Early days at uni 2017

[HSMMaCM]

How is everyone settling in?

DD starts on Wednesday.

It's good to see so many getting on well.

I love this thread and we also are chatting on a Facebook one if anyone wants to join. There's mums with students going all over the U.K. and it's interesting to see what the rooms look like etc. The cost variation is interesting too.

m.facebook.com/groups/488235648182391

RADA is very impressive. I am sure the UCL people are really interested. I had lunch with someone today whose daughter has gone into acting. She loves it. Does voiceovers too which helps in her fallow (no work) periods.

On rooms one of my twins has a massive very old fashioned room with lots of character and the other has an absolutely tiny one but modern and yet I think the prices are about the same. They both seem to like them. I may be will find out more if they call tomorrow.

DD's halls are furiously expensive. But I suppose it's London.

DS will cost us very little in comparison. He says he should get the difference. No chance.

I remember when DS1 looked at Imperial and their halls were £10k a year!

Thanks lazydog I've just copied that to him. But know he's out bowling with his tutors and course people tonight.

Gave DD a leaving present and she said "I'm getting all emotional". Very unlike her.

I'm holding it together so far.

Student oyster cards cost £20 and give a third off the cost of fares. I assume they're capped?

DS' halls beside the barbican cost £7K. DD and I were looking in an estate agent's window there. Studio flat for nearly half a million and a three bedroom flat for £1.8 million. I've told DS that anyone in that area who isn't a student is probably minted so keep in with them.

DS was very very lucky to get a (small) scholarship and grants from a couple of trusts or we couldn't afford for him to go tbh. He will have to apply again for next year. Hopefully by his second or third year he'll be starting to get some paid gigs.

Whereabout in London is RADA haircut ? DS has a friend at RAM who is staying in uni halls but I can't remember which. Might be UCL. He had a lonely start as RAM started at the beginning of September while the uni students start next week, so he was rattling about almost on his own.

Aww HSMM

Dd got a letter saying £2036 will be collected from MY bank account on the 22nd
Her loan amount hasn't even been confirmed let alone paid so have had to borrow £2k off my mum
🤷‍♀️🙄

It must be such a worry for people who don't have finance agreed already

I keep looking at the payment schedule in case there's anything I've missed.

Can anyone point me in the direction of the payments information. We did it so long ago I can't find anything I'm sure the halls money is going to come out of my account and we need to change it. DS says I'm wrong. I don't really want £2k to come out to prove me right.

We are lucky that DS's halls allow card payment so we have set it up for the credit card, it gives a bit more wiggle room in case the timings aren't right.

Dc is struggling- spoken twice & both times they were in tears. I wasn't worried about the transition at all when we dropped off but I can't stop worrying now. Just hasn't bonded with flat mates really & just finding it tough being away from home. Naturally I'm now a nervous wreck

These accommodation fees people are quoting - is that for the whole year, and self catered?

DS's residence fees are "only" $2,332 per semester (so around £2,800/yr) but it's basically the same again ($2,366.00) for the compulsory meal plan, i.e. no 1st year students, who choose to live on campus, are allowed to self-cater, even though all the apartments have full kitchens. But if you choose to live in halls of residence for later years, you then don't have to take the meal plan. Odd system...

ImListening - It's so tough. I hope things improve for your DC soon. Are they far from home?

lazy

Ds is £5800ish for the year

In halls

Uncatered

Holy crap Rufus! So, for slightly less money, DS gets his accommodation and unlimited access to the dining hall (from 7am-11pm, Mon-Fri, and from 8am-10pm on weekends) and the food is actually pretty good, with a chef even taking requests for variations on some of the daily dishes if you don't like what's on offer on the buffet. Guess that's the perks of an unheard of university in the arse-end of nowhere, versus somewhere with a good rep

When the twins applied for en suite halls it was going to be 7800 at Bristol. Neither got the en suite but they did get the same halls so I expect it will be slightly cheaper. They have the room through to July unlike some Oxbridge colleges where I think you have to clear out in holidays so the university can let the rooms them so that's one reason it's more expensive than Oxbridge,. Their halls are catered (2 meals a day). Neither of them has asked me for university fees or rent yet. I thkn they have to go on line and search for the bill and from memory they had to pay in October but I might be wrong. I don't think we've given bank account details yet.

(rogue, I know the Barbican quite well and it is quite expensive to live in it but very convenient for people who work near there. My daughter kept in with (and indeed liked) friends in halls and was lucky enough for the second and third year to be able to rent from one of the boys - his parents bought him a 3 or 4 story house in Clifton, Bristol. It was a good experience for the boy actually too - he had to do the whole place up himself all summer, painting, the works and then learn to manage lettting out the spare rooms for 2 years and I expect it went up in price as well).

£5800 UNcatered

Swansea, £5,500 for en-suite in self-catered 11 bedroom flat in campus halls. It's more for the larger bedrooms! Lazydog, that is so cheap! I think the problem is with University expansions a lot of halls built to accommodate the increased student number are built by private companies. I think the student oyster cards are only available to students studying in London, not those whose parental home is in London.

6500, ensuite, self catered.

£5920, newly built Halls open this year, large room, double bed and ensuite. Shared kitchen and lounge.

Newcastle £5596.50 - don't forget the .50!!!

New build, 1yr old self catered standard en suite 'small' double bed, shared kitchen and lounge.

Haven't seen the inside as it was still being built when we looked around.

DS's new build is having a few new build issues. Cold water coming out boiling hot at the moment.

Actually DS's is a 'small double' because there was much angst getting the mattress protector and the correct size sheets.