Starting Uni - The next chapter

[Groovee]

So results day is here and I knew it would happen but in just over 3 weeks Dd will be moving to Dundee.

Thought I would start a thread to get us through those moments that we as parents find hard.

Hi - good luck to all your dcs as they emabrk on the next big adventure.

DD was quite snappy/argumentative last year prior to departure - and then had a bit of a meltdown just a couple of days before she was due to go which turned out to be nerves/being secretly really apprehensive so I think this kind of behaviour is really quite normal.

DD's meltdown made me realise how good a front she was putting on - and how scared she actually was. It is both very exciting and really scary - for the dc's and parents

However she ahd a great first year and is now about to start year 2 and is looking forward to going away again.

Still not sure ds really appreciates that he is going away to study - not party! Not helped that he has friends at RGU whose Freshers week is a week later than Aberdeen so more parties the week he is meant to start his course...hopefully the novelty will wear off quickly .

Is anyone thinking of a clothes horse to send to halls?

Someone's mentioned it elsewhere and it never crossed my mind!

A clothes horse is needed, also when my DD started uni it helped that she had the same colour of bedding/towels so it can all be washed in one. DD hated the cost of the washing machines in halls.

I'm not even sure there is room for one 🤦🏻‍♀️

My DD took a small clothes horse to halls at Dundee. Laundrette is expensive and she was a competitive swimmer and taught swimming so went through a crazy amount of towels. The rooms are warm so clothing etc will dry - not so much in high ceilinged freezing cold shared flat in 2nd year.

By Xmas of 1st year I had became a domesticated goddess blended with Nigella Lawson in DD's eyes. Even told off her wee sisters for lack of gratitude

Still returns with full case and laundry basket of washing but appreciates that no "washing fairy" is involved.

Ds is refusing to take even a small airer as he says his room is too small. I suspect it's one of the things we will be taking up in a few weeks

Playing rugby and training most days a week means that he'll need a lot of drying

I think ds will bring his washing home. When I was in halls over 30 years ago I actually washed everything by hand and hung it to dry on the airing racks in the huge laundry. But that was the East Suffolk road halls in Edinburgh which I think were built in the early 1900s! Laundry room was huge sinks and only 1 washer & drier.

DD's room was too small for a clothes airer altho room was very warm so washing would have dried. She did have one of those small hang up airers with pegs on it for undies. Also agree that having bedding/towels all the same colour is a good idea.

The dryer in my Uni halls was lethal but I can't remember how much it cost (don't remember much the large, top loading washing machine was either don't remember paying anything ): it was so hot that you had to be careful touching denim as it came out - let alone the metal bit

There was also big Victorian pulley airer which I used a lot.

Well turns out ds had done nothing about sorting out the direct debit as he could not find it on the website - I found it within 30 seconds with a note that it had to be in by 17th August...not sure if we can apply late for monthly payments or whether we will now have to pay first term up front. Will strangle him!

Aaaargh - I know that ds also hasn't done it - but says he thinks he can arrange it in person when he's there

I lost my rag on the phone to him (I'm at work) but it would appear it had the result of him phoning accommodation to find out what needs to happen now - and it can be sorted next week when he is up there so you do not need to panic.
We are deliberately trying to force ds to take responsibility rather than sorting it out for him. In his defence, the website is very confusing and things are not all in one place.

Well we've got the list through for dd1s studio supplies. ££££!! So this weekend we're off to the Range and Hobbycraft to kit her out - the deal being that we buy the stuff now, but resupply will have to come from her own funds.

She still hasn't got a job but to be fair it's not for lack of trying! Not sure really how much money she's going to need - obv we're paying to have her at home, all food, phone contract, have made sure she's fully kitted out with clothes/shoes etc, have bought her a bike and will get an annual travel card for the bus for her. She's even had her hair cut and her roots done!
So socialising and any extra bits will come from her own savings for now, until she finds a job. We'll not leave her skint but I'm not buying her beer!

That's very reassuring haggisaggis - I managed to find the basic information (and told ds, who under the misapprehension belief that we we would be paying his rent, that he needed to get monthly payments sorted) but as I don't have access to the e-portal, I couldn't get much more detail.

Good luck to everyone heading off this weekend - I'm sure all these gorgeous, talented DC of ours are going to smash it :)

good luck! we're next weekend but starting to feel real now... DD has stayed in reasonable form so far although she hasn't really started packing - i think that's when the stress may kick in.

Today's the day! I went to bed and left DD packing with help of 3 friends. The hall is now full of stuff and not sure it will all fit in the car or how many trips it will take at the other end. There is also debris everywhere (packaging etc) which I think I will be clearing tonight. DD has bought me a bottle of so that might help. All feeling a bit too real!

Good luck today to haggisaggis and superjaggy .

If you're not too shattered (or feeling the effects of the purely medicinal and/or to recover ) you can pass on any tips for us tomorrow

Dining room is full of various boxes, suitcases and bits 'n' pieces. Dh has checked that he knows how to put on the tow bar bike rack as it's been so long since we used it.

I'll have to do a wash immediately after ds' rugby game so that he can take his club shorts and socks with him. Priorities

...sorry, I meant to say good luck to all those moving in today.

The specific mentions of haggisaggis and superjaggy was because their dses are also going to Aberdeen and will be in the same student village (although a different accommodation block because I was mean and refused to pay the extra for en suite )

Thanks @prettybird! Hope your DS enjoys his last game at home for a while

We are already behind schedule as he's not up and I want to be on the road by 10am... he's pretty much packed though (apart from his guitar/s - he can't decide which ones to take - and his gadgets). We'll do a food shop once he's got into to his flat. I did all my sobbing last night (quite unexpected and possibly wine induced) so hopefully will be relatively tear-free today.

Good luck to all of you heading off with packed cars today and tomorrow - exciting and terrifying times!

We'll be packing the car tonight as we want to get on our way no layer than 7am - but we've got a 3.5 hour journey.

SIL says when they arrived at the Village at about 10.30 on the Saturday (3 years ago), they had to queue on Don Road to get in

And it's a case of parking where you can and forget about trying to get close to the specific halls (I think she ended up parking illegally on the grass iirc)

....am hoping that it won't be so bad tomorrow! suspect it will be though

My niece is currently on route to Aberdeen.

We're awaiting FIL as we can't fit all the stuff in the car. He's going to drive Dd up and bring Ds back down while we do her food shop and then head back down.

Still got her mattress topper to get off the bed too 🤦🏻‍♀️.

Her flatmate got access last night. Rooms look lovely but there's no storage under the bed but the bathroom is huge for the en-suite.

I'm just holding back the tears just now.

Thinking of you all, it's a motherhood oxymoron. You're so proud and excited for them yet so worried and uncertain for you tonight.