Active discussions

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

Talk
Higher education

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

Original poster

Annnddd they're off! Uni Starters 2023 Thread.

1000 replies

Titsywoo · 02/09/2023 10:55

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 😬

OP posts:
Thread gallery
11
ninetieseyebrows · 12/10/2023 08:47

@Tabbytabs I've just found joined this thread and catching up, but I wanted to say my DD is in Cardiff (first year) too and is into gigs and vodka! What halls is your DD in? DD has joined the Vinyl society, the alternative music soc, and I believe the feminist Soc. Is your DD in any of those? Perhaps we can sort something out?

Tabbytabs · 12/10/2023 09:04

@ninetieseyebrows she’s in Senghenydd Court, where is your dd? I know she’s joined the Labour Soc and she went to the last vinyl music Soc meet up and will be going to the record fair with them on Sunday. She missed the first alternative music social because she went to see some friends in Bristol, but she does want to get involved.

ninetieseyebrows · 12/10/2023 09:12

Mine's at Ty Pont Haern, she's doing Journalism. Apparently there was only one other girl at the first meet for the alternative music society, so I will point DD in the right direction! Will also tell her to keep an eye out at the record fair. Sounds like they are into the same things so they are bound to find each other but if no joy we can do some mum intervention if you like?

ZittiEBuoni · 12/10/2023 09:19

Sorry to hear about dc who haven't clicked with that one friend or friendship group yet. It's still early days! Easy for me to say though when dd found a great friend right from the hall of res Whatsapp group before they even got there.

A worrying night ahead for me as dd has got herself tickets to a gig in a neighbouring city and is going there alone by train and walking back alone from the station to her hall. It's a short walk but I'm not happy about it. Offered to pay for an uber but she won't. She's stubbornly independent and I'm so worried she'll get herself into a sticky situation as a result one day.

Tabbytabs · 12/10/2023 09:26

@ninetieseyebrows potential friend situation! Dd would be mortified if she thought I’d been interfering, so hopefully they find each other by themselves! Love your user name btw, made me laugh 😂

@ZittiEBuoni my dd does shit like that all the time, she goes to gigs all over the place on her own. All we can do is talk to them about safety and let them get on with it. Dd always has her keys in her hand and knows to kick, gouge and run!

ZittiEBuoni · 12/10/2023 09:41

@Tabbytabs , yes, my dd has had the same drummed into her. She's grown up in a small, relatively safe town living a 5-10 min walk from all the action though, so I don't think she really gets that cities are a different proposition. Tbh I used to do this kind of thing too, so I can't really get too far up on my high horse about it...

(She's going to be in Cardiff btw, maybe she'll bump into your dd on her real ale crawl Grin)

Tabbytabs · 12/10/2023 09:52

@ZittiEBuoni looks like Cardiff is the place to be! Hope she has a good time.

TheOnlyMrsW · 12/10/2023 11:55

Have been lurking (for tips as I spotted this thread looking for something else & DD is still in yr13) but wanted to mention Fuel and Club Ifor Bach to @Tabbytabs in case your DD is into the rockier side of things. I've been to a few gigs on my own and generally had a good time and fallen in with people to chat to!
We're going to the open day in Cardiff in a couple of weeks and I'd truly love for DD to go there as we have lots of friends around and love Wales in general!!! She is also a sarcastic gig-going one but doesn't drink 😊

Motheranddaughter · 12/10/2023 13:05

Cities are not inherently more unsafe than small towns

ZittiEBuoni · 12/10/2023 15:23

It's more the sense of being on home ground than its being a small town @Motheranddaughter . If anything happened here, I'd know where to look and who to ask.

OTOH there is a lot more CCTV in the city.

PatriciaHolm · 12/10/2023 15:24

ninetieseyebrows · 12/10/2023 09:12

Mine's at Ty Pont Haern, she's doing Journalism. Apparently there was only one other girl at the first meet for the alternative music society, so I will point DD in the right direction! Will also tell her to keep an eye out at the record fair. Sounds like they are into the same things so they are bound to find each other but if no joy we can do some mum intervention if you like?

@Tabbytabs @ninetieseyebrows DD is doing media & comms and is in Senghennydd Court, so seems likely that the 3 of them might bump into each other at some point! How funny.

Pourmeanotherwine · 12/10/2023 21:58

DD messaged today to say she cant get home in reading week due to engineering works on the trains, so she's coming home weekend of 20th Oct. Will be nice to see her, it's hard to work out how she really is on video calls.
She seems OK, but is mostly socialising in the daytime with people from her course, and has a lot of time in her room on evenings and weekends. She's quite introverted, and happy in her own company, so may be fine with this. She's not really a party animal but had a small number of close friends ar school. Her course has quite a lot of contact time, so she's out most weekdays, and she has made some friends on her course. She tried a couple of clubs in Freshers week, and may stick with one of them.
It seems really different from her big sister, who was out every night in freshers, but I think she's OK.

DrMadelineMaxwell · 12/10/2023 23:38

Dd is poss coming back for the weekend next week. Partly because I have a ticket to an event she would be interested in going to. But mostly because she misses the cat.

Her flat is set up that there are 7 rooms that share a kitchen. In dd1s one in york the social space was around a huge table. In dd2s one they have a breakfast bar but also a could of sofas and a table for a tv or laptop. So the other day she was replying to me at half 5 and when I asked why so early, she said that her new flatmates had all been our to watch Saw X then all sat in the kitchen having a movie marathon. They have a cinema room they can book to use in their building but were happy chilling in the kitchen.

HasaDiga · 13/10/2023 06:53

I told DS today that if he doesn’t communicate more I am probably going to be so worried that I’m likely to just turn up unannounced on his doorstep. I’ve since had twelve texts!

MirandaWest · 13/10/2023 07:12

DS will be home today as his band has a gig this evening 😊 Will be good to see him for a bit although not sure whether he’ll be here until tomorrow or Sunday

MargaretThursday · 13/10/2023 08:59

HasaDiga · 13/10/2023 06:53

I told DS today that if he doesn’t communicate more I am probably going to be so worried that I’m likely to just turn up unannounced on his doorstep. I’ve since had twelve texts!

🤣🤣🤣

ZittiEBuoni · 13/10/2023 09:38

Nice work, @HasaDiga Grin.

DD survived her solo trip to the gig. She might come home next weekend, might not, but I'm definitely going up to see her in a fortnight (reading week seems to still have 2 lectures in it...).

AnneOfCleavage · 13/10/2023 10:20

Haha @DrMadelineMaxwell DD also coming home for reading week as missing the cat. She set me up with BeReal before she went off and I try and find the cat so he can be in them 😄

@MargaretThursday did your DD go to the WSHIE (sp) Wednesday night SU event? DD went and was impressed by the security before going in but was a late night as she had to then get the bus back to her campus. She had an accommodation check up at 9am so she was dreading the early start but the fire alarm went off at 6am so had an even earlier one. Think it was only a drill too so that was unfortunate. She passed her room check with flying colours - if only she was as diligent with her room at home 😂

Tabbytabs · 13/10/2023 13:20

We have 3 cats, one of them is dd’s. Whenever I video call her she just wants to speak to Richard (the cat). I have to send her lots of videos of his going about his daily business (mostly sleeping and being a general dick).

BiancaBlank · 13/10/2023 14:54

@Tabbytabs That made me laugh. DD2’s communication with me is mainly to ask about the cat and I’m expected to send a picture every day. I’ve now had a photo printed onto a cushion which I will send her so she can give her a cuddle!

Tabbytabs · 13/10/2023 15:52

@BiancaBlank that is such a good idea! I was trying to find a soft toy that looks like him on Amazon earlier, but they didn’t have one with quite the right empty headed look on its face! He is the sweetest boy, but my god he’s stupid!

AnneOfCleavage · 13/10/2023 16:17

@Tabbytabs and @BiancaBlank yes Amazon do these cushions in the shape of your cat in the pic you send them. I took one of our boy lying down with his tail curled round and they popped it onto a cushion so DD has him lying on her bed at Uni so it's like he's there with her. But you can have them sat up or just their face. Not cheap but perhaps a Christmas present.

tribpot · 13/10/2023 16:31

DS will only video call in order to speak to the cat. We communicate all the time via text but only the cat is worthy of actual (although not literal) face time.

Lowther · 13/10/2023 19:08

Loving the cat stories, after a long week you have made me smile.
DD not coming home this weekend. She has been home for the past three weekends. Now on train to Plymouth to catch up with a friend from school. She calls/texts every day but I do not think I will not hear much from her this weekend which will be a good sign. She has settled in well and has become friends with a young girl from different course who she has been out with many times but has admitted to being homesick, hence the daily calls and weekend trips. I'm relaxing a bit more now.

NotDonna · 13/10/2023 19:31

Just love that @HasaDiga
and your cat stories - we have a dog but she doesn’t seem too fussed about him
Im interested in the cushion though @AnneOfCleavage

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Join Mumsnet Log In
This thread is not accepting new messages.