UEA (2019) dealing with the unexpected and on to 2nd Year

[juicy0]

New thread for the parents of 2019 freshers. Thank you all for sticking around!
At the start of the year we never would have guessed the topics that are currently being discussed in this page but I'm grateful we still have each other to help navigate our way through this with our DC.
With the emptying of 1st year rooms seemingly on hold for many until the end of lockdown our thoughts will soon turn to 2nd year accommodation and whether term is likely to start as normal in September.

Oh know @icanbewhatiwant, that doesn't bode well! Fingers crossed it gets moved before they want to move in.

No it doesn't bode well. DS seems to have inherited a bike that was left behind at his student let (no-one else wants/needs to use it). Don't these landlords have a proper clear-out at the end of tenancies?

Ds doesn't know whether to collect his keys tomorrow. Still waiting for these Covid results. Ds is working on the assumption that the brother he was with is going to be positive. But no one else in the household tested positive. So hopefully the twin brother won't. But not sure what to do meantime.

@icanbewhatiwant if your DS1 has already tested won't he be due to get his results within the next 24 hours or so (lost track of how long it takes for the test results to be given?).

Ds posted his test off Tuesday afternoon as did his friend. The friends brother who tested positive waited 6 days for his result. So that brings us to Sunday or Monday. The rest of the family apart from the twin brother went to a testing place, they got theirs 24 hours later. But ds's friend was at work so he didn't go. So he did a postal one. Really he should have been called back from work once the brother tested positive.

The person with Covid had been to Zante, it's not on the quarantine list. His mum was worried especially after all those people on the flight from wales tested positive, so she quarantined him in his bedroom, also his work wouldn't let him back without having a test. The test was positive. He has no sign of being ill. If his work hadn't asked him to test he'd be none the wiser. That shows how easy it can spread. If I'd known he'd been abroad I wouldn't have let my ds spend the evening with his brother, they went in a car together...though wore masks.

I'm hoping the brother tests negative like the rest of his family. But my ds will have missed a week off work and lost out on £300 or more in wages. He didn't need to not go to work but he decided it was the sensible thing to do.

Another rant coming...I have just found out twin 2 (twin 1 tested positive for covid) who should be isolating for 14 days as he lives with twin 1 has been going to work as normal all week as he doesn't want to lose any wages 😡 it makes me so cross. Why are some youngsters so selfish? My ds has been in contact with twin 2 so has missed work just incase, yet twin 2 going about work as normal 🤷‍♀️ The rest of the family are isolating.

@icanbewhatiwant that's outrageous. Can you anonymously tip off PHE or the local equivalent? And is Twin 2 doing a 'public' facing job? If so, he definitely needs to be called out. And why haven't his family called him out.

Good on your DS1 for doing the right thing though @icanbewhatiwant.

@NewModelArmyMayhem18 he works in a mushroom factory. A temporary job while he decides what to do next.

Well mushrooms won't be at risk but presumably, co-workers will be?

@icanbewhatiwant as rant's go that is about as justified as it can get. Have to agree with @NewModelArmyMayhem18 its the kind of thing that should be reported and stamped on on hard - especially given a history of outbreaks in that kind of working environment.

All the Norfolk local authorities are now on the PHE watch list, although this seem to be largely down to the outbreak at the poultry plant. Most of the Norfolk areas have low rates especially when compared with the Boltons and Oldhams. I was still a bit taken aback to see them all listed though.

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/914839/Contain_framework_lower_tier_local_authority_watchlist_-maps_by_LSOA-_04_September_2020.pdf has detailed level maps for case rates over the two weeks; still trying to work out the orientation for the Norwich map.

@NewModelArmyMayhem18 I don't know...the mushrooms might be ask risk if he's breathing on them 😳

I just realised ds did his test Monday. So fingers crossed we hear tomorrow. Collecting the keys is Sunday. Not tomorrow.

That should say the mushrooms maybe a health risk if he's breathing on them.

Yes @boys3 there were over 100 cases at the poultry factory in banham. According to local news it is now contained and under control. So I hope so.

Ds is due to collect his keys tomorrow. Not today as I thought. He said the weekend, I assumed today not Sunday. He's hoping for covid results today.

It's just such an irresponsible thing to do, particularly if the rest of his family is quarantining as they should be. And yes, I guess anything 'food' related carries an additional risk to consumers.

It only takes a few people not obeying the rules and then going out mega socialising across different settings to really ramp up the reported positive cases.

Fingers crossed that your DS gets a negative reult and today - at least he's got an extra 24 hours before collecting his keys.

Ds had his result back today as negative. But I was fairly sure it would be negative as he met with his friend on the Saturday. He took the test Tuesday. That's too soon really. So I'm still waiting for the friends result before we relax. He didn't post it until the day after ds. So hopefully tomorrow.

As long as the friend isn't positive ds will finish work next Friday. Then probably move to Norwich over the weekend. He's going to collect keys tomorrow but will mask up just incase. Unless we hear the friends results.

Ds has gone off to collect keys. He wasn't happy before he even left. He'd said he didn't mind which bedroom he had as long as it's not the downstairs bedroom next to the kitchen. That's the room he's got. One lad has taken charge...he asked who wanted the 2 en-suite bedrooms. 2 said yes, that sorted that. So he did a draw for the other 4 rooms online for them all to watch. He pulled his own name out first then his 2 friends. Ds last. So Ds went off not particularly happy. I knew he'd get the room he didn't want. It's always been the way for him. Maybe once he's seen it he will be happier.

Oh that's a pity @icanbewhatiwant. Perhaps it would have been better if someone impartial had done the draw. Hopefully, your DS will be fine with having the one next to the kitchen once he's got used to it? Do they have another communal room - if so it may not be as noisy as he may be imagining?

Ds is back. He's a bit disappointed with his room. He said some of the other rooms are amazing. 2 have en-suite. 2 are really big with double bed, sofa etc. Then a much smaller room upstairs and his is downstairs with a serving hatch into the kitchen. So far only a bed, desk and chair in his room. He said the landlord has got a wardrobe, bedside table and chest of drawers coming at the end of the week. Ds is hoping the wardrobe might go in front of the serving hatch.
He showed me the photos of his room, it was obviously a living room as it has a huge fire place and patio doors into the garden.

Now I pressed "post" without finishing...
It looks a nice enough room. At least he can open the patio doors on a nice day. He's more worried about the noise from people coming home late and cooking in the kitchen.
It was all clean and tidy. The clapped out car still on the drive. I didn't think that would be going anywhere soon. Ds said lots of pots and pans, plates, cutlery etc. Also kettle, toaster. So he doesn't need to buy anything.

I'm sure he will get used to it @icanbewhatiwant once he has been there for a while. My DS says he is happy with his even though it can't be more than 2m x 2.5m. What I am annoyed about is that one of them has a massive room with en-suite, the others are all tiny, but they are all paying the same. DS couldn't be bothered to stand up for himself - not for the first time. The landlord has dropped round a new flat pack desk for him, but hasn't put it together. Good job I gave him a couple of screwdrivers.

@GoldenRuby yes mine won't stand up for himself either. The 2 en suite people are paying more though. But other 4 rooms paying the same even though a big difference. I hope the landlord doesn't leave the wardrobe, bedside table and chest of drawers for my son to put up. That would be interesting. 😂🤣

I was thinking we need to sort out contents insurance. Ds wants to take his computer. He has the downstairs room with patio doors to outside. So I'd say the room most likely to be burgled. Gosh now I've had another thought...I'd want the window shut at night incase someone comes in as it's ground floor. Actually might not even be a window apart from the patio doors. I'm not going to think about it.

I looked at insurance, but as DS's laptop is 3+ years old they wouldn't insure it. He has his golf clubs up with him at the moment which would cost a lot to replace, but I think he is hoping that they would be too awkward to nick. We will need to tell his car insurance company though and I expect that will go up compared to when the car is at home.

@GoldenRuby yes dh seemed to think car insurance would go up. It will be parked on a drive so not sure why.

I have lived in two flats with ground floor (what would have been dining room once upon a time) patio door garden access. We didn't ever have a problem with burglaries in either, even though one was on a corner plot so in theory quite vulnerable.

I think unless there's carelessness about locking up (do the rooms all have locks on them?), they should be okay? The positive about student lets is that comings/goings are less predictable and quite likely that there will be at least one housemate 'home'?

Have you checked out the crime rate for the area to see if burglaries are indeed an issue? Hopefully, they're not.

@NewModelArmyMayhem18 I'm sure it'll be fine. I'd hate it because I have to sleep with a window open and wouldn't want to sleep with a full size door open. But he will have to just get used to it. I'm sure it'll smell lovely with a teenage boy sleeping without windows open 😂

Quite strange today...for the first time in almost 6 months all 3 dc's are at work or school. Just myself and dh home. I'm not going back to work for 2 weeks. Dh is retired.

@icanbewhatiwant I would be the same. Cannot tolerate a stuffy room. Presumably, if your DS's room is at the back it might be quieter than some of the others?