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.

[Hhakuna]

dd just been on the phone saying the hot water in her accommodation has been off since Saturday and they have not said when it will be fixed by, she is in private halls not run by the university and the only option they have given them is to walk a mile to the nearest other hall complex where there is a single spare shower for the entire block of students. DD didnt seemed that phased by it and thankfully one of her friends has said she can use the shower in their house until it comes back on but how long is acceptable for them to have no hot water in their ensuites or kitchens ?

[LineyS]

Similar story here, Hhakuna, with eye-wateringly expensive private halls and broken appliances and facilities.

[HSMMaCM]

Get them to ask how much rent rebate they will get and it might be fixed faster ?

[brizzledrizzle]

I don't go and visit mine as we can't afford it, she comes home instead as it's cheaper. I've been there once since she started to fix a problem and then once to collect her but both were flying visits I'm woefully inadequate.

[Needmoresleep]

No you are not!

[BehindTheBlueDoor]

You're certainly not brizzle! We didn't see DS at all last term until DH picked him up in December. We are seeing him for a few days this Feb though as we're taking a few days during half term to drop in and show DS2 the uni and the surrounding area. Whether we'll be allowed in to his room or meet any of his friends remains to be seen.

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

I've not been to see DD yet either brizzle ( both cost and distance also a factor here) But I was thinking it might be a nice thing to do sometime in the Spring. DD said she might come home for a weekend before Easter as she did last term so we might do that instead or as well.

[bigTillyMint]

Brizzle, we dropped DD there in Sept then just I visited (by Megabus!) for a day and then she came home by Megabus for Christmas and went back the same. So not really any different to you!

[Hhakuna]

HSMMaCM Apparentely it requires a part which they are pricing up, so it hasnt even been ordered yet so who knows how long it will take ! its hard because i want to phone up myself knowing DD would feel uncomfortable saying anything but i know its not my place

[Horsemad]

Don't beat yourself up brizzle. I only went to see DS in Oct because I was having an operation and I just 'needed' to see him.

Otherwise, we'd have waited until he came home at Xmas.

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

Well, looks like I won't be visiting DD just yet as last night she turned up on the doorstep with a Happy Birthday sign for me saying now she's finished her exams she has come home for a week (around my birthday)
Everyone else in the family knew but she wanted to surprise me!

Nice surprise! She is such a sweet girl 😊
Looking forward to spending some time together over the coming week, especially because as she says Christmas was a bit busy (and I also had some nasty flu-ish sickness bug)
Going to a musical at DS ( and her old) school on my birthday!

[HSMMaCM]

Juggling

[user1484040234]

How lovely Juggling. My DS at the same Uni as your DD is arriving home tonight too, due to the gap between exams and start of semester 2. Christmas was also busy with assignments and revision, so it's good that they have a break. It's a long way from us but he loves it there!

[Eve]

Hooray - DS turned up for his Economics exam yesterday and all support was in place , as its quite wordy he needed the writer and scribe and thinks he did quite well.

Having a pushy Mum who takes no prisoners is helpful sometimes!

His last exam is Mon so hes coming Tuesday for rest of the week which will be lovely.

[HSMMaCM]

Eve glad it's all sorted. Sometimes they still need their parents to step in.

[Horsemad]

Well Done Eve and Juggling - what a nice surprise! Enjoy having your DC home both of you

[simbobs]

We're enjoying having DD home. She had finished her exams and wanted to see the pup. She and DS are going out tonight, which is nice for them both. I told him he was not to make any plans of his own and to prioritise time with his sister. Probably would have done that anyway. I was surprised at how much extra stuff I had to buy to accommodate her vegan ways.

[BestIsWest]

DS has signed the contract for his house share for next year. I’m a bit disappointed that he didn’t choose to stay in halls because there was a really good offer on but there we go.

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

Lovely to hear about other DC home after January exams, I didn't realise this was a thing partly because DD thought it would be nice to surprise us! I guess it depends how your exams fall within exam season whether there is any opportunity at the end for a break.

She's just helped keep us all calm as we rushed to drop DS off for a lift with a friend for a weekend away with his band. So, looking forward to the weekend with just me and DD now 😊

[JugglingFromHereToThere]

Glad to hear your DS is enjoying life at his Welsh Uni user148. I love that they are so near the sea and think it looks a friendly student city.

Maybe I'll wait till it gets a bit warmer for a visit and we can look forward to an ice-cream from Joe's on the promenade!

[ono40]

We are driving up to see DS on Sunday and take him out for lunch. He has asked us to bring him a pillow - I dread to think what has happened to the one he went off with.

[Horsemad]

Haha ono, I sent DS off with 2 pillows last Sept & he admitted he'd lost one, walking back in the early hours from a sleepover at a friend's flat!
Apparently 12 of them crashed in one room and he and a few others decided to leave during the night as it was too hot/cramped

Somewhere en route to his halls he lost his pillow...

[AmITwirly]

Apologies if this has been asked before, but I have been AWOL for a while. Are your lot all signing contracts for house-shares next year as "joint and severally liable"? I'm balking a bit because when I houseshared in the Middle Ages I was only liable for my own rent, but perhaps this is standard these days. I'm also being asked to be a Guarantor.

Any advice from those of you who have signed up already?

[PilarTernera]

I am a guarantor, but am only promising to pay dd's rent, not jointly and severally liable. She is sharing with six others, so the entire rent is astronomical.

[BestIsWest]

User and Juggling - your DCs are in my home city I believe. I can attest that it is a lovely friendly place. Goad to hear they love it here.