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.

Fern - gosh, as they say! I must admit i assumed the examiners read the scripts in full! Even if the writing is scraggy.

That's interesting about handwriting. In this case, I don't know the DC well enough to say.

@olliepolly I don't know Clifton House as DD was in the city, but it sounds like Jane does!

Handwriting was a big concern re DS! But the exams are marked online and so the scripts can be zoomed for better interpretation!

LIZS DD told me she'd had an email apologising for the delay and that they'd have to put her in shared rooms. They said they'd be allocating her into Chancellors Court or John Burnett at Pollock Halls and would confirm within 48 hours. DD is away at moment, but either way those options are fine as they were actually her top two (to save money). Hopefully, she can access everything on her ed account, but she'll be back late Sunday anyway.

Let me know where your DD is allocated.

Checked now - allocated Bridge House which is a private hall, single room, shared bathroom, 6 in flat. Dd has stayed in that area before but not sure the set up is ideal socially or for her.

@bigTillyMint @Witchend Ds2 has Hild Bede and it sounds like each college is entirely different... we have reams of papers on mentors and paying for SRU which is £150! college induction forms to fill in, stuff on medical/policing/respect and a handbook... tons of info but nothing that tells you what's in the room, what he actually needs or anything about room choice... that doesn't seem to be an option him. :D it does say that he needs black tie though!!
Ds2 is going to L'boro and I can see why its so highly rated by students, there's an app that has everything covered... its very impressive... and easy. the two uni paths couldn't be more different if they tried,, its interesting actually.

@pollyannaperspective thanks for your thoughts on medical... I hope your ds is ok... I think I'll phone the gp and see what they say, should also get in touch with the disability team I guess..Ds2 hates fuss which makes it slightly awkward,

LIZS it's so hard to know until they get there, but hopefully it'll be ok. DD is getting her first choices, but had a wobbly about catered.

Will your DD be a long way from home? We're approx 350/360 miles so not looking forward to journey, as two of us suffer from travel sickness.

Examiner friend says yes, the papers can be zoomed - but not tilted, so very sloping handwriting is still hard to read, as is uneven pressure.

@Ingles2 I think DSs JCR is £200!!! He did get the respect/GP, etc paperwork but no handbook AFAIK. They do all seem different! He is going to Collingwood - anyone else got a DC going there?

@FernPotts DD's handwriting ia neat but slopes the wrong way as she is a leftie (in more ways than one ) and she says her tutors complain.

LIZS is it the flat of 6 that you're not sure about? If so I have reservations as well - whether it goes well seems (from mn accounts!) to depend so much on whether you gel with the others. Whereas the old style corridors, if your 5 immediate neighbours aren't your best buddies you just mix with some of the others in the hall!

And you're sort of 'centred' on the flat, so the relationships may become more close-up/intense than is ideal.

I know they make friends on the course/societies but your house mates do matter as well. Oh well,

I don't post much because ds has deferred but has got in to Loughborough.

Ingles - when I've looked on the accommodation lists I have found them so clear and easy. I've already picked which one I think he should choose!! . I've also been reading the student room reviews to help me make up my mind!!

Which hall is your ds going in to?

Thanks for the help with delivering parcels ahead of time. I found that some Amazon lockers (local collect) will hold on to deliveries for 18 days. That makes everything so much easier.

Partly because it is further out than any of her choices(thinking particularly of the walk back in dark after lectures and social events), partly as there is no common room unlike her choices so it is the five others or noone, partly as she is unsettled already following results day and less than confident. Yes it is a long way away too, we're in SE.

Jane the O , thank you so much for taking the time to post re Clifton hill house just reading that is making me relax a little.
DD is still irritated but understands that she will have to accept as no changes possible now and even later although technically possible is challenging and unlikely. Hoping she meets some people she can relate to and settles well. We are a long way away in NE england.

Spoke to the GP and they said DS isn’t eligible for free HPV as no longer at school so need to go private?

@bigTillyMint @Ingles2

I think dd's fund is £125. It didn't look unreasonable when you saw what they got out of it either.

Are yours at gowned colleges? Dd needs a full gown. I'm wondering if dh's scholar's gown will be passable. He's a lot taller than her though, so it may be too big.

Same for girls MrKlaw, though i think there the cut off is age 18 rather than no longer at school (so in practice even younger than boys). Obviously I realise most girls will have had HPV vac at 12/13 anyway.

Afaik the policy seems to be based on the unlikelihood of the deteens not having been sexually active by that point (since it is less effective after that). Think i've posted elsewhere that I am surprised that they think it is that unlikely! (sorry about double negatives above)

@pasanda ds1 has gone for Bill Mo .. William Morris :) He originally wanted a new ensuite room in Claudia Parsons, then realised he probably wouldn't be able to afford the gym and all the sport and drinking he wanted to do, so went for a cheaper option. Just about the most sensible decision he's ever made I think :) He's also a 19yr old as he did resits, but he has a friend there already so they advised I think..
@Witchend no, hild bede is the least formal college, which is why he picked it.. gowns are only needed on matriculation and graduation .. he is coming from a bog standard comp, so didn't want anything too formal.

@LIZS I think it is a good location - lots of other students will be walking in her direction to and from Pollock halls at all times of day and night if she is naturally sociable. 6 in the flat may work well and she may quickly gel with them. If not Unite organise events in hall for freshers and through out the year which can help to expand friendships beyond the flat and they even organise events across their different halls. Really encourage her to join a club or society - something to find a friend and fingers crossed it will snowball from there.

@Witchend and @ingles2 apparently Collingwood is same as hild bede and hopefully lots of ex-state school students as DS from a London comp, so miles away too!

She's not naturally very sociable though, so if she doesn't gel that could be a problem. Isn't Pollock the other direction from uni buildings or do you mean events happen there or to meet friends?

@Witchend @bigTillyMint @Ingles2 my DD is in Durham too St John's which is catered and I think very formal! She's happy with it as it's quite small and she's not a party girl and was a bit worried freshers week would be all about pubs clubs and drinking. I'm storing up advice that everyone is giving here for when she gets home from her holiday job, She has filled in the accommodation form but won't know what type of room until September. So all I have seen (from Uni website and St Johns tab) is all the medical info, consent, JCR (£180 for 4 years) and a timetable of the first week.
She's also been in contact with disability services who have been really helpful as well with lots of good advice.
I do however feel very much in the dark, particularly when it comes to shopping for essentials.