Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Higher education

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

Another path ....... the journey begins

999 replies

chopc · 19/09/2021 22:28

Hello @321zyx @AvocadoPlant @bendmeoverbackwards @BigWoollyJumpers @Braveheart35 @calculatorqueen @ChimneyPot @Dobbyisahouseelf @Eastisup @jano69 @Majaso12 @MidLifeCrisis007 @NCTDN @Notagardener @OnTheBenchOfDoom @Parsonage63 @Pumpkintopf @Peaseblossum22 @quest1on @Peaseblossum22 @SATSmadness @SeasonFinale @Tenpastseven @Vargas @Xenia

Apologies for anyone I omitted to tag

OP posts:
Dobbyismyabsolutefav · 02/11/2021 19:26

@BigWoollyJumpers @Jng1 I have a Marvel fan too, sounds like our teenagers would all get on!

I think my DD finds the boys uncomplicated and they are always happy to chat about random stuff. An even mix of boys and girls in accommodation for year 2 would be perfect for my DD.

Changenameforthisthread · 02/11/2021 20:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Notagardener · 02/11/2021 20:23

sorry for confusion with name

Pumpkintopf · 03/11/2021 16:38

I agree it's very early for them all right have to think about who to share with next year ☹️

The workload seems to have properly kicked in for DS now. A fifteen hour marathon Monday-through-to-Tuesday morning to get his lab reports written up! He's still finding the balance of partying and work at the moment I think. Wish he'd gone earlier in September when most other unis did and had a reading week as a break/catch up point.

AvocadoPlant · 05/11/2021 10:14

@Pumpkintopf I agree - the reading week was definitely a break, but I’m not sure how effectively DD used it. Her plan had been to get through the work set before the break, but talking to her last night she’s still got a fair chunk to complete. I suspect a renewed social life is to blame. Grin
However I think socialising will start taking second place to the actual studying this half term as they’ve been set quite a lot of work.

bendmeoverbackwards · 05/11/2021 15:22

Hi all, hope everyone is ok.

Dd has been home this week for reading week, so lovely to have her home! Unfortunately she was recovering from a heavy cold/flu thing when she arrived on Monday (apparently she slept all day Sunday) but some TLC from Mum and having home comforts really helped. She went out with her older sister on Tuesday night but then they both complained separately to me how annoying the other one was Hmm

We had a lovely day in town yesterday, did a bit of shopping and had lunch out. Dd has caught up with some of her friends who are at uni in London which was nice. She's going back tomorrow and I am really going to miss her.

She got the coach to and from Bristol which was very cheap compared to the train and efficient (other than a bit of traffic near Victoria).

SeasonFinale · 05/11/2021 17:07

DS has stayed down in Bristol for reading week as he needs access to the library for the reading he needs to do and also has an assessed essay due in next Tuesday so plans to get that done too.

In addition he is in the process of signing up for a 10 bed house with 5 boys and 4 girls in Redland. 3 of the people he met travelling who frequent his flat for pres and nights out anyway, 1 is from Hiatt Baker and has become friends with the people in his flat as he was a friend of one of them and the rest are from his flat in Badock.

In accordance with instructions from me he did at least whatsapp the paperwork to me before agreeing to sign up!

I think the bigger houses in the treelined avenues do tend to go early.

Peaseblossum22 · 05/11/2021 17:53

Depressing news about strike action again. I am not saying that their grievances are without merit but UCU previous national strikes have achieved absolutely nothing, the university employers don’t care this won’t hurt them at all , the only people who will suffer are the students and frankly they have suffered enough.

AvocadoPlant · 06/11/2021 17:29

On an individual level there are many wonderful lecturers, my DD has one who is still providing as much F2F teaching as she can manage despite undergoing cancer treatment.
But the strike action only hurts students, who can’t even withhold their fees for services not being provided as in the vast majority of cases the fees are paid direct via the SLC.
I don’t know enough about the pensions and pay in universities to comment on the rights/wrongs of the dispute. However, if the bin men strike then the council refunds the fees for bins not collected, so I wish the government /SLC would withhold fees when lecturers strike, it might encourage unions and employers to work harder at finding a solution.
Ps not comparing bin men to lecturers, the former are out in all weathers doing a hard and dirty job. If they fail to empty the bins we all notice the difference very quickly!

Notagardener · 07/11/2021 08:33

DC1 who is now in his 3rd year, missed lectures due to strikes in the months before the pandemic and lockdown started, so only had 1 normal term.
Hoping vary much he doesn't get affected again by strikes.

bendmeoverbackwards · 07/11/2021 08:47

Great news about the house @SeasonFinale and dd also has an essay due in on Tuesday. She started it at home this week. I’m glad the workload is manageable so far. Is your ds applying for the term abroad next year?

Dd knows she wants to live with friends from her halls corridor, they’ve become quite close which is lovely. There’s about 12 of them so will probably split into 2 groups. Have no idea how they find these houses but I suppose they’ll work it out.

BigWoollyJumpers · 07/11/2021 10:02

There seems to be quite a bit of "movability" going in the the student flat market. A couple DD's group saw went really quickly, I assume via holding deposit. Then they reappear a couple of weeks later, due to who knows, finding a better one, falling out with mates, failing the credit check?

DD is now between and betwix her two options, sharing in a five, with one she doesn't like who is a friend of a friend not from her flat, or with BF. Pro's and cons to both.

Exeter is sooooo expensive. Just like London, but without the maintenance uplift. I am beginning to realise how lucky we were with DD1 in Oxford, with her cheap and guaranteed accommodation (sigh).

jano69 · 07/11/2021 10:37

I hear you BWJ. When DS missed his Cambridge offer a few years ago, we had to increase our financial support significantly to compensate for student accommodation in Durham being so much more expensive.

DD seems happy with the 2nd year house she's secured in Durham and so far, no falling outs with her fellow future house mates.

Not hearing much from her at all. Bit cross with her to be honest for her lack of communication.

chopc · 07/11/2021 15:52

So how does the parental guarantee work? Even if you are only the guarantor for your DC, do you not have any liability if for example another student doesn't turn up and does not pay their rent?

OP posts:
bendmeoverbackwards · 07/11/2021 16:42

I had no idea Oxford and Cambridge accommodation was cheaper!

Jng1 · 07/11/2021 17:23

@chopc

So how does the parental guarantee work? Even if you are only the guarantor for your DC, do you not have any liability if for example another student doesn't turn up and does not pay their rent?
I'm afraid in many cases you DO have liability if one student defaults/leaves/doesn't pay - read the contract carefully! In reality it's hard to do anything except accept this though as the agents will just say 'tough, we'll find someone else' and your DC will hate you for embarrassing them and breaking up a house share.

I don't know how often/how easy it is to enforce in reality although I seem to recalling that at least one MNer was faced with this problem!

We faced problems with DS1's 2nd year tenancy as one of the students was still 17 at the time of signing and unable to enter into the contract, so the remaining 4 students had to split the rent between them for the first few months and trust him to pay them back (thankfully he did!)

SeasonFinale · 07/11/2021 18:58

@bendmeoverbackwards No as he is doing a 3 year degree he doesn't want to miss any time in Bristol. He obviously travelled in his gap year and the graduate trainee programmes he hopes to apply to have September and February intakes so he plans to apply to February ones and travel after uni.

He also feels that he won't see much a country other than the town the uni is in so it wouldn't really be "travelling".

Another group of 10 friends have apllybfornthe other part of the semi he has applied for with 9 other so 20 of them next door/same house. Of anyone wishes to AVOID them pm and ai can say where!!

As regards guarantees you really need to take care with wording if it refers to your child's share. Some courts will find that you child's share is the whole if they are jointly and severally liable.

The better way to obtain a limited guarantee is to ensure it is limited to a £ amount equal to your child's rent and state that your liability is discharged once your child has paid that amount. Do ensure that they pay their share direct to the landlord by bank transfer for a trail.

Do not transfer if they get an email or message saying to send to a different account (check emails too to ensure it comes from correct email not a similar one). Scams.

There are some properties still who may not want a guarantor (best case scenario). We have the option of paying rent up front which luckily we can afford to do and this means we will not be required to guarantee at all.

Of course DS would still be liable but generally the landlord will go after parents who probably have cash or assets than penniless students.

The main thing is those who do end up paying for another student's or guarantor's share do have a right of Indemnity against them. This means they owe you that money now and you can sue (and enforce any judgement against them).

chopc · 07/11/2021 19:00

Thanks @Jng1

Apparently there is an insurance you can get ?

www.guarantorinsure.co.uk/?fbclid=IwAR3pcwQstfBioLdbSqPNqO6UIFHf21nOin27mX3TG5g2hBjAar2so6xSCl0

OP posts:
SeasonFinale · 07/11/2021 19:18

Be careful with the insurance and when it will actually pay out and what you may need to do and evidence before they will and the amount it may be limited to as well. They are often not what you expect then to be.

chopc · 07/11/2021 19:58

Do you think there is another way of safeguarding our liability @SeasonFinale ?

OP posts:
BigWoollyJumpers · 08/11/2021 09:42

@chopc

Do you think there is another way of safeguarding our liability *@SeasonFinale* ?
Well, as DD has decided not to do a large flat share, I suspect that this is the only way! In fact, I have come across quite a few students now who are happy to be in a one person flat in student accommodations.

As she will now be sharing with only one other, her BF, and we know his parents, I am pretty relaxed about the rent liability. Not at all the norm, I accept, but as I said above, for all the many cons of sharing with just one other person, there are lots of pros too.

chopc · 08/11/2021 11:05

That's a big step @BigWoollyJumpers . Living with your boyfriend is different from another flatmate no?

But agree pros to having smaller shares as well.

OP posts:
Notagardener · 08/11/2021 11:20

Another reason I was glad dc1 waited till the summer before organising his 2nd year accommodation, he knew they were all likely to continue in year 2, knew his friends better etc.

chopc · 08/11/2021 12:03

Not sure about other Unis but as other freshers "were in a frenzy" about getting sorted out for next year, it stressing DS not to be sorted.

I think it just takes one to get the ball rolling?

OP posts:
Notagardener · 08/11/2021 14:00

yah, I gather that. I remeber when dc1 was in his first term I read simialr, and kept hassling him about it Grin.
For dc2 I decided to leave her alone about it. I did briefly enquire about it, but she said no one was looking.