Thread 31 Covid Cohort - Hopping through Easter and Revision

[OrangeCinnamonCroissant]

This is a thread for supporting all young people post GCSEs 2020, regardless of their educational setting. It is respectfully requested that all are supportive and helpful to each other. If you want to start a debate, e.g state vs private, please don't within this thread. Please also be sensitive when responding to threads about grades.

Some of us have been here since first thread back in yr10, some will be new. Everyone has been friendly and helpful in the past. Everyone is welcome. It is hoped this will continue.

Our DS/DD may go down various paths (such as employment, apprenticeships, higher ed) We have decided for anyone interested they will most likely find us within the Further Ed board.

previous Thread 30

I've made this one a little bit earlier as things are so busy, at home and on thread, so please feel free to use up previous thread first

Ouch at "big cracking noise" 😯
That doesn't sound like much fun.

DS will need new bedding if he gets in to Nottingham as the bed is a different size. Plus kitchen stuff and bits and bobs like a dressing gown (may not want to wander about in a towel as he does at home), ethernet cable, clothes horse, the all important door wedge, laundry bag, bedside light as I don't think they have them, just little things really. I have a rug saved to my wish list but I think he will turn that down and definitely won't want cushions or fairy lights. Probably going to buy cheap new (or charity shop) kitchen stuff as ours is all too good for the likes of him and we don't have a lot to spare. Hopefully he will hook up with his flat mates in advance and agree who brings what. Stationery I guess? Toiletries and cleaning stuff. Thermometer and pulse oximeter for when covid strikes. And he will need to augment his wardrobe as he doesn't have that many clothes.

Sorry, I didn't mean to post twice. It told me it hadn't posted. So I pressed it again.

@crazycrofter we had a car full for ds1. We took plastic storage crates for under the bed. I put long life food in them, like pasta, rice etc. I am glad we took them as there was little storage in the kitchen. We took a laundry basket, bedding, bedside lamp, bedside clock, pots, pans, cutlery etc. spare towels, obviously clothes, washing powder, several months worth of shower gel/shampoo so Ds didn't have to buy, also a desktop fan. I'm sure we had lots of other things too. Then when we arrived there was no bedside table, so I had to and buy one. There were lots of photos on the WIWIKAU page of people setting off to university in sept with a much fuller car than ours was.

Ok, so apart from a clothes horse maybe and somewhere to put dirty laundry, I reckon she’s got everything else (as she’ll be in catered) - bedding, lamp, stationery, cushions etc, so hopefully we won’t need to spend too much! She needs some new clothes but she buys her own clothes with her allowance so that won’t affect me. And I’m sure she’ll be doing lots of charity shop shopping once she’s there.

She wants us all to drop her off so we’ll only have boot space (small car)!

Maybe we’ll do her a big ‘snacks’ shop at Aldi once we’re there and pick up shampoo etc too.

@heifer dd also only ever leaves the house looking nice (apart from for sleepovers at her best friend’s) but thinks she’ll be wanting lots of joggers and leggings for uni!?

It will be interesting to compare car boots if people are happy to post a pic on the day of departure!
(Honestly, what this process has reduced me to - car boots - interesting - I swear I used to have a life 🤦‍♀️)

It will be interesting to compare car boots if people are happy to post a pic on the day of departure!
(Honestly, what this process has reduced me to - car boots - interesting - I swear I used to have a life 🤦‍♀️)

That's lovely though, that she wants you all there to drop her off.

Stupid bloody app - keeps telling me it hasn't posted when it has

Yes, my boyfriends car was jam packed - the telly took up a lot of it though!

We got new bedding (duvet, pillows and all the sheets, coverings x 2) as we didn't have Spares at home for when he was home during the holidays. Extra blanket and cushion for desk chair.
Kitchen stuff took up a fair bit of room, as did a supply of store cupboard food, toiletries etc.
Monitor to connect his laptop to.
Clothes took up space - suitcase for the basics, but several coats and lots of shoes extra. I don't know how many pairs of pants- didn't want to be washing every week 😆

I'm guilty of buying a bit of stuff in advance, I couldn't help it, I got over excited. 😂
It bit me on the backside though as the new sheets and mattress topper I bought for the anticipated probably uncomfortable and a bit manky 3/4 bed are no longer required due to room allocation. Oops.

You don't need 3/4 bed sheets do you?? 😂

Sorry, that was meant to be replying to @singingstones comment DS will need new bedding if he gets in to Nottingham as the bed is a different size.

So today DS has been told he has to do his EPQ presentation. On Wednesday.

Haha Just, if he gets into Nottingham I will need 3/4 sheets, yes!

@singingstones I'll hang on to them for you! 😉

@Piggywaspushed blimey, that's short notice! is he prepared?

@singingstones I'm glad it wasn't just me posting twice.

@crazycrofter I forgot clothes horse and stationary. Ds1 has also taken his pc now. He has a fiesta and I'm fairly sure everything has added over the 3 years won't fit in his car in one trip. He is only 40 mins away though, so can make 2 journeys. If he couldn't drive to his second year house he wouldn't have taken his pc.

Please do, Just!

I just did a little cash flow spreadsheet for DS (yes I am supposed to be writing an essay due in tomorrow, hence all the time on here and ridiculous faffing about) - with the student loan dates and accommodation payment dates, plus imaginary weekly living expenses etc. He would be down to his last £100 at times, just before the next loan payment arrives, but is then left with over £1000 in mid July, that's a bit annoying, that the loan is spread through the calendar year instead of the academic year. I guess it suits some people better that way though.

How much are you assuming they need per week if they are in catered halls. we're having a bit of a debate here, DH wants to throw money at him, I don't. I'm such a meany but he needs to learn to budget.

I’ve told DS I will top up to maximum loan. He has therefore worked out how much he will have leftover vs the cost of each type of hall & that’s been part of his decision making on which hall to apply to.

I think it’s important he works out how he wants to allocate his ££.

Nope!

They haven't even told them what to do!

OK that's interesting. that would work out at around £52/week based on 39 weeks for DS. Does he need £52? I suppose that would include travel as well as snacks and some beer plus maybe a takeaway. Money doesn't go far does it!

@Piggywaspushed well that's nonsense then! DS had to preapare a power point and speech, also had put some music into it (it was about music) and it took him a while to get it all right with practice runs at home too. Really unfair that this has been sprung on your DS.

DS is self catering and I put in £100 pw, I think that's more than he will need, but I was guessing £40 groceries, £20-£30 nights out/beer/the odd takeaway, the rest trains home or to visit friends every now and then, books, stationery, laundry, clothes. In reality he will probably spend about £50 and save the rest, he's quite frugal. One thing I didn't include was a deposit on accommodation for the second year, he will probably have to borrow that from us and pay us back in the summer.

He is lucky to get full maintenance loan/grant as we are in Wales so plenty to play with really and it seemed to make sense to borrow the maximum even though he may not need it all. If we were subsidising him I reckon he could manage on something like £60 pw including £30 for food. Maybe with a bit of help with train fares home. Disclaimer: I might be way out, never done this before...

Are all meals included in catered accommodation, or do they need to buy their own lunches or whatever?

@singingstones If you are in England, the dates given for student finance at the moment are for the payment if fees direct to the uni. They don't know the payment dates for maintenance loan until their place is confirmed. They then actual have to enrol at the uni for payment to be issued so it won't be there for day 1, but usually soon after. My DS usually has his money in fairly equal amounts very near the beginning of his term starts.

Ah I'm in Wales so we already have the payment schedule for the maintenance loan, although it does give a range of 5 days for the first payment, it says it takes 3-4 days once the uni has confirmed his attendance so hopefully in the first week. The other two payments are scheduled for the first day of the remaining terms.

Makes me sad to read all your posts. Ds1 had been so incredibly. Ike to me since I bought him back from Nottingham visit.

He won't engage in talk of buying anything, dressing gown, photo holders, anything.