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!

@SchrodingersKitty. I'm sure somewhere like Oxford he'll find his own people.

Dd has requested a sieve....

I'm very excited as I'm going to visit her on Sunday!!
Can't wait.

And thanks for the new thread

No communal cooking at ds' flat. The others can't cook and are living off takeaways. He said more than one of them were when he made pesto pasta and heated up a garlic baguette.
More than one person has parents visit weekly with clean laundry and taking home the dirty stuff too. He's (finally!) grateful that I trained him well in advance.
Ds isn't happy with the washing machine situation . Every machine he's used has apparently made his clothes reek. He knows how to use a washing machine and takes care of his clothes so it's not user error. His room at home is a shit tip but he would win Olympic gold in ironing and has gone as far as buying a new iron so he doesn't risk someone damaging the communal iron and him damaging his clothes.

DD has freshers flu...sounds dreadful! Also, the freebie backpack that DH gave her (he was given it at a conference) has given up the ghost already! Told her to order one using our Amazon account. I knew the backpack thread would come in handy!!

Sounds like lots of freshers flu going around. I hope they're all better soon. I texted DD the other day reminding her about getting a flu shot. No idea if she did it. My other two got theirs at school today.

She did chat to me about some other stuff. The acapella group she most wanted to get into let her know that she had been selected by turning up to her dorm and singing to her.

Hope your son is OK MissConduct. Hopefully once he gets used to college being different without his old room mate it will get easier. He sounds like a trooper for staying in the rowing team.

Placemarking ! Had a wobble when I couldn't find you all

I have never heard of children getting flu jabs at school. Is it a boarding school?

Placemarking!

Ds isn't happy with the washing machine situation . Every machine he's used has apparently made his clothes reek.

Presumably he has reported the problem to the maintenance department or the company which oversees the machines by now? It may be an issue with the machines not being used much over the summer and being left with their doors closed?

In the meantime, he could try adding white vinegar to his washes, either through the dispenser or by pouring it directly onto an item being washed. It works brilliantly with towels.

I work in a primary in Wales and all kids up to y6 got the flu spray last year but my high school dd didn't.

Dd is still getting by on the £100 we gave her when we dropped her off as her card stopped working last week. She changed her address online on the app and requested a new card but the bank declined her request. She needs to phone them or find the branch in town.

Finally know what you guys are talking about and updated myself on the backpack/rucsack thread!! Somewhat late to the party I know....

She did chat to me about some other stuff. The acapella group she most wanted to get into let her know that she had been selected by turning up to her dorm and singing to her. Sounds as if she's really making the most of university life @HoldByLobster. Well done to her for getting into the acapella group too.

@Benjispruce, maybe enrolled isn't the right word - registered at Durham on his course? Maybe just attended an induction thing for his course? I'm not sure TBH!

RE Care Package, I think it's lots of treats like Northen Lurker described!
DS needs to get into a routine getting up to have a big breakfast (fully catered!!!) every day plus big lunch and big dinner, and get along to Tesco to buy any other snacks he needs He needs a LOT of food if he keeps doing lots of sport and a Care Package wouldn't touch the sides but cost me £££ to send frankly!

@HoldMyLobster, is your DD at Durham? - I know they have an acapella group...

Placematking. On the food front convinced DD is developing scurvy.....

I mentioned this on the other thread, but if you do want to send anything get a quite through parcel2go. It's a lot cheaper than the Royal Mail. I've never had any problems with it in spite of it sometimes being Hermes. Anything up to 2Kg is really very reasonable.

I sent a parcel to DS2 last week that was about 1.8kg and only £3 to send via Royal Mail.

DS2 asked me last night how I managed on only one shop a week. I pointed put that it was by usually going whilst he was still asleep and thus not noticing.

She changed her address online on the app and requested a new card but the bank declined her request.

@DrMadelineMaxwell, has the bank confirmed that it will accept the hall of residence as an address? I'm fairly certain that DS1 (Lloyds) was told that they would only use his home address. A bit of a pain when he lost his bank card a few days in. (Particularly because he cancelled it very promptly, only to find, when he went into the campus branch to try to get emergency access to funds, that he'd only left it in one of the shops on the same block and the manager had taken it round to the bank... The new 'freeze / unfreeze my card's facility would have been sooo useful).

Helps if you have enough fridge/cupboard/freezer space to go less often. DS has half a fridge shelf and barely any freezer space so can't store a lot of fresh stuff

Supermarket isn't far, and there is a tesco express across the road so he can top up regularly, but it is a pain not to have much storage space.

I need to check how many in his block cook - loving the image of someone cooking pesto pasta and everyone being amazed :) - that'd just be mainly stirring jar pesto into some spaghetti right? So pretty simple

Sorry @Witchend I just realised I missed your post.

DD is at York. I just asked her if there's a chocolate society but alas no. I suggested she starts one!

Think lots of her flatmates have now joined baking soc too. £5 for the year and you get to eat what you bake - think they are all feeling broke after freshers and are seeing this a a way to get some cheap food.

SchrodingersKitty - your DS will have a great living in Oxford. DD went to a school for Sixth form so know it well. Hope it goes okay today.

DD's uni told us if anyone was sending a care package to include anti-bac wipes as they were constantly needed! Haven't sent DD a care package, but had to post her forgotten bedding so included some chocolate in that!

DS and I have been texting back and forth. I'm trying not to backpack too much and wait for him to ask for advice. He's coping really well and joining everything except the club nights - so he is going to the first college party tonight. He has identified some people he gets on with (met at the board game night last night) and is also talking quite a lot to the second years running things (they are actually his school cohort as he had a deferred place - he met quite a lot of them last year at open days and interviews).

@Benjispruce, DS just text to say his loan has come through - has your DD got hers now?