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!

Just found this thread and would like to join. Ds is at Aberystwyth, almost a month now!

My DC is very upset today, misunderstood the email about applying for a scholarship/bursary, she has ASD and does sometimes struggle with understanding. She thought that the deadline was tomorrow but it was 3 days ago ☹️. This is for help with funding for the next 3 years plus other help. She is beside herself 😔.
I didn’t think about how much she struggles with things like this as I have always been there to support her previously.

Hope everyone’s DC’s are settling in 😃.

Is it worth her applying anyway and popping into student services to explain why it’s late?

@Holidaytimeyay Encourage her to apply anyway. It’s only 3 days, let her talk to them and explain why she’d misunderstood the email info. Not all is lost.
I have a different dilemma: have all of your DC been vaccinated with MenB vaccine prior to going to uni? It protects against different strain of meningitis than MenAWCY vax which our cohort (England) had at school around year 8-9 but which is not offered on nhs for this age group. MenB was only introduced nationally in 2015 (and is given to babies in 3 doses). It is however recommended for young adults at university. I’ve talked to friends and it turns out they got their DC vaccinated for it privately before October. We didn’t. I wonder how it is within wider groups?

@Holidaytimeyay that's really bad luck for your DC. Fingers crossed that the university is sympathetic to a late application, which they should be bearing in mind her additional needs.

@Changed18 DC1 is not vaccinated for Meningitis B either. I’ve not really heard much about a push to get this done. DO you have any links to recommendations?

DC1 called yesterday. She seemed ok. Quite enthusiastic about various meetings to do with her course, and she's been to a couple of freshers' dinners at her (catered) accommodation. However reading between the lines I don't think she's met Her People yet, as she's not been out on any of the club or wider university events. She's not really the most socially adept so TBH I'm not surprised, and I think it might be a couple of terms before she has proper friends rather than friendly acquaintances IYSWIM.

It’s available on the NHS isn’t it?

Sorry, I tagged the wrong person - I mention to mention @CloudSimilar

@TheTurn0fTheScrew
I don’t have any particular links. Just came across some (Bbc etc) news re meningitis cases among uni students which prompted me to look into it.
Our 18 yo in England only had MenA vaccine; MenB has not been available on nhs for this group. Having asked friends about it most admitted they got their youngsters vaccinated privately with MenB vax before uni. We didn’t and I’m slightly concerned. Hence my asking here if is something many others have done too?

I certainly didn’t, @CloudSimilar. I’m surprised your friends are so on top of it, none of mine seem to know about it either!

I haven't heard anything about the push to get MenB. I would have thought ot would be a big info push from Uni as well? Any DD hasn't had it.
I will read up.
DD met her tutor person today they had an email about a 1 to 1 check in which I thought was nice to have that contact.
She doesn't seem to be into the wild clubbing life but has been out on Campus and been to a few course events. They were making Moon cakes yesterday.
She seems to like all her flat mates and they sit and chat as lucky to have sofas in the kitchen.

Thanks for the MenB info, I'll be looking into that for DS2.

DS2 is doing OK, still no socialising but he got 47/50 on his first maths test so he's pleased. He's got a 1:1 with his tutor next week.

I'm a bit unimpressed with his accommodation. It's private, but solely student accommodation. They're doing planned maintenance which will mean the communal facilities like laundry room and gym won't be available, DS2 thinks for a couple of months. If we'd known that beforehand we wouldn't have booked it. Nothing we can do now and we were planning on finding somewhere nearer to campus for next year anyway.

We did do the Men B jab. It is about £200 for 2 doses a month+ apart and usually available at pharmacies that do travel clinics.

DD worked with a yr2 student who happened to mention they’d been hospitalised with it.

There was a big thread about this over the summer.

@unsurewhattodoaboutit and @TheTurn0fTheScrew thank you, she did apply and explain and they said that they won’t accept her application. She is really upset with herself, she could have really done with the funding and the support.

She has not had her men B vaccine either. I know that you can pay for it at the GP surgery though. My older DC didn’t get it either before going to uni.

DC has already been away for 4 weeks. Is doing well, but unfortunately has had a bout of sickness and has a terrible cough and is generally quite unwell, . I think they must have actual flu, rather than freshers so it might take some time.
They had the two doses of the MenB vaccine over the summer. I had read about it on Mumsnet over the years, otherwise I wouldn't have known. There have been threads about it this year you could search for. It feels a bit like there is a conspiracy of silence about it, with some GP surgeries insisting kids have already had the vaccine. I think uni's don't push it because it's only available privately.

I’m a bit rattled as DD had a mild panic episode in the middle of her lecture and had to leave. She let her tutor know and wrote up the notes from the recorded lecture. Her tutor is now saying it needs to be escalated to occupational health. I’m furious because it was one episode and it didn’t involve practice ( nursing). She was in her seminars for 7 hours on Friday with no issues. Talk about overkill. I know it’s overkill because I’m a nurse lecturer myself. But obviously helpless as it’s a different institution!

@unsurewhattodoaboutit so sorry to hear about your DC, it’s so hard for them when they start uni. It does sound a bit like an overreaction but maybe OH will be helpful and hopefully it won’t upset your DC further and cause any other issues.

When my eldest DC was at uni, they were hopeless and refused to even check on her when I rang and said that I was very concerned about her MH.

@CloudSimilar DS has just had his first MenB jab, we’ll book the second one for November after a month or so has elapsed. I was aware if it but forgot and then rushed to book it so he was already at Uni for 2 weeks by the time he had it. He’s had a flu jab as well. (He’s not clinically vulnerable or anything, we just think that being ill is a bit shit and best avoided if you can, plus when he has a cough it tends to linger on his chest, always has).

I knew about it from Mumsnet and the Guardian I think. All my friends have never heard of it and look at me quizzically because they remember the standard jabs in school (which DS had). It does seem mad that the one strain that is dangerous to young people is the one they don’t vaccinate for 💁‍♀️

I used Boots - you can book an appointment online. Each jab for Me an is £110 and you need two. (Ouch in more ways than one).

www.boots.com/online/pharmacy-services/menb-vaccination-service

I got menB for my older son but not this one as he tends to give very dramatic immune reactions to vaccines (as in, life threatening). So if everyone else gets their kids vaccinated I would be grateful!

@MotherOfCatBoy thank you. I agree, both strains seem equally dangerous so a bit illogical to offer one vaccine but not another. DD still has a lingering freshers cold but when she’s fine I’ll get her to have it through Boots.
On another note - I’m only starting to miss her dreadfully now. I thought I was fine, but the empty room and quiet weekends, with no chatter, no gossip, no questions are awful. No understanding from DH. He says „This peace and quiet is great, isn’t it?”.
Probably winding me up, but I do wonder..

@CloudSimilar I know what you mean. We’re feeling comforted because DS seems to be settling well and enjoy himself so at least I’m not worrying about him too much. But I do miss him. The house is different and I keep expecting him to come through the door at teatime. I think it will take probably all of his first year to fully adjust.

Has anyone else found they suddenly have weekday meal leftovers built-up? I need to cook smaller recipes. 😅

No I'm just eatting more 🙈

Yes!

DS2 texted today that he’s coming home for his reading week, the first week of November. I’m really happy about this… thought it might be Christmas until we saw him!