DS/DD off to Uni? - Empty nest support thread

[rustybear]

DS is off to Warwick in October - anyone else feeling old? Or are there any old hands with advice ?

Ponders [Sad]. It's difficult for them isn't it - especially with books. You can't always guarantee things will be delivered by Royal Mail and these pick up places always seem to be on remote industrial estates.

yes, best, it was a book (a big fat one!) that wouldn't go through - not Royal Mail though, it was a courier

webwiz, DS is in a brand new block in a brand new village & there is no place for collections - the village has a social centre, but they won't take parcels.

By the front door in his block there is a standard-sized flap for each flat; but the flaps can be opened from the outside, & stuff inside the box could be nicked, it really isn't a good secure system

I mean really it shouldn't be so difficult for the uni to arrnage for them to have larger flaps fitted, which drop down into a large secure box, which has to be opened with a key from inside the building???

I put 2 advent calenders in the post yesterday- DS actually received his and rang me for the first time in a week! DD hasn't looked I don't think but Oxonians may be a bit snobby re calenders- perhaps she daren't mention it....

I think for DD2 all post goes to the accommodation office and they collect it from there - DD1 had a similar arrangement when she was in halls.

Its a pain to have to sort out things that can't be delivered.

funnyp I was going to send one to DS!

but then considered the logistics of his delivery system & thought it probably wouldn't fit through the flap

DD1 messaged me in a panic on facebook funnyperson because she hasn't seen any advent calendars anywhere. I'm not sure whether they don't go in for them that much in America or if its just that all the Thanksgiving stuff is around at the moment.

ponders awww- do the halls not have a reception/porters lodge?

why Advent Calenders? Once chocs were put behind each date - sorry no.

Yes webwiz they had Thanksgiving dinner in college hall -DD went- a bit like a harvest festival its a big thing in the US I've had cards sent me on facebook with Autumn leaves on and pictures of groaning tables.
I had to choose thin calenders so they wouldn't get too squashed. Postage was very reasonable. Odd, I'm thinking of sending two to my MIL and PIL, they sent them to our DC hen the DC were infants, I'm thinking they might like some now they are doddery.

when

harbinger that is an advent calender- a chocolate behind each date, no?

fraid not, funnyp - in his student village they're not halls, as such, at all - just small blocks of flats, with a locked front door.

DS1 didn't have this problem in his flat at Newcastle, afaik, nor did DD1 at Leeds (neither block had a porter, but there must have been an alternative)

DD2's block at Manchester did have a porter, but I never posted anything significant to her anyway, she used to pop home quite often

(btw DS2 is hoping now to move into one of the city centre blocks in January - maybe they have a porter... Sheffield was announced today to be THE University of the Year - hooray! - not for its postal reception system, obv)

I mean the ones with little presents in each pocket.....they don't cut it in our chocaholic household.

ponders in that case can't the postman just leave parcels outside the door?

S'hampton have reception area as DD2 has a very large delivery of 25M bubble wrap!

oh when my eldest were little I was an advent calendar purist - we only had the ones with a lovely little picture behind each number

then my MIL started getting the choccy ones & I was trampled in the stampede

that would be like leaving parcels on doorsteps in the street, funnyp

ideally there would be a parcel reception in the social centre - I don't see why they couldn't take stuff in (but they won't, it's made quite clear in all the bumf at the start)

DD1 has had much appreciated week off this week for thanksgiving - the semester started on Aug 22nd and she needed to be there a week earlier for international student orientation so I think she is flagging a bit. She wants to use the advent calendar to count down to coming home - I ordered one off Amazon.com to be delivered to her address so hopefully it won't be squashed.
DD2 has already bought her own when she did her last shop!

she's been there since mid-August? I bet she is flagging - I thought mid Sept was early!

I was the same Ponders but somehow chocolate ones made their way into the house and there was no turning back

Yes she flew out on August 12th!! I did go over and visit for a week in October but I think the Christmas holidays will involve lots of sleeping.

Bookmarking this!

My son went off to Uni - LUC - in August....

So far he's loving it! Both the social and the academic side....

I quite like the idea of presents each. I have never gone along with that.
Nor will I do. The idea of advent calenders was to see useless pics till the huge sweet at the end.

LUC = Leiden University College (in The Hague).