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.

That’s really helpful, thanks. She’s doing history.

History prelims were 9th week last year. Don’t think prelims for anything go into 10th week because that is always when the two open days are (which use Exam schools).

Thank you!

Can't believe I'm at this point already, but can anyone help with what to wear for Cambridge graduations (other than shoes that are easy to walk in!). How smart are people?! I've got two graduations in three weeks (one at C, one elsewhere) so am hoping I can get one outfit to cover both!

Oxford early autumn = tea dress and jacket. Uncomfortable shoes (lesson learnt)

York this Jan = navy cord dress, plum velvet coat, thick tights v comfy boots!

How exciting! 15 and 25 years ago at C they were pretty smart - daytime country wedding level. Floral dresses, skirts, even some hats. Fathers and grandfathers in suits and ties. I expect there’s more variety now, but still a dressed up occasion.

There’s quite a lot of outdoors, at least for the summer graduations. What @HewasH2O describes sounds good. A nice warm smart coat and scarf probably needed.

The York graduation made me appreciate the simplicity of Oxford's sub fusc. No fuss except for the poor girl who turned up wearing white shoes and was given the black shoes worn by a staff member with the same size feet to allow her to graduate.

DD obviously looked lovely at both (bursting with pride!) but she needed a dress and shoes suitable to January in Yorkshire, not glorified school uniform!

Thank you both...C is early July and second one late July so hopefully good weather. Think there is tea in college after the formal bit...I was thinking garden party/summer wedding vibe but probs without a hat so good to know am on the right lines.

It's a broad spectrum. Definitely no hat unless it's a sunhat or panama for the gardens afterwards. Lots of standing around and sitting around. Take compeed plasters, safety pins and sun cream. And tissues, lots of tissues.

At DS's graduation (C in late June) there was a range of formality in what guests were wearing, but mostly summer suits / dresses. I wore a midi dress and (flat) sandals.
There's quite a strict dress code for graduands (DS was checked twice, once by the college and then again by university officials) but for guests it's more flexible.

He's been successful today. Meet admission terms and funding next.

@Clemenc0 congratulations to him! Fingers crossed that he doesn't have to wait long before receiving confirmation of funding.

@Ironoaks and @Panicmode1. Thank you for your encouraging posts. As noted, there are, as ever, more hurdles to deal with before the Autumn. Back in October 2022 we left after dropping him off for the start of his tertiary education wondering whether he would last a week. He seems to have clung on so far.

Wonderful news @Clemenc0- congratulations to him.

Great news @Clemenc0 !

@Panicmode1 for DD1’s 1st graduation it was July and boiling hot. I wore a smart dress and flat court-style shoes. At the PhD one in late October, I wore a dress from Popsy, a black jacket and black boots. 90yo DF came too and he wore smartish trousers, a polo neck and a blazer. He’s wearing a sailor-type peaked cap in the photos outside Senate House, but took that off inside. Nobody wore hats unless part of traditional or ceremonial dress. They are VERY strict over what the graduands can wear - DD was lecturing an hour before the ceremony and had a hard time persuading the powers that be that she would be dressed correctly. She looks lovely on the photos!

As an update: funding all sorted apparently I now understand. He does have to complete his Master's of course.What makes him happier than anything else is that he will get a workspace in the faculty with (gasp!) a chalkboard. He loves his chalkboard and has had a large one in his room since forever and still does now at C. He may well have swooned at finding his first Supervisor's (as an undergraduate) office had several well-used ones.

Fabulous news. I'd be v happy with a chalkboard too 😁

Thanks @Malbecfan..I need to check that DS is sorted for his outfit it seems 🤔

It is so lovely to read of the journeys taking place. @Clemenc0 a chalkboard sounds very exciting to me. My father was a University lecturer despite leaving school at 14 (practical discipline, 7 year apprenticeship, route wouldn't be available to someone now) and I have fond memories of writing on his chalkboard when he went in to pick up post once a week in the summer holidays and I accompanied him.

DD seems to have bitten off a massive chunk of papers this year, 30% was her part I in year 2, for her part II final year there is 70% riding on the result which consists of one dissertation and four written exams. Not one piece of course work, not one essay that she submitted every week over the last (nearly) three years, sometimes more frequently during term, has counted. The feedback of course has been invaluable as a learning tool. Some of her friends at other universities have zero exams. Seems very wide ranging in assessment.

It feels a bit like the calm before the storm. Celebrated DD's milestone birthday yesterday and can highly recommend the North Star (it was another venue before, opposite the museum). Going to see her in a show in March and then I am warned that Easter is not a break but when she is home it will be full on study and revision. It will feel odd taking her back up for the last time after Easter.

I have my outfit for graduation already, I went to Wimbledon last year and spent a tiny bit more than I thought I could justify for a pretty summer dress that went well with smart but practical trainer - I had in the back of my mind it could be re-used as a graduation day dress as also had in mind the Cambs cobbles, so out it will come again!

As we said to DD when she started thinking about universities, it is about the journey, not just the destination. So proud of all the amazing journeys I am seeing on this thread.

Even better news @Clemenc0 ! DD’s PhD was thankfully funded because we could not have afforded to pay.

if anyone from back in the day is reading, she is really enjoying lecturing but finding it a challenge. I am a secondary school (not science) teacher so periodically she asks for my advice but seems to be handling it pretty well, all things considered. I love it that her profile is listed on the website of the 2 colleges where she is now DoS for her subject. A couple of colleagues of mine have been an awful lot more deferential since I sent them the odd link. I have a northern accent and live in the SW, so some people assume I am stupid. It’s hilarious proving them wrong!

Hoping everyone is enjoying the mad but exciting journey that is Oxbridge.

My DS got his Cambridge PhD confirmation yesterday. Funding was sorted a while ago and he's a medic, so a few years beyond graduation now. College allocation still to go but he thinks it likely that he'll get a graduate college because his pathway isn't purely academic.

Congrats to your DD HeWasH2O - glad to hear things have gone so well.

Malbec try to sound bright with a West Country accent - quite the challenge.

Thank the Lord @Milmington I don’t have a West Country accent and neither do the DDs.

i do a great line in Mancunianisms. The kids at school love it. The DDs understand me. Win-win!

It is possible that DD - who became disabled while at university and has, it sometimes feels, decided to explore every twist and nook of the alternative provisions available for completing her degree - may graduate this summer. Even thinking about it feels like tempting fate, let alone considering what to wear.