A level results day 2024

[Happyface246]

How’s everyone else feeling about results day? I’ve got one at uni already and 2nd dd hoping to go to Kent in September. She seems ok about it at the moment although think that will change as it gets closer. Me I’m so keeping my fingers crossed she gets what she wants, I know there will always be other options but she loved the open day. Going to struggle with this one going though as it has been a real journey to get to where she is.

Hotels in case this hasn't been mentioned on here I am going to tell you to think about booking hotels for any long distance travel for your move in days.

You can book individual nights which is what we have done and will cancel those we don't need. The uni that Ds is moving into has 4 days listed on their website as the move onto campus days. Most students usually (and ask on here) move in the weekend before Freshers' Week so think about logistics especially the size of your car and what you can fit in it. Lots of videos on youtube of move in days students have vlogged for info but also ask on here or post a new thread so it doesn't get swallowed up.

Ours will be a 3 hour journey this time (DC1 was 90 minutes) so 6 hours for the return trip and at least 2 hours to move him in and unpack. They have to register to get their ID etc then lug everything to their rooms. Think about potential stairs and the physical strength of your team that day; suitcases, Ikea bags for being hands free for all those fire doors, plastic tubs, or those zippable laundry bags more structured and less likely to spread out than the blue Ikea bags and vacuum bags especially the ones you roll to remove air, those duvets/pillows/bedding or clothes can be reduced down size wise.

Could you elaborate on your disdain of Reading? I have a vested interest.

IIRC Reading is one of the few university to make a commitment to academic freedom/freedom of speech.

My DD had about 8 people in each of her classes at A level in state secondary. She did creative subjects but the school strongly emphasises STEM subjects so I imagine those classes are bigger

Funnily enough I was thinking about starting a thread about the moving in process!

The hotel is booked for the night before move in (four hour drive so not doing it in one day) then I'm thinking time to pick up keys, get the stuff in, unpack, a trip to Tesco to stock up with food etc.

The uni hasn't released the programme yet but I found an old one from a few years back - featured library tours, a chance to talk to the Careers Office, the welfare service etc.

Was wondering how long parents generally hung around for? I'd be interested to look round the campus but don't want to embarrass DD by staying longer than the other parents.

@HPFA consider a click and collect for Tesco or even a one off delivery because it will be rammed with other uni students doing the same thing. Move in days are mad but brilliant and of course you can have a wander round the campus if you haven't already. No one is going to know you are X's parent, there are so many people on move in day, sometimes Freps too who are second or third years helping move you in. Your DD may want time to herself in her room to get organised.

Move in times are staggered across the day so there will be a lot of coming and going so hanging around is fine. You might just have to move your car, we had to remove everything from the car, Dh drove it to a dedicated car park the uni had hired and the rest of us trekked his stuff to his room.

We made Ds's bed so he had something he could just fall into later, he set up his desk and laptop and we all unpacked his clothes and he decided where things were going to live. We then went for lunch when he was about 80% organised with stuff on his bed. It will be rammed so either drive further out or book a table once you know you move in slot. We came back and collected all the packing bags, shoved them into the suitcase as there was nowhere to store the suitcase in his room and did a very quick hug and left.

We felt completely bereft leaving, Dh was worried he wouldn't be able to drive if he cried so we had a pull over contingency just in case but in all honesty we left him at a beautiful hall of residence, party music playing, Freps all dancing and cheering any cars pulling in or leaving, there were signs to encourage honking your car horn, mascots too so it didn't feel sad for long, we tried to think of the positives, this was his first choice uni, he was so happy he got in etc. We talked about texting and face timing and what he felt he might be comfortable with.

Well, I’ve had/ got three at uni, I still cry when I drop them off. I blame hormones!
Year 1 or 5, or didn’t seem to make any difference to my tears.

Thanks very much for this.

We've signed up for an 11am key collection time and we get 20 minutes at the actual Hall parking before we have to move the car back to the main area.

So I guess it's a case of get all the stuff in the room and then I move the car while DD starts to organise!

She did live in a shared house last year (she's two years post A-Level) so hopefully she'll be fairly clued in on what stuff to bring.

I just hope she gets on well with her flatmates, she's reasonably sociable but has an aversion to what she calls "drama". Laid back people without complicated love lives would suit her very well!!

Was wondering how long parents generally hung around for?

They don’t.

I agree.

I'm taking DD, unloading, taking her food shopping, unloading, then going.

Her room to sort. Her new friends to make. Her life to get on with.

Definitely not booking a hotel!

Definitely not booking a hotel!

I will be because I don’t fancy driving there and back the same day. Probably part way home - half an hour down the motorway - to give me a head start the next day.

I imagine DS will still not have unpacked by the end of Freshers. I will drop him off and help him unload stick a list of “must dos” on his wall, take him food shopping then leave.
The main must do is to have his PS4 PAT tested otherwise it will be confiscated. Everything else will be new with receipt so no need for PAT testing.
A friend of mine gave me a good tip. Provide them with a concertina folder and put all the paperwork in there. I have already started, his student finance letter is in there along with passport. I have no idea where his birth certificate is so that is a job for this week.

I am gradually building up a book of useful stuff such as how to separate washing, how to register with the health centre etc.
He’s working away from home at the moment ( earning some cash for when he goes although seems to be spending it as quickly as he earns it).
I bought him a desk fan today ( Waitrose £14 was £20 for anyone interested) we are waiting for details on what computer he needs. Hopefully, now that results week is over they will start to send things out. He knows which halls he in and we have confirmed and paid the deposit, he has also enrolled on his course. So we are a little ahead of the game. But because everything else is done after results it seems very slow. I’m sure the next 3.5 weeks will fly by and then it will all be very real.
I actually thought it was 4 weeks so this weekend will be a trip to IKEA.

I've booked as it's five plus hours and it's just me and DD and she doesn't drive. If Saturday drop then we drop at curbside and the freps will help take stuff in. I'll go park the car while she starts to sort it then I'll walk back, check out her room and either help her or if she wants me to I'll leave. I'm perfectly happy on my own and hope I'll see her in the morning if she needs to go buy anything before I head home.

DS announced he'll be getting himself there without help. The fact that he won't get a parking permit and it's a 7+ hour drive hasn't been factored in. And I don't think he's thought about taking anything but his clothes - to be fair there are shops including charity shops near to the university campus so he'll be fine, although he might want to take a pillow and duvet I guess?

I might suggest we could drop him off but I don't think he'll want that. Be nice to see the place fur ourselves though as we haven't visited.

I am hoping to do it all in one day, but it depends what slot you have I guess. It is about 2.5 hours I think, but lots of potential for horribly delayed journeys.

My nephew is at Durham, and in yr 2 and 3 they would travel up the night before to be able to get into Durham early the next day. Durham hotels are £££ those weekends so they stop Middlesbrough way and then it is only 45/50 minutes up. He might have a slot this year (4th year) as he is back in college/ halls.

Hopefully DH and I can both go, but only if we can get someone to have ds. His 16, but has autism and would be an anxious wreck if we left him all day.

We’ve booked overnight. It’s 4ish hours drive each way. Plan to drop her, get her unpacked then we’ll go to hotel. Offer to see her day after but if she’s busy we’ll just head off.

We’ve hired a car as ours is old and might not make the 4-5 hours journey, or have the space for DD’s stuff. Her room won’t have the space either, she’ll have a shock. We’ve booked a hotel overnight. This is already getting so expensive.

I think it depends on the child. DD has a chronic condition which means she gets tired easily - two years' ago we were unsure if she would even be able to go away to university on her own and she needs more scaffolding than the average person her age. The more we can support her with, the easier her first day (and week) will be. If she wants us to go away the minute we have dropped her off, we will of course abide by her wishes, but if she's amenable we'd like to support her by getting in a food shop, sorting out some last minute bits that won't fit in the car and taking her for lunch.

We've booked a hotel as it's too far to drive there and back in a day, which I'm sure is a perfectly normal thing to do.

Dropping quick and staying over in the nearby city- it's too far to drive back. The rest of the year will be train, though I'm a bit worried about laundry...

DS moving in to an empty hall! The nature of his course means he starts 2 weeks earlier than everyone else so he'll be pretty much alone. He's nervous but prepared (ish). He says he'll use the quiet time to acclimatise. We're being completely led by him, but can do day trips to see him if he wants.

We're doing it in a day, it's 3-4hrs each way and drop off is 1-2pm so doable but a long old day. Hoping to hang out with DD and help unpack for a little while so that some of the big bags can come straight home again. There's probably only going to be room for one of us in the car, not sure which tho and they might be dismissed pretty sharpish, but at least that would mean getting home before it gets dark. I have booked a parking space until 6pm but I can't imagine we would need to stay that long, it's just in case of delays.

We lived in the Midlands when I was a child. My dbro went to Stirling Uni. We did that there and back in a day once to go and collect him at the end of his first year - dad hired a transit! 🤣

We have a 7 hour drive and will need one or two charging stops (electric car), so not a hope of doing it in a day. Also it will just be DD and myself and she isn't insured to drive that car so I'll be doing all the driving. Hotel prices in Edinburgh that weekend are astronomical so I have booked a Premier Inn on the way up which only leaves us a couple of hours drive on moving in day. The plan is to drop her and her stuff, give her as much or as little help in unpacking as she wants, get lunch, take her food shopping, then leave her to it and go and have a short break elsewhere in Scotland on my own. May as well make the most of it while I'm up there! Logistics may be interesting as it looks as though she is on the 5th floor of an old building, with only limited waiting outside. I also can't find any mention of a lift.

I have my ferry tickets booked, we are staying with my aunt just north of Dublin and then with DC’s godfather near Belfast, he is moving them into halls as I have to be home on the day they move in. DC is happy about this as doesn’t want to be stressed and Godfather is so laid back he is horizontal