Going to university (2019/20 academic year) - and the fledgling freshers are off!

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

Previous thread

This buying stuff for uni is proving very expensive, isn't it?

Glad I’m not the only one. I was beginning to think I was a spendthrift. I started thinking we’ll spend about £150🙄. I’m not even going to disclose how much we’ve spent so far and it’s all on essentials (perhaps £20 on non essentials).

@RaptorInaPorkPieHat You’ll never learn woman, never! and just incase you’re thinking of ‘dropping’ her off, she’s an adult now kiss her goodbye at the door of your house, she can hop on transport and arrange via one of those nice companies to have her goods shipped over to her.

Sorry everyone for the digression, just spill over from thread that attracted some crackpots.

You couldn't make it up, @Shimy, could you? That thread really took a very bizarre turn.

I was looking at the cost of posters and was a bit shocked at £10 being average for one (may have been looking at the wrong type of website). Various people have reminded me that they usually have a poster stall operating during freshers' week though - presumably cheaper too.

I bought DS a small fruit bowl from Tiger yesterday. It cost all of £2.00 - he was busy telling me that he could just sit his bananas and oranges on his desk - right.... I can tell who may well win the prize for student with the most unkempt room.

@New Bizarre doesn’t unite sum it up.

On the subject of non essentials, I bought a desk mirror for £4.99 quite large too from B &M (thanks to the poster on here who recommended it)
I also bought a rug.
A fake potted plant of yellow tulips (to brighten up what I’m expecting to be a dull room).
A small first aid kit and some Olbas oil. (DS gets some stonking colds)

“Quite”, not unite.

I got told off for buying a reed diffuser from Aldi (nicer smelling than one might think) to make DS's room smell less of 'boy/man' . He thought it a good idea though, so I felt justified in my purchase.

New be careful of the reed diffuser. We had one (think it was an M&S one) that was very overpowering and had to take some of the reeds out as it was giving us headaches when we first opened it.

Thanks for the tip @JennyWreny.

Re missing them - I made myself a rule and kept to it which was to never ever tell dd I missed her. I remember my mum saying that to me and it just broke me when I was feeling homesick. There's loads you can say instead - we're looking forward to seeing you, it's nice to hear from you, you look great, show me the room/flat/campus in FaceTime. If you go down the miss you line you will both end up in tears feeling crap!

Make plans for the weekends. The week isn't too bad but the weekends suck even if they spent most of it in their room. And watch out for the supermarket, it's surprisingly painful not needing to buy them the stuff they like. That does ease though, you just have to adjust.

That said I'm so glad dd2 is staying at home. She's joined a CU group chat and made contact with somebody on her course who knows her boyfriends parents, looking at freshers events etc. Still quite a long time before York get started!

Just as I had been smugly thinking of how much less laundry I will have to be doing when they are both away my washing machine packed in!!! 1 minute from the end of a wash so I had to find the emergency door release and order a new machine (it is the motor, it is 9 yrs old has been fixed twice before and has had a hard life, so I'm not calling the engineer again). I will have to wait until Friday for another and ds goes on Saturday! Guess which of us will be in the laundrette. Dd goes Monday but I have done all of hers - thankfully!

@Northernlurker . That is great advice .. I'm going to remember it .. thank you 😊

Really good advice NorthernLurker

My Dad told me the morning I left for uni that my (normally very stoic) Mum had cried that morning. I just remember thinking "Thanks Dad that's really helpful, now I get to feel homesick AND guilty"

Poor timing with the washing machine simbob we're up to date on the washing, but I just need to stop DD wearing it all before friday (although she has a laundry hamper so I guess it can just go with stuff in it lol)

Good advice @Northernlurker. Will remember that.

I've been putting on a brave face and telling myself and everyone else that I'm happy and excited for DS (which I am of course) and not feeling at all sad. Driving home from Tesco's this afternoon, a wave of emptiness and sadness came over me. I walked in, took one look at DS and burst into tears We had a big hug and he said he knew I'd cry at some point. It helped actually and I realised that by putting in a brave face, I may have been inadvertently making him feel like I wouldn't miss him!!

One week to go....I think pretty much everything has been bought, apart from food supplies. The utility room has disappeared under piles of IKEA bags, kitchen equipment and random items of bedding.

DH and I then leave for Spain early doors on the Sunday, so we won't have time to miss her; well, that's the theory.

Crumbs - just read the backpack thread.

@Shimy there was some real anger on that thread. Weird.

Blimey!
I had a peek at that thread and can't believe how nasty some posters can be
They must have children who miraculously become fully functioning, mature adults at one minute past midnight on their 18th birthdays.

Meanwhile, back in the real world some 18 year olds are mature(ish) and some aren't at all.

DD will just use the backpack she had at school. TBH it never occurred to either of us that would need a different one. It is a Kanken one and I'm sure it will do.

Well we are back. He has a lovely room met three flatmates and their parents, they look like a good bunch. Made up his bed, went out for lunch, then dropped him off outside halls. He looked so happy and excited. We did have a wander around the shopping mall near him the Merrion Centre, lots of cheap and cheerful shopping to be had.
We went to the Lloyds weatherspoons for lunch because he has an interview there tomorrow for a job. We got home to find his rail card on the door mat.

My DIL has popped in with a big bouquet of flowers which is lovely.

I have not cried yet, but cannot face his bedroom or the stuff that needs clearing out of the fridge. God knows what the dog will do tonight, they are inseparable.

@justasking well done for not crying, I’m sure I will fail tomorrow.
Interesting re the dog, I’m sure my dog is also going to find it odd as he plays differently with my boys than he does with me, they roll around on the floor with him, I think he thinks they are dogs/ or he’s a human, I do think he will miss them.

Going to have to look at the backpack thread now......

@Piggywaspushed I remembered today that when we looked around Lincoln accommodation there was a boy in the supermarket in just a towelling dressing gown and trainers at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon, it did make us chuckle.

I have always been a little careful about sending photos of the animals, or the rest of us doing something together unless they ask for them, in case they are feeling homesick. When they get back I give them a hug, say that I'm glad to see them home & that I've missed them, but not while they are away.

justasking they can load their Railcard on to their phone, I think.

Haha... whole MN threads about shopping in nightwear no doubt ensued!!