University 2020 :9: And they're off, making hay while the sun shines.

[MillicentMartha]

New thread, trying to be upbeat!

Old thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/higher_education/3996883-University-2020-8-Use-the-CAGs-don-t-use-the-CAGs?pg=40

Actually, even at the height of lockdown, moving house was an exemption. I appreciate halls are a bit different but hope universities will be sensible in allowing help, particularly if students need support or even if there are a lot of stairs to negotiate for example.

We were told only one parent and one hour. In the end we both went up to help and stayed fit ages. She was first in which might have helped.

At Manchester yesterday it was really busy and people weren’t obeying the guidance. The slot was for 2 hours but people were turning up early, with 2 parents and in some cases, in 2 cars. We got there at 11.10 for our 11-1 slot and had to wait for 20 minutes to get a parking place. They had trolleys to use, free with a £10 deposit and we just unloaded everything in around 15 minutes. I went to park the car nearby and came back to help him unpack. (Very Center Parcs!) In fact, I did most of the unpacking in his room and he took boxes to the kitchen and unpacked them while chatting to the others there, which worked well. I got to make his bed, put his clothes away and left him to choose where to stick posters and put his plastic plant and fairy light lamp etc.

We were all done by 1 so I left him then. He was perfectly happy, if a little nervous. Got a message this morning that the 8 of them went out last night, but nowhere would let 8 of them in together so they split up into 2 groups. All good so far despite tiny rooms.

@SunburstsOrMarbleHalls @specialted @choirmumoftwo @BCBG
I hope they do allow it. Does not sound promising if someones had an email saying they cant help move in already. My husbands friend got a daughter going to Durham and they have the same issue and cant help her move in. My daughters 5ft and very petite. There is no way she can carry some of the heavy boxes up the flights of stairs and she will probably need to take 25 trips as well.

@sammyjoanne

I will keep my fingers crossed that they do allow it. Luckily DS's flat was ground floor but his accommodation block is four stories with no lift so if your DD had to lug all her stuff up to the fourth flour she would be exhausted.

Years ago many 1st year students went to uni with a back pack and a holdall but now everyone's boots are bursting at the seams so it would be a bigger task. Im sure many students would be fine but some would struggle.

My son wouldn't be able to carry large heavy boxes up stairs either.
I know that sounds strange as he is a 5ft 10" 18 year old man but his dyspraxia causes him to struggle with his balance particularly on stairs, if he was carrying a box and couldn't see the stairs or his feet he would be very likely to fall. He also has a weak intrinsic grip so awkward heavy objects are a challenge to carry.

DD says she's had an email today to say that one person can help with the move, which is what they said originally.

Another one here with the 1 person, no person, 1 person swap around.

I will tell my ds who is 6'5 to offer to help anyone in his townhouse looking like they are struggling with stuff! He's very amenable like that!

At the risk of stating the obvious, do make sure they pack stuff in bags/crates that they can carry up a flight of stairs without help if at all possible. Even if that means twice as many trips.

DD was thrown a curve ball on arrival - had a couple of days in a temporary room as someone in the household was awaiting a covid test result and they didn't want to let anyone else move in until the result was known. All fine in the end, but DD did have to shift all her stuff up from the ground floor to the fourth floor without help. We were very glad that we went for the small, manageable boxes, not the massive trunk that is lurking in our garage!

Hopefully that won't happen to anyone else, but I've seen another university asking students to be prepared for rapid moves and who knows how the rest of this term is going to pan out.

@specialted aww thats great :) my eldest daughter is 5ft and very petite. youngest whos 15 make a joke on her size as she got smaller hands than her, and shes smaller in height, and has size 3 shoes. She takes after my mum whos also petite.

@AChickenCalledDaal currently have multiples of those dragon boxes with a snap top lid and theres 1 bag. its more the suitcase. We managed to fit clothes into 1 suitcase (shoes in a smaller case), but its heavy, so would be good if i can carry one end and daughter the other to take the load.
Fair play to your daughter for shifting all her stuff :)

@BCBG @specialted @choirmumoftwo @SunburstsOrMarbleHalls

Asked lancaster uni accommodation last night on facebook about the new restrictions, and if they should affect the moving in and if the 1 person helping moving in will stop, and i got this today:
''Hi Samantha! Yes, one person can assist with moving in. We ask that you follow social distancing rules at all times, which I'm sure you would anyway! Hope this helps, Leanne 🙂'

@sammyjoanne - fantastic news! I shall contact the lady who was telling me that her DD had said she couldn't help her and suggest that she does the same for her own piece of mind!

Good luck to all those DC's still waiting to move in, I hope everything goes smoothly.

DP has to make a second journey in a few days to drop off DS's gaming chair, pictures and some bits and bobs we forgot to pack. Its only 1hr 15mins away so not too bad.

DS and all of his flatmates were all in bed by 10.30pm last night as the excitement of moving in wore them all out

DS going to Durham this weekend and had email saying will be 1 helper per car avail at his college but you can decline help and do it yourself if prefer. It said everyone was getting same instructions as were new restrictions due lockdown there so would assume all colleges offer same. Rucksacks were popular in my day and also handy for cycling with supermarket shopping / beer runs

@sammyjoanne thanks that's great news!

@sammyjoanne brill thank you 👍

@SunburstsOrMarbleHalls your welcome. It was Lancaster University Accommodation page on face book www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=lancaster%20university%20accommodation&epa=SEARCH_BOX where the message came from, so if you have any questions, you can message them and they come back to you :)

DD now knows she's sharing with one of her best friends from school and another (male) member of her friendship group. She's been added to the house group chat and is now on Snapchat with them.

@choirmumoftwo how does she know which house she's in? Has she moved in already?

No, she moves in on Thursday. Uni have added all 12 housemates to a group chat.

Actually, it was the college rather than the uni that organised it.

@choirmumoftwo thats great the college did that

Daughter in the Grizedale group chat on whatsapp and 'Townhouse baddies' chat on whatsapp (dont ask, no idea why 'baddies' lol). Hopefully Grizedale add her to the flat group :) Even if its for a couple of days getting to know each other, it would be nice :)

Which uni is you son/daughter in @KingscoteStaff ?
@Yorkshirehillbilly glad Durham has 1 person to help. And back pack is a good shout, ill let my daughter know :D

@choirmumoftwo that's great!

DS moves on Sat into Loughborough, am reading all the stories about those finding it hard and worrying a lot!

@Eve Your not the only one. My daughter doesnt drink, but loves the social aspect, so chose accommodation thats lively with lot of people already in thier own household. I do worry that she wont get the quiet time she sometimes likes. Ive also gave the the talk about getting out and about, even if its to a cafe, or walk on the canal path. just so shes not cooped up in her room :) All we can do is let them go and hope for the best :)