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.

Yes poor Twiglet. I'm glad he went on strike.

She. Sorry Twiglet.

DS has just gone off for a meeting with a recruitment consultant wearing jeans, trainers and 10 days of stubble.

I'm not holding out much hope.

Just as he left he said, what does a recruitment consultant actually do?

I love gin. And ice cream. But I'm not sure about that gin ice cream

Poor Twiglet! The stress dog needs destressing. I think DS said Brum had therapy dogs this year but he was home enough to pet our own DDog.

DS is ill again frustratingly. Obviously glad this is not during his exams but annoyed that he is far away and refusing to go for any blood tests as it might jeopardise his trip to China or his work for the next 3 weeks while he earns money for said trip. Sigh...I suppose he's an adult so I can't force him.

Oh ono, they are frustrating, aren't they? Mine never even bothered registering with a GP in his uni city...

DD wants to have a guinea pig in her room as an assistance animal, not sure why a guinea pig but I can't see her getting it past the landlord!

ono, sorry to hear about your DS.

Just had a long chat with DD about mortgages. She seemed really shocked. I'm sure we've had this discussion before, but she obviously dismissed it as irrelevant.

Don’t talk to me about GPS! DS is on regular medication which has to be reordered online on a monthly basis. Due to some cock up between his GP at home and the one he’s registered with at uni he has to go back there to pick up his prescription next week.

HSMMaCM, have you told her about student mortgages?! Bath and Loughborough BS' are two that provide them.

DC know too much about mortgages. I sank a redundancy payment into London property when DC were little, indeed I did an inventory check out the day after DD was born. Their childhood was punctuated by episodes of moving furniture, panic cleans, clearing overgrown gardens, lots of admin and some serious landlord stress during boiler emergencies. As a result DC have no interest in property or mortgages whatsoever. If she were in an area of lower property prices it might make sense, given she is on a five year degree. But no way.

Off to research student mortgages - thanks

I guess it could make sense for some, but I'd tend to agree with NeedMoreSleep ... DH is selling the house he inherited from his parents after some 'serious landlord stress' (nightmare tenants coupled with poor agents) exacerbated a heart problem resulting in two cardiac procedures in the last couple of months (and two cancelled holidays).

Errol how awful. I hope you are able to have a restful summer.

I suspect it would be even more difficult for a student to be a resident landlord to student friends. But irrelevent as its not going to happen. Despite likely rent rises as student landlords divest.

We toyed with the idea of buying somewhere for DS to live and share with friends but decided against it for those very reasons. I hope DH is recovering Errol.
In other news DS is halfway through exams, another two this week and final one on Monday. Today's was a shocker apparently but that module is really tough.

DD has her first exam tomorrow. Sounded as though she was working hard but no more stressed than she should be when we talked to her at the weekend.

One of my besties lived with a friend who was a student landlord (She was a med student) and it was slightly difficult, mainly because of the over-bearing parents

DD had a phone dying crisis yesterday but I think we agreed a solution last night and hopefully today she will get one on a contract in her own name from her own bank account.
What do you all do about helping/Not your DC with phones?

DD's phones have always been either DHs cast-offs or Xmas/birthday presents. They're on some sort of family contract so they can share data allowance etc - it was the most cost effective way to do it. (I only just got around to getting a smartphone, I'd been happy with a cheap PAYG before, and couldn't be added to their contract at this point).

Its really worth them having some form of credit in their own name, to build up a good credit record. A phone contract is a good place to start. A credit card may be just too tempting! DS wound up with some Chinese built phone and obscure supplier. I think his overseas student friends were expert in the cheapest way forward.

DD has her own phone, but it's linked to our contract, as we can get a good discount. At some point we will be handing it over to her.

DD's phone is linked to mine and I pay for it. I expect I will keep this up for the time she is at uni.

A few months ago she was grumbling about the plan not having enough data or something. I said she is over 18 now and free to arrange her own phone contract if she chooses. I haven't heard any complaints since

Errol hope your DH is feeling better, how awful!

Next door is on long-term let (not to students) and the back garden looks like a complete jungle (I have had to pay for pest control to kill the rats that keep coming into our garden). In addition, they have trashed the front door so the leaded glass is hanging out (they have a great big hole in the door). Must be a nightmare for the landlord although he lives in the US so probably doesn't know.

DS is home - at least I think he is. He is working 13 hour days so leaves here at 8.30am and gets back at 10.30pm, luckily too late to watch the dreaded Love Island

We considered buying a student let when DS1 was at uni but changed our mind eventually.
Luckily DH hasn't mentioned doing it for DS2, so I'm not saying anything.

Re phone contract, DS pays his himself; it's only about a tenner a month, so not too bad.

DD pays for her phone - shock to system at first but after a year doesn't think twice about it

DH is much better, thanks.

DD called today, 2 exams done, 2 more next week. Apparently they were bad, but everyone thought so, so that's ok.

DS is home! Picked him up today. The amount of ‘stuff’ he seems to have is phenomenal. There were a number of parents looking worried at the sheer quantity of possessions piled round their cars and people trying to stuff drying racks and casserole dishes into odd corners.

There were several things we had bought which he hasn’t used at all. He said though that one of the most useful things of all has been the ‘Dishmatic’ washing up brush, the handle of which you fill with washing up liquid. The sink in his kitchen always seems to be full of other people’s crockery so being able to wash his stuff with the Dishmatic was brilliant. It was a tip I picked up on here, can’t remember who from, but thank you!