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!

DS is in Pendle shared. Maybe they are flatmates, lol.

And DD is in Furness!

My DD is in Furness has her timetable on the portal but it seems to vary week to week about 16 hours. Does anyone know if the arrival slot is how long you get to park or can you stay longer? I assume you have a slot so they can assist with everyone getting their key etc.

I think it's just to stagger arrival times somewhat. I don't think it's a rigid thing.

We went M11 etc and had an amazing journey UNTIL we got to the M1!! Took 5 hours in the end.
Dropped DC off, already met a flatmate and they're out on the town as I'm in a hotel wondering 8pm is too early to go to bed!! Hopefully drive home tomorrow will he better.
Also played the 'spot the Uni student car'
Good luck to everyone travelling this weekend.

DD safely ensconsed in Cardiff. Her accommodation is really nice, which is a relief because I'd heard not so good things. We'd booked her a hotel room with us for tonight but am pleased to say she's decided not to use it and is out with her new flatmates as we speak.

Before I start a thread to ask, I don’t suppose anyone on here is in the Telford/Newport Shropshire area?
We are leaving tonight to head for moving ds in tomorrow am and space is limited. I’m hoping to get him a few supplies in before I leave him tomorrow afternoon and wondered where was best to go.
Thank you.
I’m dreading it. He would rather not be moving so far (closest to home his course is offered) and I’m going to miss him sooo much. He’s an absolute pleasure to have at home ☹️

Hi Nicky,
Is he going to Harper Adams?
Foodwise Newport has both lidl and aldi on the outskirts and then waitrose in the town itself. There's a b and m for cheap household stuff, but anything bigger, you'd probably need to travel to Stafford or Telford.

@TinfoilTangerine Thank you. He is, yes! We’re coming from NI so it’s quite a trek.

I don’t want to travel too far as I’ll be leaving late afternoon to fly home.
We don’t have Waitrose here. Does that have all the usual brands since I’ll be treating him?! He’ll need a few comforts! He’s catered Monday to Friday so it’s more for treats and toiletries and a few odds and ends.

He’s also just heard that O2 signal is rubbish in the area. If that’s true he’ll have to change contracts.

Last minute packing is being done. I actually was in tears this morning when the poor old dog went in to get him up! Had to hide for a while.

DS also there now. His flat/block is a bit tired and room very small but looks a lot better now he’s unpacked and organised. He’s been out with friends he already knows and has met some flatmates.

I did hear that some of the accommodation is tired, wonder if DDs halls are slightly newer? Either way, what they will remember is the friends they make and the fun they had!

Ds and I are on the boat!! Sailing at 10.30. Eeeek this is really happening!

DD has moved in, very very overwhelmed. All her flatmates seem to be boys, from what we’ve seen so far, which doesn’t seem to have helped. She has spoken to one of them but has been in her room ever since. She knows it’s going to be really hard, due to being ND, and struggling with being away from home amongst other challenges. Hopefully, she’ll feel more positive as time goes on 🤞.

Thank you! Yes, I’m on WIWIKAU but haven’t found a Sussex sub-group yet. Maybe I need to look harder!

I just dropped my son off at Cardiff university today. I’m so worried about him and whether he’ll settle in and be happy.

took DS to lincoln today. flat is lovely, but he’s not met any of his flatmates yet… he’s gone out to meet his girlfriend who he met at the WOW residential summer school so we will see him to say goodbye tomorrow before we leave to drive to liverpool to catch the ferry back to the isle of man. that bit of water will make it seem so much farther away 😭

My son is in Talybont North. He’s doing Accounting and Finance. He’s a bit of an introvert so I’m hoping he doesn’t lock himself away in his room. It was so hard leaving him today.

DD came home yesterday. She’s struggling with anxiety quite badly. She hasn’t been eating all week due to her anxiety. She really likes her flatmates. It hasn’t helped that her course doesn’t really start properly for 2 more weeks. It’s a ridiculously long freshers! We fed her heartily. I’m just hoping she is up for returning. Thankfully only an hour from home.

It's such a worry isn't it? DD has been out with flatmates the last two nights, she said they are lovely but not necessarily 'her type' but that's okay, they'll find their tribe eventually.

A week in and I’m missing my DD more than I thought possible :(. She has had a mixed week-out 5 nights out of 7, but also spent a few days in her room not doing much. She is a person that needs time to recharge social battery but it’s different when she is 3 hours away and I can’t pop my head in round her door to check if it’s just that or if there is anything wrong. She is in Bristol and has met some nice people but no one she would consider a solid friend yet (it’s been 7 days so I’ve told her of course she hasn’t!). Says lots of the kids are quite posh private school people and she feels like she doesn’t totally fit with them. She has been out exploring and into the city centre to locate Zara and Primark. And she went to a try it out session for one of the clubs which she enjoyed, but freshers fair isn’t until next week which seems a bit silly-they could have done with it this week for opportunities to make friends. She hasn’t been in touch with us as much as we would like but she says its because she misses us and being on the phone to us all the time weirdly makes it worse.
I think it will be better when classes start tomorrow. But this morning I so want to drive down and see her. I won’t, but it’s so tempting. Going for a walk with a friend in a bit as a distraction. I didn’t think I would find it this hard!

It sounds like she’s doing brilliantly! Socialising and exploring. She’ll definitely make friends. Also, once lectures start and they get into a routine it’ll all fall into place. I’m trying to convince myself as much as you 😂

She is ok I think @Lindz555but it just so hard not being able to see her little face so I know for sure that she’s alright. She wouldn’t tell us if she wasn’t until she was finding it really hard-because she wouldn’t want to upset us. I need to calm the hell down tbh! 😂

My son isn’t very communicative. I’d always known he was okay by hearing him singing in the shower or laughing on his phone with his friends so I totally understand what you’re saying. I just keep thinking he’ll come home for a visit if he’s really struggling. I did get a text at 4am this morning saying he’d been out with his flatmates and that they’re all really nice and not to worry about him. He knows me so well! Let me know how she gets on x

Just dropped ds at Lincoln today. He’s in Cygnet Wharf which seems ok. There was only me other lad in the flat when we dropped him off, but there’s obviously other people booked in because the kitchen looked a bit ‘typical student flat’ already.
I’ll not get chance to miss him much, because I foolishly let him and DH pack the car and they managed to leave a couple of boxes behind - so I’m back to Lincoln next weekend to drop them off. I don’t mind too much because I’ll get to see him, but also Lincoln looks really nice with some good shops and I fancy having a rummage around 😁

I hope your daughter is doing ok after a bit of TLC from you. I do agree that they seem to move in too early these days. It feels like all these private accomodation places try and rinse as much rent out of them as possible by offering early move in dates. My son moved in a full week before Freshers actually starts and has understandably been bored. When you're homesick and trying to settle you need to keep busy! I'm hoping Freshers actually starting this week will help, along with lectures the week after.
It was only when lectures started that my eldest properly settled.

Dropped DD off Saturday, room is better than excepted with lots of storage. She has been out with friends from home last two nights and has tried to connect with her flatmates who are remaining locked in their rooms. She is panicking about finding her own friendship gang but I have said to keep getting out and involved and it will happen. She has been exploring and joined a gym as this helps to fill some of the days. I think the pressure and expectations to make it all happen in the first week is very high.