KCL SSA - anyone's DC finding it hard to make friends due to lockdown?

[dolphinpose]

DS is at KCL, living at SSA. All the societies he'd planned to join have been suspended. His flat has just two people in it and one lives at home most of the time so he has no bubble to mix with. He's getting frustrated at how hard it is to meet people.

Is anyone else hearing a similar story about life as a fresher at KCL? (Wondering if a fe of them could get together for SD walks, coffees, drinks etc so they don't get too isolated.)

[dolphinpose]

Is there really no other KCL parent on MN whose DC is feeling isolated due to tier two lockdown and empty flats?

[helpmum2003]

Maybe try posting on The Student Room forum?

Sorry your ds is having a tough time.

[dolphinpose]

Thank you for replying @helpmum2003. I though TSR was exclusively for students. He's cheered up a lot. Got invited to a couple of gatherings this week and has a departmental get together next week, and had dragged himself off to the gym for s few work outs, so his mood had lifted.

[helpmum2003]

I'm really pleased to hear that @dolphinpose. I hope you don't need it again but TSR will give you a better chance of finding info about specific courses/groups due to higher numbers of parents/students.

[hopelesschildren]

DC (in London) joined a footballclub not related to his uni

[MarchingFrogs]

DC (in London) joined a footballclub not related to his uni

It's one of my 'things' that students are actually also residents (even if only on a sort of boarding school basis) of the place where their university is located. So they get to do (or not, at the moment) all those things tha they can do, by virtue of being members of their university, that the general public can't join in with, but they also have free access to anything else out there that anyone else living in the area has free access to. Strangers, as they say, are only friends you haven't met yet. And if either universities are not actively facilitating even online social contact between students in the same year on the same course, or students are not making the effort to get involved, then why not look outside the box, so to speak?

Also, do other people's student DC not keep up during term-time with friends from home who have gone to other universities? Visiting may be difficult at the moment, but WhatsApp/ Instagram or whatever - ?

[dolphinpose]

@MarchingFrogs and @hopelesschildren - I agree about connecting with the city. He has already done that. He went to a photography workshop led by a well-known photographer and they all got on so well the photographer extended the session by an hour and they all went for pizza together and swapped phone numbers. And he's met up for drinks with some acquaintances who live in the city and had a good time. I know he tries his best. But he does want a sense of belonging to the uni and that comes, in part, from having friends there.

[Sharpkat]

Try the WIWIKAU page on Facebook. They also have a new web forum. It stands for What I wish I knew about University. Lots of these posts there and loads of support.