AIBU re Uni accomodation

[mumofflautist]

Dd (not 18 until December) over 30 miles away from chosen Uni, unconditional offer, applied on the first date you were allowed to apply and has been disappointed to find out today she's been offered her third choice. Still ensuite, but kitchen and bathroom much more tired than the lovely brand new accomodation she'd set her heart on (even though she'd told us at the open day she was prepared to rough it in the worst ones!) I know you can't expect all your home comforts and have to rough it a bit, I'm interested as to how they allocate because the vibes we got from folk we talked to at the applicants' day (this was for people who had firmly accepted unconditionals) were that they definitely were not up for paying top whack for the "poshest" halls. I wonder if there's some sort of ballot (in which case she is beyond lucky to not have been given choice 4, 5 or 6!) or if any matching goes on. AIBU as it sounds like stamping your feet and saying why haven't we been given the nicest choice (choice 1)

Our buses are shite too but not to the Uni. It's like feckin' Rome. You can get anywhere as long as you are prepared to go via the Uni even if it is completely out of your way. Great for *mumof"s DD though :) Most teens here either drive or use shanks's pony. Unless they are going to the Uni! It's a lovely campus though.

Just accept it, it's luck of the draw and your daughter already said she would be prepared to 'rough it' for a while if necessary.

Having an ensuite and own kitchen doesn't sound too bad to me.

Think there may be room for manoeuvre in terms of accommodation. DD started off in a flat of 5 - by the end of the year that was 3 and only dd and 1 other were of the original 5.

One switched to other halls in the first week, another went home for Christmas and didnt come back and a third switched to other halls after some drama over washing up. A new girl cam in term 2 and she had been in private halls and somewhere else - so I think there is a fair bit of movement

Wax yes, I was surprised how easy it was to get about (since I dislike driving intensely)...when I was at Glasgow 30 years ago everyone used to talk about those "poor" Stirling students stuck out in the sticks...the reality is Uni life may be a little easier than going to Strathy from where we stay!
Someone suggested a teenager swap - I'm sure like AirBnB that would catch on, people would have to be fairly commutable for a particular uni though. Your ds journey to Queen St and walk up the hill would take less time to get to Strathy than we would from here - bonkers!

Readalot I phoned accomodation this afternoon and they said if rooms become available in higher choices they can still be offered - so yeah, seems not set in stone. You can even go on a waiting list from the day you arrive for your higher choice. But DD thinks that would be a bit shit and I agree (DH less so!) She quite rightly says if you have met your flat/hall mates you're hardly going to be like "I'm just waiting for them to call me to move into better accomodation. But I think we're happy now whatever the outcome. I can't believe how many replies I've had!

mumof so many replies because we are all getting antsy now for exam results (DS2 for me, DS1 couldn't give a rats arse as he's in anyway!) and Uni starts.

I am also supposed to be buying a washing machine at the moment but losing the will to live and so procrastinating and doing anything else but compare more fucking prices and models. I've already binge watched the entire new series of Orange is the new Black over the last couple of days.

DS needs to decide which train station to travel from. Bridge of Allan has free parking (when you can get a space) and you get on the train before it gets busy but has fewer options for coming home. Stirling means parking a bit away and/or paying, less chance of getting a seat but gives more options for coming home.

That sounds very mature of your dd mumofflautist

Absolutely agree with see if she can get her higher choice before she gets there, but once there, commit to the flat mates she has.

Only look to move if things don't work out on a personal dynamics level.

Wax Slightly off topic but on the question of which station is better. I've been to Stirling a few times now and I drove the last time but DH was there. I describe myself as a "nervous driver". I also went to see a show a friend was in on a Saturday afternoon at the MacRobert but I was running late so I got off at Stirling and got a taxi for £7.50...got to my seat as 2.27pm for a 2.30pm start! I'm a bit of a runner and dor regular 5 and 10Ks and further so walking long distances doesn't bother me, but which station is better if I really don't want to drive it? Bridge of Allan and walk it to the Uni or Stirling and the famous buses including the Uni link bus assuming I have plenty time!

For the Uni I'd go with Stirling and the bus if short for tim but the walk isn't too different from either station. Google tells me 2.1 miles and 42 mins from BofA and 2.4 miles and 49 mins from Stirling. It wouldn't take a reasonable walker at pace that long though. Taxis here are extortionate. They also have the cycle hire thingies if you feel inclined?

www.nextbike.co.uk/en/stirling/

These are at both stations and the uni and cost £1 for the first 30 mins, you could cycle to the uni in under that easily.

plus if you get off in Stirling you have a bigger choice as you can get the Alloa trains as well as the Dunblane/Inverness and Aberdeen trains.

It's it because the most desirable ones go to the sons and daughters of ministers, solicitors etc? Or was that just a coincidence 35 years ago at my Scottish university?

defo Stirling station then bus op. They are numerous and cheap.

Wax ooh no I don't cycle. Even worse on a bike than in a car. I can walk 3 miles in 40 mins or thereabouts though because I can run it in 31 if it's flat
mmzz if so nowadays they are breaking their own accomodation policy as stated in their documents. And you don't put down anything about occupations of parents although I suppose the title Rev would obviously give it away ha ha

yep, i;d have said around half an hour walk if you are in the mood.

I went to Stirling about a million years ago. They used to say the halls were designed after prison cells. Had great years there though. It’s all about the location - you couldn’t be better placed for your lectures/clubs/social life. Do you mind saying what hall she’s got? My understanding is that the original halls have had some of the rooms converted to make ensuites.

longbar She's got Andrew Stewart and has got an ensuite that is confirmed on the form Only a few rooms in there are NOT ensuite now. We saw it at the open day and it was her choice 3. It's just a bit more dingy obviously than the newer ones and the kitchens are older with old style electric cookers. It's also more "hally" than "flatty" iyswim. First and second choice were Willow and Juniper. On the facebook page she's joined, it seems to be very varied where people are from who have been accepting Juniper and Willow - yes lots from further afield but one from Newton Mearns and Renfrewshire. Slightly different subjects right enough. Who knows, allocation must be a bit of a lottery. She is happy to stick with what she has although if a chance of an upgrade is available will need to weigh it up. I guess we'll know next week when folk either meet or don't meet their conditional offers. As for some resembling prison cells, you are right, some of the other older ones are not as nice as what I stayed in, in Glasgow 30 years ago (and they've been knocked down now!) She just feels slightly pissed off and rightly so, having worked so hard and got unconditional offers to 3 unis, she set her heart on this and thought she was in with a shot because applied early, is young for her year etc etc. Now she quite rightly says someone she knows at school might meet their conditional then it might be hello here you go have posh Willow court. She's known since December she was going and isn't getting the residence she set her heart on. I feel I am being slightly unreasonable again

Even longer until the A level results are out too OP.

Thurs 16th August for A level results. I was forgetting that too! :-D but then those people will be from further away.

She's doing better than ds in finding out where people are from and where they're staying.

Ds is resolutely refusing to ask or even engage with the chat threads he's been added to. Maybe it's just a "boy" thing

I am however going to buy a pack of door stops having seen that recommended on the WIWIKAU Facebook group that I saw mentioned on one of the MN Results threads. Apparently the open door is really helpful to encourage people to get to know each other. Plus a door stop to keep the door of the flat open while you're moving lots of things in.

Whether he'll use it is another matter though

I did undergrad at Glasgow and postgrad at Stirling. Loved both.

DD is 10 and has set her heart on Stirling because of the sports facilities.

I have nothing useful to add as my eldest is 11, but I am reading & taking notes with interest. This totally misses the point if thread, but...

Am I very tragic/poor that I cook on an electric hob?!? I know it's a bit crap but we couldnt afford to get the gas pipe rerouted or get an induction hob & replace pans etc when we bought the flat over a decade ago.

Ds refused to even consider Stirling because he'd been there too often for various sporting events (Cycling, rugby....)

DD got 3rd choice of accommodation. Think I'm more disappointed than she is so staying out of it trying to forget the negative comments on Google. Agree with above, flatmates more important than accommodation itself. DD has ensuite too. In my halls we had I think 2 showers, a bath and 3 toilets between about 20 of us! I've never had my own private toilet!

Has anyone worked out how finances will work? DD getting minimum loan which won't cover accomodation never mind living costs. We're going to pay a monthly (or weekly) allowance but unsure whether to get her to pay accommodation from loan or if we pay and she lives off loan. Anyone got any experience/ideas?

Indigo, D'S chose to live at home for now, but our plan was to pay for accommodation and the rest would be down to him to either borrow it work to fund. As he's travelling, we said we'll pay his travel and the rest is down to him. He hummed and hawed about whether to take the loan as he has savings and also should be working. He decided to take it but is hoping not to use it and then decide next year if he wants to borrow more or not. He's thinking that either he can pay it all back at the end of not used it could use it as a deposit to get him stated in a flat or something. The reality is that he'll probably spend it all in the student union when he settles in.....

My DD was given a door stop at the student welcome at her church. The warden promptly confiscated it.

I didn’t get allocated Halls at all when I went to uni so I guess at least be glad she has something. I think unis are better now at trying to ensure all first years get a place in halls if they want one.