Anyone else’s DC having a wobble?

[AvonCallingBarksdale]

We’re taking DS up to Uni on Saturday 17th. He’s got into his first choice, has got his place in halls, all good… but I think he’s feeling really overwhelmed right now. He’s just come back from a week away with mates which is taking a long time to recover from 🙄 but seems to have lost his pizazz in terms of uni. Not really interested in stuff we’ve bought for his room etc and a bit “I’ll see when i get there” re Freshers activities. I think he’s probably very nervous now it’s less than a week away - I’ve told him it’s completely normal to feel apprehensive but that he just needs to throw himself into it.
I’m struggling with the thought of my 18yo precious first born going as it is so I guess in my mind I want it all to be brilliant all the time for him (unrealistic I know 😀). It’s the older version of imagining your child being on the friendship bench at primary school 😭
Anyone else???

1. Sometimes they prefer familiar things for their rooms.
2. There is a frenzy to sign up for things, but actually there is a whole army of young people who don't. Going to uni doesn't change their underlying personality. If they were happy playing dungeons & dragons at home rather than going to Spoons, they still will be when they go away.

Don't fret, your DS will be fine.

Thank you! A lot of it is my own stuff re him going and struggling with this next bit of (totally normal) letting go 😀.

What is the friendship bench?

@SimonAndGarthsUncle there’s a bench in lots of primary school playgrounds that you can sit on if you need someone to play with but aren’t sure how to find someone/ don’t have someone so need a bit of assistance.

I think it is one thing to apply to uni to imagine this life you will have there, imagine results day etc and then the actual results day happens, the giddiness of it all and getting into uni and then suddenly the reality of what you have been thinking about for over a year is now happening in a week or whatever.

Ds is introvert and threw himself into fresher's stuff, even clubbing which he had never done. More likely he and his mates at home would go to Spoons, eat, drink and chat. Has been clubbing twice since but is not really bothered about it. Everyone is looking to make friends and will just chat to random people, even Ds did it when you just recognised a face in a crowd. Even if people appear really confident they could be bricking it under the surface.

It is a huge thing to go to uni and it is understandable to worry as a parent. We just set up a weekly facetime and messaged throughout the week. He messaged back with meals he was having, events he was going to, just kept communication open.

I think it will be harder for you with his empty room and life just going on without him being there. That was the hardest thing for us.