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Original poster

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

886 replies

spamm · 16/10/2023 02:25

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!

OP posts:
Takeittotheboss · 01/09/2025 12:40

Hi, not been on the thread for ages, but good to hear all the updates. My DS looking forward to getting back for his 3rd year at Liverpool. He's in a household of 6 boys, one of whom he lived with last year too. It's a July-July tenancy so I moved him over back at start of summer ( annoyingly involved moving out of last place day before, so overnight hotel stay and then into new place but did mean I met the landlady and saw the house, so good really).
He's just been on a week's camping trip with 3 of his new housemates and had a ball, so hopefully they'll all get on fine through next year.

stilldumdedumming · 01/09/2025 14:49

Lovely updates! Just think how different it was in September 2023!

ds’ baby was delivered by CS today. 27 weeks. It’s all kinds of difficult as she is on bail 100s of miles away. He says he feels quite alone -especially as her family are very unpredictable. I imagine the next few days are critical.

NotDonna · 01/09/2025 16:47

@stilldumdedumming ooh heck that’s a little one! Do hope baby is ok - guessing it’ll be in special care a good while. Is it definitely DS’s? How are you feeling about it all? How’s he doing?

@MarshaBradyo fabulous news! Is he doing engineering or have I got that wrong?

LucyTeatime · 01/09/2025 17:23

@stilldumdedumming - I assume Social Services are involved. Is your son going for contact/residency of the baby?

stilldumdedumming · 01/09/2025 17:39

The baby is tiny. Hard to say what might happen yet. Social Services are very much involved and I assume probation. We can’t really tell whether it’s his from looks alone at the moment. I have forced myself not to ask what he thinks about that or the future really. Not yet because emotions are obviously running high today. He has job interviews this week. She’s not a nice person at all. But she has a hold on him and ultimately that will be for him to work out. Honestly I sometimes think this ‘adult’ stage is harder!

LucyTeatime · 01/09/2025 18:31

Honestly I sometimes think this ‘adult’ stage is harder!

Hear! Hear!

NotDonna · 01/09/2025 18:43

Honestly I sometimes think this ‘adult’ stage is harder!

certainly tougher than toddlers!!

NotDonna · 01/09/2025 18:45

Sending you and DS lots of strength @stilldumdedumming

MarshaBradyo · 01/09/2025 20:03

NotDonna · 01/09/2025 18:45

Sending you and DS lots of strength @stilldumdedumming

From me too @stilldumdedumming

@NotDonnayes engineering and thank you!, so relieved. He did say placement numbers were much lower this year so we were really lucky.

NotDonna · 01/09/2025 21:28

@MarshaBradyo DD2 although not an engineer is also on placement with an engineering firm! She’s doing project management and loving it, thank heavens!

BunnyRuddington · 02/09/2025 06:20

@stilldumdedumming it sounds like an absolute rollercoaster. No wonder you are finding this stage harder. At least as Toddlers we had control over who they spent time with. And the baby is so young, which I imagine brings extra complications to the situation Flowers

ZittiEBuoni · 02/09/2025 09:47

Thinking of you, your ds and your new grandchild, @stilldumdedumming and hoping it will all work out for the best.

Lyxou · 05/09/2025 23:17

My DD has actually managed to find someone to take over her tenancy, but now the housing company are using every excuse under the sun to block it. The other student needs to sign the contract, once he has, then she's released from it, but it's been nearly a week and they still haven't sent him the contract. They want to swap the tenancy tomorrow so I'm going up there to try to chivvy things along, and possibly move her out, but things aren't looking hopeful. If anyone has any bright ideas on how to handle the situation and what to say to force the housing company to move on it, please give me advice! I'm so shocked that they can get away with behaving like this. My DD has done everything they've told her to do, but they have all the power and control in the situation.

Also, the housing manager came into her room unannounced on Thursday (they're supposed to give 24 hours notice), and the manager admitted that she thought my daughter wasn't in the building - they had no record that she was actually renting a room this week. It's so bad from a fire safety point if view.

NotDonna · 06/09/2025 06:53

Oh crikey @Lyxou what a nightmare. I don’t have any bright ideas sorry, but I think you going up is essential. Do they have offices? Maybe rock up there with copies of her contract and don’t leave until it’s all signed over. Is the other student available to attend too? Even if not, you can insist they send the docs to him in your presence. I’d be super nice and charming but not leave til it’s done. Sounds like they’re taking the piss!

Lyxou · 06/09/2025 09:00

I'm here now. I get the impression it's an IT issue (or this is the latest excuse). Her room has to come up on the system as being available to allocate, once it does, they can generate the contract with the correct room allocation. We've packed the car, and now all we can do is sit and wait.
It distinctly comes across as the company runs on a skeleton staff, mostly on minimum wage. Awful company to deal with because of this. The accommodation itself is nice: clean, secure etc, but they have no staffing capacity to deal with anything slightly out of the ordinary.

BunnyRuddington · 06/09/2025 18:34

Hope today hasn’t been too stressful @LyxouFlowers

NotDonna · 06/09/2025 23:49

I’m hoping it’s now all sorted @Lyxou x

ZittiEBuoni · 07/09/2025 09:06

I find so many of these student letting agencies are dire. It seems like a license to print money and do nothing to earn it to me. Hope it's worked out @Lyxou .

DD is meant to be going back today by train (we did all the flat moving stuff when her contract started back in July) - but they are all up the creek and the one she bought the ticket for has just been cancelled.

The song 'Stay Another Day' is going through my head, but she won't want to...

AnneOfCleavage · 07/09/2025 09:16

Hope everything got sorted @Lyxouwith the room. This was the room that your DD was vacating I believe. Is she now in her rightful room?

How have the interviews gone for DS this week@stilldumdedumming? And how is the lil one doing now?

DD returns for her 3rd year a week from today. She’s going to have to start applying for her two year placement end of this term (ECT contract to complete her 5 years). She’ll be bringing her car up as she has a long placement this winter (and the thought of hanging around for buses / trains for a 3rd year running filled her with dread).

I’m not sure if it was this thread that had a lad doing Law but DD boyfriend has just passed his SQE2 exams so we are all relieved.

Definitely feels autumnal today esp as DD bought me pumpkin washing up liquid yesterday 😁

Lyxou · 10/09/2025 17:38

@AnneOfCleavage Last time I spoke to her she was still waiting on the new tenant to sign the guarantor agreement (he signed everything else and paid the deposit). She's currently staying at her Grandma's who lives in a town that's a short train ride from her office because she needed to be in the office yesterday. TBH, she's driving me a bit mad stressing about it - I flip between feeling sorry for her, and then thinking it's not the worst thing in the world to live somewhere you don't like for a year. She's worrying herself silly thinking the new tenant won't sign, but there's nothing she can do either way.

stilldumdedumming · 10/09/2025 20:14

@ZittiEBuoniI’m a renter and I think that describes most letting agents. I have great landlords currently.

@AnneOfCleavagethanks for asking. He got the job he really wanted. It’s slightly less money than he’s on now but a lot more stable and more in the line he wants - press officer for a non profit that he really likes. He will hopefully retain some free lance on the side. he’s exhausted with the whole baby situation of course. He is also driving his dad and me wild! These grown up children!

NotDonna · 10/09/2025 22:16

@stilldumdedumming ah that’s great news about DS’s job. Hopefully he’ll continue to shine and get a pay rise (sometimes a bit tricky with a not for profit) 🤞🏼

stilldumdedumming · 11/09/2025 06:59

@NotDonna I know. But he needs stability at the moment and supportive colleagues (which they seem to be). In his current ‘free lance’ job he works every single day. Including the day his baby was born 3 months early and every day since. It’s unsustainable. He has private clients too so he should be ok.

NotDonna · 11/09/2025 10:55

@stilldumdedumming agh! That’s a great work ethic BUT… absolutely not sustainable. It boils my blood when I hear on the news etc about snowflake young people!

BunnyRuddington · 12/09/2025 07:47

stilldumdedumming · 11/09/2025 06:59

@NotDonna I know. But he needs stability at the moment and supportive colleagues (which they seem to be). In his current ‘free lance’ job he works every single day. Including the day his baby was born 3 months early and every day since. It’s unsustainable. He has private clients too so he should be ok.

That really is an amazing work ethic. I agree.

How are you coping. You’ve all been through so much Flowers