The ABC of university life (2019/20 cohort) - Will NewModelArmyMayhem18 forgive me?

[MrKlaw]

previous thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/3701968-The-ABC-of-university-life-2019-20-cohort-settling-in-we-hope

Hope you don't mind - people have pent up comments about cheese graters and traffic cones to get out of their system!

DS seems to have had his online uni system sorted out. He also seems to have got to the end of his admin list and to have a clear awareness of the things he is still waiting to hear about (like arrangements for paying for accommodation). One of his tutors arranged see him and one other student for a clarification meeting (not sure if because of dyspraxia, or joint degree, or because they had been raising lots of issues), and made it clear that they are not expecting perfection in written work, so he is calm for the moment. He is quite far on with his second piece of written work (still only two days in to first week - they do keep them at it!) I'm glad that the tutors seem to be on the case with support, especially since nothing forthcoming from the actual support services yet.

Gin it must be catching. Dd teary too. She is so fed up of being ill. And missing the animals.
I can imagine the next couple of weeks are the worst.

@ShrodingersKitty good that your DS is getting things sorted. Yes, I think they work them very hard at Oxbridge - seem to recall from DSib that three pieces of written work a week was/is the norm.

I think this is probably the most difficult month for the freshers - the novelty of university is probably starting to wear off, they've been away from home for almost a month (more in some cases) and the hard work is starting in earnest. Plus the nights are drawing in and the weather is getting more autumnal by the day.

Hopefully they'll cheer up once Christmas is looming.

Good that your DS has gone back to his driving lessons @Shimy too.

Another teary DD here. She's been unwell for two weeks now with headaches and nausea and went to see the uni gp who gave her some migraine medication but the headache still remains. Shes only had one migraine before and it lasted two days. She's fed up and it's really hard to see her like that while she's away from home.
Initially I thought it was a freshers hangover but it's not. She feels sick during lectures and has had a constant pain across the top of her head which she describes as vice like. The only suggestion I have is that she's spending a lot of time on a laptop as that's how she's taking notes in lecture and that can be a trigger apparently. I've advised her to try putting it on night mode to reduce the blue light, a tip from a Mumsnet search late last night.
If any migraine sufferers have any other suggestions I'd love to hear them.

@Ginfordinner another Biomed mum here too (although DD1 is at Bath). She's also joined the Baking Soc. Apparently they all watch BakeOff together and eat cake...I suspect there may be some gin involved too though.

Sorry to hear that your DD still hasn't recovered from her migraine @juicy0. Could something else be compounding it aside from lighting/use of a laptop?

@juicy DH has migraines and discovered it was being triggered by red wine, anytime he had a glass. Apparently there is a known substance in red wine that can trigger migraines. He also gets migraines from gin or whisky but is perfectly fine with beer. Could your DD's migraines be related?

@bigTillyMint ... me and DD sent DS a miniature bench through Amazon Prime following Benchgate !!! .... he actually texted us saying how funny it was to get it !!! ...jollying along seems to be the way forward

@shimy it's possible there are other triggers but she hasn't been able to narrow it down yet. She hasn't had a drink for over a week and isn't eating anything new.

@shimy it's possible there are other triggers but she hasn't been able to narrow it down yet. She hasn't had a drink for over a week and isn't eating anything new. @NewModelArmyMayhem18 she's at a loss as to what could be causing them.

Ooh @Atreus My ds at Bath is also planning to join the baking society!

She doesn't have a reed diffuser in her room does she @juicy0? Recall when someone on one of the previous threads saying that they can cause headaches? She's not started taking any meds recently (the Pill?). Has she started wearing glasses - could she need them? Is it worth asking the Accommodation Office to check the carbon monoxide detectors (not sure if there is gas in the flats but worth asking). Any of her flatmates having issues?

DSib gets horrid headaches (never calls them migraines) really frequently but has never really got to the bottom of the cause.

Poor thing. A couple of days is bad enough but she's being a trooper carrying on for two weeks with one.

@Alicatz66 Jollying along is definitely the way to go!

It sounds a bit grim for several students right now. I hope it is just a wobble. I have sent DD a load of links to societies that I know she would be interested in. She is very unsure about taking the first step, but she needs to find that courage. No-one can do that for her.

Her CFS is hitting hard and she keeps falling asleep in lectures, so I'm pleased that she has made an appointment with disability services. Also, she hasn't met her personal tutor yet. Everyone else she knows was given an appointment, but she was told to make one herself. So she sees her tutor next week.

I am considering putting my card on the Uber app so that DD can get a taxi to visit her friends rather than sit on her own in her room. I think sitting in the communal area is a good idea, but some of the students go out, and the rest just stay in their rooms.

Hi, was here before but changed email so now a new username.
juicy0 Try taking paracetamol for a few days. It might be, what my DR once called it, a 'cluster headache'. The paracetamol wipe them out one by one of you get the drift. Obviously, check eyesight and try other migraine advice too but this worked for me.

Could it be her new pillows causing headaches? The lighting in her room? Also clenching teeth in sleep can cause headaches.

The paracetamol is to be taken to the max every day so you obviously can't combine with migraine meds!

@Ginfordinner, I think putting your card on for Uber as a short term measure is a good idea - hopefully she will make some friends who she will be able to walk with in the longer term. If you do Tesco, their Clubcard vouchers can be spent on uber at 3x value.

juicy she definitely needs an eye test to rule out vision problems. She hasn’t jarred her neck with a new pillow/mattress by any chance?

Migraine triggers for me are stress, lack of sleep, both together, eyestrain (if it's sunny or I've driven in the dark), dehydration, different smells especially air fresheners or new chemicals, so if her bedding was all new that might be it too.

Really horrible and I hope she gets some relief.

@MrKlaw no plans to visit DD and she hasn’t mentioned coming home either. She’s only been gone just over 2 weeks.
@bigTillyMint DD said payment due 6/11 but later I’d using a direct debit.
DD is busy playing sport, using the gym(£50 for the year!!!!) and visiting other college bars . At least she was in Castle College bar last night.
Anyone noticing drastic reduction in toilet roll use?

• later if using direct debit

@WaxOnFeckOff @ZandathePanda @justasking111 @NewModelArmyMayhem18 thanks for your replies.
She had an eye test recently and no issue there. However, she does have a reed diffuser in her (small room) which smells lovely but is quite strong so I've told her to put that outside. She also has new pillows so perhaps that may not be helping, I'll take her home pillows next time I see her. The only other thing I thought is that the whole flat is very warm and really brightly lit. The lights in the communal areas are all automatic and so can't be turned off.
Good point on the carbon monoxide test, I'll get DD to ask them to check it but no one else is suffering as far as I know.

I don’t suffer with migraines but reed diffusers and air fresheners give me a headache.

I find if I get a migraine, if I don't totally get rid of it, then it hangs around for ages.
Even if I've got rid of it, it's a bit like a graze. You can feel it's sore, and the slightest bump can start it hurting fully again.

What I take is 1-2 co-codemol (dissolvable as I can't take tablets if I'm bad from the nausea) which you can get over the counter. You definitely can't take it along side paracetamol, and it does tend to knock me out; I know I can't take 2 if I need to drive in the next few hours.