The CDE of University Life (2019/20 cohort) - assignments, flat-hunting, Halloween and the end of their first term fast approaching

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

Previous thread - Obvs the end of term is looming sooner for some than for others? I guess the Oxbridge posse will finish by the end of November or just into December?

Simbobs flagging DS friend up to student support should be helpful - I think if students done get a full grant and parents can’t/won’t help then they can apply for a top up loan to the full amount for maintenance which of course they would pay back in the usual way . Obviously we don’t know the full story but students struggling like this is unacceptable .
Just on way back from visiting mine at Durham today - she’s having a great time , largely enjoying lectures etc , has friends and social life ok . As she only has a shower was especially excited to share hotel room with bath last night !

I’m sure Bath have a board games society - think it had daily events during freshers week.

@Ginfordinner is Cards Against Humanity that good? Tempted to buy it for DS as a Christmas stocking-filler but the pack's £25.

The whole way that SFE/W/S determines maintenance loan amounts is a very blunt instrument. They don't seem to consider family outgoings, or how many other dependent children there are at home. I am sure there are many that are maxed out to the hilt with expensive mortgages and school fees.

CAH is a good ice breaker and very funny. The cards can be a little but it is ideal for playing in a flat share to be sociable.

@NewModelArmyMayhem18 CAH is very un PC in places but lots of fun, we’ve had some very funny games with friends and the D.C. but I was a bit shocked when we first played.
You can get extension card packs now, DS2 has them as DS1 took the original game with him. It’s probably played in most student flats.

Placemarking, but delighted to report DD settled in really well, on top of her studies and enjoying being involved in her favourite hobby which is quite time consuming.

I can’t bear Cards against Humanity. DD plays it I’m sure but I wouldn’t actually buy it for her. I must be a prude

Am such a ‘dinosaur ‘ I’ve never heard of cards of humanity .

DS coming home this weekend, will be lovely to see him. Hopefully he'll have booked Christmas trains too.

You need a very dark sense of humour to enjoy Cards Against Humanity. Yes it is extremely un PC, but when combined with a few drinks it is hilarious in a "we shouldn't find this funny" kind of way.

@newmodelarmy CAH is dark but good fun if you play with the right group of people. It's certainly an eye opener in terms of people's sense of humour and i think it would be a great gift.
DD and her friends played it during sixth form and her and her flatmates have played a few times at uni

DS took his CaH with him, and there were two other boxes of it in his kitchen when we went to visit. Definitely a student staple!

I certainly wouldn’t want to play CAH with the wrong people, it could become very inflammatory but I think most students enjoy it in a lighthearted way.

DS finally managed to do some washing! Major saga taking about 10 days involving several stalled attempts - trying to buy washing powder after 8pm, having to find out how the laundry card system works, having to set up a paypal account to fund the card, several sets of instructions from me about how much he should wash based on the room he has to dry it, and then - the great moment - putting the wash in last night! Spoke to him this morning and he revealed he had left the stuff in the machine overnight. Picked up this morning after a tutorial only to find that someone had taken the laundry bag he had left there. He was very surprised by this . . . Oh well, I suppose it's how he'll learn, and at least it was only a £7 IKEA laundry bag and not all his clothes!

@bengalcat. re top-up loan I will mention this to DS and get him to have a chat with friend. They were in touch when DS was home at the weekend and friend apparently spent some time cleaning and organising hs room, so maybe he is on the up.

DD was talking about doing her washing, and it is yet another positive of the halls she is staying in. The washing machines and tumble dryers all work properly, and it doesn't cost the earth to do the washing. She has only needed to use her airer once.

Finally found you was looking for ABC lots of reading to do now.

OK caught up. CAH was a game DS took to uni. he had it last christmas, I never looked at it so cannot comment on its content, but he says it will be enjoyed in halls he thinks.

Has anyone got a DC who has decided to stay in halls next year?? We were a bit shocked last night when he called and I said are you thinking about flat sharing, his reply was he had put his name down for halls.

I think the university halls where DD is are for first year students only

I know at Collingwood, Durham, you can apply to live back in halls in 3rd year. Think they can apply in second year too though most live out.

It really does vary. Where DS is the halls are trying to recruit people to stay on as there is a lot of accommodation available. DS doesn't want to stay there as it is not as sociable as other places, but nor does he know who he wants to live with. His mates from home would drive him mad if he lived with them - they already spend more time in his flat than in their own, but he doesn't see himself living with his current flatmates either. One of them may be a possibility, but not the others.

On a different subject DS has experienced a lot of pilfering of his kitchen equipment - plates, cutlery and some food items. Only one of the others has lost something. They suspect the 4th member of the flat who is never seen. DS says this lad doesn't have any food in the fridge or cupboards so I can't imagine why he would need tableware (if he is even the culprit). I have told him that he really must report this asap.

DD is also losing food items She does keep the more interesting food in her room (chocolate, snacks etc) but is obviously going to have to move other stuff out of other people's reach.

When we visited other halls the students had locked cupboards in the kitchen, which seems a very good idea.

They may be piled up in a students room festering yuck. I would bang on his door and ask him outright letting him know that you will have to report it if it is not an oversight. How can they never have seen him, that is so odd, is he allright?

DD's university insists first and second years live on campus, so it's just a case of working out which halls she'd like to apply for. She was vaguely thinking of joining a music sorority, which I think would mean living in the sorority house.

I'm very suspicious of sororities and fraternities but her college does seem to do them in an OK way - there is absolutely no hazing or bullying tolerated. And nearly half the students are in one. So... we'll see...

I suspect that DS2 is the messiest and most disorganised in his flat. I've tried to train him but it's a losing battle. He does have dyspraxia though so partially has an excuse. I marked all his stuff but that was more so that he knew what stuff was his rather than for security. DS2 went up to visit and said it was "ok" in terms of tidyness and cleanliness.

The mostly seem to be sharing food etc anyway. I've done a couple of on-line shops and have added in enough for the 4 who share on some items and some special requests from other students. DS says that it is fair and other flatmates share with him. Who knows really.

he is hoping to share somewhere with the other 3 boys in the flat but I think they are allowed to apply for halls again. There are some blocks that are reserved for non-first years/mature students/post grads as well so any first years only share with other first years of similar age.