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.

Uni Freshers 2016 (second thread)

862 replies

soapybox · 13/10/2016 12:27

A new thread!

OP posts:
Thread gallery
11
GasLightShining · 27/11/2016 20:27

Hope you can make it Noah

OhFuds · 27/11/2016 21:32

Ohh thanks Coconutty, I was going to buy DD one!

NoahVale · 28/11/2016 13:21

trying to get dd one, but she needs to give me her passport or driving license details which is a feat Grin

Lovelybangers · 28/11/2016 13:40

I bought DS a Railcard in February and he hasn't yet used it!

He is coming home this weekend - but the fare saved won't cover the cost of the card.

I suppose there's the Xmas break too ;)

OhFuds · 28/11/2016 18:40

I've just bought one for DD, the photo part was a bit of a nightmare and no doubt the photo I used will be one DD doesn't like. She'll save £13 on her train home now.

OhFuds · 28/11/2016 18:41

And she needs to come home for dermatologist appointments often so the £13 saving will all add up.

Leeds2 · 28/11/2016 19:41

How much does the Railcard cost? And what discount do you get?

OhFuds · 28/11/2016 19:57

It's usually £30 but it's on special offer until 30th for £20. 1/3 saving off tickets.

homebythesea · 28/11/2016 21:13

DS on the phone tonight v unhappy :(

Full of cold, loads of work to do, no clean clothes (!), no ticket for next big club night etc etc etc

But more fundamentally one of his prospective housemates for next year is at home quite ill and he's torn between staying loyal and waiting for her return so she can do House hunting/signing leases or forging ahead so he doesn't miss out on being with the rest of the group a couple of whom haven't met the missing girl and are apparently reluctant to include her "sight unseen" as it were. It's a no win situation for him and I'm very worried that he will be left adrift especially if the missing girl drops out because of her illness (an extreme but not impossible scenario). A real test of required maternal stepping away........

Leeds2 · 28/11/2016 22:10

Thanks, OhFuds.

Housing situation sounds tricky for your DS, home. Hope everything works out as he would wish.

LIZS · 30/11/2016 10:09

Sorry to hear that, home. Ds also a bit down last night. The group he was house-hunting with have decided after one viewing that finding a 6 bed not feasible and will split to a 4 and 3 bringing in another friend of friend. That would leave ds potentially sharing with 2 he's never met who do different subjects. He's declined that arrangement so back to square one although may have another lead to follow up. He's also got coursework to do by early next week and seems rather weary. Roll on end of term!

homebythesea · 30/11/2016 17:40

lizs it's so difficult isn't it- it seems madness to me to be having to sort this out in term 1 when friendship groups are shaky and/or still fluid. As far as I can see it only benefits landlords who get their mitts on lots of juicy deposits for months on end!

Worst case scenario for my DS is he ends up sharing only with ill friend, which he sees as "not the proper student experience". Frankly I think
Only having to argue with one person over the washing up is a benefit Grin. He is adamant he won't dump her though- she's from overseas so everything is probably doubly overwhelming for her.

EllenJanethickerknickers · 30/11/2016 20:59

House hunting dramas all round! DS was looking with 11 friends for 2 X 6 beds but the 4 girls have got sick of doing all the organising and have got their own 4 bed. One of the boys was just friends with one of the girls so the remaining 7 slightly hopeless boys are now looking for a 7 bed. Sigh. I've been hassling him about it for ages as MN told me Warwick accommodation needed sorting before Christmas, but 'it's all in hand,' was the reply, except it obviously wasn't. Luckily they are all poor and are looking in cheap unfashionable Coventry rather than Leamington, so hopefully there'll be something left, even if grotty.

OhFuds · 30/11/2016 21:32

And we thought sorting accommodation for 1st year was stressful but I think 2nd year accommodation sounds worse now friendships have formed. I haven't spoken to my DD yet about what she is planning, I'm waiting until she comes home for xmas.

EllenJanethickerknickers · 30/11/2016 21:58

OhFuds the urgency does seem to vary by University. Hopefully your DD doesn't need to rush. As someone said above, friendships are still burgeoning and quite fluid. It seems really early to have to make commitments to who you spend your next maybe 2 years with.

homebythesea · 30/11/2016 22:22

ellenjane I've been told in no uncertain terms that my involvement or even asking how it's going are entirely unwelcome 🙄

OhFuds · 01/12/2016 16:12

The railcard I thought I bought on monday has been a pain, I got a email on Tuesday telling me my order was incomplete so I phoned the helpline to ask what was wrong considering the £20 had been taken out my account. They had no record of my details so I had to email in my statement showing the transaction. Did that and I still hadn't heard back so I phoned again but the advisor still couldn't help and would pass my query onto another department. I have now received a email telling me I will be refunded and if I wish to still purchase a card then it will cost £30 and I will receive a £10 cheque so I didn't miss out on the special offer.

My phone records show the total minutes to get this sorted is 26mins and if I buy again I'd need to pay for parking so I can take the cheque into the bank! What a palaver, and I still don't know what happened to my online application Confused

OhFuds · 01/12/2016 16:38

OMG! I have now received another email telling me my order is complete and the 16 - 25 cars will be on its way to me soon Confused I have no idea what is going on.

Leeds2 · 01/12/2016 16:46

You will probably end up with two railcards!

OhFuds · 01/12/2016 17:00

This is what I received within an hour of each other.....I think I've got 2 different departments dealing with me.

Uni Freshers 2016 (second thread)
Uni Freshers 2016 (second thread)
OhFuds · 03/12/2016 11:29

Ermm so I got the 16-25 railcard this morning, I checked my online banking and I've also had a refund Xmas Confused

I hope all your DC's are doing good! I rarely hear from DD now.

Naughtytummy · 03/12/2016 15:34

Just putting up the Christmas decorations. All those years I wished I could just get on and do it without little hands interfering, today I really miss my boys not being here Sad

Bertucci · 03/12/2016 15:39

My ds has already signed the lease on his house for next year. I was surprised at how early they all seem to be doing it - but he reckons you have to do it before the end of this term.

He's abroad now on a field trip. Back next Saturday and them home for a month. Grin

jaxxyj · 03/12/2016 19:57

Going to pick up my DD tomorrow, 5 hour round trip! But I am looking forward to having her home!! She is going back for an exam on 21st Dec and then not back til 15th Jan. DS is back on 16th - got him a return megabus, London to Newcastle £4.25!!!

EllenJanethickerknickers · 04/12/2016 00:43

More house hunting drama. DS1 and his 6 hopeless mates can't find a 7 bed so have split up into two 5s with a few extra people who weren't sorted. Hopefully he's now agreed a 5 bed with only a couple of the original group, but close to the other 5. Thank goodness for that. I've been trying (and failing) not to nag.

And he's home next week but I'm still not sure if I'm picking him up Sat or Sunday. I bet you are looking forward to having your DD home, jaxxyj if not the long drive.

OhFuds did you actually pay for that railcard in the end? I can't work it out? Grin