Preparing for Uni in 2015 continues...

[Chillywhippet]

New thread

Old one here with loads of info

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/2408327-Preparing-for-Uni-in-2015

Savage I think I would pay her myself for the hours worked (about £60?) and tell her not to go back. Horrible, horrible people, taking advantage of a vulnerable young woman

Dd skyped again last night. She seemed to want some company and did talk about coming home for a visit when she can fit it in. Think she is starting to miss us but she's ok and looking forward to lectures starting tomorrow.

Emsie glad you DD has been in touch, hopefully she will call for that chat on Monday.

Savage that is awful, some of these large chains treat their staff appallingly, especially young staff.

DS once did a 5 hour shift on a busy Friday night in a pub kitchen only to be told they had no intention of paying him as they were trying different people out . They did eventually give him £20 (5 days later) after he pushed it but didn't go back to work for them.

Savage that is so unfair. Hope it gets sorted.

We got back very late last night after dropping DS off. He was expecting temporary accommodation waiting to see if anything became available in his chosen halls. Very pleased to say he did get a room, albeit in the older block where he doesn't even have a sink in his room, but it is newly decorated and has new furniture and carpet. No curtains or chair yet but they said they would sort it. Sharing shower, toilet and kitchen with 4 others (we met 3 of them briefly). He was very happy despite the drawbacks which I think concern us more than him. His school mate was also expecting temporary accommodation and is in halls half a mile away; DS is ok with this as he says they will both have to make new friends. His friend is less happy, unfortunately.

Had a text from him this morning saying his flat mates are really nice, the view from the room is nice but the lack of curtains is a problem. Told him to remind them to get it sorted. He says he will ring us later.

I'm trying to keep busy and have had a little cry but am ok atm.

LAUNDRY my daughter has a laundry room in her accomodation block £2.50 for a wash (takes large load and spins really well) then £1 for tumble (45 mins) - does make me laugh when they say it's expensive - that's less than a takeaway or a drink in a club!!!

Had 1st Skype chat with DS at lunchtime (initiated by me not him). Connection wasn't brilliant at his end - he says Wifi in room isn't great. He seems to be doing ok. Said he went out around the city with some guys from his course yesterday - his course doesn't officially start until tomorrow but they've had a couple of ice-breaker sessions. Has a Uni dinner tonight - so we joked that he might actually get some vegetables for the 1st time since he left home .
We booked flights and a hotel last night so we can go and visit him mid Nov so he's put it on his calendar to make sure he's available for us to take him out for a meal or two

He claims to have done some washing and ironing in the laundry room and that he wasn't the only person ironing . Wonder how long that will last!

My DS hasn't done any washing yet, but he too reckons it's expensive Welcome to the real world, my love!!

DD is collecting up all her laundry til she has a big load...I made the mistake of sending her with colour catchers, so she will just chuck everything in together Im sure.....

DD not done washing yet either. Went for a sneaky look to suss machines, but says to busy to see much, except they are huge. Think it's about £2.50 a wash also. Doubt she will separate, as most clothes dark. Has colour catcher seers, but not sure if she will risk lighter clothes, has no whites. Think bigger problem is 'delicates' as not sure machine does cooler wash.

DS's clothes are all sludge colours anyway, so doubt anything will run!

We visited dd today and took her out for lunch, she hasn't seen a vegetable all week so was pleased to get a Sunday lunch. She's fine and it was lovely to see her for a couple of hours. We showed her where Waterstones is and she chose some shoes for her birthday in a coupe of weeks. Her sister is visiting on Friday.

After a four day break for my DM's funeral I just dropped DD back at uni, and installed mattress topper! Bed was appalling, but now quite comfy. We had a celebration of mum's life after private cremation and it was lovely.
Lectures start tomorrow, hope she's going to keep on top of the work... Housemates were baking and gave me a bun. Seemed pleased to have her back. So now it's for real. Not sure if sad or relieved

Cooroo - glad your mum's funeral was a celebration of her life. Was your dd ok with going back to uni?

Dd is going next week and she is building herself up into a great state of anxiety. She keeps crying as she doesn't want to leave home and is worried about being homesick and missing us. She really needs to go now - I can't bear it. She seems to have forgotten that she spent the last 4 years longing to go to Cambridge and now she is getting to do it, she doesn't want to go

It's difficult isn't it mrsbartlet. Mine went back into her second year and it was in some ways worse. She went yesterday. Today I hear things aren't going well.

Sympathies MrsB. I think my daughter found yesterday a bit tricky. She is/was missing her friends - who have with very few exceptions gone off - and felt left behind and bored. with the company of her aged parents. Today she seems more resolute. The carpet of her room - buried for years - have emerged as she begins an epic clothes sort out. Plus she's planned to see one or two of the people she knows who are still around.

I'm impressed with what I've heard about the ways in which my daughter's institution is linking her up with other students etc etc, and the information which has come through.

Dropped dd off and she is very happy. She loves her flat, really gets on with her new flatmates, is in an amazing city and she is full of plans. We are home after hours and hours in the car.

DS is bored. We dropped DD2 off yesterday in Leicester. It was all very low key as she's in a postgraduate accommodation block. She is very young looking and will probably be mistaken for a first year at some point

Now we just have DS who is on a countdown till next Sunday. I have had to tell him off for being spectacularly rude to me this afternoon (very out of character). I think he just needs to go now!

Laundry - ds has amazed me by telling me he has bought an ironing board! When I asked him if there weren't any ironing boards in the hall laundry room he told me he hadn't actually looked. plonker

So he's happily spending his student loan on beer some items, but on Friday he sent me a book list of the 3 main textbooks he'll need for this year totalling nearly £150 . It appears he seems to think that I will be buying these for him. He clearly hasn't quite got to grips with the concept of budgeting for himself out of his student loan (plus generous parental top up).

I suggested he looked in the library.

Cooroo

Well tomorrow is the start of a hard slog for dd, she tells me she doesnt start till 12.30pm she has had loads to read so far. She is planning of coming home this wkend on the train but wants me to take her back. Means that i can give her more things to take with her, stuff we couldnt fit in the car.

Sorry to hear that Headofthehive55. How was her first year? Is she living with different people this year?

Marianne - dd has also had great information and been linked up with college parents and subject parents as well as people on her corridor. Freshers week is incredibly well-planned with loads of opportunities to mix with different groups and not much time to be alone getting homesick. I think dd has worked herself up into such a state of anxiety that she has lost sight of all the positives. It is such a long drawn-out wait.

Meant to say, dd has also had an epic clear out of her wardrobe and managed to fill 5 bin bags with old clothes etc. Another 2 with stuff from under her bed.

She is living with a group from her first year, thinking they would become good friends, sorted her house out early, then as things progressed didn't really see them much.

Apparently they persuaded her to go out on a night out last night but then abandoned her, leaving her to go home on her own. i am both sad and angry.

Dd called me tonight . As I could have predicted it was to ask my advice about something (which gym should she join?). But it was so lovely to speak to her! I went into the room where dh was while on the phone and he said he could see how happy I was to talk to her.

She had her induction at work today, and said it went well, people seemed nice and she won a quiz! She will hopefully be earning about £90 per week, which will supplement her income nicely.

She told me that one of her flatmates has already left! He was apparently really homesick & not sure about his course, so he is going to redo an A level and go somewhere else next year. It seems awfully soon to make the decision to leave...They have another boy moving in soon.

Dd seems to have made good friends with the other boy in the flat (took him to watch the rugby & had to explain everything to him as he knew nothing about it!) and likes the girl as well, although hasn't seen as much as her.

I'm feeling much happier now I've spoken to her, and as everyone in the whole world predicted, am slowly getting used to "the new normal".