New Uni starters 2015 (continued from Preparing for Uni)

[circular]

Thought we needed a new thread to continue from preparation.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/2466997-Preparing-for-Uni-in-2015-continues

Suspect all have arrived by now...

Ha ha, the next stress will be when they are househunting after Xmas! Knowing DS, he'll leave it to the last minute and have nobody to share with!

Might actually look at the Yr13 thread myself!

The Year 13 thread might like some advice from those of us that have just gone through it all. I know that tips from others in the year above were invaluable when I was on the year 13 thread last year. So much to think about and organise, it helped to have someone guiding me through it all.

Fairenuff

That is a good point, I got some excellent advice from a poster who had had a DS doing almost exactly what mine had and it certainly helped no end in my case. It was as I recall a very supportive (not sure I like the word - like "passionate" on PSs - but can't immediately think of a better one) - friendly ? thread. And as you say, a source of good advice for those who are going through it for the first time. (Or indeed perhaps not for the first time but with a DC who is hoping to do something very different from an elder sibling. )

Notice many have had first visits home.
I certainly feel calmer now DD has had her first w/e back, is in one piece and returned happily. Said it felt a bit strange, especially driving. Loved the home cooking. Didn't seem much different, maybe a bit more ready to clear her plate etc and certainly nicer to DD2.
She will probably have another visit home before Xmas break, as something she wants to go to, which may mean I won't get the chance to go there which is a bit of a shame. Was looking forward to a bit of Xmas shopping on new territory.

Oh no - house hunting Arghh.

covering my ears House hunting arghh - may need a 2nd mortgage as my dd chose London!!

welshpixie DS phoned on Friday to say he hadn't had his money either. For some mysterious reason the SFE system has failed to log his bank details even though the application was sent in completely accurately (I have a photocopy) and a subsequent request for bank details was complied with, albeit grudgingly, and was also sent by recorded post. It took some unravelling on Friday to get to the point where they actually agreed to accept his details over the phone (they were adamant they'd never received them despite the two recorded posts), but still no money - hopefully in a couple of days. Your DD's situation sounds more complicated.

I'm going up to see DS in a couple of weeks, when two of his elder siblings are graduating. It's a good excuse and keeps it cool :)

Speaking of which, he certainly has no fridge, but I suggested wedging milk between the two mouldy panes of glass in his sliding window. Actually his heating doesn't work so in a few days time he may not even be in need of that sort of device....

Thinking about if my DD had an issue with student finance on return this year. The website showed she hadn't applied for her tuition fees (no grant available) which was odd because she was sure she did. She phoned them and was told there was a bug in the system....

I believe it eventually sorted itself out.

Molio, the window wedging sounds brilliant. Unfortunately I came over a bit PFB and went straight to CheapTableTopFridgesRUS after the bag out of the window thing seemed to garner no favour.

Ds is also waiting on the SFE - this is for DSA (dependent on SFE) but still waiting for a confirmation letter. As far as I know all stuff sent from our side we needed to. I shall be doing a one woman pincer movement on Tesco direct and SFE later in the week....

Quietlygoingmad67
I have the same worries as DS chose Guildford which is supposed to be very expensive.
Friends dc have done something called like "splitabill" which is a company that pays all the utilities and then takes the share from each house mate and saves on problems if one chooses not to pay.

The house phone this morning woke me up and it was the ocado man lost on surrey campus . DS had put our home number instead of his mobile down. He was taking advantage of cheap steak and introduction offers from them.
He came home this weekend and found out the uni kayaking team were close by so he went down to join them and play kayaking polo for the first time. There were quite a few unis down there and we went over to watch a couple of games, apparently we missed the more vicious ones.
He come home for dinner and then went out for breakfast with gf so we didnt actually see a lot of him. But he seems happy and not struggling. Bought his white washing home as he didnt have enough for a load at uni and we had to get his kayaking stuff sorted and he went back with a few treats.
Going to see him in a couple of weeks as we are going to take him down to MIL's grave for the 2nd anniversary of her death and lunch with BIL

circular DS1 is coming here on Friday and then we're all going up to see my folks on Saturday. He doesn't get any kind of half-term/reading week so he has to make his own way back by train on Sunday but he was really keen to come! The big change I've seen in him since he's been gone is he probably "talks" to me more now (on FB) than he did when he was in the house, and he seems to be more interested in the whole concept of family - he actively asked if he could come with us on this trip whereas in the past he would have been at best not bothered, maybe actually a bit resentful at having to go. He's asked if we can have a big roast dinner the night he gets here!

I'll definitely be going to where he is for Christmas shopping.

Just been catching up with the whole mix of experiences people and DC are having.
DD really likes course and teaching but is so struggling to budget. In fact when she is at home for a couple of weekends for family things she will be working some shifts at relatives business to earn some money.

I could suggest we set up a whatsapp thing and she tells her Dad and me every time she buys something. That would help her budget. Oh wait, she's 19...

Emma certainly notice they do seem to 'talk' more too now away. Still get messages from DD asking where things are lol. My answer has now changed from telling her whether or not she took item with and where I may have put it when helping her unpack to 'if you have one, its wherever YOU left it'.

Chilly I managed to persuade DD to transfer a set weekly amount into a separate account for this term. Supposed to cover most things, and leaves about £200 behind In Student account for 'unexpecteds'. Any large one off purchases would need to come out of savings. She told me that allowing for the Freshers week money she had left and the balance already in her day to day account, she still has a weeks allowance left. But not bought any clothes yet, and says dipped into savings for a book and a birthday present. Also had a starter supply of food, toiletries and most stationery.
Looking like it will be quite a tight budget for her, and only intends to work in her old p/t job during holidays, and even then not a huge number of hours. Says already agreed Xmas shifts, and only equivalent to a weeks full time hours over the space of 2 weeks.

Bruffin having just been reading the Rant about sharing thread, that 'splitabill' is sounding very attractive.

circular I think housing costs make a huge difference to student finances. I think students unfortunately dont see the meaning of money when choosing accommodation in their first year.

It's something they get better at! Mine proudly told me that she'd bagged the smaller room in the house as its ten quid cheaper per week, and that's five hundred per year you know!

It is best to get bills included in the rent,but not sure how common that is now.
Friends son rented a house that was split into 3 flats each shared by 2. He and his flatmate were really careful about the heating in their flat etc only to find out that there was only one meter in the house and the bill was huge because the other 2 flats had the heating on perminantly and they had to pay a 1/6 of the bill.

Head I think they start to s-l-o-w-l-y this year.
DD hadn't been shopping properly, talked her through an on-line order which included quite a bit of stock up items. Could hear her gasping down the end of the phone when it came to over £40. Gently reminded her of all her past shrugs at the checkout when I pulled faces at her when my weekly bill hit £200 including 'little extras' she'd dropped in trolley.

Agree this year is a gentle break in for the real world of private rentals and everything that comes with it next year.

Mine has a student house with all bills bruffin but I don't know how common that is. It's £65 per week I think, but they did sort out internet themselves (9 months contract for Internet). I think having the bills included does prevent any problems.

We pay her a flat amount, to bring her up to those with a grant. Anything she doesn't spend she keeps. I've noticed those parents who pay for accommodation and the money doesn't pass through the students fingers end up " needing" expensive accommodation. Where's my DD has realised if she goes cheap she makes a tidy profit at the end of the year...

DS was adamant he 'needed' en suite accommodation. Not sure what he thinks will happen next year when he shares a house AND a bathroom!!

So glad that all are starting to settle. We had dd home for 2 nights at the weekend, it was lovely to see her and sent her back rested, well fed and stocked up. She then went on a pub crawl last night :)

circular so agree with take it slowly this year. I laughed out loud at the gasping and can see that coming in the future with my dd.

The first year is a important transition year, there is a big difference academically, socially and in learning how to look after yourself. For some this comes really easily and for others this is a little more difficult, but fingers crossed that most get there in the end. I have been interested that my dd has already calculated what each contact hour costs her, I think that the world of student fees does make them aware of this. I suspect there is also a transition for parents and as our dcs become more confident we step back.

I was rather hoping it would be cheaper next year with a house share. Currently DS paying £145/wk with no food. Surely it can't cost more in a house share???

DS is having trouble budgeting too. He's in catered halls which is covered by his loan, so in theory he shouldn't need much of a top up for beer lunch, coffee and bus tickets. I'm giving him a reasonably generous monthly dollop to help with all the extras. He'd spent October's allowance by last week (this on top of the 'starting uni' extra cash gifts from me, dh and grandparents ) and was shocked when I said no to contributing again to buy his lunches, textbooks and train fare home for the weekend. (He complained he couldn't afford a three pound meal deal for his lunch each day and I gave him an economics lesson on the relative cost of buying a loaf of bread and making his own sandwiches.)

DH wanted to be generous and give him another top up but I was the harsh parent who said no. How will he ever learn how far money doesn't go if we keep handing it out every time his wallet is empty?

but we paid his train fare because I wanted to see him

Not always mumslife I think my DD is paying about the same overall.

I do think we don't give living costs enough attention when applying to uni. I remember showing my DD the costs shown for various options at open days...but it didn't mean anything to her. We are very fortunate she has gone somewhere very inexpensive.

My DD had her hair done twice for a ball, once at her uni, once at her boyfriends uni. It was more than twice the price at her boyfriends uni!

Horsemad guessing that's a 40 ish week contract. DD paying about £135 for similar.
Not sure if expecting more or less overall next year.
Rent per week should be less, but likely to be more weeks - 10 or 12 months?
Tenancy deposits, although (hopefully) returnable, still out of pocket for year.
Bills - no idea how much if not included
Travel if further from campus, especially for those with bus passes included in first year.

Can feel another Arghh coming on, before I even contemplate advance rents, affecting cash flow, guarantor minefields......