Results Day and UCAS

[MotherOfGirls]

Eldest DD is expecting A level results on 15th so this is my first experience of UCAS. She seems to think her results will go to UCAS before they are emailed to her by her school, and so she will find out if she has made her offer by checking her UCAS account. She also thinks this happens at midnight. Can anyone confirm any of this, please?

[mumeeee]

Sorry eatyourveg I meant your DS not DD

[eatyourveg]

Didn't get a place in hall as they are oversubscribed (looking on TSR there are loads in the same boat - think its down to the uni going overboard with the ABB thing) and is reluctant to advertise himself online for a flatshare so unless something magics itself out of thin air he will probably commute up to London (40mins) for the first couple of weeks until he meets people and will then look for a room. Not ideal so meanwhile I am searching University of London intercollegiate halls but they are mega expensive.

He is desperately shy and hopeless at making the first move but once someone talks to him he's absolutely fine. He does some sort of pre-enrolment online and then picks up his student card once he's there. Not sure when that is. freshers week seems to be comedy nights, film club, tours of campus and London or bingo, He's more a sit in a pub with a pint of Guinness discussing Ulysees or Beat generation poetry type.

I've told him if he is at home for the first week or two he will need to amend his sfe application which will reduce his loan! Pulling my hair out slowly but its him going not me.

[chemenger]

I think for very shy students there is a lot to be said for doing stuff at the same time as everybody else. After freshers' week he may well find that picking up his student card is less straightforward because the special systems set up for this are dismantled and the staff go back to their offices, for example. Other people will have been on the library and campus tours and figured out where their lectures and and will have found people to tag along with. When our freshers come for their induction we literally force them to speak to each other so they know at least a couple of classmates to say hello to.
Its very likely that he will soon get specific "joining instructions" for his course rather than the freshers week social stuff he has, in which case he can go in for those events. Then I bet he finds some like minded people to get things rolling. If there is a societies fair where freshers sign up that is another important event - that's when he'll find the English literature society, who probably don't spend freshers' week in quite the same way as the rugby club!

[mumeeee]

DD3 did enrollment online but the process has to be finished at uni and the student loan doesn't get put into their bank accounts until the university has confirmed that the student has completed the enrollment and has actually been on campus.

[eatyourveg]

Thanks chemenger he is definitely not a rugby club type though does sometimes say he is envious of their ability to pull the girls. Will keep encouraging him to look for a place sooner rather than later

[zizza]

Bit late joining in with this thread, but wanted to say how relieved and happy I was last week when dd found out she was off to her first choice (Nottingham vet school) with much better results than she was expecting (3 As - one was her EPQ - and an A). Lots (well, several....) at her college were reported as having 5 or 6 As, but I'm so glad she only took 3. She didn't need the others and it meant she could concentrate on the important ones. It's a long, complicated process getting into vet school and I'm so glad she didn't have to go through it all again this year!

Off on a shopping trip tomorrow. Had to laugh at the long list on TSR but at least it gave us some food for thought. She's in catered halls this year so won't need much kitchen stuff and I like the idea of taking some of our stuff and us buying new instead! :-)

Have fun getting ready everyone - I'll be doing it all again next year with youngest ds (eldest went to dance school - a whole other set of challenges!!)

[MABS]

well done to her zizza

[Merrylegs]

eatyourveg, my DS is also struggling to find a place in halls in London. He says he's going to the uni office today to try and get some more info, but how proactive he will be is anyone's guess. Like your DS he is baulking at fresher's week as he is also rather circumspect and finds it hard to make the first move. Perhaps we should set them up on a shy student speed date?!

[BaronessTeapot]

Is there anybody else that will give a big sigh of relief once they have finally gone?

I have DS1 going back for his final year and DS2 starting his first.

They both need DH to drive them with all of their stuff but wanted to go the same weekend and are at opposite ends of the country.

I don't intend buying DS1 any new stuff as he was on a work placement last year and has had £££'s which he frittered away over the summer "because he needed a break". So far he has bought a lava lamp to go back with!.

DS2 suffers panic attacks and anxiety and is just about heading for a meltdown. He is saying he definitely wants to go to university but I can see him struggling.

My nerves are in tatters.

[zizza]

Thanks MABS :-)
The uni have been sending her loads of stuff to read, forms to fill in etc so she's being kept busy! Oh, and had a hand-written card congratulating her in her results and signed by the admissions team and lead tutors! They've been good like that all along, with the occasional postcard, fridge magnet for the offer etc.

Baroness I feel for you - I can see you'll be looking forward to October. Hope your DS2 settles in ok

[zizza]

Thanks MABS :-)
The uni have been sending her loads of stuff to read, forms to fill in etc so she's being kept busy! Oh, and had a hand-written card congratulating her in her results and signed by the admissions team and lead tutors! They've been good like that all along, with the occasional postcard, fridge magnet for the offer etc.

Baroness I feel for you - I can see you'll be looking forward to October. Hope your DS2 settles in ok

[zizza]

Sorry - phone's posted twice!

[ijustwanttobeme]

mother of girls&-DD is in Mason- single sex and self catered. There are Facebook pages apparently, so that the 5/6 students in each 'flat', can decide between the as to who buys the toaster, kettle etc.

I read that 225 places, with nearly 1600 applicants. DD absolutely made up, as last student survey fwiw, stated it's the top uni for Sports Science now.

DD has most housey things now- except cooking utensils- a trip to Wilkos in the offing, but ran out of steam with it a bit. Plus she's been working. She's taking new bedding but her own covers etc, make it more homely for her iykwim. Plus she's bought most of Rymans....She was advised there are shops in Birmingham, but I think it's just an extension of loving a bit of pencil case shopping from Yrs 2-13 :)

What I really want to know and if anyone can help, I'd be so grateful; is does DD have to buy all the books on the reading list? If not, how do you know which ones to get?

Sorry if this has been covered already.

[MissMarplesBloomers]

Ijust DD was advised not to buy any books till seh got there. Often the previous year flog them off cheap, the libraries have copies of all course books & then when you get started your tutor can tell you which ones are vital & which are nice to have if you can afford them .

[ijustwanttobeme]

MissMarOh ok, thanks.

[ijustwanttobeme]

Out of curiosity, when are your DC's off to Uni?

DD is going up on the weekend of 21/9. I had in my head that she'd be around till mid Oct, so it came as a bit of a surprise.

Is that about the same across the board? On that weekend, will the motorways be heaving with cars, carrying aforementioned DCs, heavily laden with duvets, pots and pans, student cook book etc.?

[MissMarplesBloomers]

We're off on the 29th , I suspect there will be similarly laden cars from mid Sept!! [ grin]


DD2 has said she now wants to come too so she may be sitting on a box with a duvet on her lap. Good way to keep DD1's packing to a minimum!!

[goinggetstough]

24th for us!

[MABS]

14 sept here

[MissMarplesBloomers]

Wow MABS that's early !

We expect feedback on anything you found made life easier/wished you'd known!!

[mumeeee]

DD3 is also going on September 14th. Her enrollment session is Sunday 15th which is a bit odd as that's the moving in weekend.

[JGBMum]

We go on the weekend of 28/29 too. Luckily for DS the university provide all the books for their first year free of charge, plus lab coats and other essential safety equipment, eg boots.

[MissMarplesBloomers]

Are you Saturday or Sunday JGB?

We've been asked to go on the Sunday as they're splitting the alphabet to ease the congestion, quite wisely!

Very jealous of your DS getting all books provided!!

Has he had his welcome pack yet ? DD got hers the day after we "spoke" about it!

Still waiting for the accomodation confirmation though which is a bit worrying but I guess as long as she has somewhere in 5 weeks time (eek) it'll be OK!!

[RustyBear]

I seem to remember when we took DS to Warwick we went on Sunday too -we got a car park pass for a particular section of the car park, only valid for that day.

[JGBMum]

Miss Marple - I'ts supposed to be Sunday for us too, but we are hoping to switch to Saturday as DH is in London on the Sunday so it would be pretty awkward logistically.

And yes, snap, welcome pack arrived the next day. DS has a part time job and has been working every day so I don't think he's completed any of the registration tasks yet.