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Higher education

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

Original poster

Uni of Southampton accommodation waiting game

50 replies

SingingAvocado · 02/09/2025 09:50

Hello, anyone else still waiting to hear about accommodation at Southampton? I know the deadline is Friday but lots of people seem to have been told already (going by the WhatsApp group DD is on), she applied in April, and it would really help us all to feel more settled knowing where she is going!

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GuestWW · 02/09/2025 09:52

DD got hers yesterday, after calling in the morning. The person on the phone said they hoped to have them all out by Wednesday. Even Bath which is notoriously slow (DD1 is there) got their allocations out last week.

Original poster
SingingAvocado · 02/09/2025 09:56

GuestWW · 02/09/2025 09:52

DD got hers yesterday, after calling in the morning. The person on the phone said they hoped to have them all out by Wednesday. Even Bath which is notoriously slow (DD1 is there) got their allocations out last week.

Oh, thank you. Good to hear from someone in a similar situation. I said that DD should perhaps call today but she's working all day today. She says there is some sort of online accommodation intro tomorrow that she hasn't been told about yet. It would be relief just to know. Did your DD get where she wanted to go? A friend of DD got her 5th choice on Thursday. Did you DD get confirmation of her enrolment? DD fretting about not receiving that too, but it might be tied up with accommodation.

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GuestWW · 02/09/2025 09:59

She got her first choice, which was super, so much relief then. There seems to be some kind of induction they need to complete to then book a move in slot, fortunately we only do this in Y1 and after this it all gets much easier.

DD has set most stuff up and even found an outline timetable on Blackboard, but not sure about enrolment, will have to ask her!

Original poster
SingingAvocado · 02/09/2025 10:03

Thank you, and that's great she got her first choice. Fab news. DD found her provisional timetable yesterday, and quite a lot of information to read through from her course that had been there for about four days. She's worried she was e-mailed to tell her this was there and that her e-mails aren't reaching her but they aren't in junk, and she did get everything through on results day, and received her Soton e-mail etc. She is terrified of having been lost in the system!

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TheLivelyViper · 02/09/2025 10:23

SingingAvocado · 02/09/2025 10:03

Thank you, and that's great she got her first choice. Fab news. DD found her provisional timetable yesterday, and quite a lot of information to read through from her course that had been there for about four days. She's worried she was e-mailed to tell her this was there and that her e-mails aren't reaching her but they aren't in junk, and she did get everything through on results day, and received her Soton e-mail etc. She is terrified of having been lost in the system!

It may be on some of the details of online registration which will have detail of her university email. That will include things like saying how you'll pay fees, emergency contact etc and choosing modules. What course is she doing? I'd encourage her to use folders for her emails to manage them, notifications etc, and do the same with her uni email.

Once she reads through all the information on her course, it will likely have instructions on what she needs to do after. Like choosing modules, getting them approved before she can have her whole timetable given. On the accommodation, either call this week, or just wait it out. I do admit it feels quite late to find out now.

LimboLetty · 02/09/2025 10:43

You arenot alone, also waiting. Rang beginning of last week, told should be 'within a week'. Cannot relax. Cannot finish shopping as don't know room size/bed size/room layout/what's included and what's not/shared or ensuite. Overhanging feeling of doom that there's going to be nothing left.
Where are you finding out about WhatsApp groups? No room allocated so can't join flat chat group.

Iloveeverycat · 02/09/2025 11:00

Sorry to jump in but when you are thinking of 2nd year if they don't want to house share The Student housing company has the same sort of accommodation like halls in Southampton. My daughter was there for year 2 and 3 It is the same sort of set up.

Iloveeverycat · 02/09/2025 11:09

Forgot to mention it is called Crescent Place.

Original poster
SingingAvocado · 02/09/2025 11:35

LimboLetty · 02/09/2025 10:43

You arenot alone, also waiting. Rang beginning of last week, told should be 'within a week'. Cannot relax. Cannot finish shopping as don't know room size/bed size/room layout/what's included and what's not/shared or ensuite. Overhanging feeling of doom that there's going to be nothing left.
Where are you finding out about WhatsApp groups? No room allocated so can't join flat chat group.

Yes, we were saying we don't know bedding size, or if there be under bed storage space, or whether she needs her own bathroom stuff, will they give us an unaffordable studio flat etc. too. She's on a students WhatsApp group which I think UCAS set up when offers came through (she was on one for her insurance too which she's left). She says there is a lot of rubbish on there but there have been some accommodation comments (and there are others waiting). It is so reassuring for me to hear from other parents though who are in the same / similar boat so thank you for messaging.

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Original poster
SingingAvocado · 02/09/2025 11:37

Iloveeverycat · 02/09/2025 11:09

Forgot to mention it is called Crescent Place.

Thank you!

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Original poster
SingingAvocado · 02/09/2025 11:45

She's just heard. Three weeks on Wessex Lane and then they are moving her to Glen Eyre. Weird. She's about to forward me the e-mail.

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Original poster
SingingAvocado · 02/09/2025 11:53

I've read the e-mail now. She's actually got her first choice (yay), but needs to wait 3-4 weeks for "overrunning fire safety improvements" to be completed. She will have 3-4 weeks of discounted rent at Wessex Lane and they will help move her (an excuse for us to go an help though). Unsettling but she did really want to be on Glen Eyre so that is good.

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LimboLetty · 02/09/2025 13:19

Great news @SingingAvocadoreally pleased for you and your dd. Still biting nails here

Original poster
SingingAvocado · 02/09/2025 13:27

LimboLetty · 02/09/2025 13:19

Great news @SingingAvocadoreally pleased for you and your dd. Still biting nails here

Fingers crossed for you xx

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ChocHotolate · 02/09/2025 13:32

Admittedly this is 20 yrs ago but Glen Eyre was much better - closer and had more life. I was in Wessex Lane and regretted it. Good luck to your DD

GuestWW · 02/09/2025 14:00

SingingAvocado · 02/09/2025 11:45

She's just heard. Three weeks on Wessex Lane and then they are moving her to Glen Eyre. Weird. She's about to forward me the e-mail.

My DD is in Glen Eyre and was very happy to get her first choice, hopefully the move up from Wessex Lane is pain-free.

SENMum1727 · 02/09/2025 14:29

This takes me back! I was also in Wessex Lane 25 years ago and then in Glen Eyre 😅 Agree Wessex Lane is so far and the walk to campus is up a big hill, but it’s fine for a few weeks. Good luck to her!

Dearover · 02/09/2025 20:00

Dunelm is opposite the station (uni bus route) and will have ample supplies of anything needed, along with IKEA (5 minute walk from Dunelm).

happinoww · 02/09/2025 20:20

SingingAvocado · 02/09/2025 10:03

Thank you, and that's great she got her first choice. Fab news. DD found her provisional timetable yesterday, and quite a lot of information to read through from her course that had been there for about four days. She's worried she was e-mailed to tell her this was there and that her e-mails aren't reaching her but they aren't in junk, and she did get everything through on results day, and received her Soton e-mail etc. She is terrified of having been lost in the system!

Has she logged into her uni email? My DS did that and found a few welcome emails. Nothing from his course yet though. He did find his timetable.

Original poster
SingingAvocado · 04/09/2025 07:34

@LimboLetty any news?

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happinoww · 04/09/2025 07:57

Yesterday was a slog. Incoming halls students were told the Accommodation Induction would go live at 10am, after which they could book their arrival slot. My son went online at 10, but started doing a different induction that had been sent to his uni email account. He realised the mistake by about 10.15, and navigated to the Accommodation Portal, where there was now a Queuebot with 1000 people ahead of him. It took about 3.5 hours to get to the front of the queue - he got an email alert, with a 10 mins window to not miss his slot. The induction took about half an hour, which was fine, but by then his portal session had timed out and he had to rejoin the queue to book his arrival. There were now 3500 people ahead of him, and it was after 8pm before he got back in!

It seems crazy that the process took an entire day. By 8pm all the arrival slots still had plenty of availability so there was probably no need for them to create a sense of urgency.

LimboLetty · 04/09/2025 08:23

SingingAvocado · 04/09/2025 07:34

@LimboLetty any news?

Nothing yet. Fingers crossed today. Apparently there's a group Snapchat with people discussing the nightmare of booking moving in slots yesterday and someone said they hadn't even got their accomodation yet. In a way that's reassuring as it suggests to me that the accomodation office are still working on it. If nothing today, I'll ring tomorrow.

GuestWW · 04/09/2025 08:59

happinoww · 04/09/2025 07:57

Yesterday was a slog. Incoming halls students were told the Accommodation Induction would go live at 10am, after which they could book their arrival slot. My son went online at 10, but started doing a different induction that had been sent to his uni email account. He realised the mistake by about 10.15, and navigated to the Accommodation Portal, where there was now a Queuebot with 1000 people ahead of him. It took about 3.5 hours to get to the front of the queue - he got an email alert, with a 10 mins window to not miss his slot. The induction took about half an hour, which was fine, but by then his portal session had timed out and he had to rejoin the queue to book his arrival. There were now 3500 people ahead of him, and it was after 8pm before he got back in!

It seems crazy that the process took an entire day. By 8pm all the arrival slots still had plenty of availability so there was probably no need for them to create a sense of urgency.

Edited

It does seem utterly bonkers! Fortunately my DD got an arrival slot with no issues, and we are pretty flexible she just didn't want to be the last to arrive.

Original poster
SingingAvocado · 04/09/2025 09:22

happinoww · 04/09/2025 07:57

Yesterday was a slog. Incoming halls students were told the Accommodation Induction would go live at 10am, after which they could book their arrival slot. My son went online at 10, but started doing a different induction that had been sent to his uni email account. He realised the mistake by about 10.15, and navigated to the Accommodation Portal, where there was now a Queuebot with 1000 people ahead of him. It took about 3.5 hours to get to the front of the queue - he got an email alert, with a 10 mins window to not miss his slot. The induction took about half an hour, which was fine, but by then his portal session had timed out and he had to rejoin the queue to book his arrival. There were now 3500 people ahead of him, and it was after 8pm before he got back in!

It seems crazy that the process took an entire day. By 8pm all the arrival slots still had plenty of availability so there was probably no need for them to create a sense of urgency.

Edited

DD said there are both Snapchat and WhatsApp messages flying around. She logged into the accommodation portal at 10am and was 943 in the queue. She waited two hours only to find out that because of the temporary room at Wessex Lane she can't book a moving slot yet. She did the required courses on consent and being a bystander (on Blackboard) that the portal said you had to be able to tick off though. She has also found things on the Soton app (which she thinks links to her Soton e-mail but she hasn't logged into the e-mail specifically and I've suggested she does so). She was saying she could do with a flow chart to show the processes and where to find everything! It has been all a bit confusing and disorganised. Some people on the chat were saying that they had phoned the uni who explained they were trialling a new system this year and they didn't expect everyone to log in at 10am when it went live!

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Original poster
SingingAvocado · 04/09/2025 09:23

LimboLetty · 04/09/2025 08:23

Nothing yet. Fingers crossed today. Apparently there's a group Snapchat with people discussing the nightmare of booking moving in slots yesterday and someone said they hadn't even got their accomodation yet. In a way that's reassuring as it suggests to me that the accomodation office are still working on it. If nothing today, I'll ring tomorrow.

Show quote history

I hope it is today. Such a long wait. We sat down last night and went through a budget with her now that we know what the accommodation spend will be, and you can't do that yet either.

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