Going to university (2019/20 academic year) - wave goodbye to family, say hello to fellow students and key uni staff and they're settling in (hopefully)

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

Previous thread. Possibly a little precipitous but for some of our DC their university start date is only just over a fortnight away. Yikes!

Thanks for the info re the railcard. I will rethink that one then. Not sure how many times she will use the train to be fair.
Shes only 2 ish hours away so not too onerous to take her or collect her.
And at Easter she has to empty her room so wont be doing that via public transport anyway..

@juicy0 he hasn't noticed his student number before. But he's a boy...they look for things with their eyes shut!
He wants to go to 3 particular events. They go on sale 9am Monday morn. The site will probably crash. He's taken a couple of hours off work to get freshers tickets, then go to the bank with ID as he hasn't been able to get time off to do it yet. I've insisted he takes the time off.

@icanbewhatiwant agreed! My DS is the same and needs several 'nudges' to get things done. Hopefully he will be able to get tickets and sort his bank account out tomorrow morning.

DS has just been in touch with his (six) school mates who are off to the same university. None of them (all boys) have bought Freshers' Week tickets yet either.

We've just ordered DD's freshers wristband, I very much doubt she'll get her (my) money's worth as she's not really one for going out, but this way she's more likely to try things out (rather than if she were paying on the night). If it means she goes to one more thing than she would've otherwise, I'll be happy The 'bundle' included a TOTUM card (worth it for the co-op discount alone) and a uni hoodie, both of which she would have bought anyway.

The cost of the wristband was steadily rising so I'm kicking myself a little that we didn't get it asap (live and learn).

That's very sensible @RaptorinaPorkPieHat, although a bit shocked that the cost of the wristband has risen with time.

For those DC less skilled in the cooking department (looking at DS), just found this helpful FB video aimed at students

Wax hope you're okay this morning.

Re space in car. We have a Nissan Note. When we collecting DD from boarding, every inch was taken with clothes/bedding, school clothes, files. The latter two she won't have, but I doubt we'd fit in kitchen utensils.

DD hasn't got a band or booked anything yet. Nor has her room mate (who has impressively already packed for next weekend!). Hard to know what's for the best. Knows she wants to join music society for orchestra and signing.

We do have a Vectra. It's quite a big boot but not very well proportioned. It's not good for putting boxes and so on in.

@DrMadelineMaxwell could she get the coach? DD gets the Megabus as it is a quarter of the price and only takes slightly longer.

@Benjispruce can you post if you hear anything about drop off slots please?!

Yes Tilly , same please.

I have a fairly big Volvo but we don't seem to have that much to take...wondering if we aren't taking enough. Mind you...not finished shopping yet. We have 2 small crates that I'm filling with some food and toiletries. I've bought 2 duvet sets in a dull grey as figured it might get put in with his dark clothes. I've bought 2 plates/bowls/mugs. Only a few utensils so far. I think most kitchen and bathroom stuff will fit in the crates and then we will put clothes in suitcase. Ds isn't far away on the train, so may put stuff in 2 smaller cases and leave one there incase he wants to bring some home to wash. He has a laptop to take. Maybe it'll all take more room than I think.
@NewModelArmyMayhem18 the UEA threshers website is going to be busy at 9am tomorrow then.

4 hours and £13.50 for national Express one way end of autumn term.
2.5 hours and £49 for train same date.
No railcard (yet).

£32 with railcard.

@NewModelArmyMayhem18 I like that tasty app. Some great recipes. I don't think the cooking facilities are that great in ds's accommodation but definitely a microwave.

I'm sure when I went to uni back in the dark ages we didn't have to take a duvet and pillows, but I'm glad we do for DS as at least we know where everything has been! Takes up a lot of room in the boot though. We also have a set of plastic drawers which we are hoping will either fit in the wardrobe or under the desk, as there is precious little other floor space. We are packing things into these. If the worse comes to the worst and there is no room for them when we get there we will unpack them and bring them home again.

Has anyone not got grey duvet covers? Seems the colour to get (we did) I can imagine everyone trying to make their room individual with the same stuff!

Dd already has grey covers in her room and is taking them with her. Grey with teal flowers.
We just made sure we got great towels so she can stick them in the same wash together.

One interesting thing... at York she can audit and year classes by signing up to sit in lectures but not have to do any of the assignments to decide whether she is interested in that unit for next year.

2nd year not and year

Ponti parking on Reading campus is almost non existent & I would have thought it will all be reserved for drop off slots only. It will be chaos!

My DS has also got grey bed linen, clearly no one is very original.

Agree that this has been such a great thread, I wonder if any of us will ever meet or if our DSs & DDs will meet? I know my DS is doing exactly the same course as Mine’s DS.

Golden, we thought DS would be able to store his guitars in his wardrobe as one side was shelved and the other hanging and he only took one shirt that needed hung up. Unfortunately the hanging side is halved horizontally so then neither section is high enough - hope no girls have full length coats or dresses! We took a "over the door" hanging hook but it didn't fit over the door so he now has his outdoor jackets in the wardrobe and his dressing gown stuffed on a shelf.

The desk is quite low, he's nearly 6'3 so has the chair down as far as it can go so he can fit his legs under.

He;s been spoiled at home so if this is the first hardship he has to endure, i'm sure he will cope :)

Best wishes to all still in the midst of preparations, hope it all goes well.

I was going to buy grey bed linen for exactly the same reasons, however, I changed my mind as I thought the room might be depressing enough without adding to the gloom, struggled to find things that were darkish but had a colour that was okay for a young man. One is teal stripes, the other is white background (oh no!) but with navy, mustard and teal graphic design.

Meant to add that you could maybe take the drawers out of the frame and use them under the bed?

Dd likes bright colours and got some colourful duvet covers and towels
I got 4.5 tog double duvet, double duvet covers and single bed covers.
She is tall and I thought that double duvet is better or should I have for single duvet set??
Apart from this we haven't started any prep yet...