The ABC of university life (2019/20 cohort) - settling in we hope

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

Previous thread - sorry about the lame thread title but done in a hurry!

Just seen the weather forecast for DS for the next couple of days 3c at night, that is going to be a bit of a shock to his system.

@Piggywaspushed link to accommodation page. Scroll down to the bottom to see the different types.
www.lancaster.ac.uk/accommodation/undergraduate/#what-are-the-colleges-and-how-will-i-know-which-to-choose
The college pages also have info because they offer different types. This is ds college.
www.lancaster.ac.uk/county/

Piggywaspushed I found lots on a Google search of Lancaster university accomodation so that's strange - I wonder if it easier that way than finding the website first? Another way to find is if you look up the info on youtube you can see the different colleges in video. Basically each college is known for certain things, eg sportiness, but each college also has a variety of types of accomodation. So when you apply in June you ask for a certain accomodation (eg superior ensuite) and put your two preferred colleges. You then get 'placed'. I think that, however, town houses are only within a couple of colleges. But I think there are a mix of standard / superior / catered / self catered in most. Each college is a collection of buildings that sit together but with a variety of accomodation types. My ds chose his because Furness seems quieter and smaller and close to the Physics block. (I think dh persuaded him that this was a good idea based on his own college days).

@tommyshaircut put it much more succinctly!

DD said she’d phone in 10 mins as I’d asked her how today was. An hour and a half later I got “Sorry I fell asleep!” So am yet to chat . Glad she had a nap though, the photos from last night look quite full on. This weather really is awful and she shunned a brolly! Already sending a parcel as she got an Amazon parcel delivered that did not come next day as promised and was on the doorstep on our return from Durham. Will put a few ‘light’ extras in too.

Thanks, I had seen those pages. I just find it all very vague compared to the details and pics on lots of other uni websites! I guess one has to visit, really!

Well we’re home! Only took about 8 hours!!😆 feeling slightly shell shocked and exhausted .. I think it’s all that emotion from sending both my boys off in a week. As well as the 100’s of miles driven of course. Haven’t really heard from ds2 in Durham.. so I’m assuming he’s ok, but we stopped into Loughborough to drop off stuff ds1 had forgotten.. well all I can say is 4 nights of hard partying has taken their toll. He looked horrifically hungover, his room was a mess and the kitchen!!! 8 lads after 5 days! I took one look, waved goodbye and left 😆
So come on @Chaos .. which uni is this?? Sounds shockingly shite indeed. Ds2 is in the main building at Hild bede and it doesn’t seem too bad.. definitely no mod cons, but liveable

I'll have to remind dd that she was very lucky to get the room she wanted in a modern block. Ground floor so no lift or stairs to slog up with all her stuff on Sat. And a (tiny) ensuite all to herself.

Her windows don't open very far and the room was very hot on Sat, but we were prob hot and bothered from lugging everything from the car park around the corner. We saw others later just pulling up right next to the block, but noone told us we could do that. I'll definitely be doing that in April when we have to empty then reload her room!

She has printed out her calendar for Oct (don't know why, we didn't ask her to) and she has not got anywhere near as many hours as I did on my 4 year BEd all those years ago. Nothing on Mondays and nothing on most Fridays.

York seems pretty well organised for the blocks that dd is in.
12 rooms sharing one big kitchen.
12 narrow wall cupboards, 6 on one side, 6 on the other.
12 base cupboards.
2 tall freezers.
2 tall fridges. One shelf each.

DD got a bit stuffed by arriving last. She has a narrow wall cupboard in the run of the rest, but her base cupboard is the one under the sink.

And her fridge shelf is the bottom shelf above the veg drawer, so she was getting condensation on her food boxes and had other people's stuff falling onto her shelf. She'll be a bit annoyed by that, but it's better than other kitchens sound.

@NewModelArmyMayhem18 he bought it before he started. The week 1 sold out so he bought week 2 incase he couldn't get individual tickets to week one. But then bought individual week ones anyway. I'm not sure how many he will go to. I expect they are all fairly tired now.

There seem to be quite a few of us with Lancaster offspring at County.

It was torrential rain on Saturday travelling in but then the sun came out and it was lovely.

Ds's room is very nice and with a bath ( no shower though) and he's sharing a kitchen with 3 others. Fourth person wasn't there so he was wondering if they were an international student late to arrive. Older students gave them all a kitchen welcome pack which I thought was a great idea.

Dh admitted when we got home he felt teary eyed which is not like him. He set up yet another Whattsapp entitled 'Lancaster Parent Offspring portal!' Lol

Ds has dyspraxia so we message quite a bit. It's been one hell of a week with my mum going into hospital and me having a fall and hurting my back so it's all been quite stressful.

I am now a bit anxious as Ds is going on some club night tonight. He does have a couple of friends from sixth form there. They were buying beer at 7pm but aren't going out until 11pm and he doesnt really dtink or party so no doubt i will be hoping he gets back in one piece and worrying all night...

His loan hasn't gone in yet and he needs to get his laundry card sorted. I think he's looking forward to joining the Societies and Clubs he's interested in.
We missed the parent chat at the uni! However Lancaster seems safe and secure and the students very friendly.

Back home after a 5 hour drive. The weather was beautiful in Durham today so don't be fooled by those weather forecasts. T-shirt's, sunglasses and breakfast outside in the sun.

@Ingles2 - Respect! I feel emotionally drained after sending DS1 off - to send both your boys off sounds shattering. Your description of the kitchen sounds horrific!

@Witchend - yep Josephine Butler accommodation is a higher standard than Stephenson - so your DD chose well! DS suits red better than yellow though!

DrMadeleine - your DD sounds nice and comfy in her modern block.

ingles do you have twins or are they in different years? Hats off to all those with more than one at uni at the same time. DD2 is more than 3 years younger so I won’t have that to deal with. She took one look at Sunday and said it wasn’t for her! She’s more reserved than DD1 and is a homebody though things change. I can see her staying close or finding another route.Tilly anything from your DS yet?

Oh I’m glad weather was better in Durham today.

I must say I appreciated ds having a ground floor flat yesterday with all of the lifting and carrying!!

@bringbacksideburns ds loan hasn't gone in yet either.

And he's on the top floor !

@clankboing

Glad to hear Furness is quiet. DS moved in yesterday.

@Dustymaiden I guess time will tell. I hope it's quiet too. Ds does like company and is used to noise (our house!!) but I know he would prefer quieter people.

I’ve heard of a few mums sending treat parcels or amazon pantry deliveries and I’m curious to know what goes in them. Is anyone happy to share?

What is a WOE thread??

No not twins, just 1 year apart and ds1 missed the grades for Loughborough last year.. he’s very sporty so wanted to try again and thankfully made it.. they’re very very different my boys and their uni choices are at opposite ends of the spectrum too .. been hard hard getting them both off though and financially horrific! I’ve never been so skint! Luckily dh and I can live on jacket spuds every night .. the weather was gorgeous in Durham this morning.. torrential rain and wind on the south coast tonight..so how long do you think I can leave it till I get a dog!??

DS's isn't that exciting from a treat point of view @juicy0. Things he forgot (including his pepper grinder and two of his favourite T-shirts) plus some edibles, a new pair of decent headphones (he left his in a cinema during the summer hols and they weren't there when he went back to collect them), fun items including spices/herb mixes from Tiger, a pair of sliders to wear in the bathroom...

Not even sure it's as much about the contents as the thought and getting a parcel to open. Have yet to write a letter although I'm planning to write regularly - the novelty!

@juicy0 I've just used Amazon to quickly send ds a pair of waterproof trainers - a necessity not a treat!! His canvas shoes got soaked yesterday whilst moving in and then he admitted that he had forgotten to bring any others. Rather than faff about we sent him a new pair to an Amazon locker on campus locker. Retro sweets would be a nice treat maybe.

@HoldMyLobster well done to your DH for getting such bargain priced flights. How did he get on with hotel accommodation? When are you going? Have fun!