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.

[RedHelenB]

Dd2 still on cloud 9. Shes done her online student bank account and will hear about accommodation next week. Planning an IKEA shop the next rainy day we get .

[TootingLate]

How did I miss this thread? I was looking for a everyone on Further Education and thought it was strangely quiet.

We don't hear about accommodation for a couple of weeks so hard to plan.

[FrameyMcFrame]

@Dunlurking no timetable yet, just know it's from 10-4.

[Dunlurking]

@JennyWreny thank you. Also for the great tip about Denby and the Tesco clubcard vouchers. I’ve got a load of them as well.

@FrameyMcFrame that’s helpful, thank you. At least I can plan time for leaving home etc.

[LadyWithLapdog]

I had no idea beds could be non”standard” size, even though ive seen the accommodation.

[Mustbetimeforachange]

Planning an IKEA shop the next rainy day we get
You'll see hundreds of new uni students there with their mums (see also Dunelm)

[VivaLeBeaver]

Dunelm do 10% off apparently if you show a ucas or uni letter confirming a place.

Dd is going to local uni and staying at home so nothing to do here really.

[bengalcat]

Mine wants to go to Ikea too . I’ve not been there for years - probably not since I had my first car after qualifying .
We have a short time window of arrival at Durham halls between 3 and 6pm following which I’ll have to drive back down south as I’m working the next day . Never mind I’ll have the dog for company on the M1 .

[milesandmilesandmileandmiles]

I'm going to use my Nectar points for kitchen and bedding items for Dd, I've absolutely loads and their stuff seems decent quality and is often on sale. It all adds up so helps.

Ah yes en-suite! DS managed fine without one last year and never had to wait. Dd seems to 'need' one!

DD has also got a timetable, I was somewhat agog at the difference in contact time between her subject and DS (maths), but I'm guessing that's normal. No suggested reading list yet, although she's itching to get started now.

Amazon have non standard sheets, if that helps, we had the issue last year at Lancaster.

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

So the way of clocking a Mumsnetter DC may well be that they have naice Denby kit!!!

I went to IKEA last week (without DS though) and it was apparent then that there were more late teens doing the rounds with their mums (never dads it seems?) than is usual. Another shopping trip will be in order for me then, although I might check out the local Dunelm too.

I have been buying stuff over this past few months - I'm not sure what DS now has. Will need to do an inventory before I end up duplicating items.

[Mustbetimeforachange]

I do understand the Denby thing - the plates are certainly tough, but it seems a bit OTT when the plates will spend most of the time in someone else's bedroom because they can't be bothered to do their washing up. DS has inherited DD's first year plates which were basic white ones from Wilkos.
If your DC is getting a 4 foot bed buy double sheets. The 4 foot ones are always too small & difficult to tuck round the mattress (the beds are often in a tight alcove). They will need double sheets when they move into a house in 2nd yearesr, so will save buying more. They may need a 4 foot mattress topper though (the mattresses are often awful).

[JennyWreny]

Yes the Denby thing is definitely a bit odd and we hesitated for ages beforehand but with so much other stuff to buy and accommodation deposit to pay it seemed sensible to get lots of the items on the list without using any cash. She’s pretty good at looking after her things anyway.

DD has seen on a list of suggested items somewhere that it’s good to have a small safe - she was saying it said to put passport and other important documents as well as valuables in - seems a bit overkill - anyone with older DC heard of that before.

[Clankboing]

Yesterday Ds and I sat down to look at a printed off list of what he needed in his halls room. We then made our own list based on him. It was lovely going through it as it made it all seem more real. He has decided to take 2 of each crockery and cutlery as he will then discipline himself to wash it. We were priding ourselves on how minimalist we were being. We then ordered some things that we won't be able to get in Wilkos - a mere fraction of the list - and promptly spent £200 - that was being careful! Hopefully the rest of what we need will be cheaper. A question for Lancaster future or current mums - We read somewhere - and we can't find where! - that students can offer their room as an example room during open days. In return they get vouchers to spend on campus. Ds is immaculately clean and tidy. This would be easy 'money' for him. Anyone know where I can find the info / any experiences of this. I will phone accomodation to enquire anyway but for the life of me I can't find it on the website.

[Piggywaspushed]

Found you all!

Still done nothing here as DH wants to look at ts and cs of accommodation before we confirm. I have only been to IKEA once in my life but might brave a trip there next week. I don't plan on buying him much stuff : he'll need a duvet and duvet cover and a few pots pans etc but he can just take plates, mugs etc from home. Getting the bank sorted is the priority. Can't be bothered changing who he banks with so it's just a case of swapping account. He could possibly sort this all out online but getting into Nationwide's online banking is like an episode of the Krypton Factor!

He is used to an awful mattress : I bought him a new John Lewis bed recently and the mattress that came with it is beyond awful!

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

A small safe might be an item too far IMO. Do they need to have their passports with them? Although probably these days with the need to verify ID they probably do.

[Dunlurking]

Got a couple of pans at Denby just now. Bought a mattress cover from Dunelm a few weeks back but didn’t know about the 10% discount. Still it was only £14 or so. I bought 2 plates and 2 bowls from Morrisons 3 years ago for ds - they were cheap and cheerful and they’re still intact amazingly. Think I bought cheap cutlery from them as well. Wilko is the students’ friend as well. A kettle we bought from there for ds is doing better than a Russell Hobbs one we bought for ourselves from Lakeland.

[ElizabethBennetismybestfriend]

RedHelenB what accommodation does your DD want at Liverpool? DD is going to be in Philharmonic Court.

[JennyWreny]

Yes, I also didn’t understand why she would need to take her passport with her but again she had read it somewhere that you should have it I think the fact that she seems to have looked through loads of these “what you need to take” lists and the safe was only mentioned on one probably means it’s not necessary.

[Dunlurking]

*Actually most halls have kettles in their kitchens - private accommodation may not.

[GaraMedouar]

I read somewhere my DS needs photo ID - either passport or driving licence. He doesn’t have a driving licence so will have to take his passport.

[Dunlurking]

Photo id is needed firstly when collecting room keys, then later when registering for the course and getting university id card/library card. So you need it handy in a pocket/handbag when you arrive with the loaded up car.

[Clankboing]

Much as my ds needs his coffee I've decided not to buy a travel kettle for his room as I planned to. I think having to use the kettle in the communal kitchen regularly will ensure he becomes more social. He's quiet and I wouldn't say shy, just comfortable in his own company!

[Piggywaspushed]

Lincoln has a good system whereby you upload your photo o to their 'blackboard' and they make you an ID card. This is done before term so that seem sensible. I think they do still require some sort of proof of identity when you turn up so, annoyingly, that would be a passport.

I remember needing those way back in the day to collect grants. I had a US passport and this caused no end of issues!

[DrMadelineMaxwell]

When dd opted for her various room choices at York there were some that said they were viewable rooms. So they needed to be kept clean and presentable and would be used in open days. Dd then had a follow up email checking she acknowledged what that entailed. They were a little cheaper as a result.

She wasn't allocated one in the end. Maybe some unis sort this later on but York had it in the Ts and Cs from the get go.

[JennyWreny]

Thanks, that makes more sense about the passport now.

Any tips for move in day? We are staying the night before thanks to someone on the last thread who mentioned that they had already booked a hotel which reminded me that I hadn't. I think at York they get a choice of times, so presumably best to pick the earliest slot available.