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

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

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The sky lounge would be idyllic in this weather!

@VanCleefArpels, no I suspect for many the first week or so will feel like a holiday/school trip away, so it will be in week 3/4 that it's most likely to hit home that a long-term thing. Hope you are enjoying the sound of silence.

So how much stuff are your kids taking - I have a 7 seater and at the moment there's no way it will all fit and she hasn't started on clothes yet! Crazy amounts. Otherwise I think we are all set, laptop arrives tomorrow, railcard has already arrived, loan due next Tuesday.

DS’s stuff fitted in a four-seater with three of us in, but he only has a laptop rather than full size desktop computer (did take two largish musical instruments though).

What’s is she taking that occupies most of the space? If it’s squashy, would vacuum bags help?

(Frustrated packer here - DS did it himself and spurned my offer of ikea trips, vacuum bags and fairy lights!)

@DrMadelineMaxwell yes it is Oxbridge, I didn’t realise they were the only universities that started so late.

You may be surprised by your DD, especially if she’s living at uni, she will likely be inundated with people who want to meet up outside lectures.

My DD is also pretty shy and slightly social awkward but I don’t mind how many friends she makes as long as she enjoys herself.

@MrKlaw unfortunately when you go through clearing you only get what is left, here some lucky students are in the conference centre and are being charged the same as standard en-suite rooms despite them being studios (last year they got moved to standard student rooms as they became available, quite a lot of students do drop out in the first month or two, or simply don't arrive bizarrely). Bath is terribly expensive unfortunately so that's an excellent price, 38 weeks is pretty much the shortest contract these days.

Second vacuum bags- we wouldn’t have fit it all without them. All bedding and clothes squashed within an inch....

I’d say people generally overdo it on the kitchen stuff front. Be realistic about the type of dishes likely to be cooked. No student will use 4 saucepans at the same time. They only need 2 of plates, mugs, cutlery etc. And only take food for the first few days, not the whole term. Storage is an issue for a start and they will all be close to supermarkets!

Our car is about the size of a VW Golf and it all fits in with the seats down. No musical instruments or desktop computer though.

3 x 48L storage boxes, 2 medium size suitcases, 2 pillows, duvet, printer and a few other bits and bobs.

This thread has taught me the wonders of vacuum bags though and I'm going to buy more this week!

Glad to see that drop offs this weekend mostly went well and that Benjispruce DD has better room - fab news.

Dd is going on Thursday. She's packing her clothes, I have an IKEA bag i am chucking stuff into as and when we remember it. We don't seem to have much! There are 10 in her flat so I can't imagine there will be much space. She does want a small airer though which I am yet to buy, and I have resisted the urge to do a massive shop for her in terms of food. Foodwise she has 2 x long life oat milk, 2 tins toms, 1 instant coffee, 1 peppermint tea, 2 ready meals, 1 bag pasta, salt, pepper, herbs, maple syrup, pot of pancake mix, some salad and eggs, box cereal, loaf of bread. And that's it!

If we get there and there's plenty of room I will take her to do a shop somewhere.

I'm really surprised at the lateness of start of some courses. Ds2 is particularly early but he is on his 3rd week away and now on a full programme. It was lectures only last week. We thought DS1 started back for 2nd year today but turns out it's freshers so no classes till next week. They do 11 weeks teaching each term then the rest is either exams or revision. Last year he had no exams so basically attended for 22 weeks in total.

Vacuum bags are definitely essential! Pillows & duvet down to barely 2" thick slabs. Vacuumed the towels, bedding & all clothes too.
One rucksac for laptop, notebooks & other stationery.
One big cardboard box of kitchen equipment. Crockery set stayed in its box.
2 'bag for life' with kitchen store cupboard bits & toiletries.
1 with random stuff - clock radio, hairdryer, big boots
1 last minute bag - wash bag, hairbrush, chargers etc.
And the bass guitar. Amp & speaker cab to go up once new band found.

The sky lounge would be idyllic in this weather!

Ha! Not where I live. Yesterday was miserable and cold and cloudy.

I’d say people generally overdo it on the kitchen stuff front. Be realistic about the type of dishes likely to be cooked. No student will use 4 saucepans at the same time. They only need 2 of plates, mugs, cutlery etc.

DD loves cooking. She is taking 2 of everything crockery-wise. She is also taking 2 pans, a frying pan and a wok, all of which will get used. She intends doing some baking as well and is taking a mixing bowl and bun tin.

Is he at a Scottish university WaxOnFeckOff? They seem to finish earlier than English ones as well.

Yes Gin, they both are. Ds1 chose to travel and given how little he needed to attend that's probably not a bad thing.

My DS was the last in in his flat of 6, the cupboard space left in the kitchen was laughable, however he hadn’t taken too much, 2 of most things.
We went shopping when we got there and I bought him quite a lot of dry goods and plastic storage boxes to go under his bed. He put most of the tins, jars, pasta, rice etc under his bed and all his cleaning/washing stuff, it all fitted in fine.
Funny to see 6 bottles of washing up liquid in the kitchen 😂
He reported that they all sat in the kitchen and played board games, and that his flat mates all seemed nice 3 girls, 3 boys.
Uni starts today although with a reduced timetable.

Wrt kitchen stuff,ds took 3 of every thing apart from mugs,he took 6 of them, a frying pan and a saucepan, wooden spoon and egg flip,big sharp knife and small one plus cutlery and a sandwich maker. Tea towels,washing up liquid,sponge, kitchen spray and chopping board.

Mine starts on the 30th . But that’s Induction week - term actually starts on the 7th .

Ds took some storage crates which went under his bed too,very useful.

DS took a small fan for his room, which he was so pleased about as the windows have opening limiters and it was hot, not just in his room but everywhere.
I shall be buying one for DS2 this week.

Hmm. Looks like I need to consider a fan as well. I can't buy storage crates yet as I don't know the clearance space under DD's bed, so it will have to wait until she moves in.

I have a feeling that she might be one of the last to move in so I hope there will be enough cupboard space for her. DD isn't very assertive and will just end up feeling put upon and store stuff in her room.

We are planning to visit DD at the end of October and have booked a place in the Brecon Beacons so she can put the weekend in her diary. I've told her she has no obligation to join us and we can just swing through Cardiff for lunch if she prefers, but the offer is there. In terms of settling, I think it's better for us to go to her than for her to come to us in the beginning as lovely as coming home feels it means you have to leave all over again at the end of the weekend. We are taking a load of stuff with her next weekend, but will bring some back if it seems like too much. I've also told her we can bring over anything she needs/has forgotten when we see her in October (and of course take anything back then that feels surplus to requirement). She also needs no reminding that Cardiff city centre is a short walk from her accommodation so she can easily pick up any bits and pieces she can't live without.

Gin have we the same daughter? Dd is also taking a fairy cake baking tin and a mixing bowl!

Also had the same conversation about storage under bed. Pity you aren’t going up Friday - I’d have been asking you to measure it!

DS has a massive Asda across the road from his halls, it was so stocked up with student stuff, loads of low under bed storage and all the kitchen essentials, massive bulk bags of pasta and multi buy drink offers!

Wow, so many posts in a couple of days to catch up on. For those who've have gone to uni this weekend, hope you Mums are okay.

We're a week and £300 in (food, lunch out with others, going out, practice room pass). She's gone to a party and ball, but at the same time done more sedate things like a tea crawl and walk up local hill with a couple of girls. Reported last night that her and girl next door have been invited onto a group chat of 20 people who don't like smoking and drinking, so there really are groups out there for people who just want company without partying all the time.

Last week saw her tutor and went to a couple of compulsory introductions for course. Did three music auditions and got accepted by all orchestras - think she might have to choose between them. work commences this week, it sounds full on.

Apparently societies are £30 each and text books £40 - dread to think how many she needs of the latter.