University 2020 :5: Results day approaching and beyond

[MillicentMartha]

Old thread
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/3855474-University-2020-4-The-wait-for-grades-and-better-days-ahead?pg=40

Less than 3 months to go until we have a better idea what the future has in store for our DC. Let’s hope that even if most lectures are online that accommodation is open and they can move up, across or down to their university towns and start their student life.

We should have been in the middle of exams, instead we have this strange limbo of lockdown. It could have been worse, though.

@thesunwillout - interesting idea to send stuff by courier. I used to use a price comparison website called Parcel2Go and just had a look and saw you can get a 25kg parcel delivered for under £9. I had not realised it was so cheap!

Somebody else I know was complaining about how much it costs to do laundry at university - DS has been offered lots of bedding by down-sizing grandparents - he could just take 5 sets with him for the term and then send them home by courier to wash in the holidays!

Millicent Martha I hope you both settle into your longhaul, we never know how each life turns out.
Someone the other day commented that DD and I were the loveliest family they'd ever met.
Brought tears to my eyes, like you Oneteen, it's only been me and mine since she was 3. My ex DH buggered off, not seen since
For some reason I'd not considered us a family, but we are.
We all are.

I think the package company I found is called mybaggage, but I've not done a quote.
Parcel to go is a great site. I've used them before, you tend to think of post office prices don't you.

I've stayed away from the exams and University threads for a few weeks, as a minority of posters were raising my blood pressure, but I hope I'm allowed to sneak back in now.
Reading this has reminded me, we need to be thinking about starting to get things together for dd to take with her. I was in SUCH a different mindset when dc1 was heading off.

We went to Ikea yesterday for “a few bits” for DD’s room.
£130 later and I needed a lie down.
I’m not ready for her to go, she’s my only, she’s a summer baby and I know I’m being ridiculous but I wanted to cry in Ikea!

My fear of gremlins means that if I buy one single thing for DS’s university room, he will fail to get his grades.

This is only true for me, not anyone else...

Ikea is a few hours away for us. For dd1 I went when I was working in the area. Don’t think I’ll get there for dd2. She did get a box of glasses free from FB yesterday though

When ds1 was about to start uni I honestly thought I was ok, like others I was excited for him. However the day before he left I sobbed the whole day!! He was unaware, in no way did I want to dampen his excitement. I sobbed in the shower and had to take myself off for walks etc I thought I wouldn't stop. The upside was my the next day it was out my system and going to uni day was fabulous and I was able to really bask in his excitement and achievement. I didn't shed a tear that day.Not sure what I will be like when dd goes in September I think it's hard to anticipate when it will hit us as individuals. Mind you as someone else up thread said they are back for half the year so you just get used to the space ( ie tidy house less laundry cooking etc!) And they are back generally with a months load of washing cause as @Monkey2001 says it's too expensive to do at uni

Back for good - I think we’ve turned a corner of ‘Will they won’t they’ to omg they are going!

I’m also in the don’t buy anything camp yet 😂

Read the letter from St. Andrews last night and it was def implying they would be open but with lots online for anyone not able to be on campus and we have been here hundreds of years and we will get through this moment too.

I hadn't even thought of shopping (denial, me?!)

Any tips on what he might need? I'd assumed he'd take his current bedding and the kitchen equipment was provided, am I wrong?

I think they won’t need much in student accom but might for later years?

Kitchen equipment isn't usually provided in halls (other than kettle, toaster and sometimes an iron and board). They'll almost certainly need crockery, cutlery, pans, utensils etc. A clothes airer is extremely useful in our experience and it may be worth investing in a mattress topper.

Best mattress topper you can. Student mattresses can be 'well used'. And if buying a new duvet get a double as the will probably have a double bed from 2nd year.
Mugs, plates, glasses, cutlery, utensils will not be provided. Worth getting some Tupperware boxes to keep things in communal fridges. And a marker pen to put on milk level 😊.

Mattress topper! Good idea. What size bed do they get in first year halls?

We think alike mumsneedwine! I second the double bedding advice also, not just for moving on to second year but also because it's cosier. We have super king bedding on a king size bed at home!

Do we get sent a list of what they need when accom allocated?

Newgirls I seem to remember DS getting a list and basic information is on the accommodation pages on the university websites.

Some of the university websites have guidance on what you need to take and students have posted stuff on YouTube. DS has been collecting family cast offs and has a pretty good collection of non-matching kitchen stuff now.

St Andrews says lots of warm clothes and wellies and a mum whose DD started last year said they do a lot of fancy dress stuff, so St A people could start amassing some of that, but may be a bit tricky of you don't know yet whether you need to be an animal or 20s, 50s.....

On the kitchen front, my niece's LOVE their works.

Grrrr, WOKS

A bit of advice - don't spend much money on 'nice' kitchen utensils and crockery for their first year in halls. It all gets nicked, broken or damaged in the communal kitchens. I bought DS1 a sandwich toaster and other students used it and left it dirty or tried to cook burgers on it and ruined it. DS ended up keeping his crockery in his room so his mugs didn't get used when other people had friends round.
He replaced most of his kitchenware for better versions when he moved into his second year student house.
Argos does some good, cheap stuff for students.

Agree about decent kitchen stuff. Wilko have a great range as well.

IKEA do a student starter pack on results day full of cheap kitchen stuff. And free meatballs for anyone with their results. Things like spatulas, can opener, bottle opener, wooden spoons are useful. And second the fancy dress.
And also if they are doing a course similar to an A level get them to take their notes. I had to send DDs biology stuff in the first term - and she was doing medicine.

I notice on Warwick's website they say ironing boards are provided but not irons. Do the students know who they are sharing with so they can arrange who brings what? Or do they end up with 12 irons and dozens of baking trays? Or is it best to have your own anyway in case they go walkabout?

Can see a bag of fancy dress going up 👍even if only for outdoor mini cluster events

Wellies?!

Will check out the online info - really haven’t yet as it all seemed so far away but getting more real now