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Coronavirus

Going (back) to university

(60 Posts)
MawB2 Sat 19-Sep-20 10:07:35

I might have hoped that our “more intelligent” teenagers - tomorrow’s professionals or captains of industry might have shown some basic common sense, but what I am reading and hearing these days makes my heart sink
www.thetimes.co.uk/article/film-night-or-fat-sesh-unrepentant-students-choose-to-party-on-jh6d95zg2?shareToken=0d566f9f71b3598df043e1f19951252d

A complete disregard for any sort of social distancing or face coverings, a complete disregard for regulations about socialising - just a selfish “Me, me, me, Party, party, party” attitude with scant regard for the law. Is this what they bleated about when their A levels were cancelled?
Fine. Let them infect each other if they feel immune, but stop them leaving their ivory towers to spread the virus to the rest of the population.
Their parents are not forking out thousands of £££ every year for them to party like there’s no tomorrow.
And no, I am not a grinch, I do appreciate youthful high spirits but the extreme selfishness of many (not to say their understanding of the primary rationale of a university education) saddens me.

winterwhite Sat 19-Sep-20 10:37:47

Well, I'm glad you told us you are not a grinch or we might not have realised.?.

EllanVannin Sat 19-Sep-20 10:43:13

Only just noticed this " entitled " society ?? It's not going to change.

EllanVannin Sat 19-Sep-20 10:45:53

This is the new generation of " anti's " and flat earths. grin ( with flat heads to match )

Kalu Sat 19-Sep-20 10:48:23

Our bright young things of today sadly appear to be nothing but a bunch of overprivelaged brats.

I do agree Maw, spread it amongst themselves as I would have no sympathy for any of them who contract the virus. Not a functioning brain cell between them it would seem given their total disregard to the consequences of the chance their actions could cause death for some outside their selfish circle. ??

MawB2 Sat 19-Sep-20 10:56:15

winterwhite

Well, I'm glad you told us you are not a grinch or we might not have realised.?.

gringrin] Have you read the article?
Comments like “Why come to university if you can’t have Freshers Week?” just made me so cross, they are going to be racking up massive debt, are less and less likely have a job to come out to, their parents are still supporting them and they are also not above preaching to the older generation about Saving the Planet or Racial Awareness. All the time they are showing themselves to be entirely selfish, entitled and totally irresponsible.
When you look at some of our current politicians you might discern where they got their attitudes from. hmm

merlotgran Sat 19-Sep-20 11:00:11

Not all teenagers are selfish irresponsible idiots. I feel sorry for the parents of those who have behaved sensibly during the easing of Lockdown but now will now worry about them and can only hope they will continue to be safe.

growstuff Sat 19-Sep-20 11:11:40

How do you know the article is representative of all freshers or even undergraduates?

I'll show this thread to my son, who is returning to university in a locked down area in a couple of weeks. I'm sure he'll be very grateful for all the advice and let you know what his reaction is (or not hmm).

growstuff Sat 19-Sep-20 11:13:27

All the time they are showing themselves to be entirely selfish, entitled and totally irresponsible.

Do you really think it's only one generation which is selfish, entitled and totally irresponsible?

Missfoodlove Sat 19-Sep-20 11:19:14

If any of my children were due to start university this year then I would implore them to defer a year.
We t is high risk, high cost and I doubt they will get the education they are paying for.

My two who went to uni here both got freshers flu.... imagine how C19 will spread, then of course they will try and get home to be cared for which is only natural.

A big NO from me.

MawB2 Sat 19-Sep-20 11:20:20

Of course they are not all totally selfish any more than our generation is totally racist/wasteful of the planets resources/Brexit voting/compulsive knitters.
But- and it is a big but- this is an example - there will surely be more.

growstuff Sat 19-Sep-20 11:25:38

Missfoodlove

If any of my children were due to start university this year then I would implore them to defer a year.
We t is high risk, high cost and I doubt they will get the education they are paying for.

My two who went to uni here both got freshers flu.... imagine how C19 will spread, then of course they will try and get home to be cared for which is only natural.

A big NO from me.

I talked about deferring with my son. He's already had a bad deal, as he's hardly had any face-to-face teaching since January. He's not very sociable and is fine with online lectures and spending his time reading, although I feel he's missing out on an important part of being away from home with like-minded people.

His paternal grandmother has paid for him to rent a self-contained one-bedroom flat, so that he doesn't have to share a household, so I'm not too concerned about his safety.

growstuff Sat 19-Sep-20 11:30:09

MawB2

Of course they are not all totally selfish any more than our generation is totally racist/wasteful of the planets resources/Brexit voting/compulsive knitters.
But- and it is a big but- this is an example - there will surely be more.

I'm sure there will be, as there most certainly are racist/wasteful of the planets resources/Brexit voting/compulsive knitting GNers.

What's the point of generational conflict?

Callistemon Sat 19-Sep-20 12:26:55

Mawb2 a friend phoned last week and said she was in despair at the attitude of her normally sensible granddaughter who has just gone off to university and is partying like mad.

Oopsadaisy4 Sat 19-Sep-20 12:29:40

They were interviewing some young people on TV this morning Regarding the bars closing at 10pm, they all just laughed and said that they would start drinking earlier in the day, or even at lunchtime.

Makes your heart sink doesn’t it.

Callistemon Sat 19-Sep-20 12:33:21

growstuff perhaps some of us old grouches might have hoped that they would have a re-think about Freshers Week under the circumstances, which had become just an excuse for binge drinking resulting in illness and death.

winterwhite Sat 19-Sep-20 12:39:28

Well said Growstuff about intergenerational conflict.

I'm not sure what you mean, OP, by 'there will surely be more'? What we're seeing is the boisterous reunion of the young who haven't seen their friends or had any certainty for 6 months. Isn't it just as likely to die down?

merlotgran Sat 19-Sep-20 12:39:59

I fear it will take a major outbreak amongst the young to change their attitude and even then it might not.

DH and I have often said that if Covid targeted children and young adults in the way Spanish 'flu' did, our age group would be beside ourselves with worry and do everything in our power to protect them.

Sadly it doesn't seem to work the other way round.

growstuff Sat 19-Sep-20 12:42:59

Hundreds of thousands of new students face the prospect of being locked down with people they don’t know, in towns and cities they’re unfamiliar with, far from their homes and support mechanisms and it seems nobody gives a damn about the mental health implications.

I'm appalled by some of the bigoted comments on here.

growstuff Sat 19-Sep-20 12:43:31

merlotgran

I fear it will take a major outbreak amongst the young to change their attitude and even then it might not.

DH and I have often said that if Covid targeted children and young adults in the way Spanish 'flu' did, our age group would be beside ourselves with worry and do everything in our power to protect them.

Sadly it doesn't seem to work the other way round.

Maybe their grannies could start by setting a good example.

Whitewavemark2 Sat 19-Sep-20 12:44:08

Universities are going to be just like the cruise liners. Massive Petri dishes.

We have 2 universities, 1 art college and various others in our city. At the moment we are better off than many other areas. Just watch it spiral out of control in October/November.

growstuff Sat 19-Sep-20 12:44:31

Oopsadaisy4

They were interviewing some young people on TV this morning Regarding the bars closing at 10pm, they all just laughed and said that they would start drinking earlier in the day, or even at lunchtime.

Makes your heart sink doesn’t it.

They'd probably get the same response if they'd interviewed old people.

Callistemon Sat 19-Sep-20 12:47:51

merlotgran

Not all teenagers are selfish irresponsible idiots. I feel sorry for the parents of those who have behaved sensibly during the easing of Lockdown but now will now worry about them and can only hope they will continue to be safe.

I agree, merlogran

Some posters are trying to bring inter-generational conflict into this.
I don't have anyone that age but I think I'd be worried sick about any young relative of mine partying and binge drinking until they lost all inhibitions, even more so at the present time.

Many of us went to university or college, have children who did and some may have grandchildren who do and the drinking culture has got far worse over the years.

merlotgran Sat 19-Sep-20 12:48:36

Maybe their grannies could start by setting a good example.

I don't know of one single granny who hasn't.

Galaxy Sat 19-Sep-20 12:51:29

Every single person on my street, all over 60 are ignoring social distancing. Without exception.