Annnddd they're off! Uni Starters 2023 Thread.

[Titsywoo]

Hi all,

I thought I'd start a different thread as the Alevels and beyond one is more geared to remarks and clearing at this point so didn't want to start derailing that with chat off packing and freshers week.

How is everyone getting on with helping their DC prepare and the idea that soon they will be moving away?

My DD is off to Cardiff to read psychology so will be about 3.5 hours drive away. I'm both nervous and excited for her right now! Packing is going well - pretty much all stuff has been bought and the induction pan set should arrive today. There is a large pile on the landing which keeps growing as we think of extra bits.

Due to a very lucky spot by me when scrolling Tiktok DD has found and been added to the Cardiff Psychology year 1 snapchat group. From that she got chatting to some others who aren't massively into drinking or clubbing and they have another chat for people who want to do other things than clubbing. They are organising meeting for some of the SU 'Give it a go' events such as an escape room and Ikea trip! Dd has also persuaded a couple of people to join the Hookers society with her (for crocheting! 😄).

Dd had a terrible time with bullying and social isolation from year 5 till the end of sixth form so I am praying this is the new start where she finally finds her tribe 🤞🙏

Looking forward to hearing how everyone's DC is getting on and how the first few weeks are for them. Not long to go now! DD leaves in 20 days 😬

Final day of packing here for us. Feeling various emotions I must admit.

@DrMadelineMaxwell This sounds extremely similar to where we're dropping dd off tomorrow (central Bristol). If so, is the multi-storey hideously expensive? We were going to pay for 3 hours, do lunch and check out the locale etc.

Just back from dripping him off. Blubbing like a baby now. He comes to the door when I come home ‘hi mum’ and it’s just dawned on me that he probably won’t really be living here any more. I guess it will be dorms and student rents, then a place of his own.

I do miss him and know when I get home from work on Monday I’ll miss his ‘hi mum, how was work. Wanna cuppa tea?’ 😭

I wouldn't worry, with how expensive property is after Uni he'll be back home and you probably won't get rid of him for another 15 years 😆 I'm with you on the tea thing though. Dd often gets up and offers to make me one. She's going to have to make me one last cuppa this afternoon 😢

@ZittiEBuoni It is cheaper at the weekend so about £8 for 3 hours.

We have unpacked. And shopped to fill her fridge and freezer space. Now onto last minute faffing before hopefully some lunch!

They have a waffle stand in the foyer with free tea or coffee which is cute.

I got back about an hour ago. A long round trip for me, c. 7 hours' driving total. We got a 2 hour slot for parking on campus, which I now see is insanely generous 😂I may say it wasn't busy at all yesterday so I overstayed my slot and snuck back on to campus at 6:30 this morning to take DS to Tesco.

The most fortuitous thing about the whole trip was forgetting to take a bath towel. This meant we had to go and buy one and that meant we had to try and figure out the launderette. I knew from the app reviews and the comments online that this laundry system (used by most unis I think) was a bag of crap - and indeed it was. I am SO pleased that we tackled this straight away, and whilst I was still there rather than having to do remote tech support from 150 miles away.

So my top laundry tips, if your DC has a Circuit laundry:

1. Using an RFID card is easier than registering for the app. At DS' uni the laundry is opposite the security building and the security guards are the keepers of the cards.
2. If you use an RFID card, you then have to buy credit and redeem that at before you can use it.
3. You must then ignore the instructions which are printed up on big posters, and read the instructions printed in small letters on the card reader.
4. If you do use the app, it will tell you your password must include one upper case letter, one lower case letter, one number and one special character. What it won't tell you is that the only special characters it accepts are ! and ? - all other special characters will be rejected with an error message that doesn't explain this.

Anyway, after all that it was nearly time for the first move-on slot of the day so I knew that I had chanced my arm for as long as I could reasonably hope to in terms of parking on site, so we said a quick farewell and I was on my way. I weirdly wasn't too sad, I think because I'd been there for 18 hours all told, sorted out all the major tech issues, seen DS' room after he'd lived in it for a night.

It's strange being home, too quiet.

DD isn't going until next week. We have a large box of things to take. I have a horrible feeling she's going to produce a list of "desperate" items late on Friday night next week.

DD also off to York tomorrow, her time slot is 1pm. She's just packing/dying her hair with a mega hangover after her works leaving do last night. She's going to her dad's this evening and he's driving her up tomorrow, while me and hubby are driving her stuff up. Hoping desperately to keep it together at least until we leave. She's very excited which is helping.

Still got DD2 here who has just started ALevels at college. All change, it's so weird

Dd has just told me she’s going to London in an hour for a club night and is getting the first train back in the morning, so tomorrow will be a write off. That leaves 3 days to get everything sorted. She certainly does like to test my sanity!

Thanks for this. I am currently providing remote laundry support for ds 😂. Currently weighing up the risk of machine washing various new items of clothing he bought before he left. Haven’t quite got as far as the laundry itself but it is a circuit one I think. I’ve asked him to WhatsApp me the machine options so I can suggest the best. Not even thought about the paying aspect.

He'll need his own Paypal account @IWillNoLie - this is why I'm quite glad that in the end I set up an account with Circuit myself so I can now top it up remotely. The password is the worst bit, but depending on connectivity trying to start a wash from the app may be somewhat painful. It's very similar to EV charging, it always works more easily with an RFID card because there's no internet connection required. (Although I managed a flawless EV charge in the pre-dawn using the app as the signal was unusually good).

@IWillNoLie
Mine uses my PayPal for Circuit. One of the Mum-perks 😂

Apparently the laundry was full so the exercise has been abandoned

I should add to my 'laundry guide' "go at 8am". That said, surely not many people have laundry to do yet??

Another one here for York tomorrow. All DS's stuff is in the living room and they will be gone by 6am as it's a 6 hour drive. DH is sharing the driving and staying over with a mate. I will be distracting myself all day with work.

We're York tomorrow too! Hoping traffic will be slightly quieter than on a Saturday 🤞

Been keeping busy. Made a huge go at tidying his room which hasn’t seen a hoover for years by the looks of it. Too sad to cook (I know) and managed to order his ‘usual’ too (duh) by clicking ‘order again’ by mistake. Fine, it will freeze ok though.

I stayed at home when I was a student and so did DH (and my sisters and brother - and my dad for that matter). Was that more common back in the olden days?

My cousin's ds is going to university in his home town and will live at home, @BabyStopCryin . Makes a lot of sense from COL POV. We don't have that option - no university towns or cities within commutable distance down here in the sticks.

Just treated generous MIL and uncle to a last-night meal to say thanks for all their support over the years. Everyone a bit emotional now (except dd who is hitting the town with her mates...)

We live round the corner from Southampton uni, but dd wanted to go away. It seems like such a waste living so close to a RG uni and not using it, but that's the decision she made. I would've preferred her to stay at home, but alas. It's such a lovely campus too!

i seemed to be driving round much of York today (I live here 😃) and there were lots of cars very full with things so lots of students being dropped off). Am considering running through campus tomorrow morning so if anyone is there and seems a Middle Aged woman in colourful clothing that will be me 😃

DS sent me a text earlier on saying he’d had “a bit of an L”. I worried while he sent the next message and it turned out when he packed his glasses (he was wearing contact lenses yesterday) one of the lenses had popped out and he thought it was on the floor in his room.

it was. Have now posted it to him - have done it signed for so he should get an email from the reception at his halls to go and collect it either Monday or Tuesday.

Dropped DD at Sheffield today. She’s my youngest of 3 and her brother moved to London a couple of weeks ago for a grad job. Feeling it a bit right now as it’s been a double whammy. My family of 5 reduced to 2 (and the occasional visits from DS1) She’s already out tonight which is great - I’m so proud of her but I’m feeling it tonight.

Gosh, everyone seems to be on the move. 2 weeks still to go for ds and, as we are busy all next weekend, he started thinking about his list today. Plenty of time yet, but I imagine it will go quickly.

DD2 is off tomorrow. all packed and ready to go to Reading uni. It will be tough but I am excited for her. Shes got a lovely mentor and shes chatted online to 4 of her 9 other housemates and they seem really nice. One is moving in the same time and hes from Toronto. Its going to be a tiring day, up at 6, and dont see us back until gone 6pm.

Dropped dd off at York today. She had a bit of a wobble a few days ago, but has been in touch with a lot of people on the group chat for her college, and seemed pretty chilled out today. Lots of helpful 2nd and 3rd years around too. It all went really smoothly!