Early days at uni 2017

[HSMMaCM]

How is everyone settling in?

DD starts on Wednesday.

DS, who never really cooked much for himself before he went, has made a huge batch of spag bol and frozen the leftovers in zippy bags! I'm so proud of him.

I'm also proud of myself for finding a 3" memory foam topper for his 4 foot bed for under £45. On the way in, one of the other students looked at it and said, "Oh that looks like a good idea ..."

Quite a variety of start dates then.
dd went yesterday.
Today has included a few texts asking me to send up X, Y, and Z with a friends from home who is traveling to her parents' home in my dd's University town next weekend and kindly offered to take anything we couldn't fit in or that she forgot.
Seems to have settled - 4 of them from her flat went out for tea tonight and she is cooking for the 4 of them tomorrow, so that seems like a good start. Went out last night but said she paced herself not at all because she was still a bit delicate from the farewell drinks here before she went.

QOD - that sounds awful!

This is a great thread. Mine went over a week ago and I've only been able to read it now. I miss them so much. I wish something could be done about the ridiculous alcohol intake but I couldn't do anything about it when they were home so I can't expect anyone else to deal with it either.

DD has been at uni just over 2 weeks and she seems to be doing great. She's keeping in touch (answers my texts and we have talked / facetimed every few days. I just chatted with her today and she was busy, seemed to be on top of her work and having a great time socially. So I'm not sure why I feel so sad...

Woke early for the gym, DH commented he hadn't slept well and I haven't myself really. Desperate for today's contact call but he's probably not long in bed!

ds went on Saturday, so far he sounds ok.
You don't really know if they are do you?
I was impressed with how neat and clean his room is, and the lift worked when we were there.

DS goes next week, not sure why he is later starting than others. He is looking forward to it and we've gone through his stuff to see what we are missing. Dreading it.

Lost - you are feeling sad as life has changed for you, your little one has flown the nest!! My DS went last year, settled very quickly, enjoyed course, lots of friends, saw regularly as he not far away, but boy did I miss him and feel sad (but maybe a fraction less than I would have done if he was unhappy). Still have DD17 at home, which did help reduce sadness too.

I think it was worse after xmas, probably took me to summer term to really get used to it. I am missing him again this week, missing his presence after having him home for 3.5 months, but not sad like last year. (Although we seeing him again tomorrow eve to drop off forgotten stuff, he only an hour away and DH and I work half way there!)

I think the message is be kind to yourself, try and keep busy and be positive if they are settling in, enjoying course and staying in touch. And look forward to Christmas!

We dont have a busy social life, but I have been messaging various friends to go for walks or coffee on 2 days I don't work, and looking like I will keep busy till half term. Getting a date sorted to see my uni friends before xmas and DS said he wants to do xmas market with us again, so I think the term will fly.

Ahhh found you all again x

I had 6 calls from DS yesterday - getting himself in all sorts of pickles!

My DS has met someone he has things in common with!
After a very quiet first day he managed to meet one of the other male flat mates! The other two have remained invisible so far.

I'm going to venture into ds1 bedroom today to give it a good clean, have been walking past his closed door since Saturday not able to look at it! Dh and ds2 have been in though looking at what he's left behind in his wardrobe to see if it will fit them!!

DS went on Saturday. I haven't seen his (very expensive) room / flat because ExH took him. I really miss him but I'm happy for him. I just hope to goodness it all works out, and he focuses on his course. I don't think the A level specs did him any favours.

He has a 'module fair' today. Lectures start 2nd October.

My precious baby boy son goes off on Sunday. Nearly everything packed, he surprised me when he insisted that bedding, towels etc all matched, (a tasteful shade of teal) as he has never shown an inclination towards interior design before.
He and DH are off for a couple of nights to the coast this week, as a last chance for a jolly, so I'll just continue to make lists on my own for the last few essential (in my eyes, probably not his) items.
I'm not expecting much contact, but he finally added me to his Facebook last week, so that I can stalk him contact him on messenger.

Mytimenow, dd is eyeing up ds's room, and keeps going in speculating where she is going to put her stuff. That's caused a few rows...

Blossomcat, we have that going on too with ds3 as he has the box room but it has all recently been decorated and ds3 loves his room it's just too small to still play Lego and get all his toys out. I'm thinking of letting him have ds1 room as a chill out room for TVs and playing but sleeping in his own room, then when ds1 comes home he can still have his own bedroom.

I was a fresher 5 years ago (where has that time gone?!) just a point for any parents wondering when their children will come home again.
Please don't push this on them, in my halls there was a girl who felt she had to go home after 2 weeks and she missed out on a lot and ended up transferring to a uni closer to home.

It was hard leaving home and I when I first went back I cried because my family home didn't feel like home anymore. But I don't regret going to Uni one bit, it was a great time and has led to a job I love.
Try not to worry too much! Freshers stick together and I remember helping many a fresher home haha

Great thread. We are two years off this so just gearing up. Good luck to all your DS/DDs and & for mums and dads left behind.

I'm certainly not expecting DD to come home before the vac. It never crossed my mind to do so when I was a student - and that was in the days when the only contact with parents was a payphone or letters?

DS is only 40 minutes away so it would be fairly easy for him to come home if he wished.

I have told ds he is not to come home ! I know what you mean, SlothMama, as ds has friends who last year were "encouraged" to come home for family birthdays, anniversaries, Guy Fawkes etc etc etc and although I will miss ds terribly, it does not seem fair to still keep them on a short rein.

Hello everyone, I found you.

(((Crisp))), I hope your DS is feeling better today. It is a long week hanging around before lectures start. I'm sure when I went we only had a couple of days. Some of the Student Unions have student mentors who run drop-in sessions during welcome week for those finding the transition difficult xx

Letters Errol? I think dd has written about 2 or 3 letters in her entire life. I'm not expecting her to come home before xmas either.

DP and I are having a bit of a disagreement about how much to contact her. I think it's best leave her to settle in. If she messages me, of course I will reply, but don't initiate anything. DP keeps popping up with questions about what she has been doing.

We are going with just replying if he texts us. If he hasn't been in touch he's presumably alright.
If there's something we need to know we trust him to get in touch.