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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

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

480 replies

Justanothermile · 18/08/2018 08:55

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.

OP posts:
14allall41 · 22/09/2018 20:45

Dropped ds2 off at UEA. Flat was nice. Looked a lovely place. Ds2 very, very quiet. Felt awful when we left him. He's not replied to my one text Hmm

MajesticWhine · 22/09/2018 20:59

@14allall41 DD is at UEA too - which hall is he in? DD is in Britton. It's horrible leaving them and getting no news isn't it?

14allall41 · 22/09/2018 21:14

He's in Nelson Court. Ds2 will probably reply to my text at 2:00am - that's his usual style!

AlpacaLypse · 22/09/2018 21:49

Jumping in. Today has been a bit tearful from all parties concerned. Although DTD1 is my elder child, it's by a mere eleven minutes, and DTD2 went last September, having not taken a gap year. So today was IT. The big Empty Nest day.

The other girls in the large shared unit flat hall seem lovely enough, and when I left DTD1 was deep in conversation about which Marvel movie is the best.

Had big blub in car-park, realised had no tissues, found a reasonably clean dog towel and snuffled into it.

So. We did it. We'll never stop being their parents, but we've given them their wings and they're flying with them.

Oh poo I've just started blubbing again.

bruffin · 22/09/2018 23:06

Dd was fine, although i forgot pillow cases.
Tesco cashier said we were chespest student shop he had seen all day £105Shock

anniehm · 22/09/2018 23:22

Eldest starts Monday but hasn't left home, feeling a bit jealous of you - I was looking forward to a quiet house but she changed her mind a few months ago and got a place locally. Youngest won a scholarship so already has left term time. Actually looking forward to an empty nest

voilets · 22/09/2018 23:54

Like the
' given them their wings' sentence alpa.
Thank you

nokidshere · 23/09/2018 00:12

@BagelGoesWalking how bad was that traffic 😩😮

Ds happily making plans for the evening when we left, his roommates seemed nice.

Very emotional week, knackered now. It's weird knowing he won't be back till Xmas now though. This morning we were talking and I said remember the rules (my rules when they go out, walk away from trouble, no drugs, no sex without a consonant and stay safe) and he said "my new rule is that I am now a grown up and can make my own rules" lol

Hugs to everyone else who is feeling a little bit bereft this week.

MarchingFrogs · 23/09/2018 00:22

no sex without a consonant

I shouldn't laugh, given my phone's wayward habits in the realm of predictive text. But at least by that rule, all sex is safe, it's got twoSmile.

BagelGoesWalking · 23/09/2018 11:05

@nokidshere Yes! Amazingly bad. We thought we'd left plenty of time but we're going nowhere fast once we got nearer to town. Dropped plans to get to West Quay and had lunch in Bedford (which looked like a nice area) and got there on time.

Disappointed In Archers (I'll never tell her, of course). We knew it would be basic compared to others but she's on the ground floor as well and their kitchen is tiny and really old.
Her room is small but looked ok when we'd sorted her stuff and fairly lights etc. We've told her to contact maintenance as the window is very hard to close and the seal is filthy and nearly gone. Wouldn't worry me usually but she needs to be secure as it's ground floor.
Just a bit of a let down when you see pics of all the fabulous rooms and facilities at other places (with ping pong tables and squash courts!). She's wanted Glen Eyre or one of the others nearer campus but hey ho, I'm sure she'll be happy there.
She made new friends last night and some drink was taken!!

How is yours settling in?

nokidshere · 23/09/2018 11:21

@BagelGoesWalking

Aww that's a shame. Can she ask student services for a room change? I'm sure somewhere on the paperwork it said you could.

Mayflower isn't too bad, probably because it's newer. It's smaller than the pics suggest though and carried a faint air of grubbiness lol. He seemed happy enough with it although he texted this morning to say that the bed was too small (he's over 6ft). We left him making friends with his new room mates who all seemed just as nervous as him and I think they all went out together last night.

I'm sure they will settle in well and just get used to student living. And I'm sure I won't wake up every morning thinking I hope he has something in for breakfast as I did today haha

Learning curve for us all eh!

nokidshere · 23/09/2018 11:47

@MarchingFrogs hahaha I didn't notice that

BagelGoesWalking · 23/09/2018 12:26

@nokidshere I know she'll be fine and I'm sure she won't want to change (it's more me needing to get it off my chest!) now she's made some friends. I think she said yesterday that someone (on a group chat) had got a different room with an extra long bed because of his height so maybe your son can ask?

We got a photo of her breakfast bagel 😬 and she's going up to campus for induction later.

PostNotInHaste · 23/09/2018 21:18

Alpaca that must be tough having them go in quick succession Flowers

Absolutely knackered today but very pleased with what we managed to get over in the car. No sofa as yet but a big air bed is now a ‘sofa bed’ and she managed to sort a proper bed so am happy my PFB not having to sleep on floor.

teta · 24/09/2018 11:22

I’m feeling very bereft today. Have had tersely worded texts saying she’s very busy doing things! She’s normally chatty but I’m glad she’s occupied and not feeling lonely.

teta · 24/09/2018 11:24

Dd 😁!
I abandoned her on Saturday and had to leave even though she had a attack of the collywobbles and didn’t want us to leave.

PostNotInHaste · 24/09/2018 15:10

Teta my DD is the same year as you and I was in the A level thread at one point under different name. Really glad your DD is saying she is busy, good sign! Flowers for you, hard to leave when they get like that.

First day of lectures for DD, fingers crossed she has a positive day. She had a rubbish time in college for 6th form and was late onto her course and excluded from the group chat that was set up. So I was proud of her when she said she’s been adding all the quieter people to the group chat for this course so no one gets left out.

teta · 24/09/2018 16:14

Oh post your daughter sounds absolutely lovely. I do hope she has had a good first day. Thank you for the flowers. It was totally unexpected as she is now 19 and has been very independent & working/travelling this year. Even dd2 (14) who came with us was perplexed by this behaviour.

MrsSchadenfreude · 24/09/2018 16:22

We took DD1 to Warwick yesterday. She couldn't wait to get rid of us, as everyone in her hall was meeting up to walk to the students' union. Called her later in the evening and she said that a crowd of them had decided not to go to the pub but had come back to order pizza and have a pizza party in the kitchen. Students all looked reassuringly as terrified as DD1. Grin

partystress · 24/09/2018 20:11

Dropped DS off n Saturday, but it's only really hit me today. Also part of the terse text brigade. Hope it's because he's busy having fun, but fretting he's being brave and really is hating it. Anyone got a grip they can spare?

Struckbylightning · 25/09/2018 05:24

Just checking in again. justanothermile, doesn’t it feel like the Lancaster lot are the last in the world to get started!? The waiting is killing me!

I was wondering if your DS has themed parties? Pendle has at least 2 organised. A Roman theme (easy, just need a flat sheet for a toga) and a Nineties one. I have no idea what distinguishes the Nineties! DD said to me ‘you know, stuff they wear on Friends’. ??? Surely the Friends just wore normal clothes and hair...

TheThirdOfHerName · 25/09/2018 09:10

DS1 (not Lancaster) has the option of going to a school disco night, a zoo themed night and a UV/neon night. He has taken stuff for all three.

Original poster
Justanothermile · 25/09/2018 09:22

DS doesn't know anything about these struck, which will be TOTALLY his fault, where did your DD find it out?

He's useless, honestly. Good job I love himGrin

OP posts:
Struckbylightning · 25/09/2018 16:34

She is on a College group chat. And a subject group chat. There is also a Freshers Week group but the just became too unwieldy so she left it. She also has a group chat with the people sharing her corridor. Kids of today huh!!

FrogPrincess · 25/09/2018 23:02

DD is also off to Lancaster on Saturday, she's a Grizedale girl and they also have at least 3 themed nights planned as far as I know? As well as the campus bar crawl. I think she follows her college's FB group/event and is in several chats (college chat, course chat and house chat) and finds out this way. All this waiting just means we are now shopping for unnecessary but cute additions to her room....