Uni Freshers 2016 (second thread)

[soapybox]

A new thread!

DS goes back on 15th but has been home since 9 Dec. Managed to get a few shifts in December but none available now.

Most of his friends will be going back this weekend so I imagine his last week may be a bit boring.

I am taking DD back to Leeds on Sunday.

She starts back with lectures on Monday 9th, as the medics do not have Jan exams. There are two weeks of exams for everyone else though and so some of her flat mates will only be back for the odd day here and there, so it might be a bit lonely for her in the flat until everyone starts back properly on the 23rd!

It has been lovely having her back at home and she has really enjoyed catching up with all her old friends.

DD goes back next weekend, I said we'll drive her back but tbh it's a total pain doing a 4hr round trip with 2 pre-school DC's.

I'm trying not to interfere in her accommodation choices but when she came home she said that she was planning on renting with 2 of her school friends (1 hasn't been accepted into uni yet and the other is at the other uni in the city centre). I just assumed she would've built up good friendships with the girl's she shares with in hall's. Anyway DD got a postcard from the uni saying that the request for accommodation opens up 5th Jan and as it's a big city the requests need to be in asap. I've reminded her that if her plans to share with her school friends fall thru she might be left with nothing, DD said she doubts she'll be left with nothing so I said she might be left with only having the option of the most expensive uni accommodation!! which she definitely cannot afford. I feel she's making a big mistake waiting to see if her friend gets into uni before looking for a private place especially as I'm sure it will be a year long rental rather than the 39 week that the uni offers.

That does seem a bit strange, Fuds. Isn't the friend who doesn't yet have a place likely to want to go into Halls/first year accommodation anyway?

Thats what I thought but apparently they are all excited about moving in with each other. The friend didn't get into uni last year so studied at college in the hope of getting accepted this year.

I'd rather my DD stayed on campus as she has hobbies that finish at 10pm some nights and I'd rather she did a 5 min walk back instead of making her way home alone to wherever her friends end up finding a flat to rent.

Soapy - I am taking DD back on Sunday too. She is also worried her flat may be empty and lonely for the 1st 2 weeks. She has exams the first week and workshops the 2nd week.
Ohfuds - can your DD apply for accommodation anyway? Won't there be a gap between being offered accommodation and having to accept it?

OhFuds – I think you need to ask your DD to find out whether she can realistically apply for accommodation with someone who isn’t even at the uni! Even applying if/when she knows she has an offer may be awkward? Will it be an unconditional offer?

My 1st year DS has just sorted a house share with 3 others before xmas, he has had a form to fill in from the letting company and then both he and DH (as guarantor) have had an on-line finance form to fill in.

DS has had to state which uni he attends, which course, how much loan he is getting, other income he has (ie our contribution), bank account details – info that your DD’s friend probably won’t have available yet if she doesn’t even have a place?

And he found that houses were getting picked over very quickly, so your DD may not even have the luxury of waiting for her friend to find out if she gets a place.

Fuds - I think a landlord will not want a tennant who is not yet at the university. They may want to know in adance where the rent is coming from. She should be planning to rent with friends from the university, not school friends. Also, lots of student halls on campus are not avilable for Y2 students. They are needed for new students so Y2 students usually have to move out. Transport in cities is safe and reliable but it is best to travel in pairs very late at night.

Just place marking really

DD going back Friday. And DS on Sunday.

It's been mixed having them back. We've bickered more than before, and tbh I'm quite looking forward to having control of the tv again, and a clean kitchen!

As they are our only kids and are twins it's full on, full off so to speak.

I know I'll miss them loads for a few days but Mother Nature is working her magic on all of us, making us each enjoy our own separate lives so no one is a sobbing heap when we're apart. Or perhaps I'm just a bad parent

DS survived the exam, and has found a couple of mates in other flats to chat to, so not as lonely as he feared. We have very quickly got used to him not being here again, so maybe another bad parent alert needed .

Buckingfrolics. Same here. Twins going back this weekend. As you say its all or nothing. I'm not looking forward to the empty house and seem to feel worse than I did in Sept. They are getting on ok but DS has a few wobbles and is concerned about next year's accommodation as he hasn't really made any new friends. DD sorted for next year.

Glad to hear it mary.

Also glad that DD's exams were before the Christmas holiday, so that she can fully enjoy her break.

DS goes back a week on Sunday. He has a couple of exams, one each for Maths and Physics over the following two weeks so doesn't seem too stressed!

I'll make use of him next week running the younger DC round to extracurricular activities!

Teenage, same here. DD is socially successful, DS less so. My heart hurts for him sometimes cos he gets lonely I know.

It's fab to have got through those wonderful but exhausting years of busy busy family life. I'm so proud of them!

dd goes back tomorrow, but she is not looking forward to it. in her halls they are so noisy. her room is next to the kitchen which was great in the beginning but it seems now she gets no peace
she came home just exhausted.
her skin is really bad, i wondered if it was the stress and the lack of sleep.

Could she ask for a move, Norma? If people don't come back after the holiday, there may be some empty rules she could transfer to.

that's a good idea, initially it was great because of the Party atmosphere but before christmas it was wearing thin, for her at least.
it is a fine balance isnt it.

DS is going back tomorrow.

He's very happy but very surprised at how hard the work is

Norma - I know both my DDs have been sent emails telling them that halls etc must be very quiet for the first 2 weeks back at it is exam period. Will it be the same at your DD's? I think this next term will be a lot less partyish. DD2 also suffers from being next to the kitchen/livinarea.
Both girls are starting to sort out packing etc. I am taking one back on Monday as her first exam is on Wednesday. The 2nd one is going back on the train on Tuesday - unfortunately I will be away working then, so I am going to drop stuff off and meet her for a meal on Friday.

Dolly - my DD2 had a shock in the first term re: the quantity and difficulty of the work. Both DDs have done a lot of revision work over the holidays and DD2 has also had an assignment to complete.

DS went back on Tuesday, the rest of his flat not back until today so he's had a quiet week revising. Exams all next week. He's very nervous as they are, of course, not like A levels and he's unsure what to expect.

We all seemed to slip back into the regular family stuff over the holidays, both DS had friends over and it's been lovely. DS1 going back tomorrow so the house will be empty again .

Ds goes back tomorrow. Washing done, cake in oven , coursework being finished ...

I've taken DS1 back today. I will miss him as he's the only teenager who actually talks to me in the house. DS2, 17 with ASD, is pretty uncommunicative and DS3, 14 and quirky, used to be lovely but is right at the start of grunty teenagerdom.

DS1 has also found the work hard and term 2 seems to be rather more demanding in terms of lectures. He has an exam on Wed, too, which counts towards his final degree!

Anyway, he's back safely with clean clothes, towels and bedding but appears to have left his laptop here!

That's not good, Ellen - hope you can find a way to reunite laptop and son!

Strange to think that the exams they are doing now will count towards their final grade. I know for many it doesn't, but my DD is also in that position.

Ds delivered back. He has another essay due for Friday so not much time to ease back in.