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Higher education

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

Original poster

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

917 replies

HSMMaCM · 17/01/2018 20:41

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.

OP posts:
brizzledrizzle · 14/04/2018 07:47

My dc has found a house with friends but they don't have to pay until September, all the contracts are signed. Thankfully she's saved up and has the deposit and rent for September.

BestIsWest · 14/04/2018 09:12

DS has to pay half rent from July - he’s paid it in advance. Seems a rip off to me.

JugglingFromHereToThere · 14/04/2018 09:43

Think DD is moving in to her new 2nd year flat in August, not sure when she has to start paying for it or how much the deposit is. She seems fairly independent financially, managing well with her grant so far. I must ask her more about it though to check she's OK. And she will need our support/ info from us with re-applying for student finance.

Was lovely to have her home for a week or so over Easter and her birthday.
She's just been to Edinburgh with a few friends for a little Easter break and I think they had a good time.

Applying for a summer project abroad but will have to see how that goes.
Probably need to continue to think about what she will be doing for July and August!

simbobs · 14/04/2018 10:41

Mine was home for a month, and is about to leave to go back. It went very quickly and she seemed to have a lot of work to do so spent a lot of the time in her room. Some of that was because she is having to teach herself a whole module, due to striking lecturers.
I did just mention deposits for house and got a rather blank look.

Horsemad · 14/04/2018 11:53

Still waiting to hear from DS whether he's going to get a room in a house, or go into halls again...

He goes back tomorrow, he said there are lectures this week and then they are striking again.

Stopyourhavering64 · 14/04/2018 12:21

Ds has accommodation for next year, which is available from July but he has to or rather we pay £1050 per quarter by standing order
He finishes mid May so I'm hoping he's got a job in local pub/ restaurant over the summer
I've also got dd going into final year...she's currently on placement which doesn't finish till mid August and she's not got accommodation for next year sorted yet , which I'm rather grateful for as that would mean anotherr deposit and payment for flat she won't be using till term starts in September
Only another 3 years till we've finished paying for students!

Xenia · 14/04/2018 13:08

They are lucky. I am going to pay their rent and I will set up a standing order to leave my account a week before their standing order for rent has to leave their accounts. I think it is paid monthly from July. They fixed both places up in December.

We had a lot of boys here last night from school and university - all really lovely and only a few bottles for me to clear up when I drove them (two drives to the tube as there were 7 boys) at about 10.45. My own son has not emerged yet. I heard him arriving back quietly at about 5.50am which is late even for him and his brother has been staying with a university friend so will be back today and then they leave tomorrow. They have not really been here that long and one was away on a university ski trip for a week of the holiday.

Stop, may be, but my daughters did 2 years law school after university so don't assume things necessarily stop after although one was sponsored so although she was living here rent free and I bought her food she was not a big cost by that stage.

brizzledrizzle · 14/04/2018 14:39

@jugglingfromheretothere Applying for a summer project abroad but will have to see how that goes

My daughter is applying for one as well, what is yours hoping to do?

JugglingFromHereToThere · 14/04/2018 20:17

Let's just say supporting a surveying project with animals in Africa brizzle
She was quite excited and enthused by the possibility and gave the application her best shot..
Otherwise I think she'll have a think about some other volunteering projects over the summer, similar to the kind of thing she did last year.

Xenia · 14/04/2018 20:24

In fact further details.... could not find friend at end of evening, got all night tube to place x, then walked (a very long way) and caught first bus from Y back to home hence arrival at 5.50am (although he seems veyr happy with the night so presumably it was good despite the hours getting home and walk. I suppose walking as the dawn arrives it not necessarily awful).

I just cleaned their car and went out to buy coolant as it was really low and refilled the screen wash. Next week will be very quiet as I don't even have a single meeting either which is nice.

Good luck to those applying for summer jobs.

JugglingFromHereToThere · 14/04/2018 20:34

Thanks Xenia!

Sounds like your boys had a great Easter break and were very well looked after at home :-)

brizzledrizzle · 14/04/2018 23:34

Quite different to what mine is hoping for juggling as it's in Asia and with people.

JugglingFromHereToThere · 15/04/2018 19:57

Good luck to your DD too brizzle

I guess the applications are all good practice in themselves, but also the projects do sound exciting!

RedHelenB · 15/04/2018 20:59

Dd went back yesterday ( a day early as she was off to Edinburgh to celebrate a friends birthday) after a month at home. She only has 6 weeks to go though so her loan can pay first months rent etc.

Horsemad · 15/04/2018 21:20

DS went back this afternoon.

MorvahRising · 15/04/2018 21:21

DS has gone back today with crates of electronic equipment. We’re gong to need a lorry to bring it all back in the summer.

He’s applied for an internship in the summer which would be fantastic - has had a telephone interview and is waiting to hear if he’s through to the next round.

simbobs DS also loathes alcohol fuelled events and avoids them. He likes a couple of beers or glasses of wine but isn’t into getting plastered. It certainly saves money and there are a surprisingly large number of like-minded people.

laundryelf I hope your DS has made a decision which he (and you) are happy is the right one for him. I was pretty miserable in my first year at university and it seemed like the end of the world at the time. It’s heartbreaking to see them struggle; if he can hang on til the end of this term he then has months to consider his options.

Xenia · 15/04/2018 22:04

Sounds like everyone is going back. Mine drove back about 6 or 7 quite happily. The car was not too full and they've arrived safely. I suppose exams will be upon them soon at least 6 in one case.

I am with the staying off alcohol lot. I didn't drink at all at university. I had a lovely time and it's cheaper.

RedHelenB · 15/04/2018 22:35

Being as Newcastle is synonymous with cheap alcohol I can't see dd being teetotal anytime soon Xenia!

TheOrigRightsofwomen · 15/04/2018 23:44

Mine went back yesterday.
He's been home alone for a week as I'm in china and HK for work. He's a sensible young man but I have a friend popping in now the house is empty to check he turned gas off and closed the freezer, as I'm not back until Friday night.

brizzledrizzle · 16/04/2018 07:10

Mine has got just two weeks of lectures and then the revision starts, there's only 6 weeks until the end of term, she finishes during the school half term so has already started bringing stuff home to avoid the car being too full at the end of the year. She's got the timetable for the remaining exams - 3 I think - as they have already done some of the end of the year exams.

LooseHipsWobbleShips · 16/04/2018 08:59

Hello all
My DS goes back next week but will have had a month at home by then. Five weeks of lectures then 3 weeks of exams with 11 exams in total (which seems excessive) before the end of the year. Where did that year go?

Needmoresleep · 16/04/2018 09:00

DDs exams don't start until everyone else's have finished. They also only have a week between receiving results and having to take any resit, so it is essential to pass first time. Luckily she finally put in for a transfer away from her party girl neighbour, and her new flatmates are a lot more considerate. Apparently their partyboy flatmate moved out because they were "too boring". They wash up, don't leave vomit in the hallway, and her food is safe in the kitchen.

Even so they are likely to want to celebrate post-exams. I have promised DD that if need be, I will fund a few nights in a b&b. It was a tough year.

Eve · 16/04/2018 09:07

Final term already !

Only 4 weeks of lectures this term and then into exams!!

DS went back Sat with a lot less stuff than he went with.

Accessgate · 16/04/2018 10:13

dd2 is back but dd3 is still at home revising.

They have really different term dates.

PilarTernera · 16/04/2018 10:51

DD has 4 more weeks of lectures and then 3 weeks of exams. She finishes in mid-June.

She took less stuff with her than she came with, but I'm still not sure how we are going to get it all back here when the time comes. Cross that bridge when we come to it, I guess.

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