Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Higher education

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

Preparing for Uni in 2015 continues...

999 replies

Chillywhippet · 13/09/2015 12:20

New thread

Old one here with loads of info

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

OP posts:
Thread gallery
15
Horsemad · 17/09/2015 07:25

Wow Fletcherl, 3 - that is some serious packing!!! Grin

As an aside to all here, how many towels are your DC taking???! DS goes through a towel a day, I am trying to wean him off this habit, BTW. Hmm

beaucoupdemojo · 17/09/2015 07:31

I packed about 6 towels. DA says his job for this morning is finding the laundry as he too uses a towel once. Unfortunately his laundry fairy is 3 hours away so he will have to figure out how a washing machine works. I did try telling him but I suspect his mind wandered...

Katkat50 · 17/09/2015 07:33

Hats off to you Fletch! A mammoth weekend.... Hope all goes well ??

mumslife · 17/09/2015 07:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Noitsnotteatimeyet · 17/09/2015 07:59

Freshers week has always been a booze-fest - certainly was 30 (eek) years ago when I went

Ds was the only boy on his floor not to bring alcohol with him. I know he has been out this week but at home he goes clubbing or to a party once or twice a year so I'm not sure how long his party-stamina will last ...

I was mean and only let him take two towels in an attempt to force him to find where the laundry is ...

Figmentofmyimagination · 17/09/2015 08:49

My DD is really lucky as she will have two close friends going with her, although not in the same accommodation. I expect she will miss us more than I missed my mum and siblings though!

She drinks very little. I've never seen her drunk - however it's mostly a money thing - she's never had an allowance or a part-time job and she's shocked at the price of alcohol... But if a lot of the alcohol offered is seriously "cut price", that will be a new challenge.

No fridges (fully catered) and now I see the advantage of that! I had thought it must be about wattage and fire hazard, as opposed to students filling up fridges with beer!

RatherBeOnThePiste · 17/09/2015 08:50

Sorry - joined earlier on but haven't been back, and I wish I had

DD is at Edinburgh, we went last weekend, managed to mostly keep it together but was almost overwhelmed at several points.

All four of us went, so using max baggage allowance - then bought pans, bedside light, laundry, plates etc up there. That was what nearly did for me, the shops were completely full of kids buying everything it seemed, so chaotic and busy. hey ho. It is done.

We thought we had too much, but it seemed ok actually.

Edinburgh/Scottish universities are diff, in that some of the kids are under 18. DD is sharing a flat with 6 others, who all seem perfectly nice, but one is so young - from rural Scotland and still 17, very little experience, so thinks DD who is a seemingly confident Londoner is very exotic. Arf.

The six in their flat had arranged to meet (love social media) in their shared kitchen at 5pm, DD had a couple of bottles of cava, there was wine there too, the student reps were delivering pizzas to anyone who was hungry, such a nice thing to do, so we said a casual goodbye then, left them to it. Then met her the next morning for a coffee before we left.

I cried a lot on the way home, and was beyond anxious when I realised (as one who hates flying) that three of us were travelling, and what would happen if...

But she is having a lovely time, she is a serious rower, so has had the joy of starting proper training with them. Tomorrow the senior crew to which she has been attached to have a bonding day - a mud thing with the army, she is so excited. She sent me a snap chat of her at a salsa class last night. Life is very exciting for her right now.

She was a bit worried at the prospect/reputation/expectation of Freshers week, she doesn't normally drink because of training, and needs a lot of sleep because of it too, and actually it has been fine. They have been clubbing and to bars, and tonight it is a Physics society pub crawl she's going on, but she has realised you don't just have to get pissed and fall in the gutter.

She has met her tutor, and the senior tutor, both she said were lovely. They had to all do an online maths test yesterday to warm them up, she got 75% which the senior tutor said was good.

But I'm going to see her next weekend. She can get anxious, and worries, hasn't alway been very healthy for her in the past, so asked if I'd just go. She will have rowing training on Sat and Sun morning over at Strathclyde, so I fly in at about 4.30pm, gives her a chance to have the needed sleep after training. Then we will have the evening, then a late lunch on the Sunday, maybe a bit of shopping, then I'm coming back on the train. It feels very early to be visiting, but this has very much come from her, so that is fine.

A whole essay from me, sorry Brew

Figmentofmyimagination · 17/09/2015 08:52

Six towels (?!?)!!! I was planning on two towels.

One of my pet hates at home is their habit of taking a fresh towel each day and dumping it on top of yesterday's damp towel.

I'm looking forward to DD learning life lesson about hanging up your towel and not treating house like hotel with laundry service...

circular · 17/09/2015 09:06

From what we are hearing from DDs friends that have already gone, Freshers differing vastly from Uni to Uni. Much more low key at the smaller Unis, less clubbing, more just mixing in Uni bar and in each others halls.

Only taking two large towels and two smaller ones here. THere will be no towel fairy !

RatherBeOnThePiste · 17/09/2015 09:10

Only two towels here!

sassymuffin · 17/09/2015 09:27

DD is not due to leave for another 2 weeks and we seem to have a mountain of stuff to take! Every time I think we have got everything a new list seems to appear.
DD has been working full time since June so is a little oblivious to all the packing and prep that I have done and mutters "that's nice" when another item appears in her bedroom.
I'm not too worried about freshers as we live near Liverpool and she goes to nightclubs every few weeks so I think she will cope fairly well.
She has managed to avoid my tutorial on how to properly sort and wash clothes so far and I am anticipating her bringing back lots of strange colour clothes in December Grin

PUGaLUGS · 17/09/2015 09:34

Wow Fletch Grin

Grin at exotic Pistey

Well I am a bad mum... DS has gone with one large bath towel! BUT it was new and freshly washed!!

mrsrhodgilbert · 17/09/2015 09:38

Two bath towels and two hand towels for dd, plus one to take to the swimming pool.

She's going out with her older sister for lunch today and to buy a mass of stationery. Also a few other items, eg hair dryer as they currently share one.

She thinks the big club event for her first night has been cancelled, but is not sure if its been replaced by something else. She did say she would be more than happy to stay in on Saturday night and chat. It sounds like most of our dc do not like clubbing or getting very drunk, but I bet they will all look as though they're happy to go along with things. I've told dd its fine to be brave and say no if she hates it as there are sure to be others who are thinking the same.

She's getting a bit concerned that her timetable looks pretty thin at the moment although it was supposed to have been finalised yesterday.

chemenger · 17/09/2015 09:42

My impression from my side of things as an academic is that Freshers Week has calmed down over the last few years. I have not been overwhelmed by the smell of alcohol in morning student meetings which used to be a regular thing. There is a wider variety of things to do with far more non drinking activities going on. This reflects a greater seriousness amongst the students, I think. My students are organising academic families and, if that goes to plan, their first event will be alcohol free. My own dd is at another Scottish university and has had a great freshers week, but has spent a lot of time in lower key things like pub quizzes in the halls bar and cooking with her flatmates. She's made loads of friends, but she has always been good at that, her flat has adopted someone who doesn't get on with their own flatmates. Underage drinking has been clamped down on and we do have a significant number of 17 year-olds, I think that has made a difference.

Quietlygoingmad67 · 17/09/2015 09:45

Re - student rent
We are paying just under £8k for a small ensuite NON catered room for our DD - plus an Oyster card for buses as the room is a 40 min walk away from her campus! Shock

lalamumto3 · 17/09/2015 09:51

Towels, that will be one of the things about dd that I wont miss :) My highest towel count has been 7 wet towels in her room on the floor, all clean and used once, but then wet and stinky!! I try not to venture in all the time :)

I have bought 2 new towels and am also going to give her 2 older towels, she uses 2 at a time as one for hair. Also had the tip of giving them a very old towel for gym, trips etc that wont matter if they loose, with explanation of why given.

So will be 2 bath towels, 2 for hair and an old towel for gym etc. I am sure if they had short hair would only need 2.

DD has an ensuite so I hoping that she wont loose her towels this year !

My brother in law also suggested they take a sleeping bag, as his took their duvets to the beach and "lost" them, he suspects they got wet and they could not be bothered to bring them home as were too heavy :) Not sure what they used after.

We are also spending money at alarming rate, but as have been buying over the space of the last few weeks has not been in one go, so not as obvious, until I add it up!.

With regard to drinking, I went to Welsh uni, which had a big Rugby drinking scene, many moons ago. It does calm down quite quickly. My dd will have to be very careful to not drink much as she is still recovering from having glandular fever. I have tried to give her a few phrases and opt outs, I don't really drink and have found these all work.

eg. Just something soft, still recovering from yesterday…. , thanks so much I am really thirsty so am going to start with something soft, feeling a bit headachy need to have some water first. etc etc

Also point out that it it is so much cheaper not to drink alcohol and so they do make a cheap round.

Figmentofmyimagination · 17/09/2015 10:00

We are taking roll mat (air bed promised for christmas) plus sleeping bag, for guests on floor - also to take if visiting someone else's uni (I suspect though that once they are settled in this won't happen often if at all).

MossAgate · 17/09/2015 10:03

Fletch you deserve a medal. Wine

Four towels here. They are nicer than mine! I have given her colour run just in case.

Thank goodness dd's college is laying on alternative events. They sound just up her street - historical tour of city, ghost walk, bowling, comedy show, quiz, dress up dinner. She is going on two club events too. Already chatting to flatmates over facebook. They sound lovely.

Btw - if they have an en suite pack a toilet plunger. Just had an emergency call from eldest (already at university) to say her toilet is blocked. Grin

Quietlygoingmad67 · 17/09/2015 10:52

MossAgate that made me laugh - had a phone call from DD saying her ensuite smells of poo!!! LOL Very small ensuite (she can sit on the loo and have a shower at the same time!!) and no extractor fan and no window!!!! Told her to buy an air freshener!! Grin

mumslife · 17/09/2015 11:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Bagpuss555 · 17/09/2015 11:06

Only packed dd 2 thin Confusedtowels. They were packing friendly. Her favourite shop Primark is very near her Grin
quite on the plus side her ensuite will be easy to clean, can run the shower head on the toilet, I'm guessing is like a wet room!!
Dd what's apped me this morning horray she sent me this pic. Thought I would share as a few pages back ladies were talking about kitten's and uni. DD was helping a girl and her family un pack , she lives on the upper floor to dd. The kitten had made a home in one of the boxes and went with them unawares to them!!

Preparing for Uni in 2015 continues...
Quietlygoingmad67 · 17/09/2015 11:12

Ahhhh the kitten wanted to go as well - my DD wanted to take her car but of course NO pets so I had his picture printed on a cushion for her to take xx

Quietlygoingmad67 · 17/09/2015 11:14

Car??? Meant CAT!!

mrsrhodgilbert · 17/09/2015 11:46

Oh my, a kitten. That's so funny, dd would be beside herself with excitement.

Bagpuss555 · 17/09/2015 11:48

Actually that pic is very befitting to my username Grin and now my dd is missing her cat. plug I think you should text him with a "hello anyone in? "