Current Oxbridge students - new year, new thread

[TenSheds]

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.

An omelette maker was really popular with both of my dc at uni, they make fried eggs too.
And my daughter discovered that you can make pasta in a microwave!

DD has a microwave egg boiler (she loves a boiled egg and toast) but an omelette maker sounds potentially good. I'll see how she gets on. We googled pasta in a microwave since she really loves pasta and I was amazed to find out that it's possible! She's not keen on the microwaveable pre-cooked pasta that you can buy in a pouch from the supermarket (too soft and overcooked in her opinion). Can you share any cooking tips for this? We should really try it before she goes!

Minimalism ftw! Plus eating in hall to meet others and save time and brain power.

I used to cook and I wish I hadn’t - I’ve spent the subsequent 2.5 decades wishing for a communal canteen. Such a good arrangement.

That said, DS usually makes his own breakfast to save money. He just has banana and peanut butter.

Eating in hall definitely a good idea. She is planning to get the dinner ticket so she'll have at least one meal in hall every day.

My DD rarely ate in her college as she was/is quite a fussy eater and it was far cheaper to make her own food. Her gyp (kitchen) had a toaster, kettle, microwave, 2 ring hob and fridge and she was able to sort 3 meals per day. I found a small slow cooker in a charity shop which she also had. In her 1st or 2nd year, somehow those on her staircase/floor managed to cook an entire Bridgemas (Cambridge Christmas) meal!

The only meals she had in college were Sunday brunch with friends and formal dinners. Once she was singing in a college choir, she got that for free,

DS is very used to living out of a suitcase (he spent some of his gap year travelling and the rest in digs on the other side of the world) but plans to fill the car boot with as many of his guitars as he can once his keyboard is in. We'll see..! (And yes, apparently they are all different. What do I know?)

DD has just warned us about this change in Oxford from 28 September - congestion charge goes but it goes to fines with traffic filters. Though I did need to point out Tuesday when we get her stuff is before 28 September.

blogs.oxfordshire.gov.uk/traffic-filters/

Thank you for that @OneZanyCat . I'm probably being dense, but how on earth are you supposed to work out a route that avoids the filters? We always park at St Clements street so if that has a filter does that mean we just can't anymore? I was perfectly happy with the congestion charge, even though I forgot it once and got fined. This seems very complicated and with taking stuff there and back 6 times a year £35 a go is a bit much!

Yes its complicated once the fine system starts @pinotnow and quite a jump from the congestion charge. We pay the congestion charge normally. It says you can still get to everywhere in Oxford without going through traffic filters but they aren't helpful on telling you how to do this just says use the ring road or suggests park and ride or train or walk. There will be a filter on St Clements. We have found one route in that avoids filters to DDs college but how viable it will be for drop off and pick up days I don't know. We need to pick up her stuff today (still congestion charge) and bring it back for start of term which will be filters though first breach is free but after that there's still 5 more times left this year.

@pinotnow it's still possible to park at St Clements but you can't drive there via Headington Road, you need to go round the ring road and up either Iffley Road or Cowley Road

Using Waze or Google Maps and choosing "avoid tolls" should give you a suitable route