Preparing for Uni in 2015

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Carrying on from yr13 thread, here thought we could share our ideas for Uni preparation.

All welcome, not just those in above thread. Would especially appreciate contributions from those who have 'been there'

Topics that spring to mind, and a few recent threads on them are :

What to take What to take , What NOT to take, Shared accommodation

Clearing out rooms

How much to contribute What does it cost, How much needed weekly, How much are you subbing

Budgeting, cooking, and other life skills to learn Easy recipes for teens

Leaving friends, family, boy/girlfriends behind

Us coping without them - noted series of 'Empty Nest' threads.

Hope all the links correct!

DH said there's no statutory obligation to have electrical items PAT tested, but companies do it to show they are 'responsible' re Health & Safety. He's not sure if organisations such as hospitals/unis etc can stipulate items MUST be done, but wouldn't be surprised if they can set their own rules.

Perhaps best to check with the accommodation services people and see if they'd accept it being done by AN Other. Most electricians should be able to do it I imagine (DH not an electrician, but did the course through work and now PAT tests his work equipment as one if his secondary duties).

I know it's been done to death on other threads, but how much will your dcs have to live on? We'll pay for DS's accommodation which leaves him the minimum loan (£3.5k or so) to live on which I guess works out at about £100 per week. I'm hoping that will be enough but he does have expensive food habits. He's quite health conscious and sporty so eats lots of protein and healthy stuff. He stir fries his own food most nights (since I've stopped cooking for him in an attempt to get him ready for uni!) As long as he has a wok and can afford a steady supply of chicken, beef, prawns, noodles and rice he'll be happy (I lived on cheesy pasta and brown rice when I was a student....).

Stone, we'll be doing the same as you, I think we'll see how it goes.

One thing though, DS was looking at all the societies that he might join & some of them are quite pricey. They could easily go through quite a walk in freshers week.

I bookmarked this thread a while ago
Some good ideas about finance and costs. It's tricky to get the right balance between penury and having more spare cash than their poor parents to splash on cocktails!

Yes, that's my worry Cathy - I want to get the balance right so he can live reasonably well but not so he has excess cash burning a hole in his pocket!

I think I read somewhere that their grant may not hit their accounts by the start of term so was planning on giving him some 'start up' cash and a bit extra for freshers' week.

Hooray I'm joining the smiley thread at last (after ds didn't think he'd get his grades, then did, then decided he didn't want to go to uni, then did). Hello happy mums

Anyone got dcs going to Manchester Uni? Have they heard about their halls? Ds hasn't heard about his accommodation and is getting anxious. (The accommodation website wouldn't let him on and in the end he had to get verbal confirmation from the accommodation office that his application had gone through.) Everybody he's talked to going to Manch hasn't got what they wanted.

How on earth do you start shopping plan without even knowing if you'll be catered or self catered?

The money went in last year a few days after enrollment my Dd needed some help with freshers but not for the entire fortnight.

Halls rent wasn't payable for a few weeks after freshers. There was one guy who spent all of it by the time rent came in. I'm sure your DCs are not like him, but make sure they understand the rent dates and amounts.

My DD only received the minimum loan. We paid rent. At the end of the year she had saved £1000. (but she isn't a clubber and didn't have many books to buy). Not sure is that's of any help or not! The almost all inclusive halls rents helps budgets once it's been covered.

Freshers is often very club based

And the drinks and taxis really can add up. Not sure what you can do there to be honest as you just have to trust them with their money.

Hello Haffdonga. DD is going to Manchester! She has had her accommodation confirmed and got her first choice. She is very excited but hasn't received her pack through the post yet. She has already 'connected' with a couple of people via Facebook who are also going. Fingers crossed for your DS.

Snap cath and stone - ds will have the minimum loan plus whatever he can make from his summer job. I'm not sure how I feel about the idea of him working during term time as frankly the fewer distractions the better!

I think he'll be ok - he's in catered halls as his domestic skills are sadly rubbish (not for want of trying) and if self-catering I think he'd live on peanut butter sandwiches, beef jerky, fruit and milk , and he's not usually a big drinker.

ISingSoprano, - missed your earlier post, sorry! I'm sure I'll be throwing some questions your way in the next couple of days!

What is your DS studying?

Hello Hellsbells DS hasn't got his accommodation but he did get his welcome pack on the doormat on results day itself. That made it all fell pretty real. .

DS will be on minimum loan so we are going to pay his rent and he can live off the rest, getting a job if he needs more. He has an overly indulgent grandma who will no doubt sub him if he pleads poverty, although we're going to tell her to buy him food if he says he's skint

We are planning to do it the other way around - she'll pay her accommodation from loan which leaves about 3p a month over, and we will give her money every month - is that a daft plan though?

Steamingnit, I think we will do similar although we are having to have to contribute towards the accommodation too as her loan won't cover it.

Another one off to Southampton! DS will be studying History and has been offered accommodation in Glen Eyre Halls.

We are going with him to Soton next Friday - he has a Special Needs (ASD) assessment for DSA to determine what extra help the university can provide, and will be attending the Transition Day.

BTW, does anyone know whether WTC and CTC count as parental income for Student Finance purposes? Our earned income for the qualifying year was v. low - low enough for DS to qualify for the maximum bursary entitlement from the university. If our Tax Credits for that year (which we are no longer entitled to) are included however, we will be about £200 over the threshold and DS will lose £1,500 in bursaries!

hellsbells where is yours going? Dd is London so loan is more and it just covers accommodation if she gets the halls she's asked for. But if it's full (which it might be, as it's the cheapest!) we might have to think again!

We are both taking DS, there's no way I'm not going

Dh and I will both be going (more hands to lug possessions) - the younger sibs are put out that it's a Monday as they would all like to come too! (Dd1 relieved ) But she is going to uni in the city in which dh works, so he'll just go to work afterwards I guess!

When we've subtracted rent from DD's loan she has £35 a week to live on! I saved some money when she was small and that will top her up a bit for first year. Also she will try to find a few hours' work and work holidays - but no guarantee. I'll be able to help out but not much - I'm really going to miss child benefit! Her useless fecker of a father now has a half decent job but says he has to pay off debts. It's scary financially but I guess we'll pull through.

Another loan thing: DD's loan was in place but she missed grades and has another place through clearing. When she changed the details online it said it could take 6 weeks - which is cutting it a bit fine! Anyone have previous experience of this?