Uni starters 2024

[radiator2]

The countdown is on. Uni move in has started for some unis and is right around the corner for others. How are we all feeling? Wishing the best of luck to all freshers!

Similar for us. We get 5 mins to unload the car at the accommodation then the car has to go. I know it’s going to be very stressful just hope the car gets parked quickly as we’ll need all hands on deck to get the room set up/decorated

I’m a range of emotions, excited and proud but will also miss the family being together. DD been diagnosed with an illness about a month ago and been put on medication she’ll most likely have to stay on for life. She’s been relatively healthy her whole life so I’m feeling very nervous about her being far away while still adjusting to her new health problems. It’s made me stress about her leaving a lot more than I did with my firstborn. We’re driving to her uni city on the 21st then she moves in on the 22nd! She’s ready to go I just hope her experience is everything she wants it to be

I genuinely do not know what to do though. She goes on Saturday and had we not sorted out packing her kitchen stuff, bedding, a small box of non perishable foods and other little bits, there would have been nothing done. Her room still looks exactly the same and she's making no effort at all to pack. Any attempt I make to suggest it is responded to with a snappy comment. I want to ask if she's anxious or what the problem is.

Husband will not be patient if it gets to 7.30 am on Saturday and she's still faffing and I don't want a nasty goodbye :(

I think my eldest went to the same northern city beginning with an L (if not a coastal one). I think we parked up on the road nearby, got the stuff into her room quickly. Then back off for lunch somewhere. Then dropped her off with a very quick goodbye. She couldn't wait to get going. Dropping my youngest off on Saturday. Not really looking forward to this.

DD off on Saturday. She's excited but nervous.
Can I ask for your thoughts please ladies of MN?

Dd has been advised by other students not to take any cleaning stuff except wipes. The idea is that cloths need to be washed etc. We've got washing up things, but she's adamant that she doesn't want anything other than wipes. Ive suggested a roll of blue cloths that she could throw away but shes too eco conscious.

Also, is anyone packing a clothes airer? There are washing facilities in the accommodation but I can't find any details as to whether there are laundry baskets or dryers etc? I've bought her a handheld clothes steamer, a laundry hamper and some bold pods but not sure what else she needs.

I'd really appreciate your thoughts please 🙏

If she's eco-conscious, wipes would be worse than clothes you wash. They can go in with towels. Likelihood of that actually happening is a whole other thing, if course.

I've bought mine an airer as remember wishing I'd got one for my eldest. It's not on banned list and her room has an en suite so can go in there if in the way at times. Not bothered with steamers or anything. There's an iron in the flat. That will never be used by mine. I've bought her a box of washing powder. I'll give her a small pot with a lid and say just take that down when doing your washing. Powder straight into the machine. Again, I know some places apparently ban anything other than pods (for spillage reasons, I'm assuming) but can't see anything about it on the list so powder it is.

@SwedishEdith thank you. Yes, agree that wipes would be worse and I wouldn't want to clean a bathroom with just a pack of wipes!

My dd hasn't really started properly yet either hun. We have a pile of stuff ready that we've bought new, but she hasn't sorted anything else yet. I'm not really stressed though, we've got a few days still to get things done. Everything else she needs to take is in her bedroom so we won't be running all over the house to find things. We're making a start tomorrow if that makes you feel any better, but most will be done on Friday.

DD goes on Sunday. Driving up after a long planned evening event on Saturday. Not looking forward to that. Still stuff to get and none of what we have is properly packed. Luckily, grandparents live close by the University city, so I am not panicking too much about moving everything at once but it all sounds so stressful. She is going to wait to see what's needed before we get some stuff like the clothes airer. I am so excited for her but not ready for her to go.

Thank you! I'm just such an orderly person, and I'm finding it really difficult. She's working tomorrow, so I guess we still have Thursday and Friday!!
Just hope she'll pull it put and surprise me!

@Lulubellamozarella and @Ujustcantandwont I had similar worries (and stress dreams) about the logistics of dropping DD off. She moved in last Saturday to a city centre flat in a large Scottish city where we not only had to contend with very limited drop off space but also hordes of tourists. In the end I left the car on double yellows with a note in the window while we unloaded, and it wasn’t a problem. Worst bit was getting everything up to a 5th floor flat with no lift! I’m sure it will all work out on the day. Good luck!

@PumpkinKnitter thanks for this. I have actually been in touch with the uni this PM and they basically said to do the same thing. Just pull up on double yellows, unload the car and leave her belongings in Reception then go and park the car. We are lucky in that the nearest car park is only about a 5 minute walk so it shouldn't be too bad.

Dd has just told me that all of her friends are getting meningitis vaccines before they start uni. Anyone else heard of this? I'm panicking incase I've missed this!

It's optional but advised to get a vaccination for meningitis B. You have to pay to get that one as NHS vaccination only started for babies born 2015 onwards.

If your DC has missed out on meningitis ACWY you should be able to arrange catch-up vaccination but if they've had all scheduled childhood vaccines for their age group (UK) they should have had it already.

My youngest, DD, goes next weekend. DS (Y3) goes back this Friday. He’s a 7.5 hour drive away and DD a 3 hour one. Going to sit exhausted in our empty nest for a few weeks after that no doubt!

House looks like we are moving atm. Rooms full of airers (a good idea unless your DC want to spend £££ on tumble drying), stuffed Ikea bags, mini storage trolleys, mattress toppers etc. DDs pile is all carefully curated and aesthetically pleasing, DSs minimal and practical.

I am glad to read the comments about boxes of stuff others have piled up, I keep thinking we have over done it, but there isn’t anything he doesn’t need or won’t use.

Ok thank you for the info. Dd is up to date with all her vaccines, but I hadn't heard of this one. Just checked with Boots and it's £220 for the two doses.
Nobody else I know IRL is bothering, it's just my dd's two best friends who are getting it. Not sure what to do now as she goes on Saturday!

It's up to her now really. It's something they might cover in campus health talks and if so, she could decide to take it up or not.

Anyone else feel like they entered a 'countdown of doom' 😂3 more sleeps in her own bed. This 'leading up to the inevitable' week is brutal!!!! 😕

I think perhaps you feel it more when it’s the first one to go. Certainly here, I’m counting down the days a bit as they’ve both been ready for a good few weeks. Shan’t miss the lip, or the mess/nagging. They are both definitely “soiling the nest” at the moment!

DS is chomping at the bit to go, DD edgy - which is normal. I think we are probably in for a rockier road with DD settling, but we will see! We have agreed on a family FaceTime once a week which will be nice. (I am
sure DD will be texting daily at least and FaceTiming more than once a week initially).

I’m living in the house of doom and it’s 3 sleeps to retrieving my house from piles of crap everywhere 😅 I don’t have a huge house, and he really is taking over.

DS2 goes to Newcastle on Saturday (not sure why we can't say the city name). Room full of stuff. I'm of the mind they take it all and then don't have to get much when up there and eat into their funds. If they don't use it they don't take it back 2nd year.

DS1 goes back for Year 4 to Loughborough week after. Not looking forward to sorting all his stuff out after moving him out of his flat. Its just been sat in bags in the garage since end July when his placement ended.

DH is excited now its only the 2 of us - we can do this, we can do that. I'm still trying to get my head around my babies with both be leaving.

Mine moved on Saturday and is already fully engrossed in so many things. I had a lot of tears, which subsided when I got a picture from him of his fully unpacked room and a few messages about all the things he’d been up to. I miss him I’ve realised a lot of my tears were just being concerned that he was being left on his own and not prepared. But of course he was fine! Good luck to everyone!

DD goes this weekend, not sure if Sat or Sun yet. Central London, so it'll basically be whatever we can carry on the train. They've had the keys since last Saturday so have taken a load of stuff up today, and deliveries from Amazon and an Argos collection were arranged to arrive yesterday.

She is struggling with the concept of everything changing at once - she's been inconsolable at times. I'm not looking forward to her no longer being here either.

DS says he will miss her a lot but he's very excited to be moving from the box room

Once she's settled she will be fine - she's outgrown our small town and is ready for a new challenge.

Thanks to everyone on this thread, I feel much less alone with the countdown.

Keep posting, will be lovely when we can all come back and say they are absolutely fine (like starting nursery or school for the first time!)