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Higher education

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

Original poster

Uni Freshers parents 2016?

999 replies

granarybeck · 21/08/2016 22:23

hi

I've just been reading recent threads on weekly living costs and what to take to uni and found loads of useful info. I'm certainly finding that there was so much focus on getting the results/not tempting fate that it all feels a bit of a panic now. I have a dd going to warwick and a ds going to bath.

Wondered if there is already a thread for other general tips for those with dd/s starting uni this September?

OP posts:
Stopyourhavering · 05/09/2016 07:42

Northernlucker my dd graduated from Dundee this June after 4 wonderful years. She was in Westpark Halls which were a 20 min walk to campus but had a lovely flat and 5 great flat mates ( she ended up sharing a flat with 2 of them in 2 nd year) Dundee is a great Uni and very easy to get around campus
Hope she has a super time
Fuds....I graduated from Aberdeen 30 yrs ago and loved every minute- Old Aberdeen is beautiful. I made lifelong friends there and and even net my husband in first term!!

NapoleonsNose · 05/09/2016 08:03

DD goes a week on Friday and I'm beginning to feel a bit wobbly about it. Its around a four hour drive away and she's organised an afternoon drop off. We are going to stay in a hotel that night, then drive back by my DB's, who lives around half an hour from the uni, for the night.

She's pretty much sorted. Santander bank account opened, although she's managed to lock herself out of the online bit so is waiting for new login details. Accommodation sorted, but no flat number yet. Think she's got most bits and pieces but off to trawl Dunelm, B&M and Home Bargains today for anything we've forgotten. Only thing to get now is a bit of food to have in the cupboards for when she gets there.

Dunlurking · 06/09/2016 10:49

I don't suppose anyone has heard from Warwick accommodation yet? Ellen, Bethan, anyone?

BethanKate · 06/09/2016 19:08

Hi Dunlurking no nothing from Warwick accom yet. Just searched out this thread to see if anyone else had heard. Has got to the 'Mum will you stop asking me' stage.

Beause he didn't get onto his original course he's no longer on priority list for accom so not even guaranteed a place on campus, just hope he gets something he likes.

Dunlurking · 06/09/2016 19:18

Bethan I'm not convinced the firms get priority over the insurances or the alternative course people, etc. I suspect they all go into the melting pot on 31st August and get allocated without differentiation. Fingers crossed for your ds getting somewhere on campus. MIne is saying exactly the same to me now. And "why do you want to know anyway?"

BethanKate · 06/09/2016 20:03

Thanks Dunlurking that's reassuring.

Hopefully we'll hear soon.

EllenJanethickerknickers · 06/09/2016 21:15

Nothing here either. He's put the 3 cheapest halls down and the cheapest single rooms in them so I'm hoping they're not popular!

Dunlurking · 07/09/2016 16:11

Ellen ds put the one with bathroom shared between 2 as a compromise first choice. Really hoping for something cheaper though but he thought he'd have a good chance of that one if all the shared bathroom ones were v popular. We will struggle to help him out with extra money on top of what we've agreed if he gets one of the most expensive - it will eat up most of the money he's saved from working this summer.

EllenJanethickerknickers · 07/09/2016 17:24

I don't really have a feel for what will be popular. 'Back in the day' I shared one toilet, one shower, one bath (never used) and 3 sinks with 6 other girls on my corridor and that seemed fine by me. No sink in my room or anything, but no mixed corridors either. Do today's students expect ensuite? We don't have it at home, 4 of us share the one bathroom. No downstairs loo either.

Dunlurking · 07/09/2016 17:49

Ds seems to think the cheaper ones are oversubscribed and then the risk is getting an expensive ensuite one - not quite sure how he got to that conclusion but he thinks this strategy is safer Hmm

I was on a similar corridor to you at uni, and counted myself lucky not to be in the twin room at the end of the corridor. They put 2 vet students in that on the theory they would be working so hard they wouldn't have time to party or argue or generally see anyone other than vet students which was true and no one ever saw them

Dunlurking · 07/09/2016 18:06

Ds has just had the email Bethan and Ellen . He got his 4th choice - 2nd cheapest! Anyway he is reasonably happy as they share facilities in a flat of 5 and it is a fairly small hall of only 1st years, as far as I can see. At least it is 39 weeks - I didn't want to be collecting him at Christmas and Easter.

EllenJanethickerknickers · 07/09/2016 19:10

Argh! No email yet! Is that good news or bad news?

My corridor was very similar, Dunlurking, with one double room, but this was the first room. They put a maths student and an engineer together. The engineer quickly moved into her boyfriend's single, leaving the maths student with an enormous room to herself.

Dunlurking · 07/09/2016 19:35

Oh no Ellen, I don't know! Keeping my fingers crossed for your ds. TSR has a few people posting their halls. Ironic if my Ds has ended up at your ds's first choice.

BethanKate · 07/09/2016 21:21

Glad your DS is fairly happy with his Dunlurking & hope you've heard by now Ellen. DS has got campus accom - nice but expensive but thinks he can just about afford it as he isn't one for going out a lot.

In my first year we all were in twin rooms with 3 bathrooms for about 20 of us but it was fine.

EllenJanethickerknickers · 07/09/2016 22:27

Still no news but apparently they send emails out hall by hall. All I've heard about so far is Arthur Vick, Jack Martin, Claycroft and Redfern. Redfern was DS's 4th choice, so still hoping he'll get one of his first 3.

Leeds2 · 07/09/2016 22:38

Hope so Ellen.

EllenJanethickerknickers · 08/09/2016 00:07

DS says the Warwick FB group has only got chats started for the above halls plus Bluebell, so maybe only those have made offers so far. DS is at his dad's tomorrow but he'll be letting me know ASAP. if he remembers

Dunlurking · 08/09/2016 07:41

Glad your ds is OK with his hall Bethan. That sounds hopeful Ellen - so the majority of halls have still to be allocated. Fingers crossed for your ds.

Bethan that sounds more unusual - everyone having twin rooms in hall. I shared a room in a house in my second year, which I loved, but of course that was with a friend from first year.

EllenJanethickerknickers · 08/09/2016 07:59

Yes, sharing a room with a complete stranger sounds like a recipe for disaster! It caused so many problems at my old uni halls. They seemed to put very different minded people together who invariably fell out.

I'm feeling a bit less anxious about DS's accommodation after seeing the FB chats. I'm sure he'll hear today or tomorrow. I'll keep you posted!

Terrible night's sleep. There was an enormous, and I mean enormous, spider on the ceiling in the corner of my bedroom. All boys asleep (and scared of spiders anyway) so I decamped to the living room floor. No sign of it this morning! Shock I hate September!

BethanKate · 08/09/2016 09:43

Really hope you hear soon Ellen. We've got loads of spiders - 3 in the shower the other day.

I was at London uni & was in a student hostel in a big old house in South Kensington in first year - rooms varied a lot in size - some huge & some were in old servant quarters so tiny. All first years & some second shared rest had single rooms. Got on really well with first room mate but she left half way through & went to Cambridge. Second one was nice but her boyfriend was there nearly all the time or else she was out with him so didn't really get to know her.

BethanKate · 08/09/2016 09:48

DS was in bit of a panic when realised have to pay fees on first day of term - same day student loan goes into account. Then I found bit on Warwick website that says if he does it by direct debit they have a later payment date - Oct 27.

www2.warwick.ac.uk/services/academicoffice/finance/makingpayments/methodsofpayment/directdebit/

Dunlurking · 08/09/2016 09:58

Ooh that's useful Bethan. I'm a bit worried as ds doesn't have an appointment with his bank to convert to a student account until 21st. He says that's plenty of time Hmm Do accounts that are converted keep the same number and sort code etc, does anyone know? Otherwise he'll be relying on that direct debit to pay the accomodation fees, for sure.

Dunlurking · 08/09/2016 09:59

Accommodation even - that spelling gets me every time Blush

BethanKate · 08/09/2016 10:43

That's why I keep calling it accom!

Don't know about converting accounts - DS hasn't done it yet, needs to hurry up I think.

LIZS · 08/09/2016 11:10

Ds just got his room allocation so is currently tracking down neighbours!

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