Fledglings 2026 - support, discussion and looking after each other

[ComingInByAnsible]

A thread for parents of Year 13 leavers as they go on to universities, apprenticeships and other new adventures.

DS is off to Warwick to study PPE.

Yes DS' current account is with Santander - you can swap it to a student account if you submit your UCAS status number. It was accepted overnight and the numbers and cards stay the same.

We still don’t have Exeter accommodation despite it being her firm and her applying back in April. It’s very stressful as DD is now starting to make plans for deferring a year.

@bluefineliner I’m sure my DD may have shown me your daughter’s account! My oldest is off to do Ancient History at Liverpool

@BlackBean2023 That’s crazy. Enough to put anyone off applying to Exeter. What are they playing at?

Really sorry to hear that - it must be frustrating and a worry that you don’t need. I think the offers were coming out in batches all this week - I hope you hear soon.

I almost wish DD had got her insurance.

email today to say it could be another week and they are guaranteed either university or university approved but it doesn’t bode well

Oh I see. Hopefully it will be ok when it does come through. Good luck - it does sound very stressful.

@BlackBean2023 hope it gets sorted soon. I heard that lots of insurance students at Exeter haven't found anywhere as all the private halls are full. So stressful. At least your DC has an accommodation guarantee but annoying not knowing where they will be and whether or not they will be on campus. My DC hasn't heard anything either but Warwick tend to be quite late as they end of Sept, and the accommodation deadline was only a few days ago.

Can I join you all rather belatedly from the Y13 thread? I think DS has finally finished or at least slowed down celebrating results and his 18th. Deposit has been paid for accommodation and going to do a bit of shopping this weekend.

Sorry to hear of ongoing issues re accommodation and hope they are sorted soon.

I hope the accommodation picture becomes clearer for everyone in the next few days. I know of a fair few heading to Exeter, seems to be a popular choice from here.

I’ve been looking at whether DS can get a student bank account as a degree apprentice who doesn’t have a UCAS number, and Santander explicitly have made their student account open to DAs, unlike NatWest or Nationwide, so think DS will go for that. And he’ll get all the usual student discounts I think once he gets his uni email address. I need to check what’s on his to do list (or even if he has one!) and whether he’s assuming I am sorting anything without actually asking me!

He’s now on a group chat with others in his cohort and the year above, so they’ve started chatting and comparing notes.

In future I wouldn’t advise anyone to have Exeter as an insurance, it’s either firm or forget. It’s stressful enough not getting your firm without all the stress about accommodation.

That may well be but home students want the best university experience they can get so universities with a higher % of home students and not based in London means Exeter will always be a popular insurance choice. It’s why Durham, Bristol, Loughborough, York, Bath, Liverpool, Southampton and Lancaster are all very popular atm. Manchester, Nottingham and Leeds are still popular but the former are popular Firm and Insurance for the full experience students want.

Dd2 did a joint honours degree in archaeology and ancient history in uni of Liverpool 7!years ago . Really enjoyed it .

I think it is really wise to only choose an insurance that guarantees accommodation for insurance students. There are lots of great universities that do this.

Checking in also. Delighted that DS1 is going to uni but has suddenly hit me how ‘big’ this is and how unprepared we are!

Definitely and with accommodation that’s fit for purpose too.

It’s a shame Exeter is having accommodation issues.

Last year Warwick refurbished more accommodation and demolished some no longer fit for purpose and they usually have more than enough to go round but last year they didn’t have enough for the first time. So students had to go to private halls. Which is fine and fortunately students all got decent accommodation. But students were initially concerned

I agree. I'm prepared on the practical front - any items needed bought/sourced. But not on the life/emotional front. It is going to be such a huge change for us him not being around. We definitely need to start planning some new things to do or it will feel very odd at home. But somehow I don't think we'll get that plan in place before he goes! Makes you realise how much life revolve around them! Even while away, it still will because of the finance aspect - it will affect our financial ability to do much other than stay at home! So need to find a new project/activity away from home that is also free ha ha.

Checking in - sorry I have been off the threads due to being quite a stressed out. Thank you for the thread @ComingInByAnsible .

DS is not in a good place, spent a fortune on reviewing to have little movement. His firm offer is on hold on the outcome of a final paper review and in the meantime I’m having to book his insurance choice accommodation. Everyone is a ball of anxiety. I am 100% certain he won’t get his firm choice but have to give him every chance and so no one can move on until we know for definite.

I haven’t caught up with everyone yet so am hoping all is good before I read.

@JustHereWithMyPopcorn sorry to hear that your DS is still struggling with missing his firm offer, it’s Nottingham that is his insurance, I think? If the last re-mark turns out to be a no, I hope he can reconcile himself and start to look forwards. Really tough when it’s so close to grade boundaries.

Thanks @MiniMidiMaxi yes, its Notts which is a fantastic university. Their offer was the same as his firm but they were happy to take him with the dropped grade. He's actually been offered a really good room on campus too. I'm hoping he'll be fine - his other choice is not to go this year I guess.

For those who have confirmed university accommodation, has anyone been asked to pay the first installment yet? Just been looking at money stuff and the plan will be that me and DS's dad will cover his accommodation and DS will live off his loan, but the university website is a bit vague on when the first installment is due!

For those who have confirmed university accommodation, has anyone been asked to pay the first installment yet? Just been looking at money stuff and the plan will be that me and DS's dad will cover his accommodation and DS will live off his loan, but the university website is a bit vague on when the first installment is due!

No, the info sent by York says that the first rent installment isn't due until the end of October. Then end of January and April for the next installments.

No not been asked to pay for halls yet. I think they ask after they’ve enrolled in person at uni with their ID so make sure they take passport / driving license etc for that.

Here hall fees need to be paid by 14 Oct