Uni starters 2025/26 all welcome

[NCTDN]

Following on from a year 13 support thread, thought this might be nice to ease us into their new chapters. We had a lovely one for my older DC so created this to help us navigate everything!

I’m missing ds this morning and it’s been less than 48 hours! It was not having to step over his massive legs and feet to get to my seat on the sofa with my coffee. He’s been in touch by text regularly, including a photo of some chicken to ask if it was fully cooked. He says his flatmates seem nice enough but he’s looking forward to meeting others on his course today at a subject meet up. Dh is going to pick him up on Thursday to go to a gig and stay overnight in Manchester before dropping him back on Friday morning, quite handy as he’d forgotten a few things and dh is going to take them to him. We’re all going to visit him the weekend after and will stock him up with more tins and dried food as well as some frozen meals as I’m finding it hard to cook for 3 without increasing portion sizes. I’ve sent the flat a pack of rubber door wedges, not for the doors, the fridge shelves aren’t high enough to stand milk up and ds says all of their milk is leaking so they can use them to tilt the bottles to stop it. Hope you’re all doing okay too

My son is spending a lot of time on his own - but he's taken himself to the cinema and he goes for lunch / breakfast on campus and sometimes bumps into people or people approach him, just to say hello and sit together.

If she stays in her room, she won't be getting these kinds of opportunities to meet people without the classroom set up or other structure. I would encourage her to get out of her room, and see what happens.

But having said that, it IS horribly unfortunate that the rest of the flatmates are already friends. I am sure that will evolve and mutate in time and they will individually be open to getting to know her.

My DD is at Lincoln studying Geography. She appears to be having a whale of a time but has messaged this morning to say she feels really poorly and that has made me sad!

DS also at Lincoln (physics), also having a whale of a time. He was also ill at the weekend, some of it definitely alcohol and late night related, but I think he also has a touch of 'fresher's flu' and stayed in yesterday to get himself right before teaching started today.

DS is doing ok - I know we are only 48 hours in, but still!

Lancaster has a really well organised and advertised series of events. It makes me feel bad for my older lad who went to Nottingham Trent via clearing. He stayed in private halls and didn't get anything like the welcome and timetable Lancaster has given. It all worked out brilliantly at NTU in the end, but he was very lonely those first weeks as flatmates were pretty unfriendly - local lads who had loads of friends coming round and smoking weed in the flat (including during our drop off) - and who went out together, not inviting DS, on his first night at uni.

Sending empathy to those with wobbly DC. I had to do an all night drive to fetch older DS during term 1 at NTU as he was so unhappy - but once he decided to focus on the course and just regard his flat as somewhere to sleep, things turned round for him. To the extent that he now lives and works in Nottingham and shares a flat with a group of really close friends he met at uni, either on the course or at a club.

DD (at Liverpool, a good 3.5 hour drive) is ill. I feel useless and so far she doesn't want me to go. She's started out with the awful cold thing that everyone seems to have, but it's turned into a chest infection (she has a crackle in her lower lobes, a racing heart beat, temp. of 40, etc.), the added concern being she has a heart condition and asthma. She had to be persuaded to see a doctor.

I've told her I'll wait and see if the antibiotics begin to kick in tomorrow before going, this she's agreed to. I think she's conscious of looking like a child in front of her new friends in her accommodation. DD is our youngest DC and feels so young to be ill and alone.

@PinkFlloydis she registered at the student health medical practice? So that she can be seen quickly. Worrying isn’t it. DD had the same thing but she’s thankfully over the worst of it now.

Adding another DD for Lancaster!

Millionsofmonkeys everyone was so lovely and welcoming yesterday. DD has already attended a pub quiz in the Trev with her flatmates, entered a Bake off with a flatmate plus two girls from a different flat and is having a quick tea before joining an organised pub crawl around Lancaster😬. She says she'll ring tomorrow when she has time (!) but she is taking a few photos and What sapping them to us. She was very nervous when we left so I'm glad she's getting involved in stuff. I think the college system is working really well for her.

Sorry to hear that some kids are ill, it's hard not being with them to help them get better.

DD in tears today misses us. It's so hard to encourage her to stay and not come back at the weekend. We have made a plan to go up the following week and take her out for food to give her something to hold onto.
Hoping in the meantime as days go by she feels a bit better.
Flat mates are nice she's just not a fully extrovert person and likes her home time.
I keep reminding her she doesn't have to do tons of nights out just be friendly and visible.
I'm hoping when her classes start it will build more routine.

ilovebagpuss sorry to hear about your DD. My DD is also in Furness, she's not really an extrovert, I think she's just faking it until she makes it! I think most of them are really, DD's flatmates have definitely said that they are.

I think there's a movie night every night this week for those who don't want to go on a pub crawl or be too social but who don't want to stay in their room or flat either.

DS has just started at Warwick. He seems to be fine so far, we met some of his corridor mates and they seemed a nice bunch.

He took a gap year and travelled quite a bit, including solo, which I am sure has given him a lot more confidence compared to if he'd started at 18.

DD is doing an integrated Masters so is now on her third week. She registered with a GP straight away, but called up on Saturday after the NHS app told her to call 999. When she rang they told her to go to a walk in clinic (it was dark on Saturday night by this point) so she booked an Uber for Sunday morning. They've told her to go back if there's no improvement by tomorrow.
I'm trying to respect that DD is now adult, but everything is screaming at me to go and look after her, especially with her CHD. I'm going tomorrow.

@Sweetpeasaremadeforbees thanks yes I suggested the film night but she went for a walk and checked out the library so at least got out of her room.
I said that everyone will be feeling homesick and sad some of the time and I bet her flat mates are too.
Hope your DD finds her feet too. Lancaster have put lots of nice things on and they really seem great with the welcome and friendly activities.
There was a bake off thing today as well.

DD took part in the Bake off. I watched the Instagram feed of it, the judges were brutally honest!
I think the library looks a lovely place to spend an evening, really calming.

@WoollyguruSounds like your DS is settling well : ) I’ve been really missing DD and so hope she’s ok. Her messages have all been positive so far and her flatmates seemed lovely when we dropped DD off. I think she was anxious about the social side as she doesn’t drink. What subject is your DS doing?

@PinkFlloyd
I’m sorry to hear about your DD, sending you a handhold. DS2 is at Liverpool and for most of last week had the bad cold, which I’ve found out is very common and known as Fresher’s Flu.
It felt awful not being there for him and I hadn’t packed any Lemsip, only paracetamol. He’s almost completely better now.
We live 5.5 hours away,
How is your DD now?

I feel better today having received quite a few (mostly cooking related) messages from ds last night. He says he’s enjoying himself, he’s not one for big nights out but he’s joining the rock society and going to a rock and metal night in one of the SU bars tonight which is more his thing. He’s also off to see about joining a club for his sport, he can’t do any exercise at the moment as he’s undergoing some investigations for possible cardiac issues but wants to be prepared so he can join if he gets the all clear. He hasn’t found his people yet, but I’m hoping this will help. If any other Warwick dc are going to the rock night and are shy/anxious, they definitely won’t be the only one!

Sorry to hear DD is struggling. I hope things will settle. I would offer to send DS round but he's socially awkward himself ! His flatmates played Uno last night, before going clubbing ...does DD have any board games or card games she could invite anyone to join and play?

@Millionsofmonkeys thank you, things seem a bit better today, she said they have some board games and also played Uno and cards!
She has gone to the flat wars thing today so hopefully that will be a bit of silly fun.
Hope your DS is finding his feet too. I imagine it will be a bit up and down this week.

I miss DS and we haven't received a single message from him since we dropped him off! So at least you have communication!

However he is in touch with his sister who has just graduated so we're getting info from her.

DS is doing maths, what about your DD?

DS has found 2 of his flat are up for going out but the other 6 aren’t. But he and the 2 sociable girls have met another flat who seem lovely.
Hes pretty good at messaging - I’d go as far as to say he’s probably been in touch more in the first 10 days than his brother was in 3 years! I do get told when I’ve used my quota of questions for the day though…

@Woollyguru My DD is doing maths as well! They might end up being friends : )

They might indeed!

My Dd is too and I think someone else earlier in the thread was too

settling in ok?

my dd is often quite introverted but knows she has to put herself out there a bit so does seem to be mixing and finding friends in the flats ( she’s in a quieter one) and on course at the collegiate site

got a bad cold / freshers flu today though so socialising has calmed down!

4 years ago my eldest was v homesick and in tears many days. Sending support to those going through it now…

Hi to everyone! My DS at Warwick ❤️