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 😬

She’s always been the less confident one, DD1 couldn’t wait to go and loved it though she has shared that she was really scared but she just doesn’t tend to show it and really wanted to go. With DD2 , she’ll worry about everything that might not be good!! She’s a sociable girl, loves a night out though probably more pubs than clubs. She’s looking forward to playing some sports and joining some societies. I think she’s heard lots of negative experiences of people in flats and not getting along and that is playing on her mind.

@43ontherocksporfavor my DD has voiced similar concerns, which really isn’t a bad thing! Moving away IS hard. What course is she doing? There maybe a social media grouping for that?

@FriendlyLaundryMonster I suspect from your description that my DS also has got the same hall at the same uni. Good to know if another person going there.

@newbegi Hi! It's quite exciting now that accommodation has actually been allocated. What course is your ds doing?

DD still hasn't found out who is in her flat yet and although she hasn't said it yet I can tell she is worried. She has already found a couple of societies she might want to join and has bought gig tickets for the week she starts, so she should be ok. I don't know what I'm going to do without her!

Does she have the excel that is going round with names per flat on it? If not PM and I'll get DD to send it to her.

@Lordofmyflies - My DD is off to Exeter too. She didn’t even go to private school ;-)
What is your DS studying?

Oh my goodness @blametheparents how dare they let her in!

Am I the only one who was curious about all these Exeter comments so had to go and have a read of the thread 😆

@MermaidEyes and that's 5 minutes of your life you're never getting back 🤣

I'm going to have to look it now aren't I? 😂

@lastdayatschool 😆

@MirandaWest only worth it if you want to read yet another MN diatribe about independent schools vs. state schools

DS1 spent most of yesterday dealing with registration stuff ready to start at Lancaster. He’s had a bit of a roller coaster few weeks having unexpectedly decided to reject his place at Durham.. Time will tell whether that was a wise decision but he’s happy with it. My landing is filling up with all the uni stuff! I’m not sure how we will fit it all into the car!

@NotDonna - I’ve bought her Le Creuset tableware so she’ll fit right in! 😂😂
To be clear (as things don’t come across correctly online) I haven’t - she’s got a mix of IKEA, spare stuff from home and Dunelm stuff like everybody else!

She has just checked it and no-one else in her flat is on it yet. Before I moved into halls I was emailed a list of everyone in my flat, I guess that's not done any more.

I feel like everyone else is going shopping for new things. I'll be sending DD with some of our spare crockery and cutlery and I just bought her a rug from the car boot sale! I bought her new pillows and some storage boxes, but everything else is hand me down, second hand or something she already had.

@blametheparents 🤣🤣 you really had me there for a minute!!

We got sent a list of everyone in our accommodation block with home address too - I think under GDPR they can't do that without permission.

Dd's going with a mixture of new things, things that were new when dd1 went to uni and doesn't use now, and old.

We just found out that the student in the room next door to DS… is one of his mates from school. What are the odds?

DD has her room number now and is feeling a bit more excited. She’s joined the uni facebook and college one. We have most things but catered anyway. It’s a weird catering arrangement as no lunch and no weekend meals. When DD1 was catered at Durham it was 3 meals a day, 7 days a week.

I think my hall at uni was the same as DD's @43ontherocksporfavor . It was about 5 miles from the uni campus and so not enough people were there at lunchtime for it to be worth catering anything. Weekends, though - I feel like they did provide food then. Do they have half-decent cooking facilities? If not are they meant to live on sarnies all weekend?

@WednesdaysPlaits my older one is at Lancaster. It's a great uni. I'm sure he'll have a brilliant time.

Can I hop over from the alevels thread?

Dd is going to Sheffield on the 17th. She ended up there through clearing but it was actually a close called between Sheffield and Newcastle (she went with Newcastle) for her insurance choice so she was delighted when her course at Sheffield was in clearing and they would accept her with slightly shuffled round grades.

Dd is one of six and I've been up to my eyeballs with them all and going back to school so we've earmarked next Thursday to go and do the big uni shop. I'm taking her older brother to help out with what she will actually use. He said a door stop was one of the best things he took so her could wedge his door open in the early days when he was getting to know people.

Dd went over to Sheffield last week and the lovely people on reception at her building took her up to have a look around her flat and see her bedroom.

@tribpot no she’s on campus and they have a big kitchen in the accommodation too. She’s a good cook but just a bit odd I think.

I'm running out of room in the dining room and several parcels have arrived with uni stuff in. Dd has spent the last day or so organising last minute prescription renewals and appointments and is v under the weather with a cold.

One last weekend at home then moving to her halls. The parking is over the road in a multi storey car park. I'm debating getting something like this to make moving all her stuff less painful! I have memories about how knackered we were after lugging all of Dd1s stuff when she moved in to York!