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.

#schoolsoutforsummer!!!

Good for you with having time to take it easy. It's good to hear that there is a silver cloud in all of this for some people.

One bit of good news, and Lord knows it's welcome after the week I've had, DD did well in her stats exam and received an email congratulating her (and others I'm sure) on her 'excellent result'
Let's hope the momentum continues when year 2 resumes.

Funeral arrangements have been made, it's a very small affair due to Covid but at least we can gather to say goodbye.
Have a lovely bank holiday weekend everyone x

@juicy0 sorry to hear about your father. Thank goodness you can have some sort funeral, I did wonder about that.

@Itscoldouthere good luck with the house viewings.

just catching up on the thread. @juicy0 so sorry to read about the loss of your father. Words are barely adequate. But lots of cherished and happy memories to hopefully focus on.

I remain in the dark over accommodation refund / payment. I did get sight of DS2's evision page for the first time, although whilst an amount was showing there was no payment due date attached to it which seemed odd. DH had picked him up and cleared room 19th March, although his key card was only sent back start of April.

On a slightly brighter note DS2 has been elected to office - a landslide victory, garnering 100% of the vote although being the only candidate that was perhaps the obvious outcome :) He's also gone back to his holiday job so has an income coming in to help with whatever yr 2 may look like. He had not finalised accommodation for Y2 so that may be a blessing in disguise.

I do wonder what Unis will look like come September. BBC news channel had a Q&A on universities last Friday morning - vc of Exeter Uni, and someone from UCAS. However it consisted of 15 mins confirming they are about as much in the dark as the rest of us.

I have all three DSs at home, and thankfully getting on well. Ds3 in Y12 due to start back w/c 8th June on a limited basis, so again will be interesting to see how that goes.

@juicy0 hope the funeral goes as well as can be expected. Good on your DD for getting a 'well done' email re the stats exam.

Well done to your DS2 on his landslide victory @boys3.

Anyone else not collected their DC's kit still at uni? I am aware on the other thread that many are now being given the option to book a slot to go and clear their young people's rooms.

DS seems to have this rather strange view that it will only be 'close by' students invited to do this. I think he's being naive and possibly burying his head in the sand.

@NewModelArmyMayhem18 DS got an email a few days ago saying they are taking bookings for timed slots to go and collect belongings, I think it was from this Friday (not 100% sure). He applied for a slot next Wednesday 3rd June, but I don’t know if he’s been allocated it or not. I will ask him if he’s heard anything yet.

Thanks for the 'nod' @Itscoldouthere. DS clearly lying or telling a half-trugh (i.e. he's not looked at his emails so is 'in the dark'). I will be having words with him .

And oh the power of MN for having your finger on the pulse of what's going on!

trugh? Truth even!

Hi, we are driving up tomorrow to collect DDs stuff. She had the email last week and we booked a slot.
Not looking forward to it tbh, we are a 2 hour drive away and the furthest I’ve driven in the last couple of months is to the supermarket.
Hoping the roads are nice and quiet.

DS categorically denies having yet got an email. Could it be that they're doing them in stages (and possibly alphabetically too) to stagger collections? I recall that before they went up (seems such an age ago now) there were various e-missives that DS received later than others reported on here.

I have just been well and truly told off for not believing him.

@NewModelArmyMeyhem18 on yes this thread has been very useful for me at times especially as icanbewhatiwant has a DS on the same course.
I checked with my DS, the email came on Friday evening. He’s had an acknowledged email of him requesting a time slot but they haven’t confirmed that it’s available yet.

I agree @Itscoldouthere - it's very useful to have our own parent support Stasi some of our DC might say network on here.

Well I clearly jumped to conclusions (bad parent). I think we know they do email out in batches, so it's just a question of watching and waiting.

That's good that some of you are finally able to collect stuff. It seems a long time ago since we collected ds's things. It was just before we went into lockdown as we knew it was coming so I grabbed the opportunity to get up there. As you know I'm not far away, so that made it easier. I know it wasn't that long ago but it sure feels like it!

Oh hang on, we booked it for tomorrow and we didn’t hear back (my DD said you only hear back if there’s a problem) but it does say from this Friday....
I assume that we can still go tomorrow?

@NewModelArmyMehem18 ah yes they do, our surname is early in the alphabet as well and it came late on Friday, so there’s a good chance they haven’t sent them all yet and will get back on it tomorrow.
My DS refers to my mumsnet spy ring 🤣

You were wise @icanbewhatiwant. I recall that DS came home a week before lockdown so in theory, did have time to go back (I recall advising him that he and one of us should make a flying visit at the weekend) but he was 100% resistant to doing so (lazy!).

@Missyelliottsaysso I think I’d go anyway, we only booked next Wednesday as it worked for us.
I’m hoping we may have made a few steps forward in sorting out what DS is doing by the time we go to pick up his stuff, I think he may feel a bit sad about properly leaving his flat.
On another note we’ve had 3 viewing of our house, it’s all a bit weird in the current situation, but only serious buyers are allowed so if feels quite encouraging.

@NewModelArmyMayhem18 yes I collected ds on 13th March. We must've gone back there around 20th. It was already fairly quiet by then. Just some cleaners about and we shared the lift with a random wheelie bin...no one with it 😂

@Itscoldouthere how is ds? Hopefully he will start to make some decisions. That's good about the house. Do you have to wait outside while they look round. I can imagine that's a bit strange.

@icanbewhatiwant it is a bit weird letting strangers in to your house at this time, but it’s been ok. DH has stayed at home, you have all doors open and house well ventilated, thankfully it’s this lovely weather. DH has shown them around but keeping a distance, our house is quite confusing as it’s a mix of old house and converted barns and has several staircases so needs a bit of explaining. The guidelines say you should only spend 15 mins but that’s impossible it takes more like an hour to see all our house.
Then, after they’ve gone you clean all door handles work surfaces etc
There’s certainly no looking in cupboards !
DS is still rather uncommunicative, but we are currently working on the theory that he will go back to live in his house in September. He may take a year out to make sure he wants to be at UEA, but to be honest I’m not sure yet, he’s not told any of his flatmates or course mates, so he has his head in the sand, but I’m really hoping he’ll work something out.
As difficult and worrying as it is for us, I do think living in a house with his friends will be better for him than having to come to Canada with us, but our plans are very much a work in progress!

@Itscoldouthere glad to hear the house tours are going well. Fingers crossed you get another offer soon. You may find that going up to UEA to pick up DS's remaining kit may give him a clearer idea of what he wants to do?

Has anyone applied for a tv licence refund (if they had one)? We applied on 20th March and have heard nothing since.

@NotSorry, sorry I can't help you as DS didn't have one (he doesn't watch 'terrestrial TV' at all). I would get back in touch though as presumably you should be entitled to at least a 50% refund (if you bought it in September?). Maybe try a different way to communicate (Twitter or FB) if you're not getting anywhere with emails? Or even the old-fashioned way - a letter!

I’ve emailed them - they’re supposed to respond within 5 working days - I appreciate they’re busy but it’s more than 8 weeks. We bought it because he likes to watch the football matches live