Getting ready to send them off!

[Maggiethecat]

Have been doing lists of things to be done before Dd goes off but must admit there's a bit of burying head in sand going on.

What are you doing to help prepare Dc/yourself ahead of the move (practical/logistics or indeed emotional preparation )

Us too, could only find packs of utensils some of which there's no way DS would use them! Asda is great for cheap kitchen stuff

@KittyMcKitty - mine is off to Manchester too and now results are in, it's feeling real. We don't know about accommodation yet but hopefully that will come through on the next week or so?

Back in the day I was in catered halls so didn't need much stuff - sounds like the car will be very full!

@GU24Mum which course?

my dc is in Oak House - all those with confirmed places were allocated mid July (I think it was) - they randomly allocate from the 5 preferences they put down - all his were Fallowfield but Oak House was his bottom preference.

a friend whose dc went last September said they didn’t get the accomodation allocations until I think September.

I think last year some were allocated Victoria Park halls even though they’d only put Fallowfield on the list.

English Lit. She tells me she's applied to one of the "fun" halls?!?!

What's yours studying?!

Haha Oak House is the fun hall - if you haven’t seen it it is reminiscent of a dilapidated prison - there is no plaster on the walls inside - they are breeze blocks painted pale green!

my sons doing Philosophy and Politics.

@Finawelesca @Maggiethecat Below are some pics we took of the boxes. the cushions she squidged in. Boot had some more boxes and suitcase.

@sammyjoanne - OMG! just as well we aren't driving down, the temptation would be too great.

She can take her favourite teddy and the rest she can buy when there!! 😂

@sammyjoanne yep, completely normal car load. I think before they do it, people massively underestimate how much stuff you actually need. We did a dummy pack to see how it would all fit in the car with 4 of us travelling too.

@Maggiethecat realistically that is a normal car load so this is what you will be buying and collecting when there. There are lots of videos on YouTube showing what people pack and loading cars up. I have a son, so no twinkly lights, no plants, nothing that I think is excessive. He has 2 blue Ikea bags of kitchen stuff not over full but it is the weight of things that make us divide it up. But he literally has 2 pans - one saucepan one frying pan, one large plate, one small plate, one bowl, cutlery is 2 of each thing. Chopping board, baking tray, measuring jug, cheese grater, bread knife, chef's knife, tupperware - several of these, 2 cups, 2 glasses. We also did an Ikea plastic tubs with herbs and spices, oven gloves too. There is other stuff too but we went through it back in early June when he came home so I can't remember everything. When you start stacking all of this between tea towels it starts to take up room.

We used 2 blue Ikea bags for the bed. The pillow took up most of one. Duvet which we left in the original packaging to keep it vacuum packed, mattress protector, sheets, duvet cover and he did take a throw for his bed. Then all bathroom stuff like bath towels (not even bath sheets like we have at home, easier to launder) tweezers, nail clippers, cleaning supplies if they have an en-suite, toiletries etc. It is a lot. Ds only took 4 pairs of shoes. That is all. Still had a full car with a large suitcase with all his clothes, underwear, pyjamas. Oh and desk stuff, pens, notepads, plus laptop etc.

Maybe an overfull cars means you can leave behind the family members who may cause arguments We had a dummy pack about 2 weeks before going so knew it all fitted in. We had packed it early so could see how much stuff there was. Luckily Ds didn't have to empty his room over Christmas or Easter, hopefully your DD won't have to either.

If Ds had got his firm choice we were planning to move him in by train - so just take his clothes, order a bedding pack from uni & buy some kitchen stuff when we got there.

He got his insurance instead & it’s a bit closer so am now planning to drive. Once we find out which accommodation has been allocated I’ll buy a duvet but will use covers & sheets we’ve already got if I can.

He’s not into cooking (unlike his older brother who took a box of baking equipment!) so kitchen stuff will be minimal.

I popped into the pound shop yesterday and got some baking sheets and a chopping board. He can take cutlery and some other bits we have to spare. Will check the charity shops for plates so that they are distinctive

@Decorhate I'm intrigued - does his uni offer a bedding pack? which uni is it?

@Maggiethecat Leeds do, which was his firm. Haven’t looked at Sheffield as we will be driving now so can bring one with us.

I would guess that most unis do to assist international students

Yes Bristol offer kitchen, bedding and bathroom packs. When we went on one of the open days, one of the speakers was from Belfast and just arrived with a suitcase by plane so they can be very useful I imagine in those circumstances.

Oh that's useful to know - dd is off to Bristol too.

I think they all do - they’re quite pricey with no guarantee of quality though.

hiw about doing an Argos order to collect at local Sainsburys? Would be more economical then JL (especially as high probably of stuff being broken, lost or trashed)

That's a really good idea.

We’ve done the IKEA shop although still have a few bits to get. We’re planning on driving to the city the day before her move in date and have a family day/night there with a hotel stay. Her move in time is 1pm the Sunday so once we’ve helped her get her stuff in we can leave her to get settled and I can cry all the way home 🫣

DD also off to Manchester, Victoria Park in her case (also older & applied with grades in hand) I haven't done anything at all so far other than provide a sympathetic ear on the phone as she's been working away.

To be honest I was mostly expecting to provide transport, I figure dd will collect up what she wants to take & then get any extras once she's living there. She's on a whatsapp group with others from her hall, but only a small number signed up so far & no-one from her flat - she's hoping that will change & potentially they can do a bit of co-ordination & avoid a 3-toastie-makers-no-loaf-tins sort of situation (though she says there's kettle, toaster etc provided in the kitchen which helps).

Fortunately I have a van which means less space constraint, though not looking forwards to parking / moving in experience - hopefully not everyone will go the same day, I don't know how that works but assuming she will sort.

Going on past experience when she moved out to work last January, I am fully expecting to discover after she's there that various items of my clothing and kitchen equipment have decided they want to go to uni too

@Sadik what subject is she studying? There is an App which lots seem to be using - I can’t remember the name but ds described it as “a bit like a dating app and it’s a bit shit as it has no search function “ - it’s not Manchester specific. Anyway he found someone in his flat on it.

We kitted out what little DD needed from household spares, charity shops, supermarket. Expecting similar for DS. I need to teach him how to use washing machine, actually.

Theres a video on how to use circuit laundry somewhere

The app gives very clear instructions

1. open the door

and so on! It also tells you which machines are in use / empty etc - very swish!

no worries about ds with laundry- he’s had to find and use laundrettes in far flung places during his gap year so is well versed!

We have

booked accommodation
shopped at Ikea for essentials
bought the books suggested
applied for a student bank account
bought a student railcard, they’re on offer at trainline
booked a meningitis jab

we are staying at uni town for a few days to settle dc in

She's studying Linguistics @KittyMcKitty I'll suggest she looks out for the app if the whatsapp / fb groups don't pick up - I suspect it may just be that those who only got results through this thurs aren't confirmed yet.

Hopefully she'll figure out when she wants to go up shortly then I can book overnight accommodation, it's about a 5 hour drive for us.

I'm abroad but in same place. Dd has her place accepted to read History and last week we signed up for a studio appartment a few mins walk from the faculty. It's currently filthy and inhabited by a potential serial killer, but they promise me it will be thoroughly cleaned. She gets a kitchenette and en suite. I've ordered some micro-biological odour remover. 🤑

She's been working away most of the summer but is home next week so we will do an Ikea run then. I have spare shelves/kallax units she can take. Will buy a mattress as the one there looks about 2 inches thick but will fit under the bed for sleepovers. New bedding/towels/kitchenware as she's excited to choose everything. It's only about an hour away so we agreed we would take necessities the first trip and then see what is still needed.

I am used to her not being home, but already starting to fret a tiny bit that she will be off entirely on her own for the first time. Shared halls were long gone. Her accommodation is in a student block with nice communal spaces though.