Starting lectures at uni 2017

[HSMMaCM]

The other thread filled up really quickly, with exciting talk of laundry, mattress toppers and lost property.

Here's where the rest of them settle in, get through freshers and the work gets serious.

Make sure she keeps checking the Blackboard if there is one, Tilly. And spends time familiarising herself with the module handbook if there is one.

@bigtillymint DD says that she can only access videos from her course.

YY, cory, recording definitely not appropriate if students might contribute and not want to be recorded. I have had issues in the past where a very upset student told me the lecture had been recorded (without my or her consent!) and she'd outed herself during a question, believing that only the people in the room would hear and then worrying what could happen to the recording.

Just had a nice chat with DD, all good.

This is not a subject that had ever occurred to me. In my day (when dinosaurs walked the earth) we just scribbled down the stream of consciousness being spouted by the lecturer and hoped for the best. My DD, just started, will probably be ok as she has grown up on making mind maps, but DS would probably struggle. It is definitely something I will look out for when and if we go to Open Days for him.

Just had a long chat with dd. Totally different world at drama school: mainly about which parts of her body ache the most. Also very industry-orientated from week 1: class has been told that slouching when somebody else is talking is the kind of thing that might get them the sack in some companies (dd feels for the first time that her social anxiety may turn out to be something of an asset )

That's interesting Cory.

My DD has just started at RADA. She says it's very hard core, but in many ways quite theoretical thus far. Absolutely no acting.

She's very happy though. I had coffee with her on Friday and she looked so vibrant and beautiful ( obviously I'm biased ) even though she'd been clubbing on Thursday night until 5am .

Well DD knows about the blackboard area already!

Mind maps totally befuddle me. And DD. She does old-fashioned notes (with colours where poss) in A4 exercise books as they are less bulky and less prone to pages faling out.

Carl, thats lovely

I am hoping DD will be sunny when I see her next Sat

dd isn't exactly doing acting yet either, Carl: it's more voice and movement atm, and musicality

laying foundations

same thing with the vibrant look, absolutely: she is in pain and loving it

Had my weekly call to one today - although he actually to get me to deliver sports equipment to someone from his university who by chance lives near us and is home this weekend so I took it round and left it where instructed. Kind of them to take it back for him. He had no particular news. There is quite a bit of work on his course compared with his twin's course but we always knew that and they are having to get used to university methods, citing sources and that kind of thing. I think it's all fine. He's not doing any music as it clashed with his sport which is school all over again - he had 13 years of trying to balance the two.

Expecting first phone call from DS today since we dropped him last week. Mixture of excitement and trepidation, so looking forward to hearing his voice and hoping he's really ok. The work starts in earnest this week so hope he finds a pattern to his week. Two loads of washing done yesterday apparently and that 'ridiculous' airer I 'made' him take is actually really useful. Who knew?! ....

DS has just left to go back to Birmingham, his visit for the weekend turned into a quick 24hr visit because he has a social activity this afternoon. DH and I are so relieved at how well he has settled in, he isn't a big drinker or socialiser so we were concerned. He has found groups of like minded people and is loving his course.
I can forgive the very limited contact I've been getting now I know he's okay.
I've asked him to keep a friendly eye out for his flatmates, when my friend's DS struggled settling in a couple of years ago his flatmates were the ones who alerted family that he needed help.

I'm loving the 'useless ' things we sent them with turning out to be quite useful after all.

We're visiting DD today and she sent a text at 3am with a supplementary list of requirements at 3am this morning.

DD1 is home for Sunday lunch with sick grandparents - we’re trying to make the most while we have them

She was quite an independent soul but says taking care of herself every single day is a complete revelation - much harder than she expected. Eg we’ve done shopping online all her life -she’s never slogged around the supermarket. She (jokingly) rang me up from Sainsburys the other day and said I’d let her down as she had no idea how to shop. She didn’t realise there are so many types of tinned tomatoes and you just have to figure it out. Etc

She’s in a Scape development - self contained accommodation 15 min walk from uni - nearly everyone is at the same uni - she’s quite shy and barely drinks so at risk of being a hermit but has joined all the group chats for course and Scape and seems happy enough.

Re the group chats - I think they're at an age where social media actually becomes a good thing. Maybe they should raise the age for apps to 18, when they're ready to use them in a constructive way.

It definitely helped DD 'get to know' her housemates before she left home.

Alongtheway - she needs to see if there is an Aldi nearby - far less choice, low prices, high quality - but no tricky decisions... it's 'tinned tomatoes - yes or no

The various group chats before she went definitely seemed to be a good thing. And of course its so much easier for them to keep in touch with school friends too.

First venture at laundry successful, though she said she must have looked an idiot in Aldi pondering the choices to make sure she got the in-drum sort (just as well she didn't go to a supermarket with more choice!). She reckons her stuff emerged from the dryer 'perfectly flat' so she didn't need to have bothered learning to iron.

That was an xpost... aldi has huge choice of important stuff like chocolate and biscuits though!

DD was on the group chats, it turned out that one of her flatmates was also on there and they already felt like they knew each other a bit so they were less shy. As she didn't know who she was going to be sharing with that was quite lucky - her uni don't tell you anything other than the building you are in until you arrive.

Indeed Errol

Mine were worried they would lose out because they didn't go the group chats before they went as too busy but I think it all works out okay in the end and the group chats or facebook groups are a good idea.

I am not getting much news at present. I think they've basically settled in so it is just going to be much of the same until the Christmas holiday. One has an essay due this week - the first.

I got accosted by two students in different supermarkets whilst in DS's uni city They asked for assistance with their choice of washing powder and fabric conditioner and one especially wanted to know where he'd find colour catchers!

I visited ds last week. He seems fine and his flatmates sound lovely (apart from the one who gets drunk and aggressive but spends most of his time gaming in his room on his computer).

Can't believe he's only been there 2 weeks - neither can he! He says they all feel like they've known each other for ages. One poor girl got freshers flu, then tonsillitis, then bronchitis! She was struggling to breathe one night so they called 111 and sat with her until a paramedic turned up. They've made friends with people from other flats so it's all looking good (fingers crossed!).

DS's room is tidy, but in need of a personal touch. We were so focused on him not taking unnecessary stuff, his room has a very minimalist feel. I popped into the room next door to see one of his female flatmates and her room is so tastefully decorated, with ornaments, cushions, colourful throws etc. DS's bedding is navy on the grounds that it won't show the dirt!

Just had a long Face Time call with DS.

The illusive 'paper holder' is a magazine tidy ( like an upright letter rack). He's signed up for quite a few things including student radio. Apparently he's now the assistant to the sports reviewer!!!