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Welcome to Scotsnet - discuss all aspects of life in Scotland, including relocating, schools and local areas.

Original poster

DCs off to uni—anyone want to join?

126 replies

Ineedcoffeenow · 06/08/2025 13:07

Now DD has got her grades needed for uni, I’m starting to get my head around that she’s only got 4 weeks before she leaves. I’m going to miss her so much! But im also very excited for her to have the uni experience. Hopefully it will all go according to plan.

The preparation (aka shopping) will
start soon.

Anyone else also going through this?

OP posts:
Browniesforbreakfast · 30/08/2025 20:29

Browniesforbreakfast · 30/08/2025 10:58

Also remember at Edinburgh or other Scottish unis, once they move in they can apply for a young Scot card and get free bus travel across Scotland until they are 22. (If already in Scotland they should already have this)

Forgot this is Scotsnet, so you will already have this.

Edinburghuni · 31/08/2025 19:57

Thanks brownies and ineedcoffeenow my friend said her son got £600 a month ( on top of rent) which she thought was too much. So it sounds like 400 a month is ok. Phew!
apparantly there’s a lot of wealthy students I wonder what they live off?!
the scotscard thing is very good.

Edinburghuni · 31/08/2025 19:59

im hoping that’s the most he’ll need.
can I ask how often you’d hope to hear from them? Would you suggest a dinner out in a couple of weeks for example?

Browniesforbreakfast · 31/08/2025 20:10

Edinburghuni · 31/08/2025 19:59

im hoping that’s the most he’ll need.
can I ask how often you’d hope to hear from them? Would you suggest a dinner out in a couple of weeks for example?

Ideally you ensure your DC is left at uni with minimal cooking/laundry/life skills then you will get a steady stream of messages asking how to do things 😂.

Depending how close you live so how frequent you can go, I would maybe leave it another week or two before turning up for a dinner out - they often hit a bit of a low after 3 to 4 weeks. The initial energy will have worn off, friendships are still very early days and they can feel a bit lonely and wanting to see someone who knows then better. It wears off as they adjust so by Christmas they probably won’t want to come home! (Well at least until they find their flat emptying as everyone else goes home).

Original poster
Ineedcoffeenow · 01/09/2025 21:53

DD leaves on Saturday. TBH, I’m dreading it. Excited for her, but hoping she’ll be safe with the freshers week events in a big city that she doesn’t know.

OP posts:
gethighlikeplanes · 02/09/2025 11:44

My DD leaves on Friday. I’m on an emotional see-saw with all the feelings I’m having.

We haven’t made any concrete plans for a visit however I will be in Edinburgh several times over the next few months taking her sister to Uni open days (yes, here we go again!) and she knows she’s welcome to join us or meet up for lunch/dinner.

Edinburghuni · 03/09/2025 22:20

ineedcoffeenow don’t worry! Edinburgh is pretty small really and Pretty safe. She’ll be with a group too, and I am sure she knows the usual stuff to do/not do. I’m sure she will be fine. If she’s not I can pop by! We are just outside Edinburgh 😀

Edinburghuni · 03/09/2025 22:24

Thanks brownies it’s extraordinarily reassuring to hear the mental timescale!
even though we live very close, we are all emotional too. It’s another chapter over, and it feels so quick. I do misss him being tiny and oh so cute and funny.
sniff.

Original poster
Ineedcoffeenow · 05/09/2025 17:33

DD is packing everything up to leave in the morning. It’s going to be emotional! I’m just hoping the lift is working now (it wasn’t working all this last year!)

OP posts:
gethighlikeplanes · 06/09/2025 19:21

I hope everyone’s moves have gone smoothly, we moved DD into her UoE accommodation yesterday and it went well. Some tears on leaving but seeing the place and having a walk round the surrounding area was reassuring. She’s had a busy day and has events to go to tonight which is great.

Wishing everyone all the best ❤️

Browniesforbreakfast · 06/09/2025 23:47

We launched today too! All seemed well. Last seen unpacking. Lots of parents around so DC didn’t feel too embarrassed by our presence. But after spending our money on a large food/toiletries/etc shop, we were firmly waved off.

Car parking at the halls to unpack was every man for himself. Double yellows pfft! Double parking double pfft! I recommend a tank so you can just push other cars out of the way (I suspect local residents wish for a tank too on move in day)

purplepie1 · 07/09/2025 06:23

We moved her in on Friday. Parking wardens were having a field day! 😳

Lots of tears from me on leaving 😭 but room is nice and she’s told me she’s met a lot of her flat mates.

Browniesforbreakfast · 07/09/2025 09:14

For those still purchasing stuff; I recommend large plastic under bed storage boxes with lids. The rooms don’t have huge amounts of storage so making use of the under bed space is a boon.

Sausagesonlegs · 07/09/2025 09:26

Pondering the rules of freshers week and age. DS will be 17 for most of the first semester, and wondered if this may impact entry to union bar/events particularly in the evening. He's not worried about not drinking, just missing out in the socialising.

Browniesforbreakfast · 07/09/2025 09:48

Sausagesonlegs · 07/09/2025 09:26

Pondering the rules of freshers week and age. DS will be 17 for most of the first semester, and wondered if this may impact entry to union bar/events particularly in the evening. He's not worried about not drinking, just missing out in the socialising.

Friend’s DC went at 17. She said fresher’s week was the only time she was allowed in the Union after 9pm - they were given wrist bands.

Sausagesonlegs · 07/09/2025 10:06

That's good to know about wristbands. He'll think 9 pm curfew is a bit mean though, but licensing laws need to be followed. Assume if there is a band on it should be ok as I remember seeing gigs with 14+ on tickets when playing at QMU.

Original poster
Ineedcoffeenow · 07/09/2025 13:40

Also dropped DD off yesterday. DD2 was very upset. I managed to not cry leaving, but had a few tears in the car. She’ll be coming back most weeks to have a driving lesson so we’re easing into it. There is someone in her flat from London—that must be much harder.

@Browniesforbreakfast parking was crazy where we were, too. Cars dumped all over the place. We parked over the road so had to go back and forth. Plus long queues for the lift!

OP posts:
TalkedTooMuchStayedTooLong · 07/09/2025 14:19

DD just finishing up packing, we’ve an early start tomorrow to head to Belfast via ferry… she’s equal parts excited and nervous. Luckily she has a part time job already as she’s being transferred from existing one which I think will help her settle in…

There will be tears when I leave on Tuesday I expect… from both of us…

As eldest is going into third year at Uni, I’ll be down to just me and youngest DD… house will be very quiet…DD heading to Belfast is definitely the noisiest (and most expensive!) child…

swaninbay · 10/09/2025 11:07

I think I've done everything I can, it's up to him now. DS going to Dundee on Saturday. He's a quiet not confident boy, and I worry about him. But he seems determined to try hard to.meet new people. Dundee don't let you know your flatmates ahead of time in fact I think they're only told their room/ flat number today.

Edinburghuni · 12/09/2025 06:27

How is everyone doing?!
Freshers week ends tomorrow and as far as I can gather they’ve had a great time.
the house seems very big and quiet, even though I could rarely lure him out of his room.
anyone got any tips? !

ThatsNotMyTeen · 12/09/2025 11:43

After last year’s disastrous attempt at Glasgow Uni, mine is now installed at Strathclyde, ready for freshers week

Original poster
Ineedcoffeenow · 12/09/2025 12:54

Teaching is meant to start on Monday, but they had classes this week and an assignment due today so DD hasn’t been able to take part in some of the freshers week events that she wanted to do. I think that’s a bit unfair—give them a chance to settle in!

There’s also a fiasco going on with their timetable for the semester. They still don’t know when they’re in class from Monday—conflicting information has been given out. So far we’re not impressed by Napier!

OP posts:
swaninbay · 12/09/2025 14:20

We are taking DS over tomorrow, then Freshers week before teaching. Seems lots of you already had Freshers week.

IamMummyhearmeROAR · 13/09/2025 08:37

Moved my dd into halls in Glasgow yesterday. Took hours and didn’t help that we got soaked in the long key pick up queue then had to do unpacking runs from a distance due to the high volume of cars. But we remained cheery and I’m meeting her today for lunch, buy more room stuff and to help her unpack fully. Her flatmates are lovely and sociable and they all went to the Union last night. Im feeling positive that she’ll have a great time

swaninbay · 13/09/2025 22:29

We took DS over today. He was very nervous. His room is okay, but his flatmates have just stayed in their rooms with the doors shut. 😕. He met one lad as he was moving in, they had a brief chat, but not seen him since. I told him to knock on his door tomorrow and suggest they go to something together tomorrow.