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Higher education

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

Original poster

Preparing for Uni in 2015

998 replies

circular · 22/06/2015 09:01

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!

OP posts:
Thread gallery
12
MrsBartlet · 06/09/2015 19:24

there not their - thankfully it is dd doing English not me!

bigbluebus · 06/09/2015 20:11

circular we have discovered there are about 5 Facebook pages for 2015 Freshers so have told him to 'Like' them all. He has a Uni e-mail account that they have sent him some info through but on-line registration doesn't open until 14th Sept so not sure he has a student log-in yet. The website did say they would be sent timetables by individual 'schools'. He also doesn't know his actual accommodation block/flat yet - just that he has the accomodation type of his choice in the student village. I may need to do some more digging - can't rely on DS Hmm

Decorhate · 06/09/2015 20:48

mrsrhodgilbert My dd's induction timetable is totally based on her subject area so presumably will be different for all the faculties. And perhaps is an indication of future workload!

Original poster
circular · 07/09/2015 08:12

The freshers FB pages get very confusing, I'm sure some are not 'official' and are just marketing events in the town aimed at freshers in general.

I think DD has one subject meeting the week before course officially starts. Maybe that's all the induction they need for music, along with meeting their individual performance tutors once assigned.

OP posts:
vodkaredbullgirl · 07/09/2015 08:30

My dd has only heard that she has a room in the hall of residence, nothing else has been sent to her saying whats shes doing and when. There are 2 days allocated to moving in but shes not been told which day yet and she suppose to start 17th .

bruffin · 07/09/2015 08:41

DS booked his moving in slot online

mrsrhodgilbert · 07/09/2015 09:23

Dd booked her moving in slot online too, but it took her and DH quite a while to find the correct place on the website to do it. We are finding the university website to be user unfriendly.

vodkaredbullgirl · 07/09/2015 09:30

Id best tell my dd to pull her finger out, everytime i any stufsk i get my head bitten off. She hasnt even started packing af up either.

Lancelottie · 07/09/2015 10:34

DS has packed nothing whatever yet (but he does have another 3 weeks).

We've just had yet another DSA letter (disability support) confirming that he is eligible for DSA and asking him to go for an assessment. That's the third identical letter since he went for the assessment, and the second since he reminded them that he's already been for the assessment... I think I'm going to need to get involved here.

stonecircle · 07/09/2015 11:16

DS has packed nothing yet either - and he goes on Saturday!

itmustbeglove · 07/09/2015 11:22

DS has packed nothing either & he goes on saturday too.

hellsbells99 · 07/09/2015 11:31

DD had another email last night regarding her accommodation so she has now been able to logon and book her arrival slot.

Original poster
circular · 07/09/2015 12:31

Nothing packed here either, except new stuff we've bought that I've packed away ready to load into car. Still nearly 2 weeks though. Reckon it will hit home more when some of her friends start going the weekend before.

OP posts:
Lancelottie · 07/09/2015 12:33

OK, seems I have wronged DS. He has packed:
his wetsuit
and a set of Terry Pratchetts.

Sorted.

MossAgate · 07/09/2015 13:32

DD has packed EVERYTHING but the kitchen sink. We may need the roof box.

hellsbells99 · 07/09/2015 13:44

Lancelottie Grin
DD has spent the last 2 days de-cluttering her wardrobe, drawers and bedroom! Should make packing easier Grin

Horsemad · 07/09/2015 15:14

Just got some boxes for DS to pack Smile he is adamant he is taking his desktop PC AND laptop Hmm and as far as he's concerned, they're the most important items! He won't care if the rest doesn't fit in Shock

vodkaredbullgirl · 07/09/2015 15:23

My daughter has just informed me that she has loads of emails reguarding uni sent to a g mail account she never knew she had.

mumslife · 07/09/2015 16:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Fairenuff · 07/09/2015 17:49

I unpacked dd's brand new bedding to give it a wash at the weekend (so it's softer and smells of home familiar) and there was a lot of packaging to recycle so I think we're going to unpack new items and sort the recycling this end, rather than filling her tiny room with cardboard and plastic.

Then we'll repack in large bags just to carry in and it will easier for her to unpack and get sorted fairly quickly.

LapsedPacifist · 07/09/2015 17:50

What Horsemad says Grin. Unfortunately DH secretly concurs. Hmm we are not Geek Central here, no, not at all.

Why can't DS just take a laptop? Because the PC is a SPESHULL Gaming PC. Which also requires a large monitor. They will need to be wrapped in many layers of silken quilts, fairy dust and unicorn horn shavings to prevent the Magic from leaking out on the journey (or something). We have had many interesting Hmm convos about how best to transport and reassemble The Technology. DS is also expressing anxiety about the quality of chair provided in his room for those all night gaming sessions.

Good thing DS won't be required to actually, y'know, read books on history or anything for the next year. Oh, wait...!

LapsedPacifist · 07/09/2015 18:11

There is 45% off everything discount code at allposters.co.uk ending today!

We spent yesterday looking at posters online and talked about how for most students, decorating and personalising their room equates to 'curating' their image or telling a story about themselves - both of which are quite alien concepts to him. DS purchased some great cityscapes (places he's lived in or visited) and some favourite video game and TV posters Smile.

Horsemad · 07/09/2015 18:17

Gaming PC here too Lapsed, along with TWO monitors Hmm I think he thinks we're paying a tonne of money for him to just and game 24/7. Oh wait, we probably are...

PUGaLUGS · 07/09/2015 18:25

No packing yet here either! Although I told DH not to put the suitcases away from last week as DS will need them, so they are ready and waiting to be packed...all new bedding washed .

Lapsed DS wants to take his iMac. We have said no. Reason for this is he definitely won't come out of his room as he will be gaming all the time. Sometime last year DH bought a new MacBook and put his old one away for DS to take to uni. DS says it gets hot Hmm so that's why he needs to take the iMac. DH says the MacBook never got hot when he used it . DH still said no.

Figmentofmyimagination · 07/09/2015 18:27

I've just bought a whole year's worth of shampoo and conditioner 3 for 2 at boots (all sizes and brands) and I'm tragically really excited about it. We have til October 11 (oxford), so taking it slowly.