University life for freshers (2019/20) - we're hopping towards Easter with a pandemic to avoid **Title edited by MNHQ**

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My DS feels like a poor relation in his college - he has made friends with some really nice boys by the sound of it, but is glad to come home to the banter he is used to! He also says some colleges are known for having a high percentage of very rich students apparently.

Both mine are on FB and we are friends but they virtually never post (or not for me to see, but it’s mutual ) but we do message on Messenger as well as WA and texts plus FT

Contact does get less as they get more used to being away, but DSs has dropped off faster than DDs did. Although he’s home way more. To see his gf

Hi. Haven't been on here since the whole application and shipping them off process. Well DS amazed me by organising next year's accommodation himself. Six sharing and they have found a nice house very near uni which has a garden. When I asked who was going to be mowing the lawn, he said there is a gardener! How times have changed. I am a bit worried as I haven't had to sign anything so fingers crossed all is well.

He is shattered at the moment. He came home last weekend looking awful because he hasn't been eating properly so had lost weight. He has tons of rehearsals and had three different plays with lines to learn on the go. This weekend a lot better as he has one play assessment done - huge amount of lines to learn. Another presentation done where he convinced his group that he went to the 2012 Olympics to watch his sport that he now competes in (we did go but he wasn't doing that sport then!). So he can lie/act convincingly which I suppose is the point of his course. Getting him back to uni every Sunday after his evening shift up here is taking its toll on us all as the trains keep getting replaced by bus services so we drive him and land up knackered. Just trying to get him to up his hours in summer but I think we might have to jack that job in at some point.

I do like having him back at the weekend so hugs to those with little contact. He doesn't contact during the week though. Am worried about the virus as his hand washing is not good enough, he has a lifelong, serious condition and he thinks he is God and immune. Ahhhhhhhhhhh!

Welcome back Flyingarcher. It sounds like working weekend shifts is taking its toll. DD's course is very full on, plus she has CFS, so having a job is out of the question for her.

We are off up to see her today. As she has been ill she hasn't done much shopping and cooking so I have some shopping and home made dishes for her. She is a very good cook and eats well.

This is the shopping list she sent me, which I imagine is not a typical student weekly shop:

Instant hot chocolate
Cooking oil
Strawberries
Apples
Raspberries
Avocados
Cherry tomatoes
Risotto rice
Mushrooms
Asparagus
Grated hard cheese
Garlic
Small extra virgin olive oil
Hummus
Falafel
Cucumber
Olives
Baby spinach
Pine nuts
Tofu
Oatly

I'm very envious of you having your DC come home for weekend or being able to visit them. I am counting the days until they are back with me. Less than 3 weeks now

Feel bad now, not counting the days at all. DD is happier at uni with likeminded friends and finds it boring at home so that doesn’t always make for a happy girl and happy times.

t boring at home so that doesn’t always make for a happy girl and happy times

Benjispruce Like you I am probably odd at not missing DD when she is at university. At home she has very few friends and rarely goes out. At university she has lots of friends and a social life on tap, even if it is just staying in and watching a film with her flatmates.

As far as I'm concerned, as long as she is happy then so am I. She is currently on antibiotics for a nasty ear infection, and sounded low, which is why I made the decision to visit her today. It is only 2 hours so we can do it as a day trip.

That wasn't meant to be cut off

I don’t miss either of mine - FT is a great invention but DS is here anyway. Thankfully spending a lot of time at gfs....

@Ginfordinner, hope trip goes well

@Ginfordinner that sounds akin to what DD (14) eats although she's not on vegan milk.

@Ginfordinner That is a very yummy list. I don't think DS would know what falafel was! She sounds amazing.

She uses oatly because no-one steals it

That is very sensible @Ginfordinner!

Welcome back @Flyingarcher.

Sorry to hear about your DS's ongoing issues with his phones @Piggywaspushed.

Six days till I collect DD1, three weeks more til I pick up DD2.

Someone asked about paying for the rent. DD2's house contract seems only to last for 10.5 months which is apparently the norm in that city. She has to pay a nominal rent over the summer but can then move in properly in September and pay full whack then.

I'm hoping DD2 will get some work over the summer. Since she was 16 she has worked for 4 hours on a Sunday in the ice cream shop between February and October. She gets on well with the owners and often worked during school holidays too. They have said there is always a job open for her, especially as she finished uni early in June when their new regular staff all have GCSEs & A levels. DD was also trusted by them to run the place last summer, so I hope she can pick up quite a few shifts to keep the cash coming in. She also worked in the local restaurant but didn't enjoy it as much. She has applied for some summer courses in the Far East but is not hopeful that they will go ahead. Let's at least pray for a nice summer in Devon & that ice cream/sorbet remains popular!

In other news, DD1 (3rd year) was meant to be going on a choir tour to Italy. That was cancelled on Friday so she will be home for the majority of the Easter break, as far as I know...

My DD (3rd yr) is about to go to France as part of her year abroad. There is no sense in cancelling it as the place she is going is not majorly affected - yet, and it is an integral part of her degree, but I would have confiscated her passport if she had been going to Italy!

@simbobs, my DC have their passports with them so no chance of confiscating

I don't miss my DS at all , house is peaceful. quiet and tidy and I don't have to share my car, although my DH finds it harder - I am so happy that DS has settled in so well at NTU, seems to have a wide range of friends, no comment about 'different financial backgrounds' although he is off on the Ester ski trip - paying for it himself .

For interest - I ordered some Brownies from Gower Cottage Brownies (recommended on Mumsnet years ago) to be delivered for DS's birthday last week, were a huge success.

I think it’s a Durham thing @ragwort.

Obviously Oxbridge too.

I hear Covid 19 has reached Oxford uni.

Anyone seen this on the FB page yet?

Worried about my child getting the coronavirus at Durham uni’, but someone said “don’t worry, coronavirus will only come to Durham if it doesn’t get in to Oxford or Cambridge”

Ha ha! I don’t do FB.

I did see that Gin, very funny.

@Ginfordinner

Dd's not worried, but I am looking forward to her coming home in a couple of weeks. I hope that they don't put travel restrictions or anything before then. She hopes that the schools don't close before she's home.

Dd2 has a orchestra trip to Spain in the summer, and she's more worried about that.

@Ginfordinner - lol