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Original poster

Current Oxbridge students - new year, new thread

221 replies

TenSheds · 06/10/2025 18:12

Fresh new thread for Oxbridge parents group therapy! With freshers moving in and existing students returning, reckoned someone ought to take the initiative so there's a home for all the news, blues and reviews.

The last continuation thread filled up before anyone set up a new one so hopefully existing and new Oxbridge parents find this one.

OP posts:
JulesJules · 06/10/2025 18:40

Thanks for the new thread. Welcome to all the freshers!

pipgems · 06/10/2025 21:07

Thanks for the new thread my ds has been in cambridge for a week now and is struggling a little with home sickness and making friends but he is throwing himself in to all of the fresher's activities and has applied to join the boxing team today so 🤞he starts to feel more at home soon. I still feel adrift but a little better every day I hope all the other fresher's are settling in well and all returning students are happy and eager to continue their journey ❤️

JamNittyGritty · 06/10/2025 22:27

I hope he finds his way soon pipgems - I have thought that freshers must be quite overwhelming for some and wondered if there are lots of kids who settle better once uni stuff starts up proper and there’s a bit of routine and consistency. Sounds like he’s got an amazing attitude, I’m sure he’ll be fine.

Dd is just finishing first day at Oxford and so far so good- she’s got a meeting with her tutor tomorrow and will be happy to have more of an understanding of what’s coming up.

Ironoaks · 06/10/2025 22:49

I'm still popping into these threads occasionally although I don't post often.
DS has just started the 2nd year of his PhD (his 6th year at Cambridge).

pinotnow · 07/10/2025 07:13

I dropped my ds off on Sunday. He has a 'quirky' room with an absolutely amazing view. I know he is very happy to be in the college itself as some first years have to be outside, which I have no doubt would have been fine but I know he loves the room even though the mattress is like a blancmange! I've had a couple of very brief texts saying everyone seems nice and he had a good day yesterday. This is hard but I'm hoping he is busy and happy!

3Muses · 07/10/2025 07:49

My daughter has been in Cambridge for just over a week. We have had very little communication, I would like a bit more, but she seems happy and busy. She has an amazing room and college is beautiful.

Itsforthebest · 07/10/2025 08:06

We dropped my daughter off at Cambridge on Saturday. She seems to be having a ball. I think I'm missing her much more than she's missing me at the moment. I just want to drive back down and give her a huge hug :-). I'm so proud of her (as I know we all are about our kids).

carefullythere · 07/10/2025 12:27

Dropped DD at Oxford at the weekend. It's lovely!! (DH and I met there, so not totally unfamiliar, but still blown away by how gorgeous it is through middle-aged eyes!) She's got a great room, seems to be meeting loads of nice people and is both loving freshers and excited to get started with 'real life' there.
Hope DS feels a bit more settled soon @pipgems - starting university and leaving home awful lot to take in and so often doesn't quite live up to the hype.

Panicmode1 · 07/10/2025 13:56

Well done and thank you @TenSheds- I tried to post yesterday to wish all of the Freshers a good first week, but couldn't!

DS is happily settled back in to college and is looking forward to getting cracking with his fourth year...only downside of a much nicer room this year is that he will probably have to vacate in the holidays which he's never had to do before....

HoneyMobster · 08/10/2025 07:09

Hope all the freshers are settling well.

DD is a Fourth Year Medic at Oxford.

ButterButterButter · 08/10/2025 07:59

Thank you for setting this up - DD also a Cambridge fresher. So far seems to be very happy and busy, so hoping the former continues as work kicks in (I’m sure the latter will!)

Original poster
TenSheds · 08/10/2025 10:45

Nervous excitement for all newbies, no doubt everything will settle soon. Our own second year drop off in Oxford last week went well, DD's room this year is modern and spacious with lots of storage and better kitchen facilities, and she's thrilled to be back. She has a couple of committee roles so has a busy week of Freshers events. She also belatedly remembered collections, so has been trying to cram in some revision around the socialising. We're quite enjoying having the house to ourselves again; it's the Hilary term I found tough last year, but I had a lot of work stress then and hopefully it'll be ok this time.

OP posts:
OystercatcherBay · 08/10/2025 10:56

Hello, thank you for this thread. Newbie checking in as DS has just started at Cambridge. Seems to be having a great time so far and doing well at meeting people - the set up for support and socialising is phenomenal.

He’s disappointed with his poorly insulated cupboard of a room with tiny desk (the college was oversubscribed for bigger rooms and he drew the short straw). Hopefully he’ll get a good one in subsequent years!

IThinkImAMathmoMum · 08/10/2025 12:02

Welcome to all the fresher parents. DS is starting year 2 at C and is helping at freshers fair today with the society he got involved with last year. His room this year seems nice, even bigger than last year but not as much light and no pretty view. He is in a college owned house just around the corner from the porters lodge so still very handy for eating/doing laundry in college.

His DoS has said that one of the courses he was hoping to drop is mandatory this term so he will have to muddle through it, I suspect he might drop it before the exams! He has also been told to indicate which courses he wants to do next term by the end of this week but how can you know until you have done this term's courses?

Goldieblonde · 08/10/2025 12:51

Newbie here checking in. DS started at Cambridge on Saturday and is having a fantastic time so far it seems! Helps that a couple of his school friends are also there (in other colleges), but he seems to be making lots of new mates too...

It is an adjustment for sure...feels very different to when he was off travelling in the summer somehow. A bigger sense of permanence in moving onto the next stage. I have waves of really missing him, but it's hard to feel low when he's obviously so happy.

Went to a talk for parents at his college the day we dropped him off. The Director of Admissions (who gave the talk) was saying that they often tend to hit a wall at about the week five mark, when their workloads have really kicked in and the novelty wears off a little bit! Thought I'd pass that on in case useful for others x

Panicmode1 · 08/10/2025 13:33

Oh yes, the Week 5 (or 6) wall is real...and they will sleep for about a week when they come home for any holiday, before winding themselves back up to prep for the following term.... IME!!

autumnhasbroken · 08/10/2025 13:48

Hope all the Year Ones settling in well. DS suitably clucky over college children. They are very cute apparently.

Dropped DS Y2 on Saturday and had a bug infestation in room, yuck! Mattress was grim and google pics finally revealed carpet bug infestation. Monday they deep cleaned carpet and gave him a new mattress, phew! But was not the best start to the year as had to sleep over with friend and couldn't unpack. Can't say I was bowled over by his accommodation as overlooks an internal staircase but he says its quiet, decent size and friends around so seems happy.

By the time we've done the drop off and supermarket run we never seem to have much time to enjoy Cambridge. I always have an unrealistic expectation that we'll have a lovely lunch then I will waft around the Fitzwilliam looking at art. In reality, I get quiet stressed with DS late packing into early hours, and by the time we arrive and haul everything to his room, fight our way around Cambridge crows to get food, get drizzled on then I am ready to go home. Anyone have a better way to manage this? Do you all go up on the Saturday? We have friends nearby so wondering if we should go the night before.

Juja · 08/10/2025 17:11

Just checking in as a placeholder. DD on their year abroad this year so not actually in Oxford. She's settling well which is great.

Good luck to all freshers... while many settle well it's not easy for all. If DC are finding it tough then they will not be alone and there is generally good support from college and uni counselling. We had one DC who found it tough for the first term or two and the other DC who settled very well.

Panicmode1 · 08/10/2025 17:27

Not sure of the answer @autumnhasbroken - DS (STEM subject) is often too busy to spend a whole day with us so sometimes if we are going up for formal hall (usually Sunday evening), we get there in time to see him for lunch and then potter to the Fitz, have a cup of tea after it's closed and then wander to evensong before formal hall. Usually on drop offs it is as you say - dump stuff, do supermarket shop and then he wants to crack on with catching up with work or friends. He was up all summer for an internship so we went up to have lunch with him in Grantchester which was lovely because he cycled out to meet us and we come from the south of C so we didn't have to do battle with the traffic and tourists.

cantkeepawayforever · 08/10/2025 17:56

At the very end of the last thread, I posted about adjustments for students who are or become disabled / unwell (in terms of mental or physical health) during their course.

The ability to take a year out (intermission / rustication) is relatively well-known, well understood by tutors and well signposted.

A Cambridge route (colloquially called ‘double time’) for those who are, or become, chronically ill or disabled in such a way that a year out and / or adjustments to assessment are not sufficient, has this year acquired its own name and own process, ‘Adjusted Mode of Study’. It allows each year of the course to be studied over 2 years. Few students follow this route (possibly because application is arduous and the process was previously hidden in the depths of a wider system), but where it is suitable it can be a lifesaver.

I hope you never need to know about either or both of intermission and ‘double time’ (we never expected to) but should it be or become relevant, the details are here: https://www.cambridgestudents.cam.ac.uk/exams/adjusted-mode-assessment/adjusted-mode-study

Adjusted Mode of Study (AMS) | Cambridge students

An Adjusted Mode of Study (AMS) is new for 2025-26 as a request only for disabled students, and where necessary, as part of a reasonable adjustment for an extended period of study of one year of full-time academic study over two years.

https://www.cambridgestudents.cam.ac.uk/exams/adjusted-mode-assessment/adjusted-mode-study

Stockpot · 09/10/2025 10:46

I think today is the first day of actual study for all the Cambridge students. I hope everyone has a good start!

We are new to it all, but we discovered that the Fitzwilliam museum is free to enter and a wonderful place for a bit of peace and quiet with a hot drink!

autumnhasbroken · 09/10/2025 17:54

Panicmode1 · 08/10/2025 17:27

Not sure of the answer @autumnhasbroken - DS (STEM subject) is often too busy to spend a whole day with us so sometimes if we are going up for formal hall (usually Sunday evening), we get there in time to see him for lunch and then potter to the Fitz, have a cup of tea after it's closed and then wander to evensong before formal hall. Usually on drop offs it is as you say - dump stuff, do supermarket shop and then he wants to crack on with catching up with work or friends. He was up all summer for an internship so we went up to have lunch with him in Grantchester which was lovely because he cycled out to meet us and we come from the south of C so we didn't have to do battle with the traffic and tourists.

Haven't been to Grantchester yet but is definitely on my list for the summer, any recommendations on places to eat?

autumnhasbroken · 09/10/2025 17:56

cantkeepawayforever · 08/10/2025 17:56

At the very end of the last thread, I posted about adjustments for students who are or become disabled / unwell (in terms of mental or physical health) during their course.

The ability to take a year out (intermission / rustication) is relatively well-known, well understood by tutors and well signposted.

A Cambridge route (colloquially called ‘double time’) for those who are, or become, chronically ill or disabled in such a way that a year out and / or adjustments to assessment are not sufficient, has this year acquired its own name and own process, ‘Adjusted Mode of Study’. It allows each year of the course to be studied over 2 years. Few students follow this route (possibly because application is arduous and the process was previously hidden in the depths of a wider system), but where it is suitable it can be a lifesaver.

I hope you never need to know about either or both of intermission and ‘double time’ (we never expected to) but should it be or become relevant, the details are here: https://www.cambridgestudents.cam.ac.uk/exams/adjusted-mode-assessment/adjusted-mode-study

I recently met an old family friends who had been at Cambridge in the early sixties. He said that his father had become ill and died whilst he was there and the college had been fantastic, let him intermit and he went on to successfully qualify as a doctor and practised until recently. His eyes filled with tears whilst he told me how grateful he still felt for the support he had been given and it allowed him to have a wonderful life despite the early sadness.

Longmanbill · 09/10/2025 20:58

DS is settling back into Oxford for his second year of a STEM degree. Last year was hard, but by the end of the year he'd made friends and done pretty well academically.
This week his tutors have told him that this year will be the hardest of his degree. So that's a cheerful start to the year 🫠

iwishihadaname · 09/10/2025 21:34

I hope your students have a fab time while at Oxbridge and learn much. Oxford is a wonderful city im sure Cambridge is too