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!

mumslife, I was surprised when he came home from college last Oct and said he wanted to apply for uni.

Am hoping this will be the making of him, really I do. But yes, good idea about knowing where to access the support.

Oh pug, he will be fine! I'm quiet, and by chance there were 4 of us quiet ones on our corridor and we became great friends. Some of the other freshers thought we were mad when we said we wanted to study rather than party though!!

Our uni stuffy support workers were fantastic for me, I met them before I started and they were great at keeping me sane / a listening ear when uni life all got a bit much ;)

Hi pug - my ds2 is like your ds (completely different to mr extrovert ds1) - he's in Y10 so we've got a little while to go but at the moment can't imagine him going away to university (or ever coming out of his room if he did ...)

as the others have said he won't be the only ultra-quiet one there - and depending on his course he could be in the majority!

Thanks for your encouragement

basildon, yep I have got one that is the complete opposite too! It's all about the girls, hair, clothes and social life with DS2... he is nearly 16 going on 26. He does not want to go to uni though. He wants to get an apprenticeship and start earning money asap (he already works at the local pub as a pot washer).

DS1 is going to be doing Computer Science...

when we went to ds2's parents' evening the teachers were reasonably happy with him - he's very well-behaved and never gets into trouble but is also extremely quiet ... and then we got to his computer science teacher who couldn't speak highly enough of ds2 and told us he was gifted and that he was coming up with solutions to problems that the A-level students were struggling with ... if anyone had asked me to put money on which subject ds2 would be gifted in I'd have said comp science

your ds will definitely not be the only one like him ...

PUG! My DS is identical to yours re personality and he's hoping to study Comp Sci in Sept It was so funny going to Comp Sci open days and seeing how geeky and alike they all were

MummySparkle, brilliant tip re washing up!

Horsemad

My second child is also very quiet. At the moment I can't imagine him leaving home! Also a possible Computer Science applicant!

When we went out for a meal to celebrate DS1's GCSE results, he stayed home!

mumslife I think it's a form hc11. you can download a copy from NHS website. they are free without the form until 19 the birthday.[s
We didn't do it for DS because I think the money we give him would be treated as income. Nit sure about that though.

Yes that's right. DS got his last free dental check a week before his 19 the birthday.

Just read on the BBC website:

'Student maintenance grants to be replaced by loans from 2016-2017, to be paid back once people earn more than £21,000 a year.'

Maintenance loan to increase to £8200.

mmslife it looks like those entitled to grants will be worse off, as may (future income dependent) have to payt hem back, but would not have previously.

mumslife this explains a bit more.

The thresholds at which the higher amounts can be borrowed have not yet been announced. Nor the minimum amount loan for higher income households. So not clear whether they can actually borrow more than current system and/or have more each year to live on than loan and grant combined.

Also, seems to say that only students from 2016/17 affected. So would that mean ours that start in 2015/16 are with the old rules right through?
Or will the new rules kick in from year 2?