UEA freshers (2019 starters) part 2

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

Previous thread and hope you don't mind that I set up the next thread @juicy0. Just did it to ensure that we carry on chatting seamlessly

Students have just been told no need to return to campus for this academic year, exams and everything will be done on line. What a terribly sad end to year 1.

Oh no how sad, I’m picking DS up today, I suppose we will bring everything home now.

We really are in unchartered water.

I hope people will still check in on this thread in the next months, I like you guys 😊

I just spoke to DS2 and he sounds quite down about it. He has really enjoyed his first year in the Ziggs and they were planning lakeside barbecues for next term. He is also worried about whether to prioritise bringing clothes or the x box home on the train on Saturday.

DS is en route home now. He hasn't been able to bring home everything. Think one of us and he will be doing another trip at the weekend... to collect the rest of the stuff.

How very disappointing for everyone :-(. Just at the point where they're starting to feel really settled too.

I hope some decision is made soon about whether rents will be waived by universities.

Just hearing about your house move/selling issues makes one think of the massive repercussions to so many aspects of life over the coming weeks/months @Itscoldouthere. I really hope things do turn out as you'd anticipated. It's good to know that you have your friends' home to use if things do pan out with your house sale.

Thanks for the good wishes everyone - DS just told me about the university closing - such a shame. DH will have to go back up and clear his room out. I’m sure they’ll let us know soon enough about rent.

Hope you can read this. It's only giving them the option to go home so I don't imagine there will be rent refunds. My DS wonders if he can work better from UEA and might return anyway if other friends decide to do the same.

That's a shame for them all. Especially subjects like biology where they can't do the lab. time.

Whilst the university campus remains open I think many of our DC will want to return to/stay there with their friends. It's so hard to know what's best isn't it?
I'm gutted for them that their first year is just fizzling out and all the events they had planned have been cancelled. But with no face to face teaching and limited facilities on campus I'm struggling to see the benefit in staying versus the risk involved in being in physical contact with lots of people.

I picked DS up this afternoon, I’d told him we’d take everything home but he didn’t want to, the person in the room next to him isn’t going home at all and he said he might like to go back some of the time rather than being stuck with us (not that we know where we will be).
I’m assuming we won’t get out of paying rent for his room, so in the end we left quite a bit behind.
He was very sad to be leaving, his flatmates had all gone to the pub as they aren’t leaving till later in the week, there were lots of students around.

I'm glad to hear it's not deserted. Must be nice to have your DS home

@sluj I feel much happier having the boys home.
Just need DH to make it to Heathrow in the morning and at some point get my dog, who I’m really missing.
I agree with what some others have said that a 50% reduction on accommodation would be a good idea.

Any news on your DH's flight to the UK @Itscoldouthere? Hope he's en route as I type. Fingers crossed.

@sluj DS hasn't cleared his room either. All bedding left behind and his expensive coat (WTF)???? I can see us having to do a flying visit to collect the remainder of his stuff if need be.

DD hasn't emptied her room. She is still thinking that she may be able to return after Easter even though there are no lectures but I'm doubtful. I think she's so disappointed that her first year is over when her and her friends/flat mates had so much planned for the last term.
If your DC want to return to campus how would you feel about it?

If I thought DS had had the virus I wouldn't be worried about him returning to campus but we don't yet know that it's even an option.

All this uncertainty is difficult to manage, isn't it? Or is it just me?

@Itscoldouthere yes I was wondering if your husband made a flight back.

DH is Home 🙌
Getting things moved is starting to look difficult, we were meant to be sending loads of furniture to the local auction house, they’ve just called to say they are closing, so our only option is to put it all in storage.
We are waiting for a call to see what our buyers are thinking.
I just want to know one way or the other so I can either spring into manic action, or relax a bit.
On a funny positive note, my backpacking motherly ways have paid off, I found all the pasta, tins and toilet roll we’d bought for DS at UEA under his bed, nothing touched. I can only think he forgot it was there, that’s us stocked up now (18 rolls of loo paper 😂).

Great news @Itscholdouthere.

On the 'backpacking' front, every cloud does have a silver lining, doesn't it? I bet you've never been so pleased to see a stock of tins and loo rolls!!!!

If you buyers re well, don't have a long chain and not much to transport, you may find they're keen to carry on. I guess it rather depends on solicitors staying well too. Fingers crossed.

@Itscoldouthere that's great he's made it home. I hope the sale does go ahead. That's one less thing to worry about. And you have toilet roll too 😉

Our main problem is we’ve got so much stuff.
We are seriously downsizing, our buyers said they were interested in lots of furniture but now only want a small amount and all the stuff that was meant to be going to the auction will now have to go into storage.
Anyway we will do whatever we can, only us and them in the chain so there’s still hope. I’ve started packing boxes.
Who knows we might not go into full lockdown, I feel reasonably safe here in a small village.
We got out of Heathrow ASAP and did loads of hand washing.

@Itscoldouthere that's annoying about the furniture sale. But as long as everything else happens I'm sure you'll feel happier.

I'm still getting over the decision to close schools...I know it was expected but ds2 has had GCSEs cancelled. He's thrilled of course. I definitely wasn't expecting that. I thought they'd have them in for exams. I wonder how they'll grade them. I'm sure it's worse for A level students and people in their third degree year. Possibly 5 and half months of no school.

DH picked up DS2 today - cleared room completely, and joy of joys 10 rolls of loo roll, a six pack of beans, heinz tomato soup, and, three unopened packs of spaghetti. Every cloud.....

I don't see any return until September, DS2 a bit down understandably.

Will be interesting to see what decisions are made on final term hall costs - from other threads it appears that Liverpool and Newcastle may already be waiving halls fees for next term.

Feel for those of you with younger DCs in Y11 or Y13 too.

Stay safe, best wishes to all.

@boys3 I'm hoping UEA might at least offer an option for pupils who would rather not return, given the circumstances, to clear their rooms by the end of the Easter break and waiver next terms accommodation fees or if not discount by 50%
DD's summer work as a waitress at a wedding venue looks to have bitten the dust for the foreseeable future so it would really help next year to save next terms fees.
I've seen that imperial have made that offer. Has anyone tried to contact UEA to ask the question ?

Ds said they've been told they have to pay for rooms still.

Well it's my birthday today. Certainly one to remember...I found out yesterday that GCSEs are cancelled and I might have the boys home for 5 and a half months, I lost 3 of my part time jobs (one is a couple of hours at the school, so I will get paid for that) then today I lost the other job, so no more work all due to this virus, we still have a puppy with an upset tummy, she is a little better, I wish we could sort it though, she can't have her second vaccinations until she's better, she can't go out for walks until 2 weeks after the vaccination (that she can't have) Plus all 3 of my delightful boys didn't even bother to say happy birthday or get me a card. Happy day's.

I forgot to say...no sign of ds being ill after the girl was coughing in their flat. So that's a plus. He should hopefully have his summer job still. He works in a lab testing the crops as they come in from the field. So that will still happen. Ds2 was due to work at the local plant nursery for the summer...fairly sure he won't be needed now.

Happy birthday @icanbewhatiwant 💐🥂
Sorry to hear about your jobs and the pup, it really sounds like you deserve a change of luck. Boys hey 🙄