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

@Pumpkintopf I would get a mattress topper anyway. It’s an essential uni item according to dd. We got one from Dunelm, £28 for single size.

DS seems to be bonding with his flat mates anyway - apparently three of them are taking a trip to John Lewis together this morning to buy a toaster! I can’t believe this isn’t something provided in a self-catered kitchen!

Toaster avaibale in both my dc London accommodation

@Pumpkintopf Mattresses were fine, she didn't take a topper. (I got one for D1, not knowing what her mattress would be like in her accommodation and she really liked it, said it was very comfy and warm)

No toasters in our accommodation either.

DD took one as we had a spare in the roof.

Exeter freshers is a bit hit and miss. So many things booked out within minutes, or if not bookable, full when you get there, even if super early. DD got all dressed up last night, group of them went out, only to be turned away. They spent the evening back in their flat. Sadly a case of just too many students I think. The societies have been good as more focused, but anything open to all just a nightmare.

@Pumpkintopf - @BigWoollyJumpers sounds like your DD is doing really well - how are you?

Doing Ok thanks now. A couple of teary wobbles when stripping her bed, cleaning her bedroom, and generally tidying up. DH has this week off and he is taking me out for lunch today . Lovely weather, so we had a nice long walk yesterday, and planned another for tomorrow. Also catching up on all the admin tasks which have slipped in the last couple of frenetic weeks. Planning of the new bathrooms is taking up lots and lots, more than I could possibly have imagined, time. Choosing all the stuff only to find delivery is several weeks and then nothing else available. Even spending big bucks makes no difference V&B has a 16-20 week wait .

@BigWoollyJumpers - yes, that's probably the case about too many students! DS seemed to manage to get tickets via a society which had block-booked a number of wristbands for members, but now he's been clubbing once I think he's realised it's all a bit over-hyped and is more than happy to go out to the bars and music venues instead!

He's now got his timetable with his 9 hours of contact time and seems pleasantly surprised with that - I'm not sure he's fully realised that he's meant to be doing independent study in between!!

He's now got his timetable with his 9 hours of contact time hmm and seems pleasantly surprised with that - I'm not sure he's fully realised that he's meant to be doing independent study in between!!

That made me chuckle. DD will have similar.

She has already had one lecture though, and has a further two today! I was so surprised they start this week. I think they are trying to balance the week out, and hope that it softens the drinking culture of freshers. They are compulsory too, probably not a bad idea all in all.

@Jng1 @BigWoollyJumpers DS is settling well at Exeter. Considering he'd never been drinking in a pub, he's certainly been making up for it and has even been to a club! He seems happy with his flatmates and there seems to be lots of mixing within his blocks ( N & P Lafrowda). Agree on the freshers events being hit and miss. DS had been checking the Economics society continually on the Freshers page, it suggested there were no tickets to book and then all of a sudden it was sold out. He managed to get a ticket in the end by accessing the society page direct, rather than going through the freshers page. His timetable is showing about 9 hrs per week and a couple are online, which isn't too bad. Think everything will calm down once lectures start next week.

DS deposited in Bristol yesterday. Very civilised as hardly anyone dropping off. He is in catered but tenancy officially starts at weekend so we didn't know if food would start until then but apparently it did.

Room is far nicer than the photo on accommodation website led us tk believe and larger. Bed is definitely 5ft10.fkr a 6ft2 boy though. But he says he will cope and I bought him a headboard cushion tk use which he can stuff down the end to extend if he needs to.

We stayed down last night as itbis a long drive and have popped to South Wales today. Gave him a quick call to see if he wanted to meet for lunch but he is otherwise engaged with new friends he was out with until 3am last night on a trip to IKEA as one girl has her car with her.

Bed is definitely 5ft10.fkr a 6ft2 boy though

- How can they do that, honestly, there are so many tall boys (and girls) now. Mind you, I seem to remember DD1's boyfriend struggled at Oxford too. God knows what all those tall rower types do.

Happy to hear about all the happy settled DC.
BWJ I can only imagine stripping the bed was emotional. I got our cleaner to do DDs before I got back from dropping her off.

Are there any Covid measures in U.K. universities.

Brown had indoor masking, weekly testing and a vaccine requirement.
They have had to introduce restrictions because of the level of breakthrough cases they have. There were 26 cases in quarantine with Covid when DD started her quarantine and over 100 now.
So testing has gone to every 4 days, no indoor gatherings of more than 5 without masks. This means all college dining has gone to take away and no indoor parties are allowed. (And no outdoor ones either because they can’t be seen drinking in public under 21)
Classes continue in person with masks, clubs and societies are asked to do activities outdoors.
It is also being recommended students don’t go to off campus bars and restaurants but it is not forbidden.

Given the entire student body and staff are vaccinated except for a few with medical/legal exemptions and the state has a high vaccine uptake I am surprised they have had to do this.

We will see how it works out. They have said the restrictions are temporary.

[quote BigWoollyJumpers]@Pumpkintopf* - *@BigWoollyJumpers sounds like your DD is doing really well - how are you?

Doing Ok thanks now. A couple of teary wobbles when stripping her bed, cleaning her bedroom, and generally tidying up. DH has this week off and he is taking me out for lunch today . Lovely weather, so we had a nice long walk yesterday, and planned another for tomorrow. Also catching up on all the admin tasks which have slipped in the last couple of frenetic weeks. Planning of the new bathrooms is taking up lots and lots, more than I could possibly have imagined, time. Choosing all the stuff only to find delivery is several weeks and then nothing else available. Even spending big bucks makes no difference V&B has a 16-20 week wait .[/quote]
That sounds nice @BigWoollyJumpers, enjoy the time with Dh and planning your new bathrooms.

That all sounds good @SeasonFinale

It’s full on stress her before leaving with dd tomorrow. Her slot is Saturday morning but we’re going tomorrow and staying overnight. DD’s room is a tip, nowhere near ready, complete opposite of those who had their car packed weeks ago! And on top of that, my 14 year old is finding year 10 tough so far, lots of stress for her, homework meltdowns, autistic meltdowns etc. I’m feeling very anxious.

The other complication is that while dd is away at Bristol, we are swapping all their rooms round. Dd3 is moving upstairs in dd's loft room in a few months after we've done some work on the bathroom up there. So I really wanted dd to have had a full clear out before she left. She really should have started it earlier but she struggles with organisation and has been seeing friends and going out a lot which, frankly, post covid, is really important too.

So now it looks like I'll have to finish clearing out dd's room in my own time with her on FaceTime to let me know what she wants to keep or chuck

I had planned that DD would clear out her room before she left. My friend with older children laughed and told me it never works that way.

It didn’t.

Thanks @ChimneyPot that makes me feel a lot better! I had visions of everyone else being packed weeks before leaving perfect immaculate bedrooms behind

DS hasn't done any packing. I also stopped buying. We are so demotivated as accommodation is not completely sorted out yet. Given up getting annoyed - they have to let us know over the next 8 days and given the convenience of next day delivery etc I think it will be OK

Sorry to hear that @chopc is that Durham?

Chopc, would not get too upset about it. Enjoy rather the time you have now as a "holiday". In the 8 days before leaving dc2 carried on working till the day before we left. Did not start packing the evening before in fact, but did order a few things with amazon prime...
I think it is difficult to know what is needed anyway till they are actually at their accommodation.
DC1 was in a southfacing room with a window that could not be opened properly. Trip to get a fan was the first thing he did.

I do worry about the "Covid repercussions". Not looking forward to the winter.

@ChimneyPot .. that’s disappointing.. I guess there’s not much else they can do though if they suddenly have such a big rise in cases. I hope they can get back on track soon.
Glad to hear of dc who have settled in well @SeasonFinale and @calculatorqueen
@Jng1.. good to hear your ds is over his teeny wobble.

Dd has a tiny bedroom so she’s started packing things in boxes but it’s pretty much carnage in there at the moment. I can’t see it magically improving before she goes!
Lots of her friends are disappearing to uni this weekend so what with work, I’ve barely seen her this week as they’ve been meeting up a lot
It will be strange for her next week witb every one gone , but I guess it might make her more eager to get there !

Yes @bendmeoverbackwards

That's what I think too @Notagardener

Date night with hubby took away some of the disappointment- lovely lovely evening to be out in London

Thanks @JulesJules much appreciated!

@BigWoollyJumpers glad you're doing ok but the bathroom refits do sound hard work - I keep hearing about the shortage in construction materials, not what you want really when you have a project on the go.

@chopc gosh hope you hear about the accommodation soon. It's really dragging on.

@Pumpkintopf yes there is a shortage of things. We were due to have a megaflo cylinder fitted a few weeks ago, the damn cylinder has still not arrived!