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

[NewModelArmyMayhem18]

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Well done to your DD Zanda - super job on the English lit!

One of the students at DS place, hazmat people came and took a student away. They tested negative so were returned to the block.

DS driving me nuts tonight in video call. Said wash your hands hot water and soap every time you come in. Smart aleck said if I get coronovirus get more time to finish my projects. Bangs head.

"In Australia they vaccinate against chickenpox routinely."

And in USA I think. There is a reason why they don't here, to do with more adults getting shingles, but I don't fully understand it - as there is a shingles vaccination as well. (Off topic but having read about cp experiences on mn I think if I were a dparent of a newborn I might go for it privately. )

@ZandathePanda it sounds as if your DD is very susceptible to the worst of the side-effects? So pleased that she did so well in her English Lit essay - good for her!

Yes I have learnt the hard way that with viruses people can react very different ways. Dd2 was absolutely fine the night before I found her unconscious suffering multiple seizures the next morning. None of us caught the virus she had and they never identified it - just knew it was from the type of white blood cells in her spinal fluid and EEG/CT/MRI results. Two months later and 50% of that staying in hospital with different seizure symptoms, she’s on very high meds for 2 years then they’ll reduce the concentrations gradually to see if she fits again.

It left Dd1 very apprehensive of course because of how she would have fared if the same happened at university.

However it’s one of those worries you have to try to file away into a big cabinet in your head as you wouldn’t do anything if not.

Honestly there are a couple of people I have PMed on this thread over the years about some other things that have happened to our otherwise quite boring family in the last 4 years. I hope they don’t think I am making stuff up as our family could rival the worst soap opera now! (My filing cabinet is very full)!

Dd1 is a bit wobbly at university understandably and is home more than I’d like. But she helps me out at night looking after her sister and is only missing a couple of seminars as lectures are available online. She really is lovely.

I hope your DD2 makes a full recovery @ZandathePanda. Your family have certainly had their fill of health dramas

DS1s friend who dropped out of uni after two weeks has now applied to DS1's uni. Let's hope it all works out for him this time.

Piggy two people Dd1 knows have dropped out. One from Lincoln, one from Newcastle. The Lincoln one is going back to Lincoln as they loved the uni/place but hated the course so is starting again on a different course.

DS isn't too keen on his course. He hopes it will improve next year. He finds lecturers dull. But he always has been very critical of some teachers, whilst being a complete lazy arse...

DD doesn't know if anyone has dropped out of her course. There are about 400 students on her course, and as it isn't anyone in her immediate circle she probably wouldn't have noticed.

DS is somewhat disparaging of some lecturers compounded by the fact that the head lecturer is dissing them somewhat. Confusion about interpretation of project he and others worked hard on. Bit like real life really.

Hello, can I join you? I normally hang around on the 3rd year thread because DD1 is in her 3rd year of 4 studying NatSci at Cambridge. But I also have a wonderful fresher, DD2 who is also studying a different version of NatSci in the E Midlands.

DD2 has settled in really well. She is currently in a flat with 9 others. We went to visit her last week and she was moaning about a couple of them and how they don't clean up after themselves. Apart from that, she is really enjoying her course and got a first in her last 2 modules. She's now found a house for next year so I'm having to think about the dreaded guarantor thing, something I've avoided with DD1. Any advice welcomed.

Hi @malbecfan yes make sure your DD is and therefore you as guarantor are only responsible for her share of the rent. You’ll be sent a copy of the contract. Take your time to read it carefully. You can check on a couple of websites, like Money Saving Expert, to see what needs to be included.

We went to visit her last week and she was moaning about a couple of them and how they don't clean up after themselves

My daughter has that T-shirt and wears it all the time. She is sick and tired of cleaning up after the skanky students who never clean up. Fortunately there are 4 of them who do clean up, and she will be sharing with them next year.

As for the guarantor thing, you need to make sure that you are guarantor for your DD only, not everyone else in the flat. I think most landlords want a guarantor. I don't think you can avoid that.

@ZandathePanda your DD2 and all of your family have had such a rough time with that virus - no wonder DD1 is wobbly. Really hoping DD2 keeps making good progress x

@Malbecfan, hi! We have been guarantor twice for DD and once for DS (well for next year!) and we haven’t yet been expected to guarantor the other students - just our own
DD is looking for a flat/house with 3 male friends atm, but wants to get confirmation of a place on the Masters before she signs anything. Plus she says there’s barely anything left

The guarantor form to sign came through for DS yesterday. His quite clearly details that we are only potentially responsible for his rent rather than the whole flat's.

Welcome back @Malbecfan.

Thanks everyone. I am well aware of the need to make sure I only guarantee DD's share. I was a bit taken aback that they want proof I own my house and a copy of my P60. My income isn't amazing but I have assets; what if I was living on the state pension only? (I'm not that old!) Would DD be refused?

Also, what do you think about paying for the year in advance to avoid the whole guarantor thing? It's a risk in case the house-share doesn't work or something happens to DD, but in that case, it'd be the least of my worries. Sorry to sound obsessive but the questions are really intrusive.

I didn't have to do any of that, just a copy of my passport and a signature to say I'd be legally responsible for any non payment.

@Malbecfan, I think you may be overthinking it. If you are only responsible for your DD2, and you are making the payments (or is DD2? In which case SO set up out of her account) I don’t think much can go wrong?

I am surprised about them wanting that proof though. Maybe it is in an area where there are students from families who haven’t been able to actually guarantor properly?

We had to pay all the money upfront as we are overseas and therefore couldn't be considered as a guarantor. We had the money so not an issue and it meant DS1 didn't have to be bothered by paying each month. Easier for him. Didn't consider house not working out but luckily there was no issues

Well DS is back again. Obvs to see gf but also because his mates have also gone home because there are no lectures and they have no structure to their days.... So just stuck in his room reading/writing essays unless he’s going out drinking or playing footy

@bigTillyMint - are there no lectures because of the strikes? Are there no tutorials or anything?

DS doesn’t have tutorials. All his lecturers are on strike he says - as it’s a humanities subject, sadly think this is true, DD In same position but she’s final year.
He can do his reading and essay writing from home...

@bigTillyMint

Dd was saying she gets to miss about 2 lectures in total (maths) due to strikes, but some of the second years are down to about 1/3 timetable. It seems to be luck of the draw whether you miss much.

We are guarantor for the whole flat, but there's only 3 of them and one of the others payed all up front, so it didn't seem as important to argue it, especially as the group were getting twitchy about losing it as the places were going quickly. I hope we don't regret that!