Fighting our way through 1st year uni (starting Sept 17)

[HSMMaCM]

Continuing the previous thread.

Exams, assessments, essays, etc.

Support, or lack of it.

Will they all get accommodation for next year and can they cook a balanced meal yet.

marmalade are really flexible for insuring young drivers for periods of time, its a stand alone policy on an already insured car.
they are lovely to deal with too.

I use marmalade for periods when my DD is home form Uni or wants to take the car back for a week or two - really easy and flexible to arrange on line. Also used it for learner drivers when they were practicing on my car. Not cheap but very easy and flexible. Takes me 2 minutes to arrange each time she is home as details stored

Has anyone had 2 different letters from student finance with 2 different amounts?

Different but related question - has anyone used the intensive ‘pass in a week’ driving courses. Second DD has some unexpected time available so thinking of going for it.

Thanks everyone. Lots of useful information. I have been accused elsewhere of being an over-involved parent, but suspect I am simply an over-researcher. Buying a car is so far out of my comfort zone.

I am also interested in experiences of intensive courses. DD could learn to drive in Central London but I am not sure that prepares you well for driving elsewhere.

DS came home on Saturday. I picked him up pretty early to try and avoid the snow which was due to come later, and was quite impressed; he was packed and ready to go, had used up all the perishable food, cleaned his bathroom and put clean sheets on the bed! We must have done something right!

DS is staying in halls next year. There is plenty of accommodation, he loves it where he is and a high proportion of second and third year students stay in. Although perfectly sociable, he’s quite a private person and having his own room and bathroom to recharge in is very important to him.

Another recommendation for Marmalade here. We’ve found them very helpful.

We're on our way to collect DD for Easter. We'll be bringing home some stuff now, so we don't have to transport it all in the summer. It feels weird after all the build up to her moving into her first place that's sort of her own and now preparing for her to move out of it again already.

Can't wait to see her though

That sounds nice HSM - I think uni halls are a great stepping stone for them. Like you say kind of their first place of their own, but hopefully with some support..

DD is coming home for Easter one day next week after a day or two with grandparents en route.

Will be lovely to see her! She says she might even try to help DS with some revision for those GCSE's - hopefully she can be a good influence and they can do some work in parallel, as well as some opportunities for some outings together over the Easter break.

Ds is coming home for 3 weeks Easter holiday on Thursday....he then goes back on 23rd April and then has exams on 26th April and 2nd May and that's him finished first year!....( he did start at very beginning of September, so he's about 1 month ahead of many of his friends)
he's going to stay up for a couple of weeks after this until his flat mates have finished their exams and then come home and hopefully get a job! I'm hoping with him being home a bit earlier than other students may mean he'll have a better chance of getting a job....it also means he'll have just had his final living allowance payment through
He can move into his flat for second year from 1st June so looking at maybe getting a lock up to put his belongings in, so we don't have to transport them hundreds of miles again!

DS came home yesterday and went to bed for about 24 hours, surfacing only for sustenance now and then. He is home for 5 weeks, then back for exams, can't believe his first year is almost over.

DS home in a few days; he decided to stay up for a while after term ended. Home for a month then back for final term and exams. Where did this first year go?

It has been the fastest year ever! Can't believe they are almost done with their first year

DS met up with some old school friends last night as most are now back home for the holidays.

DS came home yesterday. Seems to have slept most of the time since and is off to stay with friends for a few days today..

He has no exams this year just course work so seems to think he will be finished by the first week in May.

Enjoy having your fledglings back in their nests.

DS is being annoyingly vague about when he'll come home. I'm hoping he's planning to turn up this evening as a surprise (but I've pointed out there's a train strike round here tomorrow to give him that little extra push )

DD is more or less just emerging for food, she seems hard at work at her desk all day. Vacation (ie having to vacate her college room) not holiday, for sure.

And we're hardly going to see her over the summer either- she's got a 12 week placement with BT in Ipswich. We're in the NW, getting home for the weekend really doesn't look feasible. I shall miss my sailing playmate.

I've done 4 loads of washing - and loving feeling needed again. (And yes, I know she could have done it herself)

DD cooked tea last night (pizza).

She's out with her school/6th form friends this evening.

DS arrived home last night headed straight for the fridge and then talked non stop for a couple of hours before falling asleep

He asked me to wake him at 9 with plans of going to the gym then town library to study for the rest of the day . Of course he is still asleep...

I've also done four extra loads of washing plus the obligatory roast dinner and like HSM, I know DS could have done this himself but it's just nice for him not to have to. I remember coming home from uni and feeling pampered because I didn't have to wash my own clothes or cook my own food.

DS is off to China in the summer to teach English (apparently).

DS arriving tomorrow as he had some assignments to finish. He is bringing his washing home and suggested he'd bring some t-shirts home as he hasn't worn them I think he has forgotten that it's summer term when he goes back!

DS has been home for a week, we have finally reached the bottom of the laundry basket!!

Hes working hard on revising and getting some assignments done.

DD has been home since Saturday. She has been spending a lot of time catching up with her friends.

I have done no washing whatsoever, but a fair amount of cooking.

DS finally arrived last night. He has just emerged and made it as far as the shower, nearly before midday! No washing as he did it all before he left apparently (!)) but has made a request for vegetables and lots of them with every meal. I have explained that they do grow and sell vegetables in the part of the country where he is at uni 🙄

Mine particularly requested frozen peas - I found her eating a cereal bowl full by way of starter the other evening. Her kitchenette doesn't have a freezer so she really hasn't been able to have them, to be fair.

I'm with her Errol, a bowl of peas, with a knob of butter. You can't beat that just cooked sweetness. A charming vice to have.

My DD is home, how is the first year nearly over? She finishes after her last exam in May but doesn't have the date yet. She's been here one night, out with her 6th form friends one night and is now here tonight I think. Roll on Thursday when the schools finish and my DCs can have some time together.