2nd year uni (starting 2018)

[HSMMaCM]

The old thread seems to have filled up!

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?

It's Gen Eng, so while I was surprised it's more understandable, and yes, most will have come straight from A levels with FM and physics not practical skills being the vital requirements. She did electronic products GCSE, and for fun in the summer before A levels designed and built a simple one from scratch with no microprocessor, and then another robot for her EPQ (her school didn't do electronics A level but comp sci AS plus the EPQ worked out ok). She's had a soldering iron since she was 12!

Gosh, that's quite a statistic about black boxes. Our DS1 has been driving for a year now and has had a black box to help with his insurance costs but if it helps improve driver safety then even better.

It's interesting to read about different levels of experience in practical skills. I imagine a balance of practical and academic skills is probably very attractive to a future employer.

Glad to hear everyone's DC are doing ok. DS2 has just messaged me to ask if I'll read over his personal statement for his year abroad application when he's finished it. This must mean he's got his list sorted.

We're going to see him at the weekend as he's paying in a concert. I've got him a small artificial Christmas tree for his house which we're going to take with us. Really looking forward to seeing him!

They all sounds happy and busy. The one of mine who has found a place for year 3 just emailed me the deposit documents (not the tenancy itself) but anyway it looks it is properly within one of the deposit schemes etc. and his twin is home briefly tomorrow (he is driving home - I hope snow has not reached down here by then).

Dd1 is coming home tomorrow yay! Got a very full weekend planned including getting the Christmas cake made.

Thst sounds lovely. Mine is just coming for one night. he has just texted to say he has also found accommodation for year 3 (his twin already had) and he expects to sign soon so that is the end of it - last rent I will fund ever.

Mmm, homemade Christmas cake. My lot don't like it so I just buy a small one for me. If I close my eyes I can drift back to coming home from college to the smell of my mum's Christmas cake in the Aga.

It sounds like you can see light at the end of the financial tunnel, Xenia. 😊

We shall see. It is one reason they should make plans and applications in year 2 so they are relatively independent when they graduate.

Lovely to hear they're all making plans for next year. Ds has just had a chat with us about his plans to intercalate (an additional year mid medicine course to do another degree in something else) so he is destined to be a student for ever at least 4 more years before earning a penny.

Enjoy cake making with your dd RedHelen

Had a nice long wittery chat with DD this evening - their robot more or less works now.

More or less sounds good to me Errol.

It seems that in addition to studying their degree, they are learning so many life skills about applications, landlords, managing money, friendships, etc etc.

Haffdonga, are your DS' intercalation options limited to his University. DD can intercalate anywhere, as long as it gets approved, so is thinking of a year at home in London. It will be cheaper, and also at a point when many of her school friends will be returning to London for work. Trouble is that she suspects her preferred options might be quite competitive to get into.

However by then we may have got too used to our freedom.

Mine might well do some kind of postgrade like their sisters did too. We shall see.
I had an email headed emergency and to call when I got in from grass mowing just now so assumed he was half dead on the motorway driving back here. I wish they wouldn't do that - the other one did it when he lost his keys so when I learned he was safe paying £140 would be neither here nor there... anyway it was nothing that he could not sort out he says - he might have had to cancel his medical appointment at home (that he's coming back for) in order to sign tenancy which had to be today but thankfully the agency or landlady is happy they sign up tomorrow (for year 3) so that's all fine. If we could reserve "emergencies" for something serious they would not risk the crying wolf thing when next time I might assume it won't be urgent when it might be.

Thats funny. I got a similar message last night at 11.30. Turns out something she drank did not agree with her. In fairness it might have been something strange. Intiations seem to have been replaced by "welcome drinks", and in the spirit of equality the second years running them seem to have to drink (some of) the same weird concoctions that they dish up to first years.

I hope she's okay. Mine has arrived safely back and load 1 of 3 loads of washing is on. He didn't stop speaking for an hour and seems really happy so that's good. SOunds like his landlord is better for year 3 as is an individual who replies to emails right away - they are signing up to it tomorrow where as this year they have a less interested letting agency to deal with.

His essay with a high mark was done between 12 midnight and 5am on the deadline day obviously..... last minute merchant still. I am not sure why it is a good thing to do things at the last minute and without sleep.

DSs gf is back this weekend - will be lovely to hear how she's getting on.

DD got a good mark for an essay, but sadly it's one that doesn't count! She has decided to share with her girls, but they have yet to find somewhere....

Yeah, that could have turned into an emergency, Needs - glad it didn’t. For other sorts of matter, ‘urgent’ or ‘important’ would probably be better than ‘emergency’... I did once get a Help!! which turned out to be because of a big spider in the house she was moving into while DH was right there with her.... I don’t know WTF I was supposed to do!

Public accounts committee not happy with sale of the student loan book publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmpubacc/1527/1527.pdf

Those of you whose DC had a difficult first year, any advice? My DGodD is in her first year and snowed under with course (science so long hours), team sport and worry. She has been let down by 2 groups on house-sharing for next year and is feeling a bit despondent. Any advice?

On the house front, I'd advise not to panic & if she doesn't find anyone she wants to share with, to go back into halls. DS did this - he hadn't gelled enough with anyone he wanted to share with at the time everyone was signing up and although he got asked to share, he decided to go back into halls.
He's now made firm friends and is going to share with them next year.

That's great Horserad. I've got all the forms to sign this weekend.
The house feels properly like home again now and ddog couldn't stop jumping up and licking her!

Horse, did he get put with other 2nd years or new freshers? When did he have to apply?

He is with other 2nd years but he also changed halls, so they are from the other uni in the city (only 3 lads in their flat).
Think that may have been luck rather than a deliberate placing.

He is now in private halls. He applied around June, just before he came home for summer.

Have a great weekend RedHelenB, enjoy the cake making! 🙂

BTM far too early to worry...says someone whose DD has not done anything yet.

She formed her group quite late a year ago. She too had had full days with sport and science so had not hung out with her flat in the way many others did. I think it is just a case of mentioning that she is still looking to people she meets. DD's three picked up a fourth, and they had a fifth waiting had they found a five bed. Generally its the big houses that go first. DDs flat did not go on the market till late December and others came on the next term. There was then a huge amount of shuffling, and Facebook adverts as people fell out, dropped out or failed their exams. There is advantage in sharing with people with similar lifestyles but different friendship groups. Trouble is the others have years abroad and placements next year.

The fallback last year and this, though she is hoping/expecting places to open up in existing houseshares, would have been to look at private halls. Expensive but better than repeating the problems she had in her first year.

NMS, are the private halls part of accommodation offers to Freshers? DD was in a Unite hall, but it functioned completely as a uni hall and was part of 7ni offers - is that what you mean?

And I agree, she will probably find other much nicer people to share with, and it definitely can be good to share with people who are not your immediate group of friends as Freshers. But she is a bit sad about it all