@LillianGish Just catching up with the thread and saw your post about DD. So sorry to hear she's having a rough time of it, kore so because DS is also at Cardiff. I also thought i'd share, that DS was ill this week, fever, splitting headache, so I went up to see him yesterday, thankfully he is much better after using Paracetamol and Nurofen. I think his recovery was so swift because he already had the flu jab.
More to why I'm sharing this, I mentioned pages back that DS chose a very quiete hall not close to where the more popular hall, ':Taly's' where clustered. On drop of day, I really thought he had made a mistake, it didn't have the same upbeat vibe and just seemed very 'docile'.
DS is very introverted and is not a drinker at all so i thought i cheery environment would ensure he wasn't by himself in his room all the time, he thought he'd be better in a quiete place so reluctantly we left him alone.
His hall is on a quiete residential street, 2 mins walk to his dept. nice people, everyone friendly. DS shared yesterday that he loves his hall so much. Apparently on halloween night he went up to the Taly's for a party. He said there were at least 300 people there - shouting, screaming and just generally pissed out of their minds. He said he enjoyed the party but ever so thankful he was living there as he just couldn't cope with the drinking and noise. His goes out with his flatmates sometimes to a bar or they all just hang out in the kitchen and its not party central every week. I think choice of hall really matters because the experience they have there will be their view of the university in general. I hope she finds a more suited course @lilian, sadly the drinking thing is a very British thing but there are people who don't tow this line, hopefully she'll find some.