2nd year uni (starting 2018)

[HSMMaCM]

The old thread seems to have filled up!

Yes

If my lot don't apply they certainly won't get any, that is my bigger concern than Brexit but we shall see. I expect it will all be fine.

BigTillyMint - DS is studying economics - 3 hrs away over the border- so an active choice to pay tuition fees.

He is looking for a finance internship, along with 1000's of others. Quite stressful, with filmed cover letters and immersive reality assessment interviews! Different times.

Drama with next years house. They want to stay in their beautiful townhouse but are being pressurized to sign now- only 6 weeks into term, or lose it- people queuing up apparently. They are being asked to pay a second deposit to the same landlord.... doesn't seem quite right ? Also a stress when your child has funds 'cos they have worked, and other flatmates have less money ,'cos they don't work. Hopefully get sorted on Monday- he does sound quite stressed. -

My twins were saying as the better university had increased their numbers in the last few years (as the earlier caps have been removed) although university have increased halls/built news ones for year 1s that means so many more 2nd and 3rd years changing the same number of houses privately to rent. That seems to be correct so I suspect there is upwards pressure on private rents - market forces as my son said yesterday.

Paying a second deposit makes it sound like the LL has no intention of giving first one back.

Yes, it's madness that they have to start looking now. It's the same for all unis as I hear from students in all sorts of places.

Just had a lovely 30 min+ tel conversation with DS. Tired but because he's been working hard and playing hard this weekend. I can't tell you how relieved I feel to have a chat with him and hear him tired but because he's happy and having a great time. Won't see him until Christmas but that's ok. Next year's accommodation is looming but he's clear on who to share with this time!

Completely changing the subject.

Placement interviews, dd has one coming up. She has a nice next blazer. Does she go and buy a shift dress to wear under it, or does she need to go out and buy slick new interview suit?

The blazer sounds smart. Perhaps just have a look on line and on youtube at what people who work there tend to wear to get a rough idea. Wear tights, no bare legs I would also suggest just to be on the safe side. They will not expect any student to spend a lot of money on interview clothes.

Mine seemed more interesting in having booked on the unviersity ski trip on Friday the second bookings opened than placement applications although I have reminded them the clock is ticking.

Is it an engineering company, dingit? In which case 'what they wear to work' might not be exactly ideal for interview. I'm not sure DD had an interview for her placement last year, her workwear was her usual black skinnies and the less lumberjack-like of her shirts. Blazer and a dress sounds good to me.

DS is finding this term very full on. He has two group projects due in in a fortnight and is finding it very stressful (control freak). I’ve said that he’ll be learning some very useful team working and project management skills.
I was worried over the weekend because he sounded down and exhausted on Friday when he phoned but he has just called again and sounds much more up beat ( he spent yesterday in bed).

Yes engineering Errol

DS is also snowed under with work (Engineering) but seems happy and, like a lot of your DCs, isn’t coming home this term at all. He texts fairly regularly and we have the odd FaceTime call, but he has got a new girlfriend and his attention is therefore elsewhere! We are going down to take him (and her!) out for lunch in a couple of weeks.

He seems very happy still in halls. The flat is all 2nd and 3rd years and a nice bunch although no tidier than last year’s lot apparently with regard to the kitchen . . . .

DS has lots of reading, says his workload has increased but seems ok with it all.

He doesn't have placements to apply for, so that's one less thing to think about, I suppose.

He's broken his phone & I hate not being able to just call him - not that we actually converse much on the phone, usually all done by Messenger. Still don't like that I can't ring though...

Glad they are all working hard. When i was at university I called my parents once a week about 6pm from a call box and often had to queue outside in the rain. Sometimes awful other local residents (not students) came and banged on the door if I were too long.

I hope his phone is fixed soon. When one of mine got a new phone recently which was very expensive I made him get insurance for it which he pays each month. I think he has laptop insurance too as my own house insurance does not cover it.

One of mine just called as they have agreed to a place for next eyar which is apparently really nice, 5 minutes walk from his department, nicer than this year's house and they had to pay about £800 now each to secure it (so I just paid him back). He sounded very happy to have somewhere they like so much and is project manager of a group project so has that to manage too. I can hardly believe this letting is for their last year - end of an era. They just need to decide what to do after university next.

DD messages us most days about random trivia. Today her WhatsApp was unread. She's on her phone ALL THE TIME, so after lunch I whatsapped her boyfriend just to check she was ok. She's started putting her phone on flight mode while she's studying, so she can concentrate. I can hardly believe it 😁.

DH got DD a cheap payg non-smart phone as a backup in case her iPhone broke or went missing when she was living away from either us or uni this summer- he keeps a similar one in his car too. There's so few payphones around now and the assumption is always that people have a mobile.

That sounds like a good idea. (Been sent short video of my son's new flat (it's a flat not a house) for next year just of the lounge but it does look really nice and so close to the university too - he sent me a map with markings on to see so he is obviously delighted with it.

That is a really good idea re spare phone, I will suggest that to him Errol.

Xenia, your DS is obviously very happy about his flat 😊 and I agree, where's the time gone?!

i too was of the phone box in the halls of residence generation and real letters home- there was trouble if we did not write. Changed days.

I wonder if my Mum worried about me as much, or did they just trust us to get on with it. x

Sounds like all are in the same boat, workload is really ramping up for all.

DS was telling me a few in his year are struggling with stress of the workload and he thinks a couple won’t be back after Christmas.

Interviews tricking in as well and he’s got though to a face to face in Dec plus various on line assessments.

He’s not planning on coming home for too long over Xmas as he wants to revise for exams and says he gets too easily distracted at home .

I've not talked to DD since last weekend but DH has - she needs a new laptop so they've been discussing what to get... that'll be her main Xmas present sorted, but I'm struggling to think of small stuff, setting her up for uni last year means she's probably got most of what she needs at this point. Any bright ideas, anyone?

Busy for sure - in the throes of a group robotics project, she told DH she had about 20 hours of soldering to do because she was the only one in her group who'd done any.

she told DH she had about 20 hours of soldering to do because she was the only one in her group who'd done any

Is she on the second year of an Elec. Eng degree? If so, I'm shocked that she's the only one who can solder in her project group! I guess most students come straight from A levels? The majority of my friends started uni with HNC's, so they had practical skills. I'm sure if I'd hung out with the more academic crowd there'd have been more of a spread, LOL!

I went the A level route, but I'd done a stint of work experience at GEC (and also had an older brother had studied elec eng before me) so I had done a decent amount of soldering before I went off to uni.

DS1 called today and seemed in a great mood. Lots of course work and some final exams to sit before Christmas, but at least the semester system means that he can relax over the holidays as it's all new courses in January.

DS is doing Electronic Engineering; everyone has done A levels and he found in the first year that he was one of very few who had done much soldering prior to starting. He had a gap year working at an EE company and did a lot there which stood him in very good stead; he also has soldering kit at home and had done a bit working on his own projects. Few schools however offer A level EE so I think most students are unlikely to have done much soldering prior to starting. They have several projects in first year though to bring them up to scratch.

Well done to your DD Errol for being the resident expert! She’s going to be much in demand!

DD's housemate has decided to move out and live with some people on her course next year. DD is now looking for someone who wants to share with a couple, which is not easy apparently.

Well done Errol's daughter! Both mine did Electronics A level which they really enjoyed. The practical element made a useful change to more academic A levels. DS went on to build his own computer, which he was then able to upgrade to cope with ever increasing gaming speeds, which probaby saved his some real money. DDthen suprised coursemates with some unexpected tech knowledge in one of her medicine seminars. Having exposure before University seems to have steered a number of their peers towards engineering and indeed DD wondered whether she should do medical engineering. At one point the Government were talking about dropping it as an A level which I thought would be a pity, but I assume it was reprieved.

For us it is night and day. DD is really happy, with a nice balance of work, sport and social. I hope it is the same for others who were struggling. The house her former flatmates are in has apparently been reported to the University for persistent noise, a useful reminder of what a lucky escape she had. In contrast, after initially being viewed with some suspicion, her non-student neighbours stop to talk and they take each other's parcels in.

And good luck to all those applying for placements and internships. It needs to be done. DS, who was studying economics found it enormously time consuming. He applied for masses, but so did hundreds of others. There are so many stages on each. It is worth seeing if the careers office offer interview training. We finally got him a couple of private sessions, as there are some useful tricks especially when doing Skype interviews.

I read recently that due to black boxes death of young people in car accidents have halved. DD is still quite a nervous new driver so only uses her car for placements, shopping and sport. The thought that big brother is watching and will know if she was driving in the early hours is also quite a deterrent.