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.

Clankboing, we had the same decision to make (Lancaster townhouse). The 210 x 90 mattress protector has just arrived and it looks very long and narrow! As most of the beds seem to be fitted to the wall on one side, we've gone for a single duvet, as I don't think it will be feasible to tuck a wider one down the wall side of the bed- it would probably fall off.

Go for double as it is a square so doesn’t matter which corner is where when they attempt to put a cover on!

I haven't RTFT as it's quite long but we bought several shallow plastic boxes to put under DS bed when he was in halls for extra storage. They were ideal for shoes/bedding/towels. Sorry if it's been mentioned already!

Fozzley I sort of came to that conclusion because I've just watched a you tube vid of previous students and when you look st the bed there's nowhere to tuck the quilt as the bed is fitted to the wall.

Zanda I like doubles myself for that reason lol - I like things to be simple!!

I'm going to let him see how he gets on with the single. He'll take some single bedlinen from home and his new (TK Maxx bargain) single duvet and then, if he decides that a double would be better, I've not forked out for new stuff that goes to waste.

Just back from the longest ever shopping trip I’ve done with my boys! Ds is a keen cook/baker so I seem to have bought a huge amount of kitchen stuff already. Got a bargain double quilt set in Dunhelm, so that’s another thing ticked off the list.

Yes it can be changed if it's not right, this is true. An excuse for a visit!!

@MrKlaw Happy Birthday to your DS.

FWIW DS sorted out his HSBC bank account online and didn't need to go in branch for any reason (suspect it's because he's already on the banking system with a 'Flex' account with another provider). We've now updated SFE too. His first payment is due on 23 September.

I think I know which thread you mean @ZandathePanda.
I hope your DD cheers up soon. DD is enjoying Leeds and has a day off today.

Tapas

We’ve just insured Dd for my car for 3 weeks, so she is happily driving round the villages in the sunshine feeling very independent. I am still not used to her driving.

This thread is so interesting and useful for me, even though my DS is applying this autumn, having a gap year and travelling for three months in 2020. I must bookmark it to come back to next summer!
DS is lucky enough to have found a well paid job and reckons he will have earned 7K by the time he goes on his travels. He needs about 5K of this for travelling, so should have some left over for university, and intends to work for 3 months when he comes back too. I’m proud of him as it’s not an easy job and he often works long hours. I think it’s giving him good experience of budgeting too, as he’s having to work out how much he can spend and save.

A teenager has died of a suspected drug overdose at Leeds Festival.

That is so very sad .

@MrKlaw, my DS was horrified at the thought of having to share too! My DD chose to be in city centre halls because it was good for clubbing, etc - it was a fantastic location and worked really well for her.

@DrMadelineMaxwell, both DS and DD have jobs here (London) and DD has one in her uni city - no problem getting jobs in cities. I think students can often get bar work in their halls/uni and some get paid for working on uni open days if they can't find anything else?

We haven't done anything about getting stuff sorted for DS - still 5 weeks till he starts. And probably not much needed as he's in fully catered. I'm not expecting him home during term time as it's a long way and his terms are short, but DH/I may go up to visit. I went to see DD 3 weeks into her first term and it was good timing for her. I cried buckets though on my way home (having not cried when we first took her) as I was so pleased to see her settled and onto her next step in life

That's it, we've just bought the majority of ds's stuff today from Wilkos. Everything else that we need is in the house just ready to be taken to the conservatory where it's being stored. I'm so glad it's done and dusted - it was niggling me. I told ds to sort it all out into kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, which he did. So now I think it's hit me :-( and I feel a bit empty.

We got duvet and pillows and protectors, room stuff a few weeks ago but she doesn’t go until 28/9 I think so ages yet plus she’s at Reading! Just had letter confirmation of her upgrade from A to A in Eng Lit. Marks went up by 8!!!! So well into A as she was only 1 mark off. Shocking marking.

A teenager has died of a suspected drug overdose at Leeds Festival

Just saw that, tragic loss of a young life. Puts a perspective on some of the trivial in comparison things that I may be fretting over.

Good news for your DD, Benji Was it an AQA English Lit paper by any chance?

On the getting ready front, we've had a year to prepare, and have been accumulating things over the past nine months. All safely stored away. Just realised that keeping a list of what's been bought might have been an idea. and remembering where things have been put

No it was Edexl .

Something to share with them when they leave perhaps.

DD is hoping to 'work her ass off' here in the holidays (her words) to try and avoid having to get a job down there, to focus more on settling in and her studies.

I'm fine with that, but have said it will depend on how well she budgets her (fairly generous) maintenance (it covers her accom plus approx £3k left for the year) and how many luxuries/nights out she wants to have.

Today's purchases inc a box of washing machine pods, a reed diffuser and a couple of distinctive plates/bowls/mugs - hurray for home bargains - cheap and cheerful. She's already starting to think about what she wants to be able to cater for herself for lunches and weekends around the MAD meals in advance deal I'm treating her to for the first term.

My DD always has so much academic work to get through in the hols that she never felt she had time for paid work. Luckily she is a teetotal vegan so doesn't spend much. DS - different story. He's at Leeds Festival at the mo (promising to stay safe, and all seem to be aware of the poor girl who died) so we won't be shopping for a while, as we are going on holiday as well.

@simbobs my DD is at Leeds Festival too... refusing to engage with any important questions I've needed to ask over the past 3 days.

Seriously bad timing....