Going to university (2019/20 academic year) - finance, flat shares, friends old and new and freshers' week to come...

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

Following on from thread 8 which filled up in just 72 hours.

I am lying down ... ds's accommodation (albeit catered with contents insurance and city-wide bus pass) is £180/week ...

I do so much weeping and lying down these days...

Laniakea there’s 2 numbers for finance. A 4 digit one and a 16 digit one. We only used the 16 digit one. But then the system crashed anyway!

@hanahsaunt bargain! We’re applying through clearing so we’re either going to get crappy places nobody wanted - which might be affordable; or super expensive places that not everyone could afford. Some of the places were over £7500 a year!

Most of them were 38 weeks. Does that mean they leave their stuff all year except summer?

Looking forward to the financial hoop jumping

• have to pay for accommodation up front before loan comes in
• then loan comes in to DS account
• then he has to transfer it to us because we our for accommodation

@MrKlaw - £180/week is about £7k for the year. I am trying to see it positively as there are no bills, no insurance, no transport costs etc. 38 weeks means from freshers week through to the end of the summer term so can leave items over the in-year holidays and move out to cheaper accommodation for second year.

A very practical and thrifty family member suggested trawling the charity shops for oddments of crockery, cutlery and pans!

Newcastle sounds positively cheap. 4ft bed, en-suite, self catered, 40 weeks, Second year it’s been open and ‘only’ £5480’!

Thanks for the advice re student accounts. I'll have a think and a chat with the bank. At least we have a local branch here. Just back from a lovely trip to Dunelm, for duvet type things. We got 10% off (thanks to the PP who let us know that was a thing). We are really quite excited!

Make sure any pans are compatible - some are induction hobs!

Dd got her en-suite self-catered and a 4ft bed. She’s delighted. It’s only been open a year so all very shiny

Park View?

DD will be there. I wonder if they will get to know each other?

We dropped lucky with a pan set and a dinner set, both £10 from bargain buys (they're the type of store that gets end of line stock from chain stores). The pans are Russell Hobbs and the dinner set Tescos.

I had a look in our local charity shop, but the plates etc were more expensive than buying singles from Boyes.

Lots of Duvet sets still in the Argos clearance sale if anyone's looking: www.argos.co.uk/clearance/home-and-furniture/bedding/duvet-cover-sets/c:29474/bed-size:double/clearance:true/opt/sort:price/

Read this article for what the true costs of accommodation should be. Apparently halls that cost £9 in the 80s should only cost about £35 now. Go figure.

Has anyone’s dc done an online application for Santander yet? Ds sent through his email from the uni, confirming the place, but that’s not good enough apparently. Does UCAS send actual letters anymore as that seems to be what they are after?

Tapas Yes! She realises she’s lucky. There’s a lot of angst going on on the Facebook swaps page.

Oh no Laniakea your dd has had an unlucky spell! I hope she gets the £300 back and the new job. Fingers crossed her luck changes.

Slowly ticking off the boxes, uni changed to Edinburgh with student finance.

We can't get an appointment to verify bank ID before DD leaves. Hopefully her debit account will be suffient for now as she can do online transfers.

TIP, I seem to remember some unis wanted to see GCSE certificates at some point, and DD has never sent any. DD just phoned Edinburgh, they only want to see her English GCSE grade but apparently has to be by 25 August.

Decorhate The info they need to open the student bank account is on Track I think. Also DD mentioned that she keeps getting emails from UCAS including one which said something like - "here's your code for opening a student bank account"

For those whose DC have applied for HSBC bank accounts, how soon after submission of online applications did they get texts to make an appt. in branch? DS applied for his on Saturday but not yet heard anything.

Ugh, I haven't tackled the bank account yet. DD1 currently has a NatWest account, and it would be a lot easier to just upgrade that one to a student one, but she is now looking at Santander. Of course, the local branch of Santander closed last month.

We have however applied for a re-mark on Geography. One mark off a B (mainly dragged down by her poor NEA). Am going for one paper at a time, in case one increases and another decreases... It won't make a difference to her place, though.

I might give DS some of the towels I had as a student. Believe it or not they are still in very good condition. I have bought him one new one though!

@NewModelArmyMayhem18

But I've been in my old halls and they are much swankier now, full refurb, kitchens are on every floor rather than 1:60, bathrooms 1:6, and of course WiFi is included (hadn't been invented) 24 hour manned security desk (we took turns through the evening, only staffed in the am in my day) and in hall pizza delivery

Dd has a 38 week let. It means she has to completely empty her room at Easter.

Useful what you need to take with you to university' in an nutshell blog from the UCAS website. Although I note the author's room includes at least three 'must nots' from DS's accommodation contract - soft furnishings, fairy lights and posters on the walls...

@JennyWreny Thanks. Ds says he has looked at that & can’t see one listed for Santander. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t of course