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 amazing @HoneyMobster - many congratulations to your DD - and her parents!

Thanks everyone.

Obviously academic life is the major draw of Oxbridge but it’s important to remember that there are fantastic opportunities to play sport, act, dance etc in your time at university. For the ‘newbies’ please do encourage your DC to look into all the fun stuff available to them!

Occasional poster here - DS is in year two doing PPE. He has been completely bitten by the rowing bug, having never rowed before he arrived, and just told us he’ll be rowing at the head of the river event in London later this month! He says they’ll be the worst boat there but all the same!

So I wanted to echo the post above - it’s an amazing opportunity to give all kinds of wild and wonderful things a go.

We’re off to collect him next weekend. He’s able to leave a fair bit in his rooms as they are not being used for accommodation. It will be lovely to have him back but he’s almost immediately returning to Oxford for … rowing practice!

@WobblyLondoner that’s fantastic! Well done to your DS.

Mine is 1st yr at C but also hugely enjoying rowing to the extent I find myself at Bumps today, a whole new experience! They are so lucky to inhabit this amazing world.

I'm sad DS is not rowing (4th yr and no time)..my FB memory of the day is my Lent Bumps pic!

Good luck to all of them and fab news @WobblyLondoner!

We went to visit DS last weekend. His PhD work is progressing well and he is enjoying it.
He has become a bit 'all work and no play' and recognises this, so plans to rejoin the university D&D society. Because he lives so close to the lab it can become a bit of a Cavendish (+ Maxwell + Ray Dolby) 'bubble', and I think it would be good for him to occasionally step outside that.

Lovely to hear about the rowers. DD has dabbled a bit as well. DS2 rows at his US university (very seriously) and I am late convert to the joys of rowing.

DS1 was Captain of the rowing club at his college. I think it was one of the things he most enjoyed at Oxford.

Good to see DS at home on Mother's Day on a surprise visit. I took him back to C this afternoon. In good spirits as his Master's year wears on and he has a new Gf about whom he was surprisingly forthcoming. A frighteningly accomplished post-graduate in linguistics, singer, musician, multi-lingual and a member of two college Eights teams. Will an East Anglian mathmo of peasant stock be able to keep up, I wonder?

Good news from my final yer O student, they got the internship they applied for so that’s next year sorted.

How are the other final year students getting on ?

Kerfuffle over coming years' college for PhD resolved in favour of DS staying where he is now. Not certain how he got into that pickle but it is now in the past. End of year exams permitting
Other than that he'll be back from a few days at C - mainly tennis we understand - this week with his new GF. She'll be staying a few days. O/h has already been introduced when at a conference in C. A busy Easter beckons and it seems that the young don't hang about these days.

Update from DC2 who is on their year abroad in Italy. After a shaky and challenging first couple of months they are having a great time. Took their C1 language exam last week and now doing a Uni module, volunteering and working babysitting for a lovely family. They have an internship for June. Also enjoying rowing on the Tiber - rather different to the Isis! We are heading out in a month to visit. Can't wait.

DC1 is now doing the Step Up Social Worker post grad training programme. Says they've learnt more on how to learn and study in the first few weeks on this new course than Oxford taught him in 3 years. Does acknowledge there were brilliant academics at Oxford but not so great on the study skills.

Congratulations to your DC @riversflows

Glad to hear all sorted now @Clemenc0 and lovely to hear about your DCs @Juja - glad the year abroad is turning into a positive experience after the difficult start. I definitely enjoyed the second half of mine more than the beginning....although it was all fairly challenging TBH. (Russia in the 90s)

We have DS1 home for a couple of days - for DH's birthday and his own - along with his GF, which is lovely. His new job starts in April 2027 (he negotiated a delayed start) so he's currently planning some travelling, probably with DC3 who is about to sit A levels and really conflicted about what on earth he wants to do next. I think DS1 is now ready to move on from C and "start living in the real world" as he puts it. He has enjoyed his 4 years, but knows it has been a bubble, and a fairly small one, so is happily making plans for post grad life!

That's excellent news @riversflows - internships are like hen's teeth so well done.... hope they enjoy it

@Panicmode1 I think Rome in 2026 is a doddle compared to Russia in the 1990s but it is interesting how homesickness can loneliness can take hold even when other times away have been fine.

Super about DC1 having a job set up for 2027 - security of employment and the chance to travel. Oxford and Cambridge are inevitably bubbles and 4 years is for many quite a time in a bubble... good they feel it is the right stage to move on. For others staying on for research is exactly what they want which is good too...

@Clemenc0 sounds as though your DC is now settled over college choice which is great.

Thank you @Juja. Confirmed in writing now. Easter was lovely with DS and GF staying. She is at C as well and presently considering doctorate options (O, Edinburgh and KCL are all possibles). Apart from that I now know I have an (entirely unexpected) Autumn wedding to attend. My firstborn DD - a long story - compounded by a 'Sliding Doors' moment over Easter. I'll leave it there, though.

@Clemenc0 sounds like a lot is happening in your household, home and away.

I am mentoring an intern over Easter holidays. I used to only do short summer ones but have expanded to Easter. It is part of my job I really enjoy. As they are interns the job reference requests come to me and not HR so I so get to see what happens and if their experience made any impact.

DD is with us for another week and heads back to C ready for a few classes and then exams and then it is all over. Graduation tickets booked for Senate house and college garden party on 3rd July.

Whilst home DD has been punctuating revision with job applications. The spreadsheet she has is rather depressing with most ‘reiected - no interview’ , she expects some to just time out with no response. Some of these jobs are practically minimum wage too. She has an online pre-interview with someone tomorrow morning and is looking over the stack of information she’s been sent only this afternoon and meant to digest. It is so time consuming. She suddenly seems so much more grown up and desperate to stand on her own two feet. Do we ever stop worrying about them?

Freaking out now I've read @jujaupdate as we are due to attend DS graduation on the 3rd July too but he hasn't mentioned having to book anything 🤯. I mean I've booked a hotel and a restaurant but he's so vague, perhaps he's forgotten??! Have sent an emergency WhatsApp!!

Lovely to hear the updates - DS has been back in College since just after Easter and is head down for the exams..he does have a job lined up, but it took a lot of time and effort. DD who also graduates this summer is having a nightmare with applications, ghosting and rejections so we've told her to just focus on finals unless her 'dream' job comes up.

Panic over...two tickets automatically allocated by the college 😊. May see you there @Juja!

Another 3rd July Graduand! May well see you there @Panicmode1 . I will be wearing a pale green dress with purpleish floral pattern repurposed from a day out at Wimbledon last year and corresponding purple trainers! DD's slot is 3.15 gather outside for 3.30pm presentation although we are told these timings are approximate and could change.

Oh shame @PettsWoodParadiseWe are the AM slot...so breakfast is in college at 0800 🤯. Hoping the M25 is kind and we make it. I've booked a hotel for Friday evening so we can have dinner with DS and his GF but perhaps I should have booked for the night before!!

Your outfit sounds really lovely...I am struggling to find something. Thought I had found the most perfect dress but it looked hideous when I tried it on so am back to the drawing board. I'm not paying £300+ for polyester or non natural fabric...!