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!

@Decorhate seems ok - just worried about getting enough veg in his diet (started a thread for suggestions on that). Flat mates seem ok even though they’re in a postgrad building off campus it’s better than the YMCA!

@Clankboing we went up last weekend, there's lots of nice pubs around. Mine is having a ball, no plans to come home and doesn't seem to be missing us. He's already looking at houses for next year as he said they go quickly. All good so far !

Thanks Gin, NewModelArmy, Benji and MarchingFrogs for your replies - very sensible! Am collecting a file of MN comments now.

@LaBellesauvage have a look at Money Saving Expert website.

So yesterday Chicago had its coldest, snowiest halloween in decades. Apparently they had 3.5" of snow. DD was so cold that DH called up a business partner in Chicago who drove over to DD with a winter coat and some boots. How sweet is that?

Also DD has joined another band, so she's now in two bands and one acapella group. She also has fresher's flu, but her new band had its first performance yesterday evening so she played anyway.

We're going out there in a week - I can't wait to see her.

How very atmospheric @HoldMyLobster! How lovely of your DH's business partner to have driven over to give her a coat and boots. So Chicago is one of those places were it's more than likely to be snowy at Christmas?

DD isn't rushing into anything re accommodation for next year, but there's lots of possible options, she'd already talked to four other girls about sharing a flat/house next year Also, one of the boys in their wider circle has parents who're buying a house and he's suggested the girls join in with him and two other lads. Another option, her roommate has asked if she'll share with her and another girl.

She has the date of her last lecture now, so needs to make travel arrangements for 11th or 12th Dec

Ds finishes on Friday 13th December but he may travel back on the 12th - the election date. I wonder if there will be any impact on numbers of students voting.

All obviously I meant if lots of students are travelling back around election date lol. Not from my own son haha!

I got what you meant @Catrescue1971. DD is competition home on 13/12, we think, so she’ll need to vote up there. Not sure how easy it is to switch as she’s registered to vote at home. Anyone’s DC done it already?

*coming not competition!

Just had a conversation with ds. He has been 18 way over a year and he has voted before. We do it by postal vote. So I guess we could post the envelope to his address as soon as we get it - then he can vote by post. Knowing how ds would vote, his vote would count more in our local area than his uni area. Since posting earlier I have seen a couple of newspaper articles on the issue of the student vote. As I thought most uni's end their term about that time.

NewModelArmy - sorry, missed your question about how DS is getting on in his gap year. He's working in a very boring, but relatively highly paid job, saving like mad for his big trip to Australia and SE Asia in the spring. Seems to be able to afford quite a bit of socialising as well, including visiting friends who have started university this year - which I think is being very good for him, as he's seeing how life is for them, the pros and cons of various decisions about accommodation etc, before he goes himself. Some of his friends have had very wobbly starts, and I think it's been good ( in a funny sort of way) for him to see that it's not always fun central right from the beginning.

@Benjispruce, DD has sorted her vote. Not a great chance of DS getting sorted - vote/train

DS booked to come home but said he won't be voting as both university/home are strongly held seats. He did vote in the European elections though. Still, I think everything is up for grabs in the next election so I will be trying to persuade him to cast his vote.

Good for your DS @LaBelleSauvage123. Australia and SE Asia a good reward for his current hard slog, work-wise. Feel sure he will enjoy life in Newcastle.

Off to see DD tomorrow. She is feeling a little sorry for herself as this infection seems to be having a second comeback. She felt OK yesterday, and the Halloween party in her flat went really well.

@Benjispruce DCs can register at both their home and uni addresses - although only vote in one constituency at the GE of course. :)

The comeback thing is common. There are some good exercises to do to help her get back on an even keel so to speak. Here are the ones physio gave me.

www.brainandspine.org.uk/our-publications/our-fact-sheets/vestibular-rehabilitation-exercises/

Thanks @boys3 do you know what they need to do?

@benjispruce they just go online www.gov.uk/register-to-vote , enter a few details. Like your DD my DS2 has been registered at our home address, so earlier this week he just went online and registered in Norwich (as he's at UEA). He messaged us to get his passport number and its expiry date , he had his NI number to hand and with uni address it seems that was that.

Thanks @boys3 she may well have done it already. We ask many questions but don’t always get an answer

How very atmospheric @HoldMyLobster! How lovely of your DH's business partner to have driven over to give her a coat and boots. So Chicago is one of those places were it's more than likely to be snowy at Christmas?

Oh yes, and very cold! I live in Maine but when I go to Chicago to visit in winter I end up buying a warmer hat (then losing it).

DD is going to register to vote at the address we last lived at in the UK when she was 6. This will probably be the only UK general election she gets to vote in, and it's a very safe seat, but you ever know...

HoldMyLobster Do you still own that house/have family living in it? If not, I don't think that's legal. You can't just register at any random address.