wouldn't fit in too well.

My dc is working hard, and loving their course but they were telling me it was a bit disheartening not to be wearing a scholars gown (meaning heading for a first) at their exams. We both agreed the pressure if you were wearing such a gown wasn't a great thing either though. All they can do is their best.

And of course their friends at other universities are getting firsts easily, which adds to the feeling of not good enough, and not really supposed to be at Oxford.

So thank you for your honesty around the struggles and disappointments , as well as the glory and the successes.

DS has submitted his first year report, which is a literature review plus a write-up of the research he has done this year. Once they've had a chance to read it he'll have a viva.

We're hoping to visit him this weekend (and possibly go punting if weather permits). We haven't seen him since Easter and he doesn't do phone or video calls, so I've missed him.

Some lovely results, well done all! Also a reminder that the grade inflation at many other universities seems in wider proportion than at Oxbridge by my limited experience and very limited look at the data.

My middle of the road university back when I was a student awarded 2 first class honours degrees for its English Lit students, that was out of 100. It was the talk of the time as two students got a first, rather than one as in past years. That same university now awards about 40% firsts, hardly anyone gets below a 2:1. I’ve seen threads from parents talking about merits of choosing a university where a first is practically ‘guaranteed’. Rather than a rigorous course.

For DD it has been about the journey. Not just the destination. Good luck all on this turbulent journey x

Tbh 80% of students at C get firsts or 2is. But I’d hate anyone to feel rubbish about getting a lower class than that. These are hard courses.

Absolutely @PermanentTemporary tough courses. To get through is an achievement!

Totally agree re the firsts… and as there’s a range of results among my DC I can see it playing out in them. In their case, the person who worked the hardest got the “worst” result. But it really doesn’t matter now.

Between them, my kid's older cousins and uncles have covered the whole range of possible degree outcomes (including 'left without doing finals') and they are all doing just fine.

DC might just be getting a touch tetchy at being reminded of this as we wait.

@Xenia another interloper here, I always thought /assumed Oxford had job fairs where employers seek people out.
. Anyway re job market and coming oft the conveyor belt I agree it can be a really tough transition time, especially now and in future years with ai robbing jobs.

Well, graduation is done. It was a fantastic day, ds looked wonderful and I cried a lot. There was an empty seat next to me in the Senate House which I think might have been available for a university officer or something, but in my mind Ds’s dad my late Dh was sitting there. He would have been so unbelievably proud.

Aww, @PermanentTemporary - HUGE congratulations to your DS and how lovely to feel that his father was there with you both to witness his success.

@PermanentTemporary
You have bought a tear to my eye, big hugs and well done to both of you.
Very best of luck to your DS in the future

@PermanentTemporarymy graduate choose not to do the 4th year and instead took a year out, worked in their field, and then went on to do a postgraduate qualification for a year and then their masters and another postgraduate year. It didn’t hold them back.

congrats to to your ds.

Is it accurate that Oxford don’t give out exam grades/classifications in year 2 ? I’m told that dd won’t know until she gets her results in her final year.

@bettbburg That’s right - for most subjects Year 2 doesn’t count towards your final degree - you don’t generally have Uni exams in second year. There are some exceptions eg Biology.

My DD has just finished Year 2 at Oxford and has reports from each tutor but no overall grade. Was the same with my DS (who graduated last year.

its a tough system as your final degree classification can pretty much rest on 7-10 days of exams in Year 3. Both my DC’s subject have dissertations that are worth about 12-15% of the total degree.

DD had 8 exams based on her 2nd & 3rd year modules across 15 days for her finals. It was brutal as her last 3 were Monday afternoon, Tuesday morning & Tuesday afternoon which with extra time spread into Tuesday evening for 3 unrelated disciplines. Never again!

It does vary across subjects though. PPE, Classics and Law are all at the seriously tough end of the scale.

Thanks, good to know. She’s doing a dissertation subject.