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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

She's off to uni in a few weeks - what does she really need to take?

163 replies

oldenoughtowearpurple · 19/08/2011 08:52

So DD is off to self-catered uni accommodation for her first year. The accommodation is downright palatial - ensuite, new-build flats for 4-6 mixed sex sharers (not like it was in MY day, I can tell you).

What does she really need to take with her? all hints and tips gratefully received.

OP posts:
rattie77 · 08/09/2011 22:25

Ponders,
My DS is going to Sheffield uni too - Endcliffe Village, self catering. I noticed you said that certain things are provided - how did you find out?. We are compiling a list now and I assumed we would have to take everything. DD went to Sheffield 5 years ago but was in halls (catered) so slightly different.

webwiz · 08/09/2011 22:32

Yes I know MOS I feel ancient now that DD1 is 20!

I didn't feel emotional saying goodbye to DD1 but the house felt very strange without her and we all had to get used to things being quieter. When DD2 goes it won't be the noise that is really noticeable it will be the lack of mess. She trails her stuff all over everywhere and drives me mad!

DD1 took loads of stuff with her and then after each holiday took more back so that by the end of the year we had to do some sort of tetris thing to get it all in the car. She is transformed this year as she has gone to America for 10 months with one small suitcase, a laptop and a rucksack.

ggirl · 08/09/2011 22:45

ooh ponders and rattle dd is also going to sheffield , endcliffe self catering

are you going up next saturday as well?

good to know there will be assistance parking

will also have ds(8) to help us carry stuff

we've been given 3pm as time to arrive ,travelling from south coast so good thing really

Ponders · 08/09/2011 22:53

DS2 wanted Endcliffe, but got Ranmoor - it's pretty similar I think but the village is quite a bit smaller. He asked for shared bathroom, but there are only a few hundred rooms like that & he didn't get one - so that's an extra £30 a week Hmm

rattie, I found a page linked off The Student Room that listed all the kitchen facilities. I'll see if I can find it again Smile

we are going on Sunday (that's when his contract starts) so we won't be bumping into each other Sad

ggirl · 08/09/2011 23:02

tbh I am looking forward to sleeping all night long without being woken up by dd coming home at 4 in the am.

Ponders · 08/09/2011 23:05

\link{http://accommodation.dept.shef.ac.uk/downloads/self-catering/RAM.pdf\this is the pdf that lists what's provided at Ranmoor}

I would imagine Endcliffe is the same

Ponders · 08/09/2011 23:07

DS2 wakes me up even when he hasn't gone out, by pounding along the landing & up & down the stairs between midnight & about 3am, so I know exactly what you mean, ggirl Grin

ajandjjmum · 09/09/2011 14:01

Sheffield Mums
When we took DS to Sheffield last year, we found that Endcliffe was really organised. We got there for the earliest slot available, collected keys, drove around and unloaded (no time pressure) and then parked the car in some allocated bays at the edge of the village. And I held it together until DS walked us to the car to say goodbye!

As an aside, it was our Silver Wedding the weekend that we took DS to uni, and the DC had arranged a surprise party. So after all of our tearful farewells, DS had to smartly get himself back home by train for this long-planned party!

Ponders · 09/09/2011 15:26

So after all of our tearful farewells, DS had to smartly get himself back home by train for this long-planned party!

awwwwwwwwwwwww! without letting on? how lovely - that's brought a tear to my eye Smile

But what on earth did you say to him when he appeared? & how did he get back to Sheffield? Did you have to take him again?

Thanks for the unloading inf, ajandjj, that's really helpful (& encouraging!)

ggirl · 09/09/2011 15:36

thanks ajandj , good to know.

ds and I have booked into a hotel in Sheffield for the saturday night , will drive back on sunday , he's very excited about it.

ajandjjmum · 09/09/2011 19:48

Ponders
I spent the first five minutes of the shock of walking into my house full of people saying 'What a shame DS had to go today, how sad he's not here', only for him to wander downstairs! A second lots of tears then. I took him back the following day (just over 2 hours so not so bad!), and shed not a tear. As I said to him, he'd probably be waiting for me at home by the time I got back.

Sheffield seems to be a lovely, friendly uni. They just need a bit of time to get into it all though. Second year this year, and tbh, we've hardly given a thought to him going back yet - bit different to the stress last year.

Ponders · 09/09/2011 21:16

he'd probably be waiting for me at home by the time I got back

indeed Grin

is he going into a shared house this year or back into halls? (They seem to be very keen on keeping people in halls!)

If it's shared house, is he with last year's flatmates, & how early did they start looking?

dreamingofsun · 09/09/2011 21:28

i'm jealous of you all. after waiting several weeks my son's just been told he hasn't got into a hall at swansea uni and he has to find his own accommodation by making friends on facebook and then travelling up on wed/thurs and arrange viewings of houses. this is stressing him out big time - as he says how can you tell what someone's like during a couple of chats on facebook. not the start i wanted for him. thanks swansea. any advice welcome

Ponders · 09/09/2011 21:34

oh that's rubbish, dreaming Sad

I know they all say they "can't guarantee" accommodation in hall for the 1st year but surely they can do better than that. doesn't Swansea have an accommodation advice office which can put them together?

ajandjjmum · 09/09/2011 21:38

That's dreadful dreaming - hope he can get something sorted soon. Have you tried spareroom.com?

Ponders - he's going into a shared house. They were not particularly quick off the mark, and booked it last November (!!) - he went up in the week and it obviously a lot more grotty than he remembered. Unfortunately the people in his flat had different plans at the beginning of the year, so he's just sharing with one of them and a group of others. Shame really, as they became a strong group towards the end of the year. They are intending to look very early this year for the house for next - talk about wishing your life away! Grin

I wasn't aware that staying in halls was an option - might have been better tbh.

dreamingofsun · 09/09/2011 21:55

they've been told to make friends on facebook and then go up on wed (uni puts on free overnight accommodation - no doubt in a hall) and then view properties on wed/thurs. I'm torn between sticking my oar in and complaining or allowing him to get on with things now he's an adult. its a 3.5 hour journey which doesn't help.

ponders - yes they have an accommodation advice office and this is the help they have given. but as we all know leaving home is quite daunting anyway and i was hoping he could go into a hall.

i think i will email office and complain.

dreamingofsun · 09/09/2011 22:07

i've emailed them complaining and asking them to reconsider. will report back on what happens. their website weaves such a nice picture of more or less everyone getting uni accommodation in first year

Ponders · 09/09/2011 22:41

well fwiw, in terms of matching personalities/interests, IME halls are completely random, so he's not losing out from that point of view.

but I do think the uni should be organising the off-campus housing for them now that's necessary, & allocating students in the same way they do with halls - not expecting the students to tramp round empty houses with people they've never met before & make knee-jerk decisions when they don't even know the city.

I would be furious, dreaming Angry

duchesse · 10/09/2011 00:45

dreamingofsun, our DC are in the same boat at Swansea!! I am immensely upset about him not getting into halls and was about to come on here to ask if anybody had any experience of living "out" in their first year. Maybe we should get our sons together so to speak- I am REALLY worried about him not socialising as much as he would have in halls. Will PM you.

duchesse · 10/09/2011 00:52

And fwiw Ponders I AM bloody furious and suspect that dreaming is too. We only found out at 8pm today.

Northernlurker · 10/09/2011 01:07

I think some universities have made a complete pig's ear of housing. I've had an email from my old one asking if we would offer a new student a room! Apparently it's a contingency arrangement Hmm. They kindly offered us the chance to rent the room or give it rent free! Nothing about checking out if we are fit and proper persons to be hosting an 18yr old....

duchesse · 10/09/2011 01:12

I'm still wondering if my son wouldn't be better off taking a year out and retaking his A levels. His whole year at university is going to be bedlam for the duration- a huge year. Next year should be nice and quiet...

Northern, that is a truly shite arrangement. Why the heck would you want to play host to an 18 yo you've never met? Hmm And for free Hmm Hmm?

Northernlurker · 10/09/2011 01:21

Duchesse - yes I agree! Tis typical of the university's view of the alumni though - they see us as a big cash cow. As we had dd1 in my last year and so only have 5 years before she is off to uni (GULP) they have no chance with us!

dreamingofsun · 10/09/2011 14:28

lodging with families was the standard when i went to poly and it looked really grim even if they were a nice family. i was lucky and did a house share that was great fun. but its more risky - i was lucky and got on with my housemates, but whose to say you don't have someone on drugs/a thief/pervert (prob ought to stop there before i get too alarmed) living with you - obviously hard to spot them via facebook!

quote from swansea university website ref accommodation 'We house around 98% of new first year undergraduates'. wonder if this is a bit fact lie or if my son was just very unlucky?!

funnyperson · 10/09/2011 14:32

You could charge between £85 and £200 pw judging by some of the posts on this thread
I'm keeping Ds room empty in case he comes back. I think he is going to be exhausted by the whole house sharing thing before term even starts.

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