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!

We have our children men B vaccine at boots - Kidd born after 2015 get it on the nhs and uni students are unfort a group who are more exposed due to close living quarters.

I got DD to have the Men B jab at Boots about a week before she left due to a thread on here. The lady who did it said that it was fine to leave the 2nd one until DD was home for Christmas so I'll book at the end of Nov.

I am (pleasantly) surprised by how much proper cooking DD is doing, although I seem to be doing less (a lot of baked potatoes being eaten here). I'm certainly spending less on food, though not £400 a month less!

I'm a bit conflicted at the moment.
DS seems to have settled well, made friends and is enjoying the course - which of course I'm pleased about. But he doesn't seem to need me anymore.
I get a 'morning' on the Whatsapp group most mornings, and not a lot else.
We've always been close and very chatty, so it seems really weird that he's got better things to do with his time than call home.
I just need to give my head a shake and stop wallowing...

Do you have younger children ?

No, he's my one and only ...

@igivein mine too several days between texts, phone/ video calls once a week. But I don’t mind, he seems to be enjoying himself, joining societies, spreading his wings. I think it’s supposed to be like this! I just try to put my mind somewhere else.

DS2 is coming home for Reading Week, will be lovely to see him. Can’t wait!

Missing DC1 lots! No reading week, so I’m trying to persuade her to let DC2 and me come down for the day over DC2’s half-term. DC2 didn’t get to see her off as it was a school day, so it would be nice for her to see everything. I’m not sure DC1’s wildly enthusiastic, so hoping to bribe her with lunch out and a trip to Aldi – her only supermarkets in striking distance are a Tesco Express and the world’s smallest, crappest Sainsbury.

I’m visiting DD on Sunday. I’m really looking forward to giving her a hug. I feel a little pressured to invite her flat mates out for dinner as one set of parents invite my DD when they visit and have bought her dinner twice. However, I know DD wants a little time off from her flat mates when we visit. What to do??

DS is still not well. He thinks his freshers flu has become a chest infection. Can't get a GP appointment. Wants to sort it himself.

I am a bundle of nerves.

@unsurewhattodoaboutit would your budget stretch to taking your DD out for a meal, and leaving a Domino's voucher to treat her and her flatmates on another evening?

@Millionsofmonkeys sorry to hear your DS is rough and the GP has not been responsive. Is there any kind of walk-in/urgent care centre local to where he is? NHS 111 might be able to book him a slot if there is and his symptoms indicate he needs assessment.

Is it that he can't get the GP appointment or hasn't even contacted then? As I wasn't clear, if he can't get one after doing the online forms etc, look for an urgent care or call 111, they can sometimes get out of hours GP appointments as well. Its not bad for him to sort it himself, but that should involve actually contacting them.

I hope he feels better soon. If it's been going on for a while chances are it's a more persistent infection.

Or encourage him to go and see a pharmacist, they will send him to a doctor if necessary or advise on over the counter remedies.

@igivein I feel the same. DD doesn’t seem to have much need for contact, it’s always me calling her now. Ah well…
@Millionsofmonkeys Advise him to find a walk-in clinic maybe? Or visit pharmacy?

Been to pharmacy who said Dr - uni Dr has no appointments. I have now found a walk in in Kendal so he's going to get a taxi there.

Disadvantage of isolated campus!

How many in the flat, and did they invite all, or just your dd?

If it's just your dd then I think you are in an awkward situation. Although maybe the suggestion upthread of taking her and leaving money for a takeaway for them both works well.
If they're taking the whole flat, then I'd suspect some of the other parents may be quite relieved if you don't!
However maybe do something like take homemade cakes for the flat, and go further afield for food and to visit "great-aunt Ethel in her nursing home..."

Hi @Millionsofmonkeys im fairly sure there is a walkin / urgent care center in Morcambe and definitely one in.Preston, both much closer than Kendal. Go through 111 they will book him a slot at the nearest one. I assume he's tried the uni based GP, they maybe able.to offer an appointment at one.of there other practice bases in Lancaster/ Morcambe if he speaks to them too.

Here the link @Millionsofmonkeys hope he's better soon

He went to Kendal - it's a true walk in, no appointments needed. 25 min each way. Didn't have to wait too long, was in and out in less than 2 hours including waiting for test results.

He's been checked out, no bacterial infection so just self care. I feel better as my insomnia had diagnosed him with pneumonia AND sepsis AND glandular fever....

Millionsofmonkeys hope he's feeling better soon. Lancaster seems to be rife with infections at the moment.

DD is apparently eating peas with just about every meal so I'm hoping the vitamin C is protecting her.

Lancaster has got alot of infections curretly @Millionsofmonkeys hope hes feeling better. Dd took about 7 days to improve. Lots of COVID around locally and seems to be hitting the uni hard. Glad Kendal worked out .

He's been ill for two weeks now - just lingering snot and coughing all the time.

He has agreed to coming home for a bit of TLC this weekend so I will pick him up tomorrow after his lectures. I feel like he just needs a couple of days proper rest and nurture!

It’s a real worry, isn’t it? DD ended up in Urgent Care yesterday after the uni dr said she needed antibiotics for strep throat, but they had none. Hospital had none either (!) but told her which pharmacy to go to in the city to get them. Thank goodness for Uber.

My ds is having a huge wobble about uni and says he wants to come home. It's not his course. He is really very shy and although has joined some clubs, is too shy to go. He says he gets too nervous just thinking about it.

He is fine once he knows people and I was like this. But I don't know what to suggest to him. He has to get on with it. He seems a bit passive too, but that might be avoidance.

Any advice or experiences very welcome!

@Beesandhoney123what about his flat mates? My dd hasn’t managed to make friends on her course but they are getting on well in her flat so she’s ok. If not is it worth him trying to get into more sociable accommodation? Or looking at a course transfer?