Current Oxbridge students - continued again...!

[Panicmode1]

Think the other thread is full....!

Beauty of clearing rooms is that you're not paying for accommodation in the vacations.

Back from Cambridge. It was such a beautiful day that it definitely made our long drive there and back easier. Carrying stuff from the car park to the rooms was probably as bad as we thought it would be but in the end we only made three trips. I think I might invest in one of those foldable trolley things I see people with on the beach! I saw a lot of students in gowns and smart dress so assuming some colleges matriculate today?

We had such a warm welcome from the 3rd years and staff that I could see DC's nerves melting away. It has felt like such a long build up over the last weeks that I am quite glad now that term has started. Will leave well alone now for a few days to settle in.

Back from a 3rd trip to Oxford in a week. Just as well it's not a long drive.

DD moved into her permanent accommodation, she had been staying in a temporary room. Gorgeous brand new purpose built accommodation with double room, new fridge and en suite. Great kitchen with two ovens, 2 microwaves, toasters etc. By far the nicest Oxford accommodation either DS1 or DD has had.

And best of all it's all year residency so no need to transport stuff back and forwards.

We’re travelling on Tuesday. It’s really happening. Nowhere near packed as she’s been in bed with a cold and I’ve been frantic at work. She’s being very restrained so far. Don’t know what I’m going to do with myself!

DD got sent her freshers timetable yesterday and I think was a bit daunted by how much was on it! I said it’s so the kids get to know each other don’t have time to fret/get homesick, but she is nervous at the thought of all that socialising.

Then the freshers are all meant to go to dinner together on moving in day (tomorrow night), but her late arrival slot means she’ll be a bit late to that so emailed to ask if that was OK, but the admin person just told her she’d be too late and to make other arrangements. I don’t think that’s very friendly or welcoming tbh to a fresher on their first day. It’s not as though she wanted to arrive at 6.30 and she’s already missing the welcome events during the day.

Hi all, does anyone have a dc studying fine art at Oxford? I’d love to be in touch with a parent whose child attends the Ruskin.

@BiancaBlank if there any way you could just stay the night (at O or C - not sure which she's at) before your DD's official moving in slot the following day? DD could then attend the Freshers' Events during the next day and there's a chance you might be able to start delivering her belongings to her college room the day before. It seems really unfair that she's due to miss out the dinner and events just because they gave her a late arrival slot.

I think it all depends on which college but from my experience, if you just turn up at the 'wrong' time for drop off, the college usually lets you proceed, especially if you say you've been driving for several hours but had overestimated the journey time. Another possibility would be to find somewhere to park in the town, even on the outskirts and see if you can get at least some of your DDs luggage into her college, on foot via a short taxi ride.

When I was delivering DS1 to C and DS2 to O, we rarely made the official drop off slot and it was always OK but their colleges weren't all that central.

With the Freshers' timetable, your DD can be selective in what she attends and not expect to go to everything, especially if she's someone who doesn't enjoy tons of socialising.

Good luck to all those delivering DCs to O and C in the next few days.

@EducatingSillySausages what a fantastic experience for your DC studying Fine Art at Oxford. It's over four decades since I left and wasn't studying art but did spend a lot of my extracurricular time at the Ruskin, doing art classes for pleasure alongside a very different academic subject degree. It was my sanctuary away from my own department/ faculty and I hope your DC has a brilliant time there.

That does seem a bit unfair! Good luck with the moves everyone. DD is also rather anxious about the amount of socialising.

@mutterphore Thanks for your reply. Dd isn't there yet! Just thinking about applying. Did the open day recently and liked it. Just wanted to get some perspective on it from current/recent students. She's not sure her work will fit in to what they want!

Agree with mutterphore - DS is at a very central college and it is a total pain so we dropped earlier than his slot. I found a driveway to park on via Justpark which was closer to the college than other official parking and that really helped.

It is very unfair that your DD misses things due to late drop off and I'm sorry the college were less than friendly. Hopefully it's much better from here on in!

Good luck to all the Freshers heading up - my godson is heading to O and several friends are heading to C with their DCs today. (DS' old school had 19 C offers and 9 O ones this year which is a bumper year for them).

@BiancaBlank that sounds very harsh for your daughter. If it's any help, our college allow people to arrive without restriction if you are on foot so that is what we will be doing. As others have said, I'd investigate the possibility of staying over the night before or 'renting' a parking space so that she can perhaps arrive a bit earlier. I hope you can work something out.

Another vote for arriving earlier in the day and turning up at college on foot. Once she's on the ground DD can probably negotiate an earlier drop off slot, and she can certainly participate in activities during the day. Can she go ahead on the train and you follow with the car later? (Equally there are plenty of car parking slots to be had in Oxford city, you just need a bit of patience and flexibility)

I don't think I ever managed to arrive on time for any allocated spot. It's way more fluid than that on the day even for the trickiest of the central colleges. No-one was ever cross at all. I would treat the 18.30 allocation as no more than a suggestion. Perhaps if you're coming from a very long way away the college was trying to accommodate you?

Thanks for your suggestions, guys. There are clearly ways round the issue, and I would think she could collect her key earlier, which is the main thing, so we can park up and unpack later at the approved time while she’s at dinner. We’re only an hour away so pretty flexible.

I have to admit it’s more the attitude of the college admin person that irritates me, with her helpfully telling DD there's a Tesco and Sainsburys nearby where she could get a sandwich!

@BiancaBlank Like others have said ignore the late arrival slot, arrive and try to blag your way in but perhaps have a back up of a car parking space not too far away. We rented a space on a drive for graduation and it worked well.

I don’t know if we had a set slot as my DS was so hopeless about conveying information to me. I was fortunate that we got the right day!

Try and reassure your DC that there will be lots of friendly second / third years to welcome the freshers and absolutely she should make sure she’s there in time for dinner. I can’t think what the college admin person was saying very unhelpful.. must have got out of bed the wrong side.

DS dropped off- long day there and back. Can't believe it's year 3. He has a lovely room so pretty happy

Did any of you Oxford parents “watch” Matriculation, as it’s on a Saturday? I mean hang around outside and take pictures…. Or is that really not the done thing? DD might hate the idea anyway but I’m curious.

Definitely not done. It's a parent free occasion.

I didn't think of it! Why not?

Matriculation can't have happened yet? They only went up today.

I highly doubt you'd be able to watch it.

I wouldn't go to matriculation. It's very much not an occasion for parents.

Dropped DS at C yesterday and he has a lovely large room though he says as it is on the ground floor next to the stairs last night he heard everyone on his staircase coming and going and didn't sleep well (always hard to sleep the first night in a new place). He had a bit of a wobble just before we left and felt quite overwhelmed but I think he is feeling is a bit more positive today. He is meeting up with his college family tonight. The next few days are quite busy with meetings and workshops and seminars and freshers fair then lectures start on Thursday. I have told him to ask someone to take a picture of him in his suit and gown at matriculation on Tuesday so hopefully he will remember! We are local to C so will be able to see him reasonably often.

Thanks for the responses, I suspected that it wasn’t the done thing, which is fine.

@FreddieStandensBFF C here rather than O but definite no to going to Matriculation. I had work and DD2 to get to school. DD matriculated twice, once for her undergrad and again for her PhD.

@IThinkImAMathmoMum there were professional photographers for both DD's matriculations. Their photos were lovely - I'm looking at the 2017 one now. They aren't cheap, but make excellent Christmas presents for elderly relatives!

@Malbecfan I think DS had the opportunity to book an appointment with the photographer but he didn't. He doesn't like having his picture taken and says he never knows how to smile in photos so hopefully somebody can get a nice natural looking shot with his phone camera but if not he will just have to dress up for us on a different day!