They settle in and we miss them. Uni Starters 2023 - Thread 2

[spamm]

I wanted to get a news thread ready for everyone as you wake up in the Uk.

We are settling into a routine of talking to DS on FaceTime on Sunday mornings after our breakfast, which is early pm his time. It is so nice to see his smile and catch up on how he is doing. I know at some point he will have a bad day, but so far he seems to be doing so well, I am ridiculously proud.

Hope you all have a good week!

So sorry for your loss @Lowther Do check your own policy as pp suggested. Ours, with nationwide building society, covers DD’s. If not, then she only needs contents insurance to cover her things.
DD hasn’t been given any summer reading or study. She probably only has 9hrs a week when she’s there! Not sure if it’ll crank up a bit in 2nd year.

That's ok, I worked it out

Hey long time no posting. DD back to uni next weekend so just over a week left of her summer.
Got a query. Wondered if anyone else has had similar with their DC: DD has been told that she has to register to vote in her Uni town otherwise she will be fined - does that sound right?
Her house share mate got a letter whilst staying there had sent off all their email addresses (with their permission) and now DD has got the email stating she MUST register. She's registered here at home and has voted twice in elections since turning 18 so doesn't want to lose her home voting status. Anyone else had this with their YP?
@MargaretThursday - has your DD had anything through as it's the same Uni?

That's really strange @AnneOfCleavage - per Electoral Commission: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections/who-can-vote/students

Students can actually legitimately vote twice in some elections - local ones obviously!

I checked this page for all the UK countries.

So DD can register in both home and uni locations, but surely there is no requirement that she do so?

What did her flatmate send back, was it from the register of electors? The thing we all get once a year from the council to confirm who lives in the house and is eligible to vote?

@AnneOfCleavage
Dd's going back tomorrow, and as far as I know hasn't had anything like that. But tribpot is right, they can register in both places as dd1 did.

Thank you @tribpot that's very interesting, seems she can do both but doesn't have to. I've just asked her and she has decided to register at the uni one too. She's not sure what the housemate did just that she was asked for her email address to register to vote as a form had come through - assume card polling cards.

Hope your DD settles into 2nd year okay @MargaretThursday - when is her first day back? DD's is 16th so going up Sat 14th.

Dd's going up to rehearse. The 2nd year students do a showcase for the first ones, and she's involved in that. I think their first day is 16th too.

Thanks for brining they up Anne and to those posting responses I didn't know that.

DS doesn't have any lectures until 23rd.

DD went back on Tuesday, having left her mobile phone in a nightclub on Monday...nice work, dd .

The house is fine, I took many, many pictures. The door buzzer doesn't work and DD does not have a set of keys, despite the first flatmate to move in picking them all up from the agency. Nobody has any idea where they might be. She's using a spare front door key for now but has no room key. I've nagged her to log this with the agency but doubt she will somehow.

Anyway, the house is in decent repair, has all the relevant safety features, is not damp or mouldy, so that's all good. Her room will be perishing in the winter with its rattly single-glazed sash window but that's life in a grade 2 listed building, I guess.

I had no idea about the vote register x2 either. DD starts lectures on 23rd but going up on Tuesday as wants to be there for Freshers. Her friend is running a cLib session and has asked DD to go along so ppl realise you don’t need to be any good! 🤣

So he'd gone back to uni - fingers crossed. Academically he had a good year but he's a bit of an introvert so had difficulty being 'in the thick of it' and didn't see many parties.

This year we have told him to be kind to himself, smile, make small talk, take a chance - ask people over for a pizza and beer night, join clubs and be an enthusiastic member!

Not sure what else... when moving him in the 'kids' were all so friendly and keen (all saying hi to me and offering to help me lug bags etc). I know as a teen I would have been very nervous to speak to them and would feel like they all weren't interested in me at all (another introvert - also shy!) so I'm not the best one to advise him...

Anything I've missed?

Ant why didn't anyone tell me it was just as horrible waving him off in year 2???🥲

Is he in a house share, @HoneyButterPopcorn ? Are his housemates people he knew from year 1 or is he thrown in with strangers again?

It is indeed just as hard saying goodbye in year 2. Although I must admit popped up to see DD yesterday, 2 weeks after she moved into her new house (good excuse - she needed her keyboard stand, which she'd sworn she wouldn't when we packed, but has now been offered a gig opportunity in a pub). It was lovely to see her and she's glowing with general busyness (and what seems like the start of a promising new relationship) but it was awful leaving her on her doorstep again...

DS went back on Monday - he drove himself there which felt a bit odd (although did take up less of my time!) He's in a house share with people he knows from last year. Am hoping he meets some other people and does other things too though - last year at the beginning of the year he didn't really as his girlfriend was at the same university. They split up before Christmas and then he was in hospital for a while with an IBD flare.

But the medication he's on now seems to be working well at the moment which is good :)

Plus he'll be back in about 2 weeks for a gig here.

DD has also gone off to university now - she is much further away and needed two trips due to accommodation not being ready for freshers' week. Am hoping to see her again in November

Ahh reassuring to read that others have also found dropping off in year 2 equally hard. I was welling up in the car on the way up trying to hide it but it all came out and I think it kinda made DD braver as she was so sweet to me. She'd had a small cry that morning as she said goodbye to her boyfriend so think she'd got it through her system.
We took her up Saturday and after 20mins helping her unpack had to set off for home as had an event to get to so we will visit properly in a couple of weeks. She started lectures on Monday and has a full week timetable - last year they had a day off per week.
It is definitely easier this year though as she'd moved in semi before and knows so many people and where to go and there's no pressure to do Fresher stuff to make friends. Her house share is for 6 and only 4 of them are in so far as the other two don't start til next week so will arrive this weekend. DD's 40min showers (her words) will have to be sped up 🤣

We are taking the train with Ds tomorrow to London for his second year. So glad he has a lovely flat and flatmates to go to. Although, I haven’t seen it in person yet! There will be some traipsing around tomorrow with big bags and then to IKEA and supermarket etc. turns out his bed is a European double, madness!

Arghhhh just having a little vent here! Ds did not come home he landed halls over the summer and was working a lot in London. He and his mate left it until now to get housing sorted which was looking ok but has just fallen through due to unscrupulous estate agents! He's fuming.

I mean I know he will get somewhere. His uni offered him halls again which might still be possible. He earns £40k (a bit more currently but he's giving up one of his jobs to concentrate on uni) plus SFE full loan. But nobody is in a position to guarantor him or his mate so it's trickier than he thought.

He works so hard (he's currently living with his girlfriend who complains about his 24/7 job but ds loves it). He will get somewhere and perhaps be a bit more savvy next year! Plus he's an adult and I need to try to step back. (Not a chance).

@MirandaWest I remember your ds' IBD (ds' friend has UC) I'm so glad his medication has seen improvement.

That sounds very frustrating @stilldumdedumming hopefully will all work out OK.

DS has UC - is such a horrible thing

I don't know about seeing them off on Y2 because that hasn't happened. But I think I know what you mean. My dp is quite distant from his dcs so I do have to keep telling myself that I am ok to do things differently. But I am in no way ready to let ds go. He calls me every day. Sometimes more than once! I don't want that to end. I am still a big part of his life and I don't care if dp thinks that's wrong!

After the absolute shit show of a year dd had last year, she is living at home this year. She starts back on Monday and with her sports training is set for a very busy year.

Ds is still here. On one hand it feels like a really long time off between terms, on the other once they go they really do go.

He has been great tbh. Lots of restaurant work which is ace, a holiday and seeing friends. Old school friends and work friends plus back to a house share with new uni ones.

He's really into cooking well so we had a really nice time with his restaurant level tips on how to cook stuff

Really is a nice stage in life

Evening. I've been looking for a thread like this. DD goes to uni tomorrow (first year). I have been feeling really positive and excited for her, but all of a sudden this evening the reality of it all has hit me hard, and I am feeling very sad. Any words of wisdom most gratefully received.

Have a look at the 'sense of loss' thread (ignoring the argument!) and 'uni starters'

Thank you! An argument? On mumsnet?? Never! 😉

Currently settling ds into his new shared apartment. Just letting others know that there are no pillows in Hammersmith IKEA - and it's full of students and parents looking for them 😂