Going to university in 2020

GrannyGravy13

There are irresponsible people in all age groups, we have had examples of GN members posting or their Covid rule breaks .

Thank you. I agree.

Nannan2

Thats the thing- the town where my sons uni is- IS in lockdown- even the hospitality is all closed down and only food is take-out- but STILL they expect the students to be there for one blinking one-to- one session a week! Putting them (& their families) at risk! Its madness!?

I agree with. My son is in a city in lockdown. He received an email saying he would only be able to defer if has a specific medical exemption, which he doesn't. Fortunately, he's not a great socialiser anyway and hated living in halls. He's also lucky because his grandmother has paid for a self-contained flat. He loves reading and is quite happy to do his own research, but I had hoped that going to uni would improve his interpersonal skills. He has had nowhere near value for money, although he will hopefully get a first at the end of it.

His university at least has made promises which it hasn't delivered. I suspect they wanted students to attend in person because many of them have invested in student accommodation.

People don’t need to go to uni straight from school. They can go anytime. No one should have gone. It should all be on line. If it had been my children....we would have told them to defer. Go next year or the year after, no rush. It’s not like school, where things have to be done at certain ages, and the pupils aren’t a risk in society like students are. We’ve got them all round us in our university town. It’ll all kick off here soon?.

There are irresponsible people in all age groups, we have had examples of GN members posting or their Covid rule breaks .

I don't think online lessons necessarily have to be a poor substitute for face to face teaching. It is a question of adapting the pedagogy to get the best from a different medium. My U3A language students are going to learn a lot more effectively from Zoom than they are from face to face lessons with me wearing a mask!
I feel terribly sorry for this year's students. Going to university is such a huge change (I still remember it vividly over fifty years later) and the isolation that some are experiencing is just dreadful.

Nonnie

I disagree with the accusation that older people are finding loopholes because it is not the case where I live. I do my shopping in the daytime and see almost 100% compliance but DS goes to the same shops after work or on the weekends and is appalled at the lack of compliance. I think that speaks for itself.

That's one place. It's certainly not the case from the limited evidence I've seen, in Blackpool or from what some GNers themselves have been saying about what they have been doing.

I just wish people would stop trying to scapegoat "others" - that was the point I was making. Some of the comments about students are really horrid. They are not some homogenous group of irresponsible party-goers.

Thats the thing- the town where my sons uni is- IS in lockdown- even the hospitality is all closed down and only food is take-out- but STILL they expect the students to be there for one blinking one-to- one session a week! Putting them (& their families) at risk! Its madness!?

But the reason the students want to leave is because the universities have broken their promises to the students.

I don't see why the students should become the cash cows when they are the ones who have lost the most and will be paying for the next 30 years.

I disagree with the accusation that older people are finding loopholes because it is not the case where I live. I do my shopping in the daytime and see almost 100% compliance but DS goes to the same shops after work or on the weekends and is appalled at the lack of compliance. I think that speaks for itself.

growstuff

Nonnie

growstuff

So it's fair for them to pay £9250 plus the same again for rent for an experience they're not getting?

I don't think it's the students' responsibility to make up for the shortfall in landlords' income.

Is it fair on the landlord to subsidise a tenant who broke their agreement?

The universities have broken the agreement. They shouldn't have made promises they're not keeping. Maybe they should be responsible for compensation.

But the contract is between the landlord and the student not the university and the student

If the teaching is 'extraordinary' then why is most of what my sons been offered as online teaching (which hes still paying over £9000 for) been just a tutor for a few minutes telling them to watch youtube videos of something?!!- its so ridiculous hes wanting to drop out, at least for a year.Im upset for him, but i can see hes right, as he said he could just "teach himself by watching bloody you tube videos, and save the debt" its madness getting them all back to uni while the covid19 is rising anyway- but at least they could give them a better education online than a youtuber to watch! Some of their 'online tutors' arent even fully qualified- they're just youngsters who 'passed a course last year'! Not a real fully qualified tutor- also they put students at risk just to go in to uni for only one visit a week- (my sons in a vulnerable category so has said no- but he's only 'allowed' to do that for 2weeks) then must either go in, & work online rest of week or drop out altogether! Some choice..My other son, whose at college hasnt even got the choice to 'drop out' or defer- he returned beginning of sept only to be very ill 2 wks later(not covid19) but even so it made him very ill despite him 'following guidelines' & if other bugs can be passed on& caught then so can coronavirus! Same with schools- kids and young people are being used as cannon fodder!! ?

My 18 year-old granddaughter started at university 10 days ago and decided to come back home after spending 4 nights in the halls . She said she didn't feel happy there as she was with 5 other students she did not know and did not feel they had anything in common with her.
Although we were upset at first after reading what is going on we feel relieved. She is still planning to do the course she chose - most of it is online with one practical lesson a week (unless that changes) so she is planning to drive there for that lesson which is fortunately only 40 miles away.
I feel so sorry for all the young people, what should have been a great opportunity has turned into a disaster

Part of any level of education is the interaction, face to face, of students and teachers and of students with students.
Yes, grandtanteJE65, I agree, online learning is a poor substitute. With very young children it is extremely challenging and for many in KS1 they are actually repeating the previous year's work because online learning was so haphazard. Like you say, I cannot imagine my course (MLangs) being taught without face to face interaction. All levels are affected.

As a retired associate professor I cannot agree with you that the humanities, divinity and any other subject that does not involve lab. work could just as well be taught online as through lectures and tutorials.

Part of any level of education is the interaction, face to face, of students and teachers and of students with students.

It may well be necessary to make do with online tutition at the moment, but other measures to invoid infection could be brought into play.

Testing all students for the virus before allowing them to go up to University and demanding strict quarantine for a fortnight ought to be possible.

Lecture halls are seldom full to the doors, so students can be told to sit two metres apart and wear masks.

I realise these measures will strain any univerisity or college's adminstrative staff and resources, but that is just the way it has to be right now.

Chewbacca

Just like older people, who've been finding every loophole going and ignoring the rules.

I've not seen any evidence of 100s of older people crowding into clubs and bars, hugging each other and generally ignoring any social distancing. Did I miss that?“

Yes. You obviously gave Blackpool a miss. Shocking behaviour from people mostly late 30s and upwards.
Surprise, surprise, extra restrictions now in place.

My granddaughter only reached her university on Thursday for her course starting on Monday and was in lockdown a day later. Luckily the students are allowed into the grounds for fresh air and exercise. Some students are not so lucky and have to stay indoors. Her course could be learnt online.

My husband's friend, in his late 50s, is a fellow and lecturer/researcher at a university currently not in a lockdown area. He was told yesterday by the uni that under no circumstances should he come into the university campus because the students are not following the advice given.

cc It is probably time we re-assessed whether university is really the answer for many young people. So many jobs require them to have a degree, even if it is not really necessary.

I agree with you, people are being made to think that the only acceptable qualification is a university degree, and not everyone is cut out for that. Other paths into adult life are equally acceptable.

Doesn't mean that some people shouldn't be studying for the non-vocational degrees though

Marieeliz Shouldn't it (University) be to train for a future career?

Absoutely not. This idea that Universities were about training has been gaining ground since Tony Blair set the target of having 50% of young people going to university. There were plenty of places if you wanted "training"; Colleges of Tech in Scotland; Colleges of FE etc.

Universities were are for education, where you could study something that isn't vocational because it gives you a good education and a way of thinking about the world. There's value in studying history, Mandarin, whatever, that aren't about training for a career.

That should be how lovely.

Was in conversation with s parent at a car wash a week ago. She was getting son's car cleaned for him going back to Uni. She told me his lovely the Halls were? This student had a car and the Uni was 7 miles from his home and he was in Halls?

It seems large numbers of young people across the country were out last night partying, especially here in Bristol with no regard to social distancing or wearing face masks. Given that Bristol has a University right in the centre with masses of student accommodation I can only think that a large number of these young people were students. When they are put into lockdown they will be complaining, poor me, I am afraid I totally agree with Paddyanne on her comments and I might also add that it is the young not following the rules who are responsible for this second wave. They need to grow up.

Sorry, obvious spelling mistake "answer"

What is wrong with both? My OH went to study at UCH in the mid 60s- and it was certainly an experience. And same for our daughters in the early 90s. (different for me as I went as mature students in the early 80s - but even then, the youngsters I studied with certainly mixed the learning with the 'experience').

I'll probably be shouted down here, but perhaps it is time to question whether a non-vocational degree is worth the £9,000 in fees plus three years living expenses? I can absolutely understand why students love university life, but is three years of that lifestyle justifiable?
I speak as one who has had three children go to university. One dropped out very quickly saying it was a waste of time. She's now just as successful in her career as the others. One studied art and also has a supposedly vocational Masters degree but still struggles to make a living. One studied a more vocational degree in an area where he has never been able to get a job, though having a degree (in whatever subject) did enable him to sort out a career.
It is probably time we re-assessed whether university is really the anser for many young people. So many jobs require them to have a degree, even if it is not really necessary.
I'm very sceptical about whether three years of student life and a non-vocational degree actually improve the life skills and life chances of some of these young people.
I should probably add that I also dropped out of a degree when young, but went back to do something useful when I was older and knew what degree I needed.