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

Hope he manages ok Noits

Aww no noits, poor thing! I do think students tend to look after each other when others are ill, and will probably help out. In my first year of uni I dislocated my arm and the girls were fab, despite not knowing me for very long (just under a week!) they helped me with certain things. In my experience, flatmates do tend tp help each other

Your poor DS Noits. Not a good start to Uni life. I hope his flatmates look after him.

Mrs H bet its very useful having a dc that's already been through fresher's and general uni life, lots of valuable experience and wisdom to pass on to their siblings.

DD has never been drunk, gone to disco or night club in her life, her own choice, for some kids this sort of scene just don't interest them, Ive advised her to make the effort and go to some of the outings, her alcohol tolerence will be very low and go home when she's had enough, don't feel obliged to stay. Think after fresher's things will smooth out nicely.
noits bet that's a worry for you. Not a great start but I bet everyone will want to know what happened to his leg and mother him back to health

Bagpuss same with DS...never been drunk, gone to a disco or a nightclub.

Itsnot - poor you and poor ds. I bet he'll get loads of attention and get to talk to lots of people.

I buckled and rang dd (went Friday) this evening. She said her best friend's mum is ringing her dd several times a day..so hard to know what to do.

Dd is very gregarious and yet homesick so is finding the quiet atmosphere in her flat a bit quiet. She said that everyone is lovely and cooks from scratch. I said that sounds homely and that's a good thing. They are all going to uni event in club on town tonight.

Dd2 year 12 is not a party animal at all and is already saying she doesn't think she could cope with living with people she doesn't know but ironically I don't think she"d be as homesick as partying dd1

Oh no noits, poor boy. I think people will rally round. Dd1 had a girl in her flat who she just couldn't get on with. However, she still called an ambulance when the girl had terrible stomach pains and sat up in A&E with her all night. Turns out she was massively constipated!!

It all feels less daunting this time. Dd1 had a miserable first year, she's very shy, only had 4 flat mates, one left at Christmas, 2 were very unpleasant and the other spent all her time in another flat, only sometimes coming back to sleep. Her course was spent sitting in rows in a lecture theatre, no interaction or ice breaking sessions. It was miserable, she is telling her sister how to avoid making the same mistakes, hence choosing a hall on campus with no locked corridors and plenty of people on each floor.

Well, just to reassure the non-clubbers, my dd was very taken aback to find out that none of her flat mates wanted to go out on her first night (last Saturday) and had all disappeared off to their bedrooms by 9.45. That was certainly not what she was expecting of freshers week! She spent the rest of the evening texting home and feeling that she was not in the right place for her. However, things do seem to be picking up a bit for her now as she is meeting more people, including some who like going out too. I just think it can take a while to settle in and find your feet and like minded souls.

Oh dear noits - hope he is doing ok.

Dd is not at all a clubby person and has no intention of doesn't want to go clubbing in freshers week. She has chatted with quite a few people from her course and corridor on facebook and one girl asked her what she was doing about the clubbing nights and dd said she wasn't going. The other girl seemed relieved as she didn't want to go either but thought she would have to. The college seem quite geared up for some people not wanting to do this as on the freshers timetable it has alternatives (ie there will be socialising in the common room for those who don't want to go clubbing). They have also made a point of stressing at particular events that there will be non-alcoholic drinks available as well. I have been very impressed as it is reassuring to those who are just not into drinking and clubbing but still want to socialise.

Honestly, that boy will do anything to get attention

He's on crutches and heavy-duty pain relief- as far as I can tell (he wasn't at his most coherent...) he's chipped the bone rather than broken it so according to the doctor he saw at A&E he'll be recovered in about a month and it doesn't need to be in a cast.

He can't put weight on it and it's rather spectacularly swollen but he seems to be getting around ok on crutches.

Apparently everyone in his hall has been brilliant and really helpful

I've told him his priority tomorrow is to see his tutor and sort out what he's missed today but at least he has a good excuse

Ds also not a big drinker/clubber- as he says he's a cheap date as he just doesn't have the drinking capacity of some of his friends...

pugalug and I thought it was just my dc that's like that. Makes me feel alot better to know shes not the only one. I sometimes don't know wether, I should be encouraging her more and go to clubs otherwise shes missing out on frienships and stuff. But dd says she doesn't ever feel shes missing out not going to them. Shes says she would rather be friends with people like her even if it means knowing a very few then to be tagging along going to discos and clubs for the sake of not being on her own. Oh well we will see shes either going to think it's aa complete nightmare hell hole or its not that bad can hack it ever now and again

Dd has bought tickets to three events, but I think if she sees others are wobbling about going she would also much rather just have a quiet night and a proper chat with people. It's fear of looking like the odd one out, the boring one. But I don't think you can make proper friends by getting hugely drunk with a group of complete strangers. I think it's brave to say no and I hope those that do find plenty of like minded friends. There's plenty of opportunity for everyone to have a good time.

noits glad to hear its not broken. Lucky hes not into the boogie woogie stuff, now hes got crutches, otherwise he will feel he is really missing out on the clubbing disco nights.

It is possible to go to clubs and not get hugely drunk you know!

Thank you everyone - feeling better today - have spoken to daughter today and she isn't crying her eyes out! She went to one clubbing event and decided it isn't for her so doesn't want to go to any other events!! But she has been out today with some flat mates for a wander down Oxford Street! It just feels so strange knowing she isn't coming back for a few weeks! Really hope everyone sons/daughters have settled okay this week x

That's awful for your DS Noits hope he recovers quickly andnot in too much pain to enjoy the rest of Freshers week/fortnight.

Getting so close now, stressing over everything it's possible to stress about.

Re the clubbing, DD is not exactly quiet, but finds it difficult to talk to new people. Used to going out and travelling around London, but with familiar faces, so not sure how well she will cope in a new environment.
Keep telling her there are loads like her that want to just sit and chat, maybe drink a bit, go to cinema etc, and it really won't be all clubbing. Just seems that their main freshers events are. Saying if all her flatmates are going, she would rather stay in her room alone than be somewhere she would rather not be.

I have tried to explain it's not just the people in her flat, the accommodation complex is huge, so she can wander around and meet others in similar situations. Hopefully she will, just wish they had more events for those that want to get out and make friends, but not necessarily hard clubbing.

Mumslife Most in her subject seem like her, so will have people to socialise with. None so far same halls though.
Just having wobbles about getting on with flatmates. Didn't want to ask for 'quiet' as can make her own noise if she chooses to practise in her room lol.

So sorry to hear about your son Noits, hope the swelling goes down quickly.

We still have 2 weeks until DD goes to Warwick, she is really worried about getting over tired and I think that anxiety is actually making her more tired (she had glandular fever whilst doing her A2s). I think there is so much focus on Freshers, they almost forget it is actually 3 or 4 years of student life :)
My mum used to send me parcels to Uni and I loved getting them, it made me feel really loved and cared for, you also have to phone home to say thank you :)

Finally arrived at dd new appartment. Its been a very exhausting drive. Ive held it together so far no tears. Weve unpacked swept and mopped the place as it was very dusty, plaster/paint everywhere. Looked like they only just finished painting plastering yesterday?? Dd is really happy with it, since we rented without seeing it. So it was a bit of a mystery/ suprise. Where off for a bite to eat. Really starving. We have so much stuff to take back..... brought too much the parking here is horrendous. We found a NCP but because we not going till later 8 or 9 ish it is going to cost £25!!

Very swish Bagpuss555 !

Looks lovely, I could quite happily live in that apartment myself!

Something to cheer us all up - a selection of 'begging letters' from students to their parents in medieval times! 'Dear Dad, Send Money'

'The city is expensive and makes many demands; I have to rent lodgings, buy necessaries, and provide for many other things which I cannot now specify.'

I SO need to know what the 'many other things which I cannot now specify' are!