UEA freshers

[juicy0]

I've never done this before but hopefully I have managed to set up a new thread for UEA specific posts.
Perhaps someone can let me know if it's worked!

@sluj quite surprising isn't it. I hadn't realised how many of our DC are going to the uea.
Anyone else moving in on 21st September?

Ds moving in 22nd. He's on campus. I expect each area goes in together on a certain day.

DS moving in on the 21st @juicy0 (and thanks for setting up the thread).

So many universities seem to offer catering. This isn't an option at UEA. But does anyone know whether there is anywhere to buy a meal onsite. I am sure someone said the foreign students have somewhere they go for a cooked meal, I can remember the girl showing us round told us all students can go in and get a nice roast on a Sunday. I'm sure we were told this at UEA but we looked round Essex too.

@juicy0 you just put on the other thread your daughter has a ground floor flat. How can you tell? My sons is number 18 to something (can't remember next number!) but I wouldn't know which floor.

@NewModelArmyMayhem18 which accommodation is your DS in, maybe we will unknowingly cross paths.
Thank you to all of you who have shared advice, opinions and been so supportive. I've found the group to be so reassuring and helpful. My DD is the first in our family to go to uni so the whole process has been a learning curve for me but I feel she is well prepped and it's largely down to the info on this and other pages.
At least when DS goes I'll know what I'm doing 👍🏼

@icanbewhatiwant DD called the accommodation office. Her room starts BAR0 and it's the 0 that indicates it's ground floor but I think it's different for the different halls. A quick search on the student room for your DC particular hall might help?

Ds is going on 21st - campus accommodation. We have 4 weeks to teach him how to cook

Ziggurats.

I think the whole university application experience seems much more full-on than it used to be. Mind you I think the same can be said for GCSEs and A Levels too.

Think we're just about done with shopping at this end. Anything else will have to wait for a very quick whizz around Norwich on arrival, or a later delivery!

I cannot believe that UEA doesn't have a canteen serving hot food to the student masses? Although have to confess don't recall any such thing on the open day visit last summer.

Actually I've just answered my own question. There are several places to eat on campus. I also found a link saying roughly how much they need per month in spending money.
It says...food £120 entertainment £100 travel £18.75 clothes/toiletries £60 other expenses £40 that's just under £350 a month. I'm not sure if that sounds right. But it gives an idea.

@NewModelArmyMayhem18 I just did a google on food at UEA Several places serving hot meals all day. There is a place called INTO which I think is for foreign students. I think anyone can eat there. There is also a pop up street type thing in the main square serving things like burgers....weather permitting.

There is some limited information about on site cafes here

www.uea.ac.uk/study/student-life/campus-life/eat-and-drink

My DS is moving on the 21st too.

As far as food goes there is a canteen type cafe in the square which does decent sandwiches, panini, potatoes, pizza,salad bar, hot food from the counter type stuff (curry, burger, meat and veg). Also a decent cheap cooked breakfast. Very friendly staff and convenient for in between lectures, etc.

There is a coffee shop on the "street" where the shops are, that does potatoes, meal deals etc. Much cheaper coffee if you take your own cup so it might be worth investing in one?
The INTO building by the GP practice has a nice cafe, mostly catering for international students so lots of interesting food like goulash, chinese and indian food, etc.
There is a posher coffee shop in the Sainsbury centre and a posher restaurant attached, great for when parents visit. The coffee shop is lovely for a cake overlooking the fields.
Finally, the adjacent park (joins onto the grounds but I cant remember what its called) has a good cafe which DS1 tells me does the best full English.

There may be more but I can't remember them

DS is the 21st too, as are the people he has met in his flat (we are up to 4 others now, all girls). One isn't turning up until the 22nd though for Logistics reasons.

@sluj thank you for the more detailed info, at least we know they won't starve!
The park you refer to is Eaton Park and the cafe there is really good. They do great breakfasts, lunches and cakes and during the winter Sunday roast is on the menu and it's really popular.
It's also the venue for a Parkrun on Saturday mornings if that's something your DC are interested in.

Well that sounds like lots of good 'hot food' options for when they have had enough of cooking limited repertoire of recipes (talking about DS here!). Loving the sound of the INTO cafe.

Why does it not surprise me that it's the girls who are good at communicating in the flat FB groups? As I said, DS has already told me he has no intention of joining in the chat! Well done to your DS (and others) who are entering into the spirit of getting to know their flatmates ahead of arriving.

I'm reliably informed that the best breakfast is served at the Unthank Kitchen which is popular with the student population as it's on the main bus route into the city.

Thanks Juicy, I will let DS1 know as he seems to be on a perpetual quest to find the best full English around. He is moving in to his 3rd off campus house in September and I have just realised I don't really know where it is. That's the joy of not being a fresher mum!

Though I am unaccountable interested on how much storage there is in the Ziggs on behalf of DS2. What's that all about?
Is it because he is the baby?

I was also over invested in the Village for DS1 but that wore off by May of Year 1

22nd arrival for DS2, Does anyone know if there are specific time slots? - DS not yet forthcoming on that.

Slightly disappointed that no rugs allowed in rooms - still the small one purchased at IKEA can do doubt wait for living out in 2nd year.

I'm really glad to see that unlike at some Unis doorstops are not a forbidden item

@boys3 my ds forwarded the accommodation email and it doesn't yet mention a time slot. There maybe one at a later date.
Where is your dc staying?

ican he's in one of Barton/Hickling.

Re your post about food outlets. Missed all the UEA open days but the applicant day had a whole programme for parents. At that I went into the , possibly Zest ???, right in the middle near the SU building. Self serve, decent range of options, and a very nice veg curry with rice etc was about £3. The price was well below the value of the parent food voucher. Decent coffee in Ziggy's too, plus a surprising amount of change :)

Thanks @boys3 that's good to know.
My ds wanted Barton/hickling. I thought he'd been given his third choice of en suite campus. But he said it was 5th choice. He'd put the village and campus plus higher up the list.
Have you got 3 boys? If so...same here.

ican I gather from the main UEA FB page that Barton & Hickling were massively over-subscribed. It was DS2's first choice and I think applying post A levels helped with the early allocation. He had a friend in Nelson last year, and a friend of DS1 was in Britton (?)

Yep 3 boys here, 4 if you count DH :)

@boys3 ds is in Paston house. I'm sure it'll be fine. The only part with bad reviews is kitchen size. It says the smallest on campus. When we looked round they said most got the accommodation they asked for. So we weren't expecting to get 5th choice.
Yes 4 boys here too including dh 🤣 (18, 15 and 10)