Another path - now we have a map

[chopc]

Chopc - Durham-History
@jano69 -Durham -History
@OnTheBenchOfDoom -Durham - Natural Sciences
@Majaso12 -Imperial - don't know subject
@bendmeoverbackwards -Bristol- History
@Pumpkintopf -Imperial/Cambridge -Natural Sciences
@ChimneyPot -Brown (US) - ? Subject
@Stillcrikey -Bristol -MML
@Tenpastseven - Bristol -also modern languages?
@Longtimenewsee - Durham - Chemistry?
@MidLifeCrisis007 - Durham -History
@BigWoollyJumpers - Exeter- History
@SeasonFinale -Bristol- History

@bendmeoverbackwards Well done to your DD.

@BigWoollyJumpers sorry to barge in on the thread but just delurking to say, like your dd’s friend my dd has also been allocated a single room in an off-campus hall at Exeter (despite getting application in on time) and is devastated. Exeter was her first choice because of the campus and now she won’t be living on it. She is considering deferring but will probably just suck it up. She’s been allocated St David’s. She’s doing Business Economics.

[quote YaWeeGobshite]@BigWoollyJumpers sorry to barge in on the thread but just delurking to say, like your dd’s friend my dd has also been allocated a single room in an off-campus hall at Exeter (despite getting application in on time) and is devastated. Exeter was her first choice because of the campus and now she won’t be living on it. She is considering deferring but will probably just suck it up. She’s been allocated St David’s. She’s doing Business Economics.[/quote]
It's so sad for them isn't it. I think the problem is expectation management. If they were told up front how unlikely it was going to be this year to get any of your list, they might have been more prepared.

DD's friend is St David's too. She has accepted the room now, and got in touch with others, and is coming to terms with it too. I think she will apply for swaps though, just on off chance.

Realise now how lucky DD is to get her second choice.

DD1 has been helping out too. I think I have shared this before, but she was in a teeny tiny room, on the fifth floor (servants quarters) of a town house in Oxford, her first year. One toilet and shower between 6, and a two ring hob in a cupboard downstairs! She survived, and indeed thrived, because it got her out and about, and she spent very little time there. Some of the others in the house had huge drawing rooms with piano's in, so pretty random there too.

@BigWoollyJumpers yes it’s a bitter disappointment but as you say if they’d been more prepared it would be less of a big deal. I am sure dd will get her head around it and make the best of it (whilst waiting on the swap list). Good to know it’s not just her xx

Seriously though don't defer because you didn't get accommodation choices. DS deferred and got one of his 9 choices but near the middle, 2 friends got none of their choices and one even got shared. Unless her uni is guaranteeing choices for deferrals she will just go back into random selection next time and may get even "worse" accommodation next year. I say "worse" because it is subjective and actually what she has been allocated may have been perfect for someone else.

@SeasonFinale thank you - good advice. However, it seems that this year at least most of the ‘good’ ie popular choices went to those with unconditional offers (who had a year out). Nonetheless, I think it is character-building to face disappointment and deal with it! So I will be telling her to suck it up and cope without an en-suite 😂

Remember one advantage of not having an en suite is that you don’t have to share the communal bathrooms yourself!

The 4 I mentioned were deferred students with unconditionals which is why I mentioned it in the context of deferrals. Not all unis prioritise deferred students and they had to go back into the mix although they did find out sooner than conditional offer holders.

@SeasonFinale sorry, I was just talking about Exeter. Interesting to know that not all unis deal with deferrals in the same way.

Well @YaWeeGobshite we are all on this thread as our DC have already been through a major disappointment...... the consolation was that it would all work out with their insurance choice

Expectation management by the uni may well have helped.
DD always knew she would be in a shared bedroom with shared bathroom down the hall. She is now pleased that her dorm has a bathroom shared between every two rooms/ four people.

well Chopc, not for all was Oxbridge first choice . Dd absolutely loves London.

@Jng1 @BigWoollyJumpers @AvocadoPlant

No e mail received (Exeter have had e mail problems today) but DS logged in and did his induction this afternoon. We've just logged in again and he was able to book the arrival slot.

It wasn't particularly clear but we amended our slot to Saturday 11th even though his contract starts on Sunday 12th. I think I'll give the accommodation office a call in the morning to check that it's ok. I don't want him to be one of the last to arrive in the flat.

@calculatorqueen great to have it all booked.
I presume they wouldn’t allow you to book if the accommodation wasn’t available on the 12th? Good idea to confirm it though.

I read in WIWIKAU that some students were still waiting for their allocation to be confirmed yesterday, seems crazy to have those still waiting and frantically checking for updates while other students are trying to book move in slots. Perhaps that’s why the system crashed …

I don’t think Exeter have handled the whole accommodation process particularly well, though I’m not sure they’re better or worse than most others.

DD has chosen to go on the 13th as she doesn’t want to be first, though in reality it will probably mean she has smallest cupboard in the kitchen!

Also I’ve just realised that by the time we unload the car, the shops will probably be shut (Sunday hours), so that solves my dilemma of do we need to take some food or shop when there - we definitely need to take food!

Looking at the mass of items piled up in the conservatory, I’m really not sure how we’ll fit them all in the car. Some items will not make the final cut 🤣

Sorry I’ve added a day to my post, for 13th read 12th, and for 12th read 11th xx

DD can book in later - she couldn't yesterday, she is at work this morning.
Looking at the mass of items piled up in the conservatory, I’m really not sure how we’ll fit them all in the car. Some items will not make the final cut
DH suddenly realised he has a different car to the one we had for DD1. Always had sports saloons, but the last one had a huge boot and could at least put the back seats down. This one...... not so much, and the seats are fixed! I have a mini . We may need to do a last minute car hire - eeeekkkk!

Could you take 2 cars @BigWoollyJumpers?

Anyone else with dc going to Bristol still waiting for an arrival time?

I've just spoken to Exeter accommodation office and they've said that it's fine for DS to arrive on the Saturday. They said they are expecting some to arrive Friday but the majority Saturday and Sunday. It's like entering the Big Brother house!

@BigWoollyJumpers us too!
DH had a large hatchback when the DC were younger which was great for when the older DS went to uni, but we changed the car and whilst it’s still reasonably big, the boot space is so much smaller.
And no roof box either.

There will be 3 of us and whatever fits in a VW polo as we can't use DH's midlife crisis car anyway. If it doesn't fit it doesn't go although I have invested in the vacuum bags and the bedding, throws and cushions are now a mere sliver of their usual selves.

Vacuum bags definitely the way forward ! Also like the top tip to make up duvets etc before you go.

Am I the only one though who is bemused at the amount of stuff people take. The facebook site on which I lurk has a whole discussion today on whether they should take oven gloves and the pictures of peoples piles of stuff to take are frankly ridiculous, people are off buying bits of furniture, whole knife sets, boxes of glasses, things to hang in the shower. pot plants, there are lengthy discussions on tupperware boxes (essential obviously for allergy sufferers) , label makers, and whether or not they need a coffee maker./rice cooker/slow cooker. I realise that its a bit different in that ds is in catered accommodation but even when ds1 went to self catered he didn't take anything like the amount of stuff some people seem to take .

In our case the big items will be probably an amp and at least two guitars, plus bedding, a few mugs, plates and cutlery and a can opener and pan, clothes and toiletries. We are still assessing the situation re posters and I am going to put together a box of stuff if he needs to isolate . May be I am mean but i simply do not see the point of spending money on stuff that they are unlikely to use and they are only gone 10 weeks max.

Well, for dc1 any kitchen stuff would have been pointless, but dc2 really likes cooking, so guessing she will have a lot more kitchen stuff. However at the moment I couldn't tell as no signs of getting stuff together, so no idea whether anything needs buying. Moving in date 12th Sept, so apparently loads of time.

@Peaseblossum22 Now DD IS taking oven gloves , but apart from that I think she is pretty restrained. A couple of plates/bowls (some old plain white ones of ours), mugs, couple of glasses, two sets cutlery, frying pan, pan, milk pan, a sharp knife, a few odd kitchen utensils, mostly spare ones of mine. Tupperware, cling film, foil..... now sounding quite a lot .

I have also bought a starter pack of food for the first couple of days, basic breakfast, pasta, sauce in a jar kind of things. Mostly it seems to be cleaning/washing stuff.

We have stopped buying now, anything else she/they need they can buy in Exeter. Airer is one thing she can get when she is there. They are not strictly allowed, but apparently students buy them and hide them when they have inspections. Where else can you dry things not tumble driable?

There will be 3 of us and whatever fits in a VW polo

@SeasonFinale - Okay now I feel bad complaining.
Looks like I need to research vacuum bags too.

@Peaseblossum22 I was watching that FB post - I thought the students advising their parents to step away had more sense than half the parents there!

Well we hit the shops yesterday and it all feels very real now. Induction was done last night so DD is moving in on the 12th.