Starting Uni (first year) 2018. A support/chat thread.

[Justanothermile]

Hi there.

I don't think there's another thread for folk with DC starting university this September/October. I'm not sure there's even a need, but I thought I would start one and see.

DS is my first DC and going to Lancaster. New territory for us, so we are learning as we go.

The last few weeks have been reading up about clearing and alternative courses in case he didn't get his first choice, he was pretty pessimistic but did get accepted.

Now it's countdown to the big day and planning what things he needs to take etc.

I believe accommodation will be confirmed in the next few days.

Needmorespace - my DS is starting Sheffield on the 16th, he has booked freshers tickets, (don't know about the armband?) We had a drive yesterday and checked out the accommodation, he is both nervous and excited. He loved Sheffield from the off and it was always his first choice for the course he wanted.

needmorespace - best wishes. Keeping busy sounds a good plan. I've joined the ramblers and a reading group in preparation. I also will focus more on work. Big change but I think their maturing process as iknowimcoming describes will be nice to see.

don't want to derail thread but you have all been so kind
marmie we drove up on Sunday to have a look at the accommodation and to help her feel it wouldn't be so strange when she goes up - poured with rain!!
It's going to be difficult for all of us isn't it? But the phrase bitter-sweet is so apt. It's at times like this that all the 'should haves' come out.
iknow yes, I was thinking of face timing for bake-off!

need more space and marmie - dd1 is off to Sheffield on 15th - she's in Endcliffe Vale flats (cheapest option but a bit of a trek to the university building her course is held in). I think it's starting to sink in a little with her - after the excitement of results day swiftly followed by her 18th birthday, she's now facing the reality of leaving home. Doesn't appear to have made her think about what she'll need to take with her though - seems to be leaving those thoughts to me

needmorespace you were probably there when we were, it was pouring with rain, DS is in Endcliffe. It will be hard, but like everything we all will adjust and they do get long holidays especially over the summer.
princecharles I saw Endcliffe Vale Flats, all the accommodation looks pretty decent, it is a long walk, will keep them busy as it seems not many get the bus. DS was quiet on the way home, he said it too was feeling very real now.

need you see people l8ke me are clowning around and then there's people like you who are coping admirably with what must be a really tough situation.

Can I ask, Southampton if anyone has been. We're booked to go and look at the accommodation on the 9th because my dd took a clearing place. What are the kitchens equipped with? Despite my daughter saying I'll make a list in my own time and then to.d me to get out of the driving seat I'm starting to get a little worried because we have other weekend commitments between now and leaving and time is running out

WhirlyGig DD is also going to S'hampton and will be self-catering in Montefiore (part of Wessex Lane).

We haven't been to look at the accommodation but there are pictures of all the different room types online. They all looked fairly typical of student accommodation to me. We also found a list (couldn't tell you exactly where I'm afraid but there definitely is one!) of what the fees cover so you can work out what to buy in the way of bedding, basic kitchen equipment etc.

Just wondering what would be an acceptable amount to give DD to live on a week - I have heard it can be anything from £60 - £100. Anyone have any advice.

I was advised to start low when dad went 2 years ago, you can always go up but difficult to reduce the amount. We gave dd £70 a week when she was in halls (we paid her phone bill and occasional trips home), upped to £80 a week now she is in rented. DS will get the same when he goes.

We were planning on topping up the amount DD gets via her maintenance loan to the maximum she'd get if she qualified for all of it. Not sure what that works out per week as we were going to give her a termly lump sum, and she will pay her hall fees herself out of it. Anyone else doing it this way? The only online advice I could find was this from Martin Lewis:

blog.moneysavingexpert.com/2016/09/how-much-are-parents-supposed-to-give-their-children-when-they-go-to-university/#new

Not quite finalised money side with DS, but think we will ask him for a contribution towards hall fees from his minimum maintenance loan so that he is left with £60-70 a week. He's part catered, so I'm hoping that will be enough to cover lunches and weekend food, plus books, socialising and travel (only coming home or visiting friends at other unis). We do pay his phone contract on top of that. But, have no idea really if that is fair/realistic so very interested to hear what others are doing.

Re: Southampton ( soton). Accom is all pretty good. They need a few basics- pot/pan/ a bit of crockery. Sometimes they all take a kettle and toaster so may be good to see what's needed when you arrive in flat share. They have one lockable cupboard to put food in. A big fridge where you choose a shelf each. The wessex road complex is 20 mins walk on one straight road to main campus bu they get a free bus pass which takes 4 mins.
Re: money. We give £70 and seems fine. Rent is on top of that. When in catered halls we gave a bit less.
Hope this helps.

DD is going into her 3rd year, and has always paid her accommodation out of her loan, we've had to top-up around £1400 a year, and then given her £50 a week for food, which she's managed on really well. Although she's in a city, it's classed as a campus so no travel costs whilst she's there.
We pay for any train fares home and her phone contract.
She works in the holidays when home, to pay for her clothes, make-up and social life.
DS will get a similar set up in September, he spends far less on personal things and social life but likes good food!

I'm thinking about £70 per week. I'm not fully sure yet. We'd still cover his phone and maybe a university gym membership. He's got his own money, so that might be less. DH would give more, I'm inclined to give less so he budgets, at least to start with.

Or maybe I'll cover books etc and not gym.

@partystress I'm thinking similar re contribution from minimum loan towards accommodation. Trying to get DS to do a budget, but he just doesn't get it at moment. Will sit with him to work it out. Not sure how much they get each semester from the loan as they don't get it all at the start. Anyone know how it's split?
Need to cover (expect missed some things): food, tv license, books, stationery, clothes/footwear (although expect this to be minimal - some clothing requirements for course), laundry, toiletries, basic bathroom cleaning products.
Socialising he needs to fund himself via part time job.
We'll continue phone contract until Xmas when he's going on to sim only - may transfer that to him if he has decent part time job. We'll pay for visits home (not expecting many, although may come back mid term for gpa 80th).

Forgot gym membership! Will include in budget.

Flatnouse going on weeks of term (assume 10 but it'll differ from place to place) + the holiday that comes after it, I guess the ratio to be something like 14:14:10? DD has two larger and one smaller payments for her hall fees, so I guess the uni does something similar and I was planning on scaling that to the amount we give her. Hope that makes sense.

Like others we were going to carry on paying for her phone contract and she has a part time job she can come back to in the holidays.

Thank you violets for the info about Soton.

£70 a week!!! I can only afford to give my DD £50 a month. She will be getting a job and will have to pay for everything herself including phone and gym. If I have any spare money I'll help her out but that's unlikely. After she's paid her accomodation she'll have about £30 a month left from her maintainance loan.

@Yourownpersonaljesus i may have misunderstood, but I read from that your DD will have £50/week from you plus £30/week from maintenance loan, which is more than total £70/week.
DS getting minimum maintenance loan. It won't even pay for accommodation, let alone leave him anything /week after accommodation. As such we are paying accommodation and working out budget for sensible weekly amount. When he receives his maintenance loan, he will calculate the difference between budget * weeks in term and amount received. He can pay us that difference towards the accommodation.

flatmouse, yes. DS's maintenance loan doesn't cover even his accommodation. He's worked all summer and has also been careful with any allowance we've given him so he's some contingency. But theoretically, he will have a negative balance to start with if we didn't help him. Which I don't resent, we are more advantaged financially.

It's the balance between teaching them budgeting skills but not restricting their university experience for some arbitrary theory that they should do it themselves.

£70 would have balance of the accommodation included for him to pay out of this too.

It's entirely a personal decision I think.

But good to hear others idea to get some perspective.

Does anyone recommend a specific student bank account please? Also would a name plate for her bedroom door be too needy (shared halls flat for 6)?

SpareBedroom
I was in Montefiore 30 years ago! I had a great time at Southampton.

No it's £80 a MONTH!

That was to flatmouse btw.

DS is converting his Halifax account to the student option. It's the account details that student finance have for him and has a decent overdraft. I think there are some excellent offers out there for students. DS is not one to change the norm though!