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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Uni starters 2024

735 replies

radiator2 · 09/09/2024 12:04

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!

OP posts:
Original poster
radiator2 · 21/04/2026 14:07

Nice to hear how everyone’s getting on. Definitely agree here that the step up in second year has been really difficult. In terms of accommodation, DD has been happy in her house this year, had some issues but they generally get on really well & getting a house together next year. It’s mind boggling how fast this year has gone and third year will be here before we know it. @SockFluffInTheBath hope your DS manages to sort it all out. I’m sure everything will work out whatever he decides to do, Uni causes a lot of loneliness especially if grief comes into the picture too.

OP posts:
Fizbosshoes · 21/04/2026 17:33

Sorry to hear how many YP have struggled in second year, especially those dealing with grief and difficult situations Flowers
I hope i dont come across as insensitive but DD seems to have been a lot more settled in year 2. She didnt come home at all between christmas and Easter (11 weeks) which i could have never imagined at the start of last year. We visited a couple of times, and even face timing has become less frequent, although we still message each other multiple times a day.

Can't believe we are nearly at the end of year 2.

HPFA · 21/04/2026 18:00

Fizbosshoes · 21/04/2026 17:33

Sorry to hear how many YP have struggled in second year, especially those dealing with grief and difficult situations Flowers
I hope i dont come across as insensitive but DD seems to have been a lot more settled in year 2. She didnt come home at all between christmas and Easter (11 weeks) which i could have never imagined at the start of last year. We visited a couple of times, and even face timing has become less frequent, although we still message each other multiple times a day.

Can't believe we are nearly at the end of year 2.

Not insensitive at all!

Glad to hear your DD is doing well.

MirandaWest · 23/04/2026 15:34

DD is doing OK at the moment. She had first year going wrong and was having a supplementary first year but she then stopped going to lectures after Christmas. Had a meeting with her senior tutor who basically told her that she had to actually engage as otherwise the university was committing fraud by getting money for her. This seems to have worked and she has been going to lectures and yesterday said she had written one of the essays she needs to do.

So hopefully she will get through and complete first year and then next year she will be a proper 2nd year. She’s sorted for accommodation as staying in the same house as this year. Also she’s going to stop Spanish and just do history:

DH and I are going to see her for the weekend the first weekend of May (she’s doing some music things then) so will see a bit more then.

whilst I don’t want anyone else to have DC suffering it is sort of good that it’s not just DD

TrixieFatell · 23/04/2026 18:47

Sorry to hear some of your yp are having a difficult time, hope it gets better quickly.

Again sorry if this seems insensitive. My yp has had a good second year. They ended up getting a house with two people they loved with in halls and it's worked out well. They are all quite similar in character and get on well and have decided to stay in the same house for third year. They have been home since Easter but we don't see much of them as they have got into a new relationship so they spend half their time round there. I think there are two exams and some coursework to go and that's year two done. Trying to get them to start making plans for after third year is proving a bit challenging. They want to do a masters but are not really looking into it. Given how fast the last two years have gone it will be on us before we know it.

Turmerictolly · 24/04/2026 13:37

Really sorry to hear about some of the health and accommodation issues. It’s so stressful for us as parents when the realities of year 2 kick in. It seems to me the academics are harder and they still have to cook, clean, shop etc. Then they hear about the grad job market and think, is it worth it. Hoping all of them get through and have a restful summer break.

Ds is ok but studying hard again for exams. He still hasn’t secured an internship. His friend has been offered two so he is baffled as to where he is going wrong as he’s stronger academically than the other boy. However, the other boy has worked in hospitality since Yr 13 (out of necessity) so will have gained a lot of soft skills from that. I have subtly pointed out to Ds that he needs to focus on more than the academics these days.

daffodilandtulip · 24/04/2026 16:51

DD has had a good second year. She was meant to be on an industry year for year three but couldn’t get a placement. She applied to so many! So then she had a last minute rush to find accommodation for year three so has taken a studio flat on her own.

She now has the choice to do her industry year in year four or just make it a four year course.

She’s also got into a very lovely, serious relationship and will move in with him for year four (regardless of placement as he’s not a student). She’s very happy.

ShanghaiDiva · 24/04/2026 20:10

Dd has had ups and downs in year two. She secured a paid placement at the end of October and was very excited! End of March the company in Cambridge withdrew all placement offers (despite signed contracts) and she had to start again. She managed to get a second placement (unpaid) and then it was a mad rush to find accommodation.

HPFA · 04/07/2026 21:33

Wrote back in April about DD being ill through the second half of last year.

She finally got a diagnosis of seronegative inflammatory arthritis which basically means "we know she has one of four forms of arthritis but we're not sure which" - this is not any reflection on poor NHS care - she genuinely doesn't fit exactly into any of the "types" so they can't do more than wait and see! Is positive for a gene strongly linked to auto-immune disorders.

Has been put on methotrexate with a steroid taper and we'll have to see how that goes.

The university have allowed her to switch from dual honours to single honours so as not to do the year abroad. I kept hoping against hope she could continue with the French but her health just wouldn't allow it. We feel very lucky that the uni allowed her to do this without making her repeat the year - it probably helped that she had so much medical info like a report from a consultant rheumatologist and MRI.

She was relieved to have passed all her modules - all with 2:1 marks except for one. where she scraped through. The illness has probably cost her a shot at a first unless she does very, very well in the third year but a 2:1 should definitely be achievable if her health stays at a manageable level.

Hope everyone's DCs are doing well and preparing for their final year!

ButIsItArt · 05/07/2026 16:24

HPFA · 04/07/2026 21:33

Wrote back in April about DD being ill through the second half of last year.

She finally got a diagnosis of seronegative inflammatory arthritis which basically means "we know she has one of four forms of arthritis but we're not sure which" - this is not any reflection on poor NHS care - she genuinely doesn't fit exactly into any of the "types" so they can't do more than wait and see! Is positive for a gene strongly linked to auto-immune disorders.

Has been put on methotrexate with a steroid taper and we'll have to see how that goes.

The university have allowed her to switch from dual honours to single honours so as not to do the year abroad. I kept hoping against hope she could continue with the French but her health just wouldn't allow it. We feel very lucky that the uni allowed her to do this without making her repeat the year - it probably helped that she had so much medical info like a report from a consultant rheumatologist and MRI.

She was relieved to have passed all her modules - all with 2:1 marks except for one. where she scraped through. The illness has probably cost her a shot at a first unless she does very, very well in the third year but a 2:1 should definitely be achievable if her health stays at a manageable level.

Hope everyone's DCs are doing well and preparing for their final year!

So sorry to hear of your DR'S arthritis
It's tough being young with something that hurts and makes uou so tired.
It sounds like she's doing great in terms of uni though. Well done her.

I can't believe DC going into 3rd year. It goes so fast

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