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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

We've survived the first half term - go us! (starting uni 2017)

928 replies

flyingpigsinclover · 26/10/2017 17:29

New thread....we've got to the first half term!

OP posts:
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CautionTape · 10/12/2017 19:39

BTM I recall cooking an Xmas dinner and basting the veggie potatoes in turkey fat Shock. I kept it to myself.

CautionTape · 10/12/2017 19:42

I'd also appreciate views on something from you lot.

My DC have both underspent this term. Especially DS.

Despite clearly not doing without and going out. A lot. They have quite a bit of £££ left from their allowances.

Would you let them keep it? Would you reduce next terms allowance? Or would you just carry on as it's their business?

extinctspecies · 10/12/2017 19:49

Does anyone know how much the Apple education discount is on a new laptop?

Getting a MacBook Air for DS for xmas/birthday present, but need to compare costs of buying via Apple with he educational discount & duty free.

Thanks

BehindTheBlueDoor · 10/12/2017 19:51

Interesting decision Cautiontape. We said to DS that would would give him £x allowance this term to see how he fared and reduce if necessary after Christmas-we're not increasing as it's quite generous. We'll have the discussion at Christmas. He'll keep what he has saved thus far but we might reduce by a small amount. Don't want to be stingy either but we do want him to learn to budget. Hope that doesn't make me sound like Scrooge.

Horsemad · 10/12/2017 20:06

Caution, I'd let them keep it and leave it the same for next term. They may have more expenditure next year.

HSMMaCM · 10/12/2017 20:17

I asked DD if they were doing a house Christmas dinner. Apparently they've got over the initial excitement of the house share now and are starting to grate on each other a bit, so no house dinner. Still friends with the girls she wants to house share with though.

Creature2017 · 10/12/2017 20:36

CD, that would seem a bit unfair to me. If someone is a good saver that's brilliant - he can use it towards a house deposit in due course. Let him keep it. There is no chance my two have underspent! One "needed" kebabs one night recently (he is a catered hall) and offered his friend £20 plus an Uber to take him to and from the kebab place. Two friends did it together for £10 each. What a waste of money. I said - well if you want to live to that standard you are certainly going to have to pick a particularly high paid career.

dahliaaa · 10/12/2017 21:13

Just wondering how many have found houses for next year? DS is a bit concerned - he's in a group but everyone is starting to go home and they haven't managed to find anywhere yet. Is January too late ? (Personally I can't believe they have to do this so early - in 'my day' we vaguely thought about in early June and then spent about 5 minutes finding somewhere.)

Horsemad · 10/12/2017 21:20

DS is going back into halls but he said they've been told not to rush and there will be lots of properties available after the Xmas break & Jan exams.

HSMMaCM · 10/12/2017 21:33

DD hasn't got anywhere and says every place they go has dozens of students after the same house. I'm a bit of a believer in fate and I'm sure it will all work out. Personally I'd rather she stayed in halls, but she doesn't want to.

BackforGood · 10/12/2017 21:44

Caution You have to let them keep that, whatever you decide for next term, or next year. Otherwise you are just inviting them to spend wildly and frivolously in future. Suggest they put it to something they'd like - driving lessons or a holiday in the Summer.
dahliaaa My dd has.
When it was ds's turn (different University, different year) he got sorted in January. It depends on where they are - is different in different towns and cities. It will also depend on how many of them want to be togehter, and how specific their requirements are. There will always be single spaces / rooms for individuals, but if there are 7 of you and you all want double rooms and you want a social living space and.... and..... then the sooner you get sorted, the better. Agree it does seem ridiculous though.

JugglingFromHereToThere · 11/12/2017 08:07

Reassuring to hear that it should be OK to look for a flat after Christmas. DD has a nice little group of 3 or possibly 4 of them from her current Uni flat hoping to share together. They seem very nice from when I briefly met them on move in day, plus how it seems to have been going since then. But don't think they've made huge progress yet on finding somewhere. I think her Uni city is quite good and reasonably priced for student accommodation so not too concerned just yet, but glad she has a plan!

Creature2017 · 11/12/2017 08:22

One of mine definitely has found a house. The other I think has but he's very busy with essays at the moment so other than sending him the money for the agent's fee yesterday (but he didn't need a deposit too like his twin did) I have not heard so am not sure. I suspect he has as I don't think the agents ask for the fee unti somewhere is found and as I think I said above he asked me to send his passport by special delivery last week which they need to show face to face to the agent.

CautionTape · 11/12/2017 09:21

Thanks everyone for your views.
DH and I have decided to let them keep what they have left, which might not be that much after the Xmas break, I guess.

We'll discuss if their allowance needs to be less next term over the vac. I think it's clear that DS doesn't need as much as he gets. His accommodation in college includes 3 meals per day so the only food he buys is rat meat nuggets at 4am after a night on the tiles.
He hasn't bought any clothes ( asked for a coat and new sneakers for Xmas), had his hair cut (and paid for by us) when he came home on a visit.

dahliaaa · 11/12/2017 23:53

Thanks for the replies everyone. They are a big group (8) but not very fussy ConfusedGrinso fingers crossed they will find somewhere in Jan

bigTillyMint · 12/12/2017 07:14

extinct We got one for DD before she went to uni and it was a decent amount - about 10% IIRC and she got a free pair of wireless Beats headphones which she was very happy with!

Caution, I would let them keep it, but with the clear understanding that they will not be getting any handouts for holidays, etc. And I would encourage them to put it into a savings bank.

DD and her mates haven't found anywhere yet. Well, they have found a few places, but they have all either fallen through or been poo-pooed by one of the boys who seems to have high-falutin ideas and lots of money. DD likes everything to be organised and sorted out, so she is finding the not having it all signed and sealed a bit difficult.

LittleHoy · 12/12/2017 10:00

All mine are home now and have managed to avoid too much disruption on the journey. This term seems to have gone fast.

dd3 is very happy with her course and friends. Just needs to find a house in January.

Needmoresleep · 12/12/2017 10:05

Caution, it depends a lot on child and place. DS did not spend much, but he was in London, walked everywhere, does not drink, and his social life was focused on campus, and involved cheap things like films and gaming. His flat cooked, he took packed lunches in, and he would come home to collect Amazon parcels and have a roast dinner.

Poor DD ended up with the same amount, with a 14 week term, large sports subs and kit (including a blazer!), two initiations, and expensive text books. Her accommodation is some distance from campus, she has long teaching hours, and social life is off campus, and seems to be mainly pubbing/clubbing. Food stealing in her flat is pretty rife, and dd essentially has to buy milk every day as it disappears. She reckoned that she only managed to get three bowls out of the three packets of (deliberately cheap) cereal I bought her a couple of weeks back. One boy went as far as to suggest she got something nicer next time. She spent her last money with ingredients for a batch cook of chili con carne to see her through to the end of term, but was beginning to sound like a jungle celebrity faced with rice and beans. I relented last night and transferred the money for an immediate take away plus some salad ingredients.

It will even out as she won't have the same expenses next term, and the third term is very short. So she should have a contribution towards her summer. And we are paying for her ski trip.

She is the only one she knows who has not had to take out a student loan, something she wants to keep quiet about, so she seems happy to be as broke and frugal as the others. She is far more worried about one girl whose parents keep bailing her out, and who therefore has too much money to spend on addictive substances, and who can afford to run with a rather dodgy and moneyed group.

simbobs · 12/12/2017 12:32

My DD has a house for next year, but I think it could have been left till Jan if she hadn't found somewhere. She has been pretty uncommunicative lately so I don't know if she is in with the lot that she mentioned when initially looking, which included someone that she had only just met, but who had no one to share with. Not a recipe for success methinks. I have no idea about the finances, though.
It'll be interesting to see whether they all come back thinner than when they went, as some have mentioned. Only 3 more sleeps.
For those who remember my news upthread about our dog dying very unexpectedly. Chaos will be arriving on Sunday in the shape of another furry bundle, just after DD gets back. We must be mad!

Needmoresleep · 12/12/2017 12:54

EnvyEnvyEnvy

Creature2017 · 12/12/2017 13:02

I just picked one up who is just home for a concert tonight and driving the car back tomorrow - term ends at the weekend for them both. He looks the same as when he went - they are both in catered halls. He has a cough. I thought it was his twin who has a cough that even antibiotics has not shifted. Hopefully they can have a few weeks at home/on our holiday with sleep and rest although one is going away to a friend's house with other friends for 3 days next week which I doubt will be peaceful. I hope he's nice to her mother who is putting them up. I've told him to be - always keep the mothers happy, I said.

Eve · 12/12/2017 13:07

phone call from DS - hes slightly pleased - he got 70% in his end of term assignment! ( not bad for a very dyslexic DS on full DSA allowance) - I may have shed a tear as I have been worrying if hes up to the work standard.

bigTillyMint · 12/12/2017 13:17

Very well done Eves DS!

RedHelenB · 12/12/2017 15:39

That's brilliant Eve!

LineyRunner · 12/12/2017 16:05

DS is home, and I have visited DD (who isn't coming home) and given her a lot of food and, basically, chocolate.