Anyone else going to pick up a student and bring them home in the next few days?

Longestfewdaysupcoming · 2021-06-18T06:25:59+00:00

Thought I’d start a thread Have to go get DD - no idea how I’m gonna get all her crap in my tiny car. 😂 I’m nervous about the journey because I’m not the most confident with places I haven’t been before (I’ve not driven to her uni before). Also slightly nervous about the summer with her at home after we haven’t lived together for so long. Anyone else?

LIZS · 18/06/2021 07:28

Dd has been home almost 4 weeks. Most of her stuff went into storage and she came back by train. Been fine, still looking for pt work though and has had first jab.

hugoagogo · 18/06/2021 07:30

dd can stay in her halls for most of the summer, so we aren't faced with the big trip for a while yet. She will come up on the train for a visit soon though.
No idea how it will go with getting ALL the stuff, we have changed our car and it's smaller.

Iwantacampervan · 18/06/2021 07:30

Mine has said that they may come home sometime in July or August - they are staying in the same house next year so no need to clear out and any paid work is on line so it could be done from anywhere. It means that I won't have to store boxes of 'stuff' but I'll need some warning as the bedroom is now a useful storage area and will require a tidy up!

Original poster

Longestfewdaysupcoming · 18/06/2021 07:31

Dd needs most of her stuff home and I didn’t think of storage duh. Will definitely bear that in mind for next year.

Hopefully she’s going to get a job over the summer - she has said she will start looking on Monday.

Thanks for the reminder about the jab! Will get her booked as soon as we can.

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NoNotHimTheOtherOne · 18/06/2021 07:32

I'm afraid my choice of car is based entirely on how much crap I can fit in it.

Would hiring a roof box be an option? Google roof box hire: there are lots of firms that do it. They will fit the box to your car and remove it when you return, which will presumably make it fairly expensive.

Original poster

Longestfewdaysupcoming · 18/06/2021 07:34

Yeah I think I need to change the car 😂

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NotSorry · 18/06/2021 10:00

mine came home last Sunday - a lot of his crap is still in his house though ready to move to his 3rd year house (thankfully a few days overlap)

We were talking about changing our car until I pointed out to DH that our youngest starts uni in september and we're going to need the bigger car until he has finished

latedecember1963 · 18/06/2021 20:43

DS2's final year tenacy ends on the 30th June so this is looming for us too.
He's hardly been home for almost 2 years as he spent his 3rd year at uni in Australia so it's going to be quite a culture shock for him and us. He's fairly easy going so hopefully will soon settle in again.
He was always happy to do the washing and ironing so that will be a nice bonus.
I'm also looking forward to long in person "putting the world to rights" chats as it's not the same by phone or Zoom.

lljkk · 18/06/2021 20:55

DH is fetching DD from halls tomorrow. 6 hrs round trip plus loading time.
Took her down in a 4 seater, need the 7 seater to get all her stuff back.

ShaunaTheSheep · 19/06/2021 13:12

DS is moving straight into his 2nd year house from halls

lemonsyellow · 19/06/2021 13:21

Yup. Unfortunately, one of her flat mates has tested positive for covid, and so they are now self-isolating. We don’t have a car but had rented a small one to pick her up. But she has to be out of her accommodation on a set date, so will have to break quarantine.

MarchingFrogs · 19/06/2021 14:51

DD's current contract expires on the 30th, but for some reason, they agreed to vacate the property by the 28th (so for her, essentially the 27th, unless I drop my Monday commitments to go, which I am not keen to do). DH did the last trip, to allow me to stay home and drown in paperwork in peace, so won't be keen for me to try to opt out of this one - on the same grounds, plus the possibility that all her stuff won't fit in my car and there's no way I'm driving his. (Let's just say that I actually like being able to see out of the windows properly when I'm driving and a whole day piloting a vehicle which as a substitute for visibility communicates by frantic beeping and dinging is likely to have me in a straitjacket by bedtime...). I'm just hoping that she will have found new homes for enough stuff by next weekend.

Malbecfan · 19/06/2021 17:48

DD2 has been home for over 2 weeks as she finished at the end of May. All her stuff fits easily into my MPV. DD1 graduates on 2nd and we're bringing everything apart from her bike home on 3rd. Her plans are not entirely clear but she can always go & fetch her bike later from the college bike shed. The car swallows stuff and I am quite good at packing it, so it'll be fine. DD isn't actually coming back with us, but following a day or so later so there will be plenty of room.

The round trip is nominally 8 hours plus packing time and I have often done it in a day. Both DDs are really organised and have everything packed ready for when I arrive - in DD1's case it was all at the bottom of the staircase at Christmas. My car has quite a few old rags/sheets in it which are useful to stop clothes airers or glasses from rattling all the 230 miles home...

Nettleskeins · 19/06/2021 20:30

Ds2 is coming back with his stuff by train. I can't drive long distance so the problem is solved. Some of it will go into storage. I reckon it is cheaper than staying the night and taking him out for a meal.

somewhereovertherain · 20/06/2021 08:08

DD1 collected on Friday got all her stuff into car and bike on roof - started summer job yesterday - £11.40 an hour just to sit and watch kids jump about

DD2 been home since Christmas as a uni offered rebates on rent. Handed her keys back in April - got a full refund for the year. She's been working since easter and has her new flat keys so has had a few trips to meet up with her mates.

RampantIvy · 20/06/2021 11:17

@lemonsyellow

Yup. Unfortunately, one of her flat mates has tested positive for covid, and so they are now self-isolating. We don’t have a car but had rented a small one to pick her up. But she has to be out of her accommodation on a set date, so will have to break quarantine.

This could potentially be an issue for us as well. DD is waiting for the results of a covid test. So many of her friends have tested positive for covid over the last few days. It is running rife where she is.

Needmoresleep · 22/06/2021 09:55

If you are doing all the driving, it is reasonable to ask your DC to gather together friends to do the heavy lifting. What you don't want is an early start, a day spent carrying boxes down stairs (DD was in a top floor flat) and perhaps helping with the panic clean (do suggest that they deep clean each room a few days beforehand), and then a long drive home.

Instead leave the car, let them sort themselves out whilst you go for a walk/lunch and return when everything is ready.

And, obscure tip, if there are any dope smokers in the flat they should ensure that everything is well aired beforehand. Last year one of DDs flatmates lost the plot a bit when she was on her own during lockdown. We went back to pick DDs things up, and despite car windows fully open it was not an easy journey back.

Badbadbunny · 22/06/2021 10:27

Yep, DS was planning to stay until the last day of his campus accommodation contract (5 July). It's his last exam this morning, and he's chomping at the bit for us to go and collect him this afternoon.

Covid is spreading around campus and he's desperate to avoid yet another 2 week miserable lockdown. At least in previous lockdowns, he could get his head down and work whilst trapped in his bedroom. With there having been no face to face teaching all year, he's only kept sane by daily walks and going to buy his lunch every day from Greggs or Subway! Take that away from him and he'll really struggle. It's the simple things that's kept him motivated in such a miserable year.

Apparently the killer blow is that if the self isolation period goes into the period after the 5 July accommodation contract end date, the Uni have said they're going to charge the students for the extra days that they're occupying their rooms. Talk about adding insult to injury! But then again, his Uni is one that hasn't "supported" their students through covid anyway, they needed a rent strike to give even partial refunds to students not allowed to use their campus accommodation!

Needmoresleep · 22/06/2021 10:43

The Bristol Tab suggests that 25% of students are currently required to self isolate.

DD got caught. She stayed on, after we went down to find a flat for next year, simply to have a coffee and catch up with a friend. They should have got take outs and sat in the park. Instead they went indoors and DD got picked up by track and trace and has to self isolate for 10 days, despite being fully vaccinated. It means that she misses the chance to meet up with coursemates from last year which was spent in London, but entirely on-line. It may mean that she never meets them, despite working closely on a group project all year.

tinkywinkyshandbag · 23/06/2021 17:12

Picking mine up next weekend but she just tested positive for COVID so self isolating along with her household and missing all the end of term fun. It will be just past the 10 days when I go to get her. Luckily they get the keys to their house for next year the same day so we can dump the things she won't need at home, like her duvet and other bulky stuff.

crimsonlake · 23/06/2021 18:21

God this beings back memories as I had two in uni at the same time. One a couple of hundred miles away and the other less but somehow a worse journey.
I used to try and time the journey to avoid rush hour both ways as I always did even the longer journey in one day.
They were always warned to be more or less packed by the time I arrived but never were. I would arrive weary from the driving (if I could even park close by) So it would be pack and clean together and then somehow try to cram all their belongings in the car for the drive home. Exhausting.
Trying to store everything at home was a nightmare, all those duvets and pots and pans!

Original poster

Longestfewdaysupcoming · 23/06/2021 18:32

I’ve got her home. I’ve never done anything so stressful in my life. But got her home.

Any idea when she might feel like unpacking?

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Needmoresleep · 23/06/2021 18:42

I recommend storage crates! DD's are still in her room at home from 15 months ago when she was required to leave placement with an hours notice. I will deliver them back to her new flat and she can sort things out then.

Original poster

Longestfewdaysupcoming · 23/06/2021 18:42

Oh that’s a good idea!

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sammyjoanne · 05/07/2021 23:40

DD is still in Lancaster until Saturday 10th. Her contract for halls is a longer one (runs out 24th) but most of students gone home now so its just her and her housemates and anyone else in a townhouse. Plus its bad with covid there so they are not going out anyway as they want to come home safely.
Her new contract starts 22nd of September, so she had organised a storage facility. So its drive to uni, put stuff in car for storage, then after dropping that off come back to uni to pick up the rest. We have a smaller boot this time so storage is definitely needed.