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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

University 2019/20 intake: vacations, vaccinations, va-va-voom restored and virtually into their third year

990 replies

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 18/06/2021 10:34

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OP posts:
NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 21/07/2021 10:08

I can't imagine DS setting foot in a nightclub in a month of Sundays, and I suspect he's not often to be found in a pub/bar either. Anyone else think that the Govt underestimates how many young people these days are not in the clubbing/drinking/partying zone – ever?! Clearly not something those ex-Bullingdon Club types looking at you BoJo could understand!

Not sure which COVID vaccination DS had but sure he could have his second jab soonish (within a couple of weeks?)

OP posts:
bigTillyMint · 21/07/2021 10:36

I asked my two (both used to go clubbing!) what they thought of the nightclub/passport thing and both think it’s a good idea. But say people who don’t want to get jabbed will get fake ones like fake ID

I wonder how high the correlation between non-clobbers and getting vaccinated is? I suspect pretty high

simbobs · 21/07/2021 10:53

I don't know of any young people who do not have a smart phone so they should insist on the NHS digital vaccination pass. That presumably can't be faked?

Zandathepanda · 21/07/2021 11:48

I would have thought you just take a screenshot of someone else’s then put it in a program like publisher to take off their details and add yours? Take a photo of that to waft at the bouncers?
If the bouncers ask them to log into the app that would be fairly foolproof. I don’t know many young people who would be willing to part with their phone.

Benjispruce5 · 21/07/2021 12:01

Anything can be faked but I think most will get jabbed by then. DD doesn’t know of anyone who won’t be getting the vaccine.

lovescats3 · 21/07/2021 12:12

People shouldn't be having 2nd dose before 8 weeks as the antibodies produced are lower- source BBC news website

simbobs · 21/07/2021 12:13

DS has one friend who has not and says that he will not. Hopefully he will change his mind but it is to do with the fact that his mother was hospitalised for a bad reaction.

lovescats3 · 21/07/2021 12:15

Do you believe that Javid's symptoms are mild ? He felt "groggy" so took a test.Also there's no sign of him on virtually in media

simbobs · 21/07/2021 12:16

Ok, @Zandathepanda I confess to being a complete Luddite1

@lovescats3 I think this is true of the AZ but not Pfizer, which was tested at a 3 week interval. Many of our DC have antibodies from actual infection as well as one dose of vaccine.

ZZTopGuitarSolo · 21/07/2021 12:41

@lovescats3

People shouldn't be having 2nd dose before 8 weeks as the antibodies produced are lower- source BBC news website
Everyone in the US is having the Pfizer/Moderna at a shorter interval and we’re still seeing excellent protection.
Lottie4 · 23/07/2021 10:59

DD is hopefully doing a year abroad leaving end August. If she's fully vaccinated and two weeks before she won't have to quarantine. She's emailed doctors and asked if they knew when her age group would be called for second vaccines, not really expecting a reply. They've been brilliant, emailed her saying it's grab a jab weekend at local chemist, to take a copy of their email and hopefully they'd do it. If she wants to leave it a bit longer, they've also sent her a link for two different days.

Benjispruce5 · 25/07/2021 10:12

Morning all. Have any of you/your DC had their second year tenancy deposit back yet? Do we just wait or do we need to ask for it?

simbobs · 25/07/2021 11:41

@Benjispruce5 I think it will be different everywhere. My DS will get up to half of his back as the flat was apparently in a bit of a state, but that had nothing to do with him as he has not lived there for months. It came up as an action following confirmation that he had handed back his keys.

RampantIvy · 25/07/2021 12:30

Yes @Benjispruce5. Just a couple of days ago. They got all but £70 of their deposits back. Some of the money held back was unreasonable, but everyone decided that they couldn't be bothered to dispute it, and accepted his terms. The landlord will, however, get some pretty daming reviews now that they have their money back.

The landlord has very high standards, which worked in the students' favour when they moved in as the place was spotlessly clean. Both students and parents worked really hard to leave it looking as good as when everyone moved in, but it wasn't good enough.

icanbewhatiwant · 25/07/2021 12:46

Ds is staying a second year in his house. He is home though working his summer job. Everyone in his house has returned home for the summer. Ds went back yesterday (we are only 45 min drive) as he's forgotten to bring his work trainers home....his landlord was there tidying up, mending things etc. It sounded like he was liking having an empty house for the best part of 3 months but still getting rent.

Benjispruce5 · 25/07/2021 12:47

That sounds petty . DD’s house was furnished from a charity shop I think DD is with same landlord for 3rd year house. I’m hoping that will mean some goodwill. He sent in cleaners as standard but they all cleaned up before they left. They moved themselves with a local firm so we didn’t see it. There was a kitchen cupboard door broken but honestly, a 1980s kitchen will weaken with wear and tear. No other damage that she’s admitted to. Hoping he’ll be reasonable.

bigTillyMint · 25/07/2021 16:03

DD has, minus some charges for needing more bins as they had so much stuff to be taken away or something! Not sure about DS.

blametheparents · 26/07/2021 11:03

DS is staying in the same house for his 3rd year, so no deposit to be returned yet.
Rent has gone up slightly, but it is such a good house that it was worth staying.
He and one of his housemates gave the place a good clean before they left for the summer. Guess we'll find out later whether it was enough!

simbobs · 26/07/2021 12:09

However well the previous tenants, and subsequent cleaners had cleaned and prepared DS's new house they did not tackle the rat problem, nor make DS and his friends aware of it. Grim or what?! We have told the DC not to pay any more rent until the landlord sorts it out. Part of the issue seems to be that the dustbin capacity is not sufficient for a 7 person house (and only 5 are currently in residence), so clearing rubbish from the kitchen is not possible. I have suggested DS doorstep the binmen and ask them to take the extra 3 black sacks that do not fit in the bin but neither he nor anyone else is ever up in time. There is no council pest control service, either. I have bought a baited box, but what on earth are they supposed to do with the contents...?

blametheparents · 26/07/2021 13:00

@simbobs - That is horrible. Rats are not nice at all. Some landlords are just so rubbish at sorting stuff out. No idea what to do if they catch a rat! A mouse is one thing, and when my cat has caught one then I have just binned it, but a rat is far worse.

DS's landlord has been great. Fixed the garden up, new fridge freezer as soon as the other one broke, various other small things fixed. These are a few of the reasons that DS is staying in the house despite the small increase in rent. Totally worthwhile.

Benjispruce5 · 26/07/2021 13:06

How awful! I thought DD’s kitchen snails were bad enough!

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 26/07/2021 13:38

Could the Council not be contacted for more rubbish bins? If the tenants are producing too much rubbish for the bins provided, clearly more are needed? Perhaps it's one of those notes to self that the young people need to remind themselves to prompt landlord/agent to do before they move into their third/fourth year new property.

Rats – what a hideous problem. Our cats have recently developed 'mousing' skills which have had them bringing quite a few in (some alive). One night I had a full-on cat and mouse chase going on under my bed which did not best please me. Hope the issue gets sorted out quickly. Presumably the young people could contact local council Environmental Health and take some

I think there are landlords who are only in it for the most money they can fleece make out of people (particularly students) while maximising their own profit margins. Personally, I don't think any of the excuses on here are reasons not to refund deposits in full. Okay, so if a house is trashed it's one thing but general 'wear and tear' and even too much rubbish left behind are surely part and parcel of being a landlord? And things like mattresses should be replaced with new tenants as standard regardless of whether they're stained or not. And surely a 'deep clean' bill should be built into the annual contract charges anyway?

DS is dues to move out of his second year house this week. They are cleaning it themselves so will be interested to hear what happens with their deposit (which they need to offset the cost of the year three home contract one!).

OP posts:
simbobs · 26/07/2021 13:51

I had already had a look on the council website and advice re pests was given, but no services offered. I'm not sure there is room for more bins but this cannot possibly be a new problem. Their wheelie bins look smaller than the ones that we have, but that may not be the case. They seem to have plenty for cardboard etc but not for general waste. As they mostly do not cook together more rubbish is generated that would be the case for a family, I think. All of this needs tackling, as well as some of the appliances replaced or serviced. They were unable to visit the house in person due to covid. It is potentially quite nice, but unfit for habitation as things stand imho. Withholding rent has to be the way to go. The landlord has had an excuse for not coming around as they were isolating, but that is no longer the case.

NewModelArmyMayhem18 · 26/07/2021 14:04

I reckon councils probably only supply houses with the same number of bins regardless of whether there's one person living there or eight. And of course, if they only collect fortnightly will need more bin storage than for weekly collections (do they even exist now?). You might have thought if they're listed as HMOs that they'd be entitled to more bins as a default but knowing how councils are always keen to save money, I reckon they wouldn't do that as a matter of course. The landlords could presumably buy additional bins though if all else fails?

It seems to me that landlords are very keen to charge students (via deposits) for general 'wear and tear' damage that they really shouldn't be footing the bill for.

I now realise how simple life was back in our university days. We paid a set amount per month (which included utilities) and only had to pay for 42 weeks rather than a full year. And we had a bit of a busy body landlord who was always on the case if anything needed attention (although we were careful and cannot recall that we damaged anything). And I don't recall us paying a hefty deposit either! Even when I lived in a flat with friends post-university, we managed to wangle it that we used our deposit to pay the last month's rent when our long-term tenancy came to an end!

OP posts:
bigTillyMint · 26/07/2021 18:54

Rats? 🐀 Shock

DD had a nice house and landlady (who bizarrely lived not far from us!) in her second year - they should never have moved out, the ones since have been nowhere near as good!