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 😬

Whaaat?'!! Surely there'll be student riots if there's no kettle for the pot noodles?! Hopefully they'll be allowed to buy their own if there's none in the kitchen!

It states that cooking implements aren’t allowed in their rooms, but it says nothing about bringing things to go in the kitchen.

Are any Cardiff students in Senghennydd Court? It looks like a prison 🤣

Toasters were banned from my halls - back in the day - too easy to set the fire alarms off due to burning toast resulting in a mass evacuation, a fire brigade visit and increase in uni's insurance premium

If I remember correctly when DD1 started at royal Holloway four years ago they had an electrician come round during the first few weeks to test their electrical devices and put a sticker on them to say it was safe.
Can't remember what it what called but DDs air fryer still has the sticker attached 😂

PAT testing I think. My.phone charger has a nice purple sticker as they came round at work when I was at lunch and had left it plugged in in my office.

Can I ask if anyone has opened a student bank account without a passport? Ds is running into problems. He has an expired passport and a citizen card but no current passport or driving licence.

Toasters are provided in dd's kitchen, I assume that's why one of the hall reviews grumbles about 'too many fire alarms'...

I've finally convinced her to contact the GP about her endless cough and cold, hope it can get sorted if anything needs doing.

Just had an email from the Music department at her school - they want to request the papers back to look them over. (As I don't expect anyone to remember, everyone in her group got 1/2 grades lower than predicted.)

Yep! Not very appealing are they - we saw them on open day so she does have an idea what it'll be ;-) They are much more convenient for her subject though than Talybont.

@Titsywoo DD is a crocheter too so I'll have to ask her if she's found that club! She's not into drinking/parting either. She seems to have found her flatmates in Insta, there is an excel going round with everyone's details.

Hi all
Wondered if anyone has marked all their equipment with their YP initials?
I've heard things tend to go missing in halls and ending up in other people's rooms! Thinking of etching pans and stuff with my Dremmel!

I've managed to buy some odd distinctive plates and stuff from charity shops so hopefully not a problem with those!

Good point @YellowWindmill I will get the permanent marker out.

PAT testing is done in DS' halls in the first couple of weeks, so everything with a plug will need testing.

We went to the offer holder day, not the open day, so the halls were an interesting surprise! We only looked online once she’d been offered accommodation. She was screwing about not having en-suite or a parking space, but she’ll get over it! I think the proximity to town makes up for how squalid it is!

Dd is a bit of a party girl (gigs more than clubbing, but she loves a good piss up) hopefully she’ll find her people.

That was meant as a reply to @PatriciaHolm but my phone is playing up

Anyone's DC starting at Bristol? DS is there for MSci Chemistry and has a place at Wills (catered) so thank goodness I'm not having to buy a whole load of kitchen equipment this year at least - just a few mugs and a kettle, plus bedding and whatnot.
We're booked into drop him off on Friday 15th prior to the 'freshers fortnight' - it was a week in my day.
Are there any Bristol WhatsApp chats or freshers wristband type things we should know about? He's not a clubber but he does enjoy a few pints and will want to find his tribe.

Hi - DS starts in two weeks at Bristol! We had the same issue with Santander - he deferred so they changed his account to a current and no appointments until he goes - wtf! They made us wait in branch for 20 mins to tell us that. Will have to do it in December - luckily he’s worked all year so won’t be overdrawn.

@YellowWindmill and @tribpot not sure if you're joking or not 😁 Please don't put their name on things. They are adults, not starting primary. If they've got really important stuff, keep it in their rooms.

@PatriciaHolm ooh lovely my DD has found a couple of other crocheters which has made her happy! If your DD wants to be added to a snapchat group for freshers who aren't into drinking/clubbing my DD will happily add her. Just message me on here and I can give her Instagram and they can get it contact that way. No worries if she isn't interested.

Thanks @AnneOfCleavage - I know it sounds awful but I kind of wish DD would break up with her boyfriend as I find him a bit controlling and he is a right know it all which I think would put off new friends if she takes him out with her. I've chatted with her about doing things on her own at first as noone likes it when someone always brings their boyfriend and he is doing a placement year abroad next year so she very much needs her own friends.

To be fair, eldest DD ended up marking any kitchen things she didn't want to walk/ people to mistakenly claim, with a bright pink nail varnish blob/ initial letter. She'd also agreed to buy the first ( v cheap) communal flat kettle and toaster and she marked them too - so that if and when they died a death it wouldn't be forgotten that it was someone else's turn to provide. She decided on this after she'd moved in and got a feel for all her flatmates( v large self catered flat). Sounds petty but there are enough bigger things to fall out about when you are living in close proximity to hormonal and often alcohol fuelled strangers.

@clopper thanks - I'm glad your DD managed to find some friends. It is so very hard on them (and us) when they are bullied and excluded. The amount of tears from both of us was endless. I managed to persuade her to have counselling for a year which helped and she seems ok now but seems to just be a bit numb to it all. When she can't find friends she says she is just used to it now and doesn't expect anything more than that 😞

Fingers crossed though!

DS is off to art college in Dundee on the 9th. He's very excited. He's my youngest but I'm excited for him and looking forward to having a bit more headspace and flexibility in my life.

Hi @Penelope1703 , dd is off to Bristol too, haven't heard anything about a wristband but she has joined a whatsapp group for her hall (not Wills but sure they would have something similar).

@Tickledtrout that's fair enough. And it was her decision 🙂

Mine’s off too in a week or so. Nooooo! He’s my baby !

@stilldumdedumming DD opened one with Nationwide and she tried scanning her passport in but our PC camera was rubbish so it wasn't accepted so the application took a little longer to go through as I guess they had to verify her some other way. Could you try scanning the expired passport and see if it works or skip it and see if it still goes through. Opening a Nationwide account was so super easy and you get £100 when you deposit £500 - DD not done that yet. Her card came in the post a couple of days later.

@ZittiEBuoni oooh good luck with the music re-mark 🤞🤞🤞

@Titsywoo is your DD very dependant on her boyfriend? If she's struggled to make friends at school and he knows this then he has the upper hand and she may feel totally reliant on him because of this. Once at Uni she will find so many different friends and you're so right that she'll need to rely less on him esp if he's off for a year. I had mixed feelings re DD breaking up with hers (he is such a sweet, kind lad who DH and I liked v much) but she said she felt she'd be constantly checking in with him and possibly choosing to FaceTime him rather than hang out in halls. Not the easiest decision as she also liked the idea of having a familiar routine of messaging him /FaceTiming etc as going to Uni is totally out of her comfort zone.
I hope whatever her decision your DD is happy and has a wonderful Uni experience.

@AnneOfCleavage (excellent name!) yes I'll ask him. There must be a way. My mum and my dp both have no passport or driving licence. Pretty certain two of my brothers are the same.